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KILL FOR YOUR LOVE.

act two.

(chapter twenty-nine, hickory dickory dock)

the arena, 75 ADD.

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BY MIDAFTERNOON, THERE WAS still no sign of Finnick or of the others and Juniper's patience was beginning to get tested. She still had Wiress on a firm hold with Johanna traipsing behind her, Blight still carrying Beetee and they were all getting thirsty. The four of them, as Beetee was yet to gain consciousness, were panting and Juniper could feel a stitch rising. 

"We have to stop." Blight shook his head, red in the face. "We can't keep going like this."

"I agree," Johanna said as she dropped the wire and the axe, immediately slumping onto the spongy ground. "We haven't found a single water source and there have been no clues of Finnick or of the others."

Juniper licked her dry, cracked lips as she slowly let go of Wiress, pushing her gently onto the ground as she ran a hand down her sweaty face. Wiress happily obliged to sit as she crawled over to where Blight had laid down Beetee, beginning to mutter something. 

"He's gonna die soon..." Blight whispered as he eyed the unconscious man, rubbing his sore palms. Juniper noticed that Beetee's blood had stained his flesh. "He's bled out a lot. I don't know how much longer he has."

"There has to be something in this jungle that will help him," Johanna said, looking around at the greenery. 

"Maybe." Juniper shrugged. "But do either of you have experience in healing because I definitely don't."

Both of them shook their heads and they all settled into a silence as they tried to catch their breaths, the only thing heard being their deep pants, the buzz of insects... and Wiress's singing.

"Hickory dickory dock. The mouse went up the clock," she began to quietly sing as if it was to calm Beetee's unconscious body. "The clock struck one. The mouse went down. Hickory dickory dock. Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock."

"I'm sorry — what is she doing?" Johanna raised a brow as she looked from the woman from Three to Blight and Juniper. 

"We did say she was in shock..." Blight murmured. 

"A snake. Hickory dickory dock. The snake went up the clock. The clock struck two. The snake went down. Hickory dickory dock."

"And she is called Nuts..." Juniper added.

But before anyone could add to the conversation, the sound of a cannon made them freeze. The bloodbath at the Cornucopia had finished and they were allowed to know how many were dead. 

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. 

"Seven..." Juniper murmured. "Not much for a bloodbath."

"A squirrel. Hickory dickory dock. The squirrel went up the clock." Wiress replied, though she wasn't talking to Juniper. She was still mumbling the song to Beetee as she rocked herself. "The clock struck three. The squirrel went down. Hickory dickory dock. Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock."

"I don't really care about seven people dead, but if she keeps singing, we're going to have a problem," Johanna snapped. 

Juniper groaned as she ran a hand through her hair. It was still damp, but dryer than what it was. The saltwater that was soaked in her jumpsuit had evaporated, but the fabric clung to her skin from the sweat. To add to her discomfort, grains of sand were still sticking to her with the addition of some dirt as well. And normally she didn't mind getting dirty, but she was extremely uncomfortable as she shimmied around in her jumpsuit. 

But before she could think of anything else, Beetee suddenly sat up, gasping in pain and it startled everyone but Wiress, who began to clap in glee. Blight quickly hurried over to the man, but Johanna and Juniper stayed sitting, still panting. 

"Welcome to the land of the living." Blight smiled as he patted Beetee on the back slightly. "You all right, buddy?"

"Wire," was all Beetee could croak out.

"We got your wire." Blight nodded as he kneeled down beside him. "Jo has it. Are you okay?" 

Beetee managed to nod as he looked around expectantly. He looked as if he was trying to find any water, but with one single glance at Juniper's cracked lips and Johanna's panting state, he concluded silently that they had not been smart enough to find some. But he seemed glad that they were out of the bloodbath and that he had survived as he gently patted Wiress's hand, wincing as he did. 

"Do you think you can stand?" Blight asked. "We can't stay here forever."

Beetee nodded his head and with the help of the man from Seven, he was on his two feet, slouching slightly as Juniper examined the slash on him from afar. It didn't look too deep, but the entire area was coated in crimson blood. Enobaria had really done a number on him. 

And all for a wire. 

But what did Beetee need a wire for? Juniper had joked around with Blight using it to garrotte someone, but she couldn't possibly imagine Beetee doing that. But she remembered that he won his Games by setting an electrical trap. Then she started to realise that Plutarch had told her to listen to Beetee and Finnick. 

Before her thoughts could go any further, Wiress began to sing again. "A cat. Hickory dickory dock. The cat went up the clock. The clock struck four. The cat went down. Hickory dickory dock." 

As Wiress continued to sing the rest of the verse, Beetee looked at her for a moment as he asked, weakly, "How long has she been singing that?"

"Couple of minutes," Johanna said. "But it's really goddamn annoying."

"We figured it's because she's in shock," Blight added. 

"And because she's insane." Juniper pursed her lips.

But Beetee ignored the two women's comments as he nodded at Blight, staring at his district partner as he said, "It's a children's song. Centuries old."

"Then how does she know it?" Juniper scoffed. She realised Johanna was right in that Wiress was getting on her nerves with the singing. 

"Parents in Three sing it to their children sometimes," Beetee murmured. "Something to help them sleep. Did your parents not do something like that?"

Johanna clenched her jaw as Blight shook his head slightly, Juniper ignoring the statement as she stood up. Her parents never sang her to sleep. Her father was too filled with melancholy to do such things and her mother... well, Juniper didn't remember her mother and so, the idea of one wasn't important to her. Beetee seemed to figure this out as he stared at them all. 

"Well... Blight is right, she's probably in shock," he said. "I've concluded you have not found water, which would probably help her state."

"If we had, we wouldn't be panting like a bunch of dogs." Johanna rolled her eyes. 

Before Wiress could go into singing again, Blight suggested they keep moving until they had indeed found water. So, they all began to head off, the man from Seven's arm slung around Beetee to support him, Wiress looping hers into her district partner's. It left