ODDS

ʙᴜʀɴ

Finnick

24 hours before

𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓫𝓮𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 hangar doors opened, the air smelled of smoke. My mind slipped towards Johanna, and I gave a small smirk, remembering her hatred for our teasing words. She would always argue, saying that her smelling like campfire was a stereotype and actually "offensive". We would bicker until Alana would have to physically separate us, much to her dismay.

But that was before.

And this smoke smelled like decay.

I pushed the bile back down my throat as I stood, jumping to the debris-covered ground of District Eight. I followed behind Katniss, who seemed overwhelmed with concern. I didn't blame her.

It was a devastating scene.

"You're alive then?" A dark-skinned woman appeared from the rubble of the district. "We weren't sure."

"Katniss, Commander Paylor." Boggs introduced. Paylor smiled stiffly, nodding her head in Katniss' direction.

"Katniss has been recovering." Boggs explained to the commander. "But she insisted on coming out and seeing some of your wounded."

She shot Katniss a grateful smile, studying her. "Well, we've got plenty of those."

We followed her as she motioned us on, but I myself soon regretted it. I heard a small crack beneath my boot, and I froze as I peered down, finding a small skull now chipped under my weight.

"We have a mass grave a few blocks west." My head snapped up, finding the commander already looking towards my foot. Everyone was looking at me, waiting for me to crack.

"I can't spare the man power to move them, yet." A sorrowful tone guided her voice, eyes in another world, another time.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, my voice catching. Paylor met my eyes, shaking her head.

"There was nothing anyone could have done."

It was true.

There was nothing anyone could have done. Ever. Over these seventy-five years, there was nothing that could be done.

Or maybe there was.

If someone had gotten the opportunity, could our reality have been shifted just enough to miss this devastation?

We left the grave yard behind us as we fell into step with Paylor once more.

Bodies, this time still not decomposed, littered the ground, lining the hallways almost in a sick pattern.

Was this what our legacy would be?

The smell hit me all at once, and I was forced to push my food down, keeping it from painting the floor.

The smell of death.

"Hospital's past that curtain." Paylor's voice rang out, unsettling the dust. "Any hope, any hope at all, that you can give them, it's worth it. The Capitol's done everything they can to break us."

Gale called out from behind me, "Aren't you worried about having all your wounded in one place?"

Paylor gave a bitter laugh. "It's better than leaving them to die."

"That's not what I meant." Gale's voice came out almost defensive.

"That's my only other option." Paylor's eyes met all of ours'. "If you can come up with another, I'm all ears."

Only silence followed, making Paylor nod and turn her head to the side. "It's right through here."

The floodgates opened, and destruction rained upon us.