We Stood Strong

Chapter 8: Lost Alliance

Chapter 8 [Finnick's P.O.V.]

Splashes hit my face. I was standing by the sea, just looking. I didn't know why I wasn't in the water, or why Annie wasn't beside me. Then hands grab my shoulders-I don't know from where.

And I'm in a rain forest again. On the floor. With my district partner. I was dreaming-I'm in the hunger games. A nightmare I'll never escape. But from my dream kept the splashes. And the splashes continued, but in different forms, drops.

"Hurry, Finnick, it's hurting me!" Willa whines, standing up. Then I realized this wasn't rain. It was something that stung a little. I could already see red flesh appearing on her arms. I squirmed and got up and we ran.

"Cover your mouth!" I yelled. Whatever it was we didn't want it in our body. It must be melting our skin! The logs and trees must have been purposely placed where we would go because I could barely run away without running into something. We had our bags. And we both had a knife or spear in our hands. There was no way of getting away from this chemical rain. Unless they wanted us to go to the cornucopia...

Light! My brain registered the beams. And the rain became less! Just as I broke out I skidded to a stop and I held out my arms where Willa crashed into them sending waves of more pain up my body. She understood quickly for my reasoning of stopping. You couldn't miss the Careers sitting at their camp.

They didn't see us, but if they turned their head they would. We would have a head start until our sores break us. I collapsed to the ground with Willa close by.

"What do we do?" She mouthed. I brought a finger to my mouth, motioned her to follow me and crawled on my arms and knees slowly.

I slowly placed an arm infront of the other even though most parts weren't covered by skin because of whatever that acid rain was. The Careers, totally oblivious and unharmed by the rain were easy to spot in the open field. It was daylight which also made us hard to miss. We were bloody red with open wounds and sore limbs- we wouldn't have a chance if we were spotted.

The Careers, still from what I know, haven't seen us, but all stood but quickly. Willa and I let our arms collapse beneath us and we laid low. The Careers were walking towards the jungle-but on the other side-away from us. We should have taken that time to run away. But maybe we would be too loud. They could still turn around.

Reese, the male tribute from 2, broke out into a sprint towards something red in the bushes. A gasp escaped through Willa's lips. She's realized it too. We weren't the only ones hurt by the rain. Obviously the careers were unharmed but that the gamemakers wanted to bring us to the middle. Words played in my head:

Come to the slaughter...

The Careers were the slaughterers. And we were their little animals. Pushed around the pen... Shrieks came from the bloody tribute across the plain. A cannon boomed. The Careers came closer to their body in search for more.

I started to back up. "Willa he have to go," I said, but still she didn't move. She was paralyzed. I tugged at her bag. We had to go before they came back. "Go!"

She finally realized the importance of leaving now. We scrambled to our feet and left the clearing just and the Careers had found the first tribute's companion and killed them, letting another cannon fire.

I practically ran over my feet as we left the field. I didn't know if the careers turned around and heard us or what. I wasn't paying attention on that. I was just trying to get the heck out of there. Suddenly all the sores and open bleeding flesh weren't my biggest problem. I could hear Willa's breath behind me, heavy.

Everything was moving so fast. I swear if I had the time I would stop and puke because of the horrible turn of frightening events. The ground made deep dips where I couldn't see them, sending me off balance. I gripped my spear as tight as I could. Panic pumped through me. Snaps were made behind us, but the snaps were way to far away to be Willa's. A quick look behind me and my hopes dropped.