Chapter 19 Chapter Nineteen

"Ladies and gentlemen, the seventy-fifth Hunger Games has begun!" The voice of the Hunger Games announcer, Claudius Templesmith, echoed in my ears.I had less than a minute to find my way.Then the gong will sound and the contestants will be able to leave the metal disc.But where should we go? I'm confused.The scene where Cinna was beaten bloody took my mind off my mind.Where is he now?what did they do to himtorture him?Kill him?Turn him into Avax?Evidently, the scene of attacking him was deliberately staged to disturb my thoughts, in the same way that Darius appeared in our service.And it really messed me up.All I want to do now is slump over the metal plate, but I can't.Everything in front of me requires me to be strong, and I owe it to Cinna, who is desperate to go against President Snow's original intention and turn my wedding dress into the wings of a mockingjay.I also owe it to the Rebels, who, inspired by Cinar, may be rising up against the Capitol's mighty rule.My breaking of the Capitol's rules in The Hunger Games was my last act of rebellion.So, I gritted my teeth and forced myself into the game.

Where are you?I can't be sure where I am.Where are you? !I ask myself.Gradually, everything around became clearer.blue water.pink sky.The hot sun hangs in the sky.Well, forty yards away, a golden shell of metal, that's the Horn of Zeus.At first glance, I thought it was on an isolated island, but when I looked carefully, I found many long strips of land with it as the center, like the spokes of a wheel, scattering in all directions.I think there should be ten or twelve such landmass, which also seem to be evenly distributed.Between these spokes, is all water.The water separates the players two by two.

Well, that's it.There were twelve spokes, and between every two spokes were two runners, still standing on the metal disc.The other player next to me was Old Wulf from District Eight, and he was on the right, about the same distance from me as I was from the land on the left.Looking in all directions in the distance, you can see a narrow sandy beach, and beyond that is a green woodland.I scan all the players, looking for Peeta, he must be blocked by the Horn of Zeus, I can't see him. As the water slapped, I scooped up a handful of water, sniffed it, and put my wet fingers in my mouth to taste it.As I expected, the water was salty.Like the water Peeta and I saw during our brief stop on the beach in District 4.But at least the water looks clean.

There was no boat, no rope, not even a piece of broken wood to cling to.No, there is only one way to the Horn of Zeus.When the gong sounded, I jumped into the water without hesitation.Here, the distances to swim are longer than I'm usually used to, and balancing in the waves requires more skill than swimming in the calm waters of my hometown.But strangely, my body is very light, and swimming is not strenuous.Maybe it's because of the salt in the water.I climbed onto land, dripping wet, and sprinted along the sand towards the Horn of Zeus.Although I can't see part of the place blocked by the horn of Zeus, as far as I can see, I haven't seen a single person emerge from the water.I can't slow down just because I'm thinking about my opponent.I'm going to think like a pro right now and the first thing I want is to get my weapons fast.

Last year, all the offerings were scattered quite a distance from the Horn of Zeus, with the most precious offerings being closest to the Horn of Zeus.But this year, everything is stacked in the wide mouth of the Horn of Zeus, twenty feet high.Not far from me, my eyes suddenly saw a golden bow and arrow, I immediately pulled it out and held it in my hand. There is someone behind me.I became alert immediately, it was the flow of sand or the flow of air that made me perceive all this.The quiver was still buried in a heap, and I drew an arrow from it, and nodding it to my bow, I turned round at the same time.

Finnick stood a few yards behind me, gleaming and imposing, with a harpoon in his ready-to-attack position.In his other hand he holds a fishing net.He was smiling, but the muscles of his upper body were tensed, ready to attack. "You can swim, how did you learn to swim in District 12?" he said. "We have a big bathtub," I replied. "You sure have. Do you like the arena?" he said. "Not much, but you should. They must have been made just for you," I said sarcastically.True enough, water is everywhere, and I bet there aren't many winners who can swim.There is no swimming pool at the training ground, so I have no chance to learn.Either you can swim when you come, or you learn it quickly.Even in the initial fight, at least twenty yards must be swam.Players in the fourth district have an absolute advantage.

