𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 ☘︎ 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞

𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 ☘︎ 16

I get little sleep before the light sets upon the arena. Neither does Finnick. But he has done a great job at getting us breakfast, skewering multiple fish with his trident.

He also got us some oysters. Austin cracks one open, revealing the meat inside. He also reveals a pearl. I smile softly at it as he removes it from the shell, handing it to me. "For you."

"Thank you," I say stiffly, before remembering that I have to be in love, so I smile and touch his arm.

Suddenly we hear a scream. "That's new," Austin comments as Finnick turns.

Suddenly, from a wedge that is directly across from us, a gigantic wave comes crashing through the trees. It rolls out, splashing the cornucopia. A cannon fires.

But the wave never seems to go outside the wedge that it's in.

We see the hovercraft come and pick up the dead tribute, then it swiftly disappears.

But I'm focused on something else. Across the shore, I can see three figures, walking over. "Someone's here," I take out my axes, ready to fight.

But Finnick, who can see them, apparently, isn't worried. "Johanna..." He says in a low voice, then- "JOHANNA!"

He starts to race towards, her, shouting her name. "Finnick!" She shouts back. And instantly, I know this is an alliance.

"I guess we have new allies," says Austin, voicing my thoughts.

I keep my eyes trained on the three, walking across the beach. "Oh hell, no."

Nevertheless, we run over. I still have my axes out, though.

When we get over, I see three red beings. Well, three beings covered in something red. But one sentence from Johanna and it's all clear.

"Well, I got them out. We were all the way deep into the jungle where I thought it was gonna be safe. That's when the rain started. I thought it was water, it turned out to be blood. Hot, thick, blood, coming down! We were stumbling around, gagging on it, blind. That's when Blight hit the force field," she takes a deep, deep breath and closes her eyes. "He wasn't much, but he was from home."

I look at Wiress, who is muttering behind her. "Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock..."

"What's wrong with her? What's she saying?" I ask confusedly.

"She's in shock," Beetee, who has washed most of his blood off, comes over. "Dehydration isn't helping. Do you have fresh water?"

"Tick tock... tick tock..."

"We can get some," I think of the spile.

"Just-" Johanna has Wiress by the shoulders, shaking her, her axe by her side. "Listen- stop it!" She knocks her to the ground.

"Hey! Lay the hell off her!" I yell, getting my own axe. I shove Johanna as Finnick tries to pull us apart.

"What are you doing? I got them out for you!" Johanna fights back as Finnick holds her.

As Johanna yells at Finnick, I turn to Austin. "For me? What the fuck does that mean?"

"You did want them as allies," he shrugs.

I look at Wiress, who had only just got herself up. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

"Tick tock, tick tock..."

"Yeah, that's right, tick tock..."

We go out into the water and she sits down so I can wash off her face and hair. Johanna stands next to us, washing herself off. I look back to the beach and see Austin and Finnick talking, then I see Beetee, curling wire round a coil.