013. capitol games

Her skin feels as if it's on fire, each small brush of fog against her skin blistering it. It's a torturous spread, the pain ebbing away at her limbs and seemingly paying close attention to where she'd been cut on her leg earlier. It's excruciating, in some ways much more painful than the gash Enobaria had given her.

The small group are all running as fast as they possibly can, every single one struggling to manoeuvre around the trees in their pained state. Poor Peeta seems to be having the hardest time, his body seemingly giving up on him as he tries his best to keep up. Finnick has Mags on his back, moving rather quickly beside Emerald who is feeling more lethargic with each passing second.

It's almost as if her legs are about to give way, allow her to collapse in the middle of nowhere and let the mysterious fog take over. It would kill her, she knows that, and yet there's a small thought in her mind of 'perhaps it would be quick and painless'. Emerald has been so adamant that she would die, she still is, perhaps this is the best way to go.

It would be rather selfish of her really, she knows that, and yet the thought resonates with her. Sure, Phoenix would probably miss her but that would be about it. Her mother would be throwing parties back in District Eight, that much she is aware.

"We have to keep running!" Katniss manages to get out, the fog obviously having its effect on her too. It sounds as if she's choking on her own words, struggling tremendously.

At this rate, there is no telling whether or not they can actually outrun it. It's moving so rapidly, that every few seconds it'll graze Emerald's skin tauntingly. It's a pain that is so unlike any she's felt before, so gradual yet so cruel.

She's slowing down more and more by the second, limbs shaking astronomically as she wills herself forward as well as she can. Emerald knows how this likely ends, the weakest of the group will fall and only those strong enough to keep going will survive. Herself and Peeta will be lucky to make it out of this, both already fatigued from injury and literally coming back to life.

Peeta falls to the ground and Katniss stops in her run, leaning down to help him up. She pleads for help, but Emerald will only hinder their movements. The brunette can hardly walk on her own, let alone help a boy who is bigger than her. Finnick, however, does stop and tries to help Peeta whilst keeping a hold on Mags who eventually pushes herself free from his grasp.

Emerald's vision begins to blur together, so much so that there are now multiple versions of everybody in front of her. What's most alarming, is that every version of the older woman has turned their back and is heading towards the thickening fog. The shouts of Finnick are painful, desperate, as he tries to call her back but it's futile — the canon sounds and she's already gone.

"Finnick, we have to go," Katniss struggles to form the words, but they seem to register with the District Four Victor who, with the help of Silas, helps haul the almost unconscious blonde boy up.

Emerald and Katniss run in front of them, Katniss tripping. The District Eight Victor makes a move to grab her but simply gets dragged down, the two tumbling down the hill. All the boys follow behind them, nobody able to fight as the fog rolls closer.

Emerald simply watches it, a wave of smoke slowly drifting closer and closer. She imagines this is what the beaches in District Four are like, endless waves of water from the oceans. She didn't get to visit them during her Victor's tour, perhaps one day she will — if she manages to survive this that is.

The fog is stalking it's prey now, looming ever so closely. However, it isn't quite as efficient as it once seemed as it hits some sort of invisible barrier and reverts upwards instead of going to them. Emerald lets out a sigh of relief as it disintegrates before her eyes, providing a small sense of comfort whilst she watches it fade.

Katniss is already moving, crawling slowly and painfully, towards what Emerald can only assume is a water source. The brunette hears the straggled cry fall from the lips of the Girl on Fire, quite quickly followed by relief?

Her mind is practically screaming at her to move now, find a way to ease the searing pain that's inched it's way beneath her skin. Yet, as she watches Katniss and Peeta wash away the sores, she cannot bring herself to make her way over. Instead, she simply lays there and stares at the sky, counting the stars and waiting for the discomfort to fade.

A hand gently closes itself around her wrist and pulls her upwards, managing to help her balance on her feet. She catches the faint glint of blonde hair in the fading moonlight, and knows instantly that it's Peeta who is helping guide her over to the water. She grips his hand, seeking out any sort of comfort she can get — even if it's from a boy she hardly knows from the next person.

Slowly, he helps lower her into the water and a pained gasp falls from her lips as she is then submerged in the cool liquid. The water has a murky tinge to it, more than likely due to all of them having entered it. Emerald can feel Peeta washing the sores off her face as she lays there, Katniss joining in to help brush away the bumps on her limbs.

After several minutes, Emerald feels rather at ease. She's sitting up in the water, her long brown hair laying messily over her shoulders. Everybody else is also around, the group in an almost stunned silence.

"I'm sorry about Mags," Katniss' voice is surprisingly gentle as she addresses Finnick, the man much too quiet for him.

He looks up, a frown on his face. "She was never going to make it,"

An unfortunate reality, one she wishes wasn't true. Mags was a lovely woman, one who's life has been destroyed by President Snow and the Capitol. It's hard for a Victor's life not to be ruined by them, fighting to the death is one thing but having to survive afterwards is another. Even when you win, you're not free. They will never be free as long as they breathe air into their lungs, with death comes freedom.

It's a morbid yet relieving fact about what she will be facing in the next few days. Emerald will likely die in this arena, surrounded by the crashing of waves against the shore, but at least she will be free.

Free from the Capitol, free from Snow, free from her mother.

That in itself is something she's dreamed of since she was a little girl, since her father left the two of them. Oh how she wishes she could've gone wherever he went instead, why didn't he take her with him?

"You okay?" Silas asks, looking at his District partner who turns his head to meet his gaze. The brunette nods her head, still wringing out her hair. "And your leg?"

"Yeah, it's okay. A little sore but nothing I can't manage," Emerald gives him a strained smile, trying to deflect from the fact she's in a bit of pain. "What about you?"

"I'm fine," Silas responds, patting her shoulder gently.

Katniss' sharp voice draws in the attention of the duo, Emerald's eyes widening when she sees what the girl on fire obviously does too. Peeta, completely oblivious to what's going on around him, is standing by one of the trees with his head down. All around him, are these creatures which closely resemble monkeys — only they look much more vicious.

"Peeta. Walk over here slowly," Katniss instructs quietly, which causes him to raise his head and look up. He comes face to face with the animal, the monkey practically hissing.

Emerald reaches for one of the knives that had been brought along, none of them actually ones she had bought. Instead, they are Peeta's, his small collection enough for the both of them at the moment.

Within a matter of seconds, they're in a brawl with a bunch of capitol manufactured animals. Emerald stabs her knife through several of them, cringing at the noises they make as they fall to the ground. Even with the five of them, they're severely outnumbered.

Emerald shoves the knife through one of their skulls, saving Peeta from meeting his end. He gives her a look of thanks before the two of them go back to fighting for their lives.

She doesn't pay attention to what else is happening around her, until she hears the sound of her name being called. Emerald turns to see Katniss and Peeta dragging one of the victors towards the beach. Scrunching her eyebrows together, she moves backwards carefully, still holding her knife up in defense.

When her feet begin to sink, she knows she's now on the sand. The monkeys have stopped pursuing them now, much like the fog had, the animals now standing on the greenery rather than moving to the beach.

As they begin to leave, Emerald turns to take in the sight of Peeta talking softly to the woman from District Six. The two of them are watching the sunrise.

"Where'd she come from?" Emerald questions Silas who shrugs his shoulder slightly.

Emerald continues to watch the sight before her, pushing all thoughts of the things they've experienced in the last few hours to the back of her mind. These Games are twisted in their own unique way and she knows it'll only get worse from here.