We stood there, weighing each other's strengths, weapons, skills.Suddenly, Finnick grinned. "Fortunately, we're allies, right?" It was sure to be his set, and I was about to start the fight, and shoot him dead before his harpoon hit me, when I saw something dangling on his arm, which stood out in the sun.It was the solid gold bracelet with the flame pattern.I remember Haymitch wearing the same bracelet the first day he started training.I'm starting to think that Finnick might be trying to trick me, but somehow I know that's not the case.Haymitch should have given it to him, as a signal to me.In fact, it was an order to trust Finnick.

I've heard the footsteps of others and I have to make a quick decision. "That's right!" I said angrily.Even though Haymitch was my advisor and he wanted me to live, it still pissed me off that he did it.Why didn't he tell me in advance that he had made arrangements?Maybe it's because Peeta and I simply don't want to be allied with people.And now Haymitch herself picks allies for us. "Get out of the way!" Finnick snapped, this time in a voice that was very different from his usual lecherous tone.I lowered my head quickly and his harpoon whizzed past my head, followed by a scream as if his harpoon had hit its mark.The man from District Five, the man who vomited at the fencing station during practice, fell to the ground.Finnick pulled the harpoon out of his chest. "You can't trust people in Districts 1 and 2," Finick said.

There is no time to ask why.I pulled the quiver out from under it. "Shall we go in the same direction?" I said.He nodded.I started circling a large pile of supplies.About four spokes away, Inobeli and Gruz swam right to shore.Perhaps it was because they were poor swimmers, or they thought the water contained some other danger - which is also very possible, they just swam there.Sometimes it's not good to think too much.At this point they are already ashore, and they will be there in a few seconds. "Found something useful?" I heard Finnick shout. Scanning my supplies quickly, I find maces, swords, bows, harpoons, knives, spears, axes, and some metal utensils I can't name...but nothing else.

"Weapons!" I yelled, "Nothing but weapons!" "This is the same." He said affirmatively, "Take what you need, let's go!" Inobeli was too close to me. I shot an arrow at her, but she expected it and dived into the water without being hit by the arrow.Gruz was not as agile as she was, and I shot him in the calf, but he didn't go into the water.I picked up another bow and arrow, put it on my back, put two long knives and a sharp awl on my waist, and met Finnick in front of the supply pile. "You deal with him, okay?" he said.At this moment, I saw Brutal galloping towards me.His belt had been undone and he was spreading it with both hands for protection.I shot him an arrow, and he blocked it with his belt, and the arrow missed his liver, but went through his belt, stabbed him, and sprayed blood all over his face.I put up the bow and arrow again, but Brutal was lying on the ground, his body slumped, and he rolled into the water and disappeared.Behind me came the clanging of metal. "Get out now," I said to Finnick.

