Such a simple thing it was to watch him as he weaved a net from the threaded vines, something sturdy that he could use to fight, but it filled her with a certain sense of comfort and calm that she found if alright to lay back in the as the waves lapped over her legs with her hair wet and down around her - drying in the sun, completely unconcerned about burning. She knew Finnick would warn her to move when she needed to from the way he kept looking back to check on her.

It felt almost like she was there in District 4 visiting him on the shores as a special favour permitted to her, or even sitting back in on of the fancy rooms in the palace or the tribute centre where they would have a free run of the place. So many times had she been called away from her district like it was nothing that Terra found some of her best memories away from her house and her family, and all of her happy ones to be with Finnick.

There were few things she loved about back home, the hill side, the familiarity as the place she had grown up, the animals, and her brother's littls family, but she didn't have much to tie her there anymore. This, a place simple, with no crazy jungle and no one trying to kill her, Terra could have lived on a beach like this with the few people she trusted. If life were simpler she would have taken to the coast and become a hermit never needing yo show her face again.

Splashing came from ths water and Terra looked up from her sprawled position, grinning at the way that Peeta moved jerkily as Katniss tried to teach him - something that was hilariously similar to the way she was when she first learned with Finnick holding her and Mags and Annie laughing nearby. She shook the memory away, a pang of grief hitting her hard at the thought of Mags after only learning what happened to the dear woman last night. Mags, Lux, Blight, Wiress, Woof and Cecelia, Seeder, and Heller, she felt a pain that struck through her, resounding and seeping through to the marrow of her bones, and it took all of her concentration to push it away and focus on where she was now, of the truth of where she was now.

"Hey Finnick! Come in, we figured out how to make you look pretty again," Katniss calls, and she shifts, looking over at him and the scabs that he had explained to her, had groaned and moaned about in an attempt to explain why he apparently didn't look his best.

When he joined them in the water, shedding his shirt, Terra moved over and took his place, shaking Johanna awake and getting Beetee's attention.

"I think I'm going to leave," she starts softly, keeping an eye on the others to make sure Finnick doesn't overhear. "I have to deal with the Careers." 

"You can't leave, not to face the two alone," Johanna hissed.

"I'm working on a plan to take care of the Victors. It would be better for us all to stick together," Beetee tells her, clearly going for the rational attempt to persuade her instead of Johanna's fight everything approach.

"And what of Chaff? He's wandering around alone out there," she pressed. "We can't leave him alone while you set some intricate trap."

"Chaff knows to find us, T. He knows what he has to do," Johanna snaps, a fire burning in her eyes.

Terra breathes deeply through her nose. "Then you know this is what I'm supposed to do. I can't finish up my list by staying here on the beach with you."

Johanna snarls and jumps to her feet, jogging down the sand until she reaches the water. "Finnick! Finnick!"

"Stop! Shut up, Johanna!" She chases after her , linping only a little after the medicine has taken it's affects.

"What? What's wrong?" He calls, running from the water to join them on the shore.

"Terra has decided it's time for her to leave so she can go hunting after 2," the girl informed, hands coming to rest on her hips as she mimics giving good news.

"What?" Finnick spins to her and she can see 12 moving closer in to the conversation before Peeta leads Katniss back to Beetee.

"It's not safe as long as they stay out there, plotting," she reasons stubbornly.

Finnick rolls his neck. "No, this is you wanting to get them out of the way trying to keep your friends safe."

"Protecting my friends is all I'm capable of doing so you should at least allow me that."

"Not when it's a death wish," he growled.

"It's hardly a death wish! I know what I'm doing just as well as either of you." She could hear her voice risingb but she didn't care. She wouldn't let the remaining Careers get close and she wouldn't let herself be put in the position of deciding what would happen when it came down to just them and the struggle of making sure Katniss survived began.

Because her gifts, the two that she got were expensive and fancy, tokens that were reminiscent to the way she was favoured in the Capitol, a sweet, innocent favourite to Snow, an image for the success of the Games in the outlier Districts. He liked to parade her around, flaunting her like she was worth something, and Terra had no doubt that things would be arranged to have her or someone as 2 for the winner. They couldn't have the others who were so openly against the Capitol and she was one of the only few who were not doomed and continued to worry about the others who were close to her, that was too frightened to go against them publicly in fear of death. As much of a coward that she was outside the arena she was the safe bet.

"Stay, my heart, stay here until after whatever Beetee has planned and then decide what to do, " Finnick pleads and she finds herself crumbling against him, losing her will to argue with him, to make him worry and fear for her so close to the end.

"If his plan doesn't work then you cannot fight me on leaving."

