CHAPTER 31
TICK-TOCK

PEETA Mellark had a good heart. He comforted his savior by bringing her to the ocean as her wounds bled out, allowing her to see the sunrise one last time. Finnick and Bex watched from their spot on the beach. The morphling girl heaves soon turned into steady breaths as her eyes followed the sun over the horizon, wanting the light to drink her in. "It's okay," Peeta told her. "Look at that. It's incredible, isn't it? All those colors. Don't worry about anything else."

The girl eventually fell limp in his arms, and Peeta let go, allowing her to float further into the ocean. A cannon went off a moment later.

She must have been part of Plutarch's promise too. Why else would she have saved Peeta so unexpectedly? This meant that District Six was part of their alliance, and Bex had killed one of them with her bare hands. Guilt swirled in her stomach as she watched the morphling float away.

Katniss and Peeta continued to stand there, hand-in-hand, watching the corpse meander farther into the water, towards the Cornucopia. Bex didn't know why, but the sight made her grateful for Finnick too, just to have him sitting beside her. She glanced over at him, but he was too focused on the hovercraft touching down from the sky. As the morphling's body was collected, Bex reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. Finnick finally turned towards her and squeezed back.

Somehow, Bex was able to hear the chime of sponsor gift over the hovercraft flying away and the waves trying to lick at their feet. She tilted her head up, watching the small, steel canister wander through the air, before landing at least ten feet away in the sand. Bex got to her feet and ran over. Ripping open the canister, she found another tin waiting inside, along with a note that read:

For your wounds.
–J

Inside the tin was a mound of green ointment.

Bex grinned from ear-to-ear. Johanna had come through after all.

Although the pond water had removed the fog hidden underneath their skin, scars and slight burn marks remained. Bex was hopeful that this ointment could help with any irritation that lingered from the fog poisoning. She rubbed it into her knuckles and back of her neck, where the skin was still slightly crusted over. Blood crusted on her shoulder from one of the mutts' claws, so she smeared the ointment on her wounds. She then shared it with Katniss, who massaged the ointment onto her cheeks and hands. Both girls felt a cool sensation once the medication sunk into their skin.

Finnick was teaching Peeta to catch a fish for them to eat when Bex walked through the water with her sponsor gift. The sun was rising, casting hues of pink and orange on their faces, and Bex concluded that this kind of light was made for people like Finnick. He shined in the morning glow, sending her a smile that made his lovers croon. Bex even felt herself go weak in the knees at it. His laugh sounded like music as she slathered ointment on his cheekbone and neck, where the fog had infected him the most. Finnick complained that he was trying to give Peeta fishing lessons, but Bex continued on. Maybe it was just to hear him laugh again.

Her blush was very apparent. It even had Peeta chuckling.

After allowing Peeta to use some of the medicine, Bex decided to save the last of it for another dire circumstance. She hid it in the sleeve of her wetsuit for safekeeping, and then laid back down in the sand. The sound of the gentle ocean calmed her heartbeat. She almost forgot that she was close to drowning in it a day before.

Finnick and Peeta walked back over to the beach shortly after, a fish in each of their hands. The younger boy managed to catch a fish on his first try. They shared one fish between two of them, splitting it in half, and ate them raw. A fire would attract attention. Bex ripped through the fresh meat with her teeth, savoring the salty flavor. She hadn't eaten a lot of fish before. It was a rare and expensive food in Seven. Even when she had the money to buy it, neither her nor Keaton favored it. But on an empty stomach, this was all she could ever want.

As they ate, another sponsor gift soared through the trees and landed in the sand. It was bread for Finnick. The loaf was fish-shaped and tinted green with salt sprinkled on the top. Bex's upper lip curled in disgust. "Relax," Finnick said, tugging off a piece with his teeth. "It's made with seaweed."

He really wasn't making it sound more appealing.

Peeta finished the half of his fish and licked at his fingers. "What kind of fish was that, Finnick?"

With a mouth full of bread, Finnick replied, "Looked like trout. Probably manufactured by the Capitol."

Bex wiped her mouth and smiled. "The same kind of fish you used to talk about that would go in your fish pie?

"Hey," he chuckled, "you gotta deal with what you can catch."

