PREY.
( 08 )

The group of tributes that consisted of Johanna, Blight, Wiress, Beetee, and Ansel, hadn't rested for long before they continued to trek along the jungle. They had no idea where they were going, simply walking around aimlessly as they looked for any sign of Finnick, Katniss or Peeta. Hopefully, they would all be together.

“My arm hurts,” Ansel whined as he pouted like a little kid. Beetee chuckled at the young boy, not even offended that Ansel was complaining even though his injury was far worse. The boy was still young and it wasn't his fault he was feeling pain. Johanna, on the other hand, rolled her eyes in annoyance. She had no idea how Ansel had won his games with how weak he appeared to be.

“I say we just leave him here to fend for himself, what do you say?” She asked, turning to face the group. Ansel glared at the girl, however, he shut his mouth as he could see that he was annoying the younger tribute. “Guess not.” Johanna huffed before she was turning around as they continued to walk.

All of a sudden, a loud thundering was heard. Ansel looked over to his left just as a lightning bolt was striking the tallest tree. He jumped slightly as the sound, sliding closer to Wiress who began muttering under her breath.

“Sounds like one hell of a storm.” The District Five tribute commented softly as the group trekked away from where the lightning had struck.

Johanna shrugged in disinterest. “As long as it stays away from us.” She commented, barely even giving the direction of the storm a second glance.

“The way the lightning is striking the tree seems to be peculiar.” Beetee commented as he stared long and hard at the lightning storm. Ansel looked over there as well. Him and Beetee had some things in common as their districts were rather similar, District Three being technology while District Five was power. Although, Ansel personally never found much interest in any of it. He supposed he was ‘lucky’ having won the Hunger Games after which he would never have to work a day in his life. However, he wouldn't exactly call killing innocent children lucky.

“Keep going, Volts.” Johanna replied, using the nickname many had for the man - ‘nuts’ being Wiress’ as it was a play on ‘nuts and bolts’. Ansel rolled his eyes in annoyance at the nicknamed, he never enjoyed it and thought it to be quite rude to the pair of tributes that were actually quite kind.

Suddenly a loud cracking sound was heard above them. The group stopped as they stared above at the looming clouds, watching as liquid began to fell from them.

“It’s rain!” Blight shouted in glee, the rest of the group laughing joyfully as they had all been rather dehydrated. Ansel tilted his head back and closed his eyes, sticking out his tongue as he prepared to taste the sweet taste of water. However, he never got that. Instead, a sharp metallic taste was entering his senses and he quickly opened his eyes to notice what was falling was a deep red.

“Ugh, it's blood!” Johanna shouted in disgust as she wiped the liquid out of her mouth, spitting it out onto the ground.

“It's burning my eyes!” Ansel whined and the group thought he was just complaining again but they quickly realized that he was correct when their eyes too began to sting.

“We have to get out of here!” Johanna advised as she began running in the direction they had been previously going in. The other tributes followed along as best they could, as the blood was getting into their eyes and shielding their vision. Ansel lifted up a hand to cover his eyes from the blood rain, although that didn't help much.

“I can't see!” Blight yelled, voicing what all of them was experiencing. The man must have strayed too far to the side as suddenly he was flying a few feet away as sparks flew from midair. Ansel gasped as he regarded the District Seven tribute, quickly going up to the still man and checking his pulse.

Ansel gulped as he stood up and faced the group, a saddened look on his face as he delivered the news, “He's dead.”

Pain flashed over Johanna's face, the man having been her district partner after all, but it didn't last long before she was quickly running again. “We have to keep moving if we don't want to end up like him.”

The group paused but the pain and weight of the blood rain prompted them to continue moving, Ansel looking back at Blight before he too began running once more.

Beetee hummed in thought as they ran. “Blight must have ran into the forcefield, we best stay away from the right side.” He advised, the other tributes agreeing with him as they changed their course a bit more to the left.

“It's...starting...to choke...me,” Ansel stuttered out as the blood began clogging his throat. The others began experiencing his symptoms, the group slowing down slightly as they weren't able to receive enough oxygen.

“Just...hold...on…” Johanna replied as the group began to make choking sounds, their movements now slow and sluggish. However, the tributes did as she said and thankfully so as not even a few steps later the group was out of the blood rain. Ansel took in a breath of fresh air and grinned gleefully, even though he was covered in blood from head to toe as a small droplet ran down his forehead.

“I didn't think we'd make it.” Ansel chuckled as he spread himself out on the ground in exhaustion. The others followed suit as they all collapsed, panting as they were out of breath from not only the running but having choked on blood. Ansel specifically didn't think that about that fact for too long as he knew if he did he would be utterly disgusted and throw up what little food remained in his body.

“Yeah well Blight didn't.” Johanna replied bitterly as she wiped some blood off her face. Ansel's stomach tightened as he thought of the deceased man. The two hadn't been close by any means, Blight rarely talked to anyone. However, no matter who it was, Ansel didn't handle death too well.

“Should we rest up before heading back to the beach to clean up?” Ansel suggested, the group reluctantly nodding their heads in agreement.

“I'll take first watch.” Beetee offered as Wiress sidled up next to him, muttering something about a clock under her breath. Seeing the woman whom many regarded as insane, made Ansel think of Electra. He wondered where the woman was now - if she was even still alive. The boy wished she had just agreed to be part of their alliance as she would've had a much better chance surviving with them than on her own. However, he didn't dwell too much on the thought of his district partner as sleep quickly overcame him.

Ansel didn't know how long he had been sleeping for before a rough shaking was waking him up. He groaned sleepily which only prompted Johanna to shake him harder, kicking him lightly here and there for extra effect. “Time to wake up, Five. This blood is making me itchy and I need to wash it off.” The boy yawned as he woke up, standing up as he then realized that not only was his skin itchy like Johanna had said hers was, but he (and all of them really) smelt horribly. Fact: blood smells disgusting and it doesn't smell any better after a few hours.

The group set off once more but now with a clear destination in mind: the beach. The tributes were walking much more sluggishly now, the shock and dehydration hitting them hard. Ansel was half tempted to drink the blood that was off of him while Wiress never failed to mumble, “Tick, tock, it's a clock,” under her breath. No one, not even Beetee, knew what she had been referring to, therefore they all simply ignored the woman.

“I think I see water!” Ansel shouted in excitement not too long later. The whole group rushed quickly, the boy taking in a deep breath of the ocean air as they arrived on the beach. It was so nice to be out of that claustrophobic jungle and now they could finally clean up the disgusting blood that was all on them. However, it was too much that the salty sea water couldn't be drunk - not saying that you couldn't, it would just be very disgusting.

Ansel giggled as he picked up the sand and let it fall from his fingers. He had forgotten how much he loved the beach. The boy had always envied how lucky Finnick was to basically live on the water. He ignored Johanna yelling at Beetee and Wiress as he began shuffling along towards the water.

But then, Johanna was heard yelling out the one name that never failed to make Ansel’s heart best faster until it felt like it would beat right out of his chest. “Finnick!”

━━

AUTHORS NOTE (ANGIE) : so I wrote this chapter and sorry it's a bit boring but just wait until the next chapter as that is when all the action (at least the kind you guys are looking for) will happen ;)

But please comment down how you liked this chapter. What you thought of Ansel and Johanna's relationship? Of losing Blight? Of potentially reuniting with Finnick?? Let us know!