While speaking, Inobeli and Gruz had arrived at the Horn of Zeus.Brutal must have been within range of the bow, not far away, and Cashmere was close by.These four pros have definitely formed an alliance.If it's just for me, I'd be in an alliance with them, along with Finnick.But I'm thinking about Peeta.I see him now, and he's still trapped on the metal disc.I ran towards him, and Finnick followed without hesitation, as if he knew what I was going to do next.When I got as close as I could to Peeta, I started taking the knife out of my belt and was about to swim and get him over. Finnick patted me on the shoulder: "I'll save him." Doubt and mistrust raced through my mind.Is this his trick?Finnick wins my trust before swimming over and drowning Peeta? "I can do it." I insisted. But Finnick has already thrown all the weapons on the ground, "You'd better save your energy, you're in a bad situation." He said, bending down and patting my stomach. Oh yes, now, I should be the one who is pregnant.I wondered how pregnant people should react, throwing up, or something.By this time Finnick was standing on the edge of the water, ready to jump in. "Cover me," he said.He jumped into the water with perfect movement. I raised my bow and arrows, defending against would-be attackers from the direction of the Horn of Zeus, but no one seemed interested in pursuing us anymore.Sure enough, Gruz, Cashmere, Inobeli, and Brutal have assembled and are picking out weapons.I took a quick look around, and most of the players were stuck on the metal discs.Wait, no, there's someone standing across from Peeta, on the land to my left.It's Mags.But she didn't run towards the Horn, nor was she about to run away. Instead, she jumped into the water and swam towards me, bobbing her gray head in the water.Well, she's old, but after living in District 4 for eighty years, she won't be flooded. Finnick has already swam to Peeta's place, and he is holding Peeta's chest with one hand, while the other hand is easily paddling in the water, swimming towards the shore.Peeta was obedient and didn't struggle in the water.I don't know what Finnick said or did to make Peeta willingly put his life in his hands—maybe he showed Peeta the gold bracelet, maybe Peeta saw me waiting on the bank.When they reached the bank, I reached out and pulled Peeta up. "Hello, we meet again." He said, and kissed me. "We have an ally." "Yes, just as Haymitch wanted," I replied. "Remind me, are we still allied with someone else?" Peeta asks. "Only Mags, I think," I said, turning my gaze to the old woman who was swimming toward us persistently. "Oh, I can't leave Mags alone," Finnick said. "She's one of the few people who like me." "I can take Mags, no problem, especially after seeing the current situation in the arena. The fishhook she made may help us get food." I said. "Katniss tried to get her into the league on day one," Peeta said. "Katniss really has eyes," Finnick said. He reached out with one hand and pulled Mags up effortlessly, as if she were a puppet.She mumbled something like something "Bob" and patted her belt. "Look, she's right. Someone's figured it out." Finnick points at Beetle.He was waving his arms in the waves, trying to keep his head out of the water. "What?" I said. "The belt. It keeps you afloat," Finnick said. "I mean, paddling, but the belt keeps you afloat without drowning." I almost told Finnick to wait and take Beet and Willis with us.But Beet is three lands away from us, and I can't even see where Willis is.As far as I know, Finnick would kill them as quickly as he killed the District 5 players.So I suggest we get out of here.I hand Peeta the bow, quiver, and a knife.Keep the rest for yourself.However, Mags tugged at my sleeve and kept muttering so much that I finally had to give her a sharp awl.Delighted, she grips the handle of the awl between her teeth, and reaches out to Finnick.He slung the net over his shoulders, put Mags on his back, grabbed the harpoon with his other hand, and we left the Horn of Zeus together. On the edge of the beach, woodland suddenly appeared.No, it can't be called woodland, at least not the kind I'm familiar with.It's the jungle.This unfamiliar, almost unused word appeared in my mind.It's a word I've heard in another Hunger Games, or a word my dad told me a long time ago.Most of the trees I'm not familiar with have smooth trunks and not luxuriant branches.The ground is black and spongy, covered with twining vines and blooming with brightly colored flowers.The scorching sun hung high in the sky, and the air was hot and humid.I have a feeling that here, I'm afraid it will never be dry.The light, thin blue jumpsuit I was wearing evaporated the sweat easily, but now the clothes were sweat-soaked and clinging to my body. Peeta cleared the way, chopping away large swathes of dense greenery with his longknife.I asked Finnick to walk behind him. Although he is tall and strong, he can't get away with Mags on his back. In addition, although he is good at using a harpoon, he is not as good as a bow and arrow in the jungle.The mountains were steep and the air was sultry. After a while, everyone was out of breath.Thanks to the training Peeta and I have been doing lately, Finnick is pretty much a standard athlete, walking briskly with Mags on his back for about a mile before asking to stop; , he probably thought more about Mags than himself. The dense leaves blocked