Her stomach was doing somersaults at the sound of his laugh.

She wondered if she was blushing again, because Peeta then asked, "How long have you two known each other?"

Bex and Finnick shared a look, wondering how much they should reveal. In all honesty, she had met Finnick at her Victor coronation. A week after the crown had been placed on her head from Snow's grimy hands, they had a party at his mansion, where he invited all the past Victors and just about everyone in the Capitol. It was there that she saw Finnick Odair for the first time, freshly sixteen, flocked by women ten times his age. Bex hadn't even introduced herself, but she knew Finnick Odair's type – or at least, she thought she did – and she vowed to never become an arrogant Victor. After that, they only spoke from time-to-time at Capitol functions. It wasn't until this year that she was introduced to the real Finnick, and she liked that person very much.

But she would never admit that. Not now, at least.

Instead, Bex said, "Many years," before tearing into her fish again.

"You both probably liked each other even before that," Peeta laughed. "Doesn't that happen with beloved Victors?"

Bex teetered her head to the side before looking at Finnick again. He was smirking from ear-to-ear, as if to say, Go on.

"Well, Finnick is ..." She sent him a similar sneer. "... Quite the charmer. As always."

When they faced their allies again, Peeta was smiling. Katniss, however, suspiciously arched a brow.

"Is it even real?" She asked in a harsh tone. "Or is your whole relationship fake?"

Finnick put a hand on her knee, but Bex was already releasing a fake laugh. "I'm sure you would be an expert in that department, wouldn't you, Katniss?"

The younger girl glared. She was silent, but it was clear to Bex that she wasn't backing down. Her grey eyes could cut like daggers. Finnick removed his hand and used it to rub the back of his neck, keeping his head down.

Bex didn't want to have to deal with Katniss' attitude for another second. She couldn't believe that she agreed to protect this girl at all costs. Bex stood up and discarded the rest of her fish. As she gripped her axe, she sent a scowl towards Katniss. "Our relationship is none of your business," she fumed, walking away from the group.

Katniss needed a serious reality check, but Bex wouldn't be the one to give it. She just needed to survive and hope Plutarch was going to get them all out of here. But at this point, it seemed unlikely that anyone but Katniss was going to be saved. There was a reason Plutarch didn't want to reveal too much.

Stomping towards the seashore, Bex took in the salt wafting off the water. She was steps away from washing the sand off her hands when a set of screams rang through the air. From behind her, the three other Victors stood up with their weapons. Bex straightened her back and listened closely, but the screams stopped almost abruptly.

On the other side of the arena, water rose up and over the trees, ricocheting through the lush jungle. The wave tore down several trees in its wake, storming through them and colliding with the beach. A cannon fired in the distance.

Finnick gripped Bex's arm and pulled her back as the swell cascaded across the water, pushing against the Cornucopia. It then sent a ripple onto the other end of the arena, crashing against the shore, where the four Victors stood with puzzled expressions. There must've been another pond of freshwater on that side, but that wave wasn't natural. It had to have been a ploy by the Gamemakers.

They watched for several minutes. Bex wasn't sure how much time had passed before a hovercraft came for the body, but it felt long.

"Someone's here," Katniss whispered, arrow at the ready.

More screams echoed, but they sounded closer. The four hid behind a cover of trees, but Bex was still able to make out two figures hobbling out of the jungle just across the beach. They were both drenched in blood. Holding onto each other, they walked towards the ocean to wash off. Bex narrowed her eyes and noticed that one of them – the taller figure – was holding an electric coil.

Katniss put her arm over everyone and muttered, "Get back."

"No, wait," Bex said, scrutinizing the two Victors. She recognized the tall figure's black-rimmed glasses. "That's Beetee and Wiress. They're our allies."

Finnick, being the biggest one out of their group, sprinted first, followed by Bex, and then Peeta and Katniss. They stopped several feet in front of the older Victors, hiding their weapons behind their backs, careful not to scare them. Wiress was crawling through the water when Beetee finally noticed them approach.

Finnick put out a hand – a calm, surrendering gesture. "Beetee," he nodded towards him and looked to his District partner. "Wiress." She didn't acknowledge him, just continued to play in the water. Bex's brow shot up.