His shoulders sag in relief and he lets out a breathless chuckle. "You act so differently in the Games yet you're still exactly the same girl that I love." 

Blushing, Terra pushes him and he lets her knock him back into the water with a laugh, dragging her down with him. She lands with a splash, submerged fully, and despite the bright sunlight she can see beaming through, she gets this unmistakable sensation of panic that bursts in her chest, rising as the small space where she's pressed to him gives her little room to move. It wasn't like diving in and swiming away from the Cornucopia, it was like free falling and a splash and no air.

She shoves at him and pops her head up, gasping and trembling.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she sputtered, clutching at her chest as she fell back and sat in the waterb shaking her head as he came up to her. "I don't know what happened."

"It's okay, it happens to the best of us,"  Finnick reassures. "Drowning at night is a lot harder to get your bearings."

"It's stupid. I know how to swim and I didn't drown so I don't understand why I'm acting like this."

Johanna drops down into the water with her, sighing. "I can still taste the blood in my mouth, hot and thick."

She grimaces and nudges her friend in solace, understanding how completely horrible blood was on her own when she would look at herself and see it there - staining and horrible and dripping.

"I can hear your screams echoing in my head still," Finnick admits. "I know you're alright, but I can't help thinking you're hurt or in trouble."

They stay silent, sitting together in the water until the sun begins to slowly set and Beetee is calling them back.

And then he starts to explain his plan about electrocuting the remaining Careers, drawing then out to thw wet beach and frying them with his fancy wire tied to the lightning tree and taped down with the electrical tape that was in her bag.

It made sense in the dumbed down version he gave them, and Terra was thankful she hadn't left to find them knowing she would have been fried as they were.

"How do you know the wire will even conduct that much power?" Johanna asks, sceptical, and Terra can't blame her as they hike through the jungle toward the giant tree with her and Finnick at the front leading.

"Because I created it. It's my invention," Beetee answered. "It'll work."

That general answer is seemingly accepted by the others and as they continue to walk with the sky growing ever darker, Terra has to adjust herself a little further in front, flexing her fingers over the handle of her hammer.

"Where are we supposed to be when this happens?" Finnick asks. 

"Far enough from the water not to be affected," Terra calls back, smiling cheekily over her shoulder at him.

"The Careers will be safe, too, then if they aren't near the water," Katniss points out.

Beetee clears his throat. "Correct."

"If that happens then you can always go hunting with me, Katniss. One way or another they're gonna die," she says making sure to avoid meeting Finnick's gaze.

She trumps forward, climbing over a fallen tree and landing down slowly, tensed until she hears someone land beside her from behind, an ally, and waits for the others to make it over.

"We should hurry before it gets dark. We sat around all day doing nothing and if this doesn't work they might send in entertainment," Terra remarks casually, squinting up at the sky. They have a few hours still, the tsunami not having been heard yet and the barely there sunlight makes her think it's around 6 or 7.

"What a cheery observation," Johanna sassed, but it didn't stop her from picking up the pace to walk beside Terra nevertheless.

The tree was this tall, broken looking thing, but not one part was burnt or dead. It was completely healthy without a mark from the lightning that repeatedly struck. She moved towards it slowly, marvelling at the green grass that hadn't been marked either. The capabilities of technology were outstanding.

She reached forward, brushing the bark and positioning herself to climb up before she was pulled away.

"Let's not play with the dangerous tree, sweetheart," Finnick chided, tucking her under his arm.

"Nothing's going to happen unless it's the right hour."

"You're terrible at climbing anyway, T," Johanna states. "So, don't take it personally if we don't want you falling out."

"Whatever, should we get this started?" Terra asks.

Beetee nods and everyone head out to do different task; him at the tree with Finnick standing guard, Joanna tapping trees, Katniss hunting these rat thing, and Peeta helping her collect the nuts they've been eating. He's kind and easy to talk to as they talk, letting Terra protect him more than anything else as they go further away, too paranoid to actually look for food.

Hearing the crash of the wave reminds them to head back, more concerned with meeting up with the others than worrying about the food, as they get closer Terra stops, glancing around when she hears something.

"Go and meet the others, I'll be right back," she insists, pushing him in the right direction. "Make sure they go through with everything even if I'm not back right away, but I will be back."

Peeta nods, backing away. "Be careful, Terra."

"Always," Terra promised. "And Peeta? Make sure Finnick doesn't drop everything to come looking for me. It's probably nothing."

°°°

Vote,
Comment,
& follow me on wattpad

g i v e  m e  c o m m e n t s  o r  g i v e  m e  d e a t h

Unedited

2019-02-12