Catching Fire: Prim [Completed]

Chapter 20: Peripeteia

Rory doesn't wake up. I take in short sharp breaths, waiting for him to miraculously stand up and be like, oh hey guys I'm fine, I was just joking, you know? It doesn't happen and he stays still. Finnick crouches down beside him and blocks Rory's nose with his thumb and index.

"Are you crazy? What are you doing?!" I shriek and throw myself onto him.

He ignores me and brings his lips to Rory's and I innerly puke. I thought you weren't like this, Finnick.

But then I realize he's performing CPR because Rory's chest goes up and down at Finnick's each blow. Rory's jacket zipper soon goes down and Finnick's pumping a spot above his heart. I quietly pray for this to work because it'd be too sad if it doesn't.

It goes on for a while but nothing happens. Finnick backs up and looks at me with sad eyes.

Cough. Cough cough. We snap our heads towards Rory- the source of the sound. He coughs a few more times before propping himself up onto his elbows.

"Rory! I thought you died!" I exclaim before rushing to him. I start crying from a mix of emotions.

"There's a forcefield," Rory croaks and I just laugh and hug him. I cry and cry and Rory tells me he's fine. I thank Finnick for saving his life before chocking up tears once more. How can I kill Finnick when he saved Rory's life.

"I'm fine, really," Rory reassures us again after my tears finally stop. "We should get going, there's no water nor protection so...staying isn't an option.

"How'd you know there was a field?" Finnick asks me.

"W-what?"

"The field- you knew it was there before Rory hit it. You tried to warn us."

"I-I don't know I just...heard something," I lie. I don't want the Gamemakers to know I know- they might alter it and I'll no longer have that advantage.

"Well you should take the lead then- 'cause we can't hear anything."

So I take the lead and we continue walking. I throw some nuts to the left (field) as we walk because I'm unsure. When I hear crunching, I realize Mags is eating the nuts and I'm worried that they could be poisonous- I've never seen them. Finnick just shrugs like it's no big deal that her life's at risk. Weird.

Who is Finnick? He wanted to save Mags but is risking her life with nuts. He's been approved by Haymitch. He wants to team up with me even when I'm the worst fighter in the whole quell. He saved Rory's life when he didn't have to. Who is Finnick?

We keep walking with the filed on our left but it doesn't go any further to the left- it doesn't change course. In fact it curves in. It must be a circle.

We stop because Rory and Mags are tired and I climb a tall tree to scan the arena. The branches of the tree are sturdy and so luckily I get really high without falling. I look up to the sky and find a shimmery patch, which just confirms that we're surrounded by a forcefield. I then ask Finnick to toss me a rock and I use my slingshot to hoist it up to the sky. It goes up, buzzes, and comes straight back down.

"We're in a dome," I tell them, "A perfect circle."

And it's true. There's the cornucopia and the wheel smack dab in the middle and the outer rim is all jungle.

"So...no water," Rory says. I turn my attention to him. He's holding on fine but looks really tired. Finnick made a cane for him and Mags earlier and Rory's been putting his to full use.

"Sea water won't do, drinkable water must be between the field and the cornucopia," Finnick says, confirming my suspicions. We need to head back.

Rory and Mags are ready to collapse by noon so we stop for their sakes. We're still near the field- just not right next to it. Which is good, because we can use it to deflect our enemies if they ever do find us.