"Well," Beetee chuckled, cleaning off his glasses, "it's good to see some friendly faces around here."

Bex walked to stand beside Finnick. "What happened to you two?"

"It's kind of a funny story," Beetee replied. From behind, Wiress started to crawl from the ocean, but she was nowhere near clean. "We were all the way deep into the jungle, where I thought Wiress and I would be safe. That's when the rain started. We expected water. But it turned out to be blood."

Wiress limped over and clutched her tribute partner's arm. "Tick-tock," she muttered. "Tick tock."

Beetee rubbed at his back when Wiress placed her other hand on it. "It was all coming down and choking us. We were stumbling around, gagging on it, blind."

This was suddenly sounding a lot like when Bex found the District Five tributes in the trees, when their blood dripped into her aching throat.

"Tick-tock," Wiress whispered, interrupting Bex's memory when she then gripped her arm.

"You call that a funny story?" She asked, placing one hand on Wiress' shoulder. Bex looked in her eyes, trying to keep her focus, but Wiress' stare was darting everywhere. From Bex, to the ocean, to the trees.

"What's wrong with her?" Katniss lifted her chin towards Wiress.

Beetee stood from the water and wiped his wet hands on his suit. "She's in shock."

"Tick-tock," Wiress added.

"Dehydration isn't helping," he continued, walking towards his coil. "Do you have fresh water?"

Peeta nodded. "We can get some."

Wiress repeated herself three more times, stumbling over to Finnick and shaking his arm. Katniss, sensing Finnick's frustration walked over to Wiress and grasped her shoulders, leading her towards the ocean. "Let's get you cleaned up," she said in her nicest tone.

Beetee approached Bex and Finnick with a grim expression. "It's been hard getting Wiress around the arena. She hasn't been in this situation for years. But I'll do it for the Mockingjay, and a brighter future." He rubbed at the end of his nose. "Now, how about some food?"

But Katniss still heard him. And she turned at just the right time with a furrowed brow. She didn't have a moment to question Beetee though, because Wiress was tugging her towards the water, chanting, "Tick-tock," like a song. Katniss repeated the phrase with a nod.

It took a bit of struggling, but Katniss finally got Wiress to sit in the ocean so she could help wash off the blood. She ran water through her crusted hair and scrubbed. Wiress only continued to utter, "Tick, tock," towards Katniss, except sometimes it would be a mere whisper, while other times she preferred to shout it right in the teenager's eardrums.

Sitting by the edge of the beach was Finnick and Peeta, allowing the light swell to run across their legs. Their chat seemed friendly from far away. No one would ever realize that they were discussing strategies to get to the Careers while chomping down on bit-sized, square rolls. Beetee shared them. He received the rolls early this morning from a sponsor – all twenty-four of them. Bex almost couldn't believe it. Twenty-four rolls.

Her stomach churned with jealousy. She wouldn't be surprised if she were turning green. Although the bread rolls were small, she couldn't believe a Victor as old as Beetee was able to score such a good gift. He must be a big deal in the Capitol, or a lot of people were rooting for District Three out there. It was cruel to think so less of him – especially when he was a Victor, much like herself – but Bex couldn't help her jealousy when all she received was some ointment.

Johanna would've tried punching her in the face if she heard her thoughts right now. Bex didn't want to know how much effort it took to secure that gift.

Beetee was dusting the sand off his wire when Bex walked over. He then began rolling it up again, trying to secure it in place for some unknown reason. Bex stood in front of him, casting a shadow, and swung the axe over her shoulder. "Did you get that at the Cornucopia?"

"I took a knife in the back to get it," he replied, continuing his work, "but it was all worth it."

Bex arched a trimmed brow. "How does that even help you? Are you going to strangle people with it?"

Beetee finally met her eyes, looking at her as if she was mad. Bex wasn't prone to asking stupid questions, but they did come out once in a blue moon.

"You can't be serious," he muttered.

She shrugged, twirling the axe in her hand.

Beetee adjusted his glasses. "Do you know how I won my Games, girl?"

"Clearly, not."

It was true. Bex didn't really keep track of the older Victors. His victory was very much before her time, so she never once looked into it. Perhaps, it would've been wise to before entering the Quell, but she was filled with too much pent-up anxiety to bother.