the sight, and I couldn't see the "big ship" composed of sea water and long sand in the distance, so I climbed to the top of the tree along the soft trunk, wanting to see what happened.But when I climbed up to see it, I wished I hadn't climbed up at all. The ground around the Horn of Zeus was stained red with blood, and there were pools of blood in the water.Bodies were lying on the ground or floating in the water.But with such a distance and the same clothes on their bodies, it is difficult to tell who has died.All I could see were some little blue dots still fighting.Oh, what was I thinking about last night?Last night the victors held hands, so there was a collective truce in the arena?No, never.But I guess I still want people to show a little... what?restraint?At least there was a hint of reluctance before the brutal and bloody fight began.You all know each other, I thought, and you have always been friends. I only have one real friend here, and he's not from District 4. I let the breeze play against my cheeks to cool off a little before making a decision.Even though Finnick has a gold bracelet, I'm going to kill him, this alliance really has no future.And he is an absolutely dangerous man, and he cannot be allowed to escape.Now, with a little trust between us, maybe now is the only chance I can kill him.I could have easily killed him as we moved forward.Of course, it was despicable, but if I waited until I got to know him better and owed him more, wouldn't it be so despicable for me to do it again?No, it should be right now.I took one last look at the dead bodies, the bloody field, and, strengthening my resolve further, I slid from the tree to the ground. As soon as I landed, I found that Finnick seemed to read my mind, as if he knew what I saw and how this scene would affect me.He raised a harpoon in a seemingly casual defensive position. "How about over there, Katniss? Are they all united? Sworn against violence? Throwing their weapons overboard to fight the Capitol?" Finnick asked. "No." I said. "No," Finnick repeated, "because, whatever happened in the past is in the past, and in the arena, no one wins by luck." He stared at Peeta again. "Except maybe Peeta." That said, Finnick knows Peeta's honest, down-to-earth personality as well as Haymitch and I do, and knows that he's better than any of us.Finnick didn't bat an eye when he killed the District Five player.And how long did it take me to become fierce?When I target Inobeli, Gruz, or Pluto, I want their lives; Peeta at least tries to negotiate to see if a wider alliance can be formed.But in the end for what?Finnick is right.I was also right.People who come here are not here to win the sympathy laurels. I stared at him, trying to figure out which would go faster, my arrow through his skull or his harpoon through me.I saw that he was waiting for me to act first, and he was also thinking about blocking my arrows before attacking.I feel like we're both figuring it out when Peeta purposely comes over and stands between us. "Well, how many people died?" he asked. Go away, you fool, I thought.But he just stood between us and wouldn't go away. "It's hard to say," I replied, "At least six, I think, some are still fighting." "Let's go, we still have to find water," he said. So far, no trace of a creek or pond has been seen, and the salt water is not drinkable.I was reminded of the last Hunger Games, I almost died from dehydration. "Better find water," Finnick said. "They're coming for us tonight, and we need to hide." us.we.kill.Well, maybe it's too soon to kill Finnick.So far, he has been very helpful to everyone.He did have Haymitch's approval.God knows what will happen tonight?I can also kill him in his sleep if the situation gets worse.Now, get over the difficulties in front of you first, and let him go first. I can't find water, and I'm getting thirsty.We climbed the mountain and looked for water sources everywhere, but there was still no trace of water.After another mile I saw the edge of the woods and I reckoned we had reached the top of the hill. "Maybe we'll have good luck on the other side of the mountain, find a spring or something." But there's no other side of the mountain at all, and even if I'm at the end, I know it before anyone else.That's because I found a strange square, wavy object hanging in the air, much like a piece of glass with a curved surface.At first, I thought it was the reflection of the sun, or the draft caused by the hot steam on the ground.But that thing is motionless in the air, and it won't move when we walk around.That's when I remembered what I saw at the training ground with Willis and Beet, and I knew right away what it was.I was about to warn Peeta when his knife was raised, cutting down on the ivy ahead. There was only a loud click, and the trees disappeared immediately, and what appeared in front of us was a bare open space.Peeta bounces back with a snap from the EMF, knocking Finnick and Mags to the ground as well. I lunge forward, and Peeta is lying on the vine-covered ground, unable to move. "Peta?" There was a faint smell of burnt hair.I yelled his name again and shook his body, but he didn't respond.I put my hand up his nose, and although he had been panting not so long ago, he wasn't warm at all now.I lie on his chest where I often lie on my stomach to listen, I know that I can always hear a strong heartbeat here. However, I didn't hear it.