Beetee finally laughed. He looked off into the distance, recalling a memory. "I got electrical supplies from the Cornucopia and made a trap that killed the final six tributes in my arena. There's a lot you can do with just this coil."

She opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of lightning interrupted her thought process completely. In fact, the whole group of Victors turned to the other end of the arena, where large, black clouds hovered over a tree. Lightning struck the tree several times, turning the few leaves it had left into ash and smoke. Bex narrowed her eyes. That same tree was struck yesterday too, which meant there was a pattern here. Different things were happening at different times in the arena.

"Tick-tock!" Wiress shouted.

That was when Katniss knew. They could all see the gears turning in her head when she turned to the other tributes. "It's a clock! The arena is a clock, guys!" Katniss lifted Wiress and hugged her tightly. "Wiress, you're a genius!"

The first time lightning struck was around midnight. If that was any indication of time now, it had to be around noon time. The top of the hour. And a new threat would soon be upon them.

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The tributes all used the ocean water to wash up before heading to the Cornucopia. They also applied a bit of Bex's leftover ointment to treat Beetee's back wound. Katniss was hellbent on explaining Wiress' theory about the arena from the middle, so they followed her across the line of rubble. Using Finnick's hand for balance, Bex was extremely careful as she walked across the stones. She couldn't help but remember the last time she sank deep within these waters. The feeling of saltwater clogging her lungs was hard to forget.

But Finnick's gentle grip seemed to set her at ease. And that made thinking about the future of these Games all the more difficult.

She didn't want to kill him. The thought terrified her half to death.

"This entire arena seems to be laid out like a clock," Katniss said, interrupting Bex's conscious. They all helped each other up the steep jump on the Cornucopia. Much to their surprise, the Careers had emptied from their desired spot. "There's a new threat every hour, but they stay within their wedge."

Bex noticed the sun was setting far too quickly today. The Gamemakers must've started speeding up time once Katniss realized their ploy.

Katniss pointed to the tree in one sector of the arena, still smoking from the lightning strike. "It all starts with the lightning. Then the blood rain, fog, monkey mutts. And that's only the first four hours."

"What about the other hours?" Bex asked, crossing her arms.

"We haven't explored that much of the arena yet, thankfully." Katniss adjusted the bow strapped against her chest. "At ten, the big wave hits from over there." She pointed towards the sector where they saw the huge swell barge through the trees, taking down everything in its wake.

Finnick placed a hand on Wiress' shoulder and grinned. "You're officially the smartest person I know, Wiress."

It looked like Wiress didn't know what to do with all this admiration. She curled in on herself at the praise, looking to her feet and smiling in a shy way. She continued to mutter, "Tick, tock," under her breath.

"Look," Peeta lifted his blade towards the end of the Cornucopia, "the tail points at the tree, where the lightning strikes at noon and midnight."

From behind them, Wiress settled herself on the ledge of the Cornucopia, dangling her legs in the water. "Hickory, hickory, dock. The mouse ran up the clock," she sang softly, just loud enough for everyone to hear. "The clock struck one, the mouse ran down. Hickory, hickory, dock."

From the inside the Cornucopia, Peeta drew a circle in the black sand on the floor. He carved the circle out into twelve slices, like a freshly baked pie for dessert. "So twelve to one: lightning. One to two is blood rain. Then, fog is from two to three. And then, three to four: monkeys."

"Hickory, hickory, dock," Wiress sang louder. "The dog barked at the clock. The clock struck three, the dog ran down. Hickory, hickory, dock."

"And then, ten to eleven is the wave," Katniss informed again, ignoring Wiress' chant. "What about everything else? Beetee, did you notice anything?"

Beetee shook his head. "Nothing but blood."

Wiress splashed her feet against the water and recited her song again, faster this time.

"It shouldn't matter," Bex answered, pointing to the wedges with the tip of her axe. "As long as we keep track of the time and stay away from whatever sector is active, we're safe."

Finnick frowned, "Relatively speaking, that is."

A gasp resonated from behind them. The five Victors turned. Wiress had stopped singing.

Gloss was now shoving a knife through her throat.

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A/N: after several long chapters, a VERY SPECIAL one is coming up next 🤭🤭 it's been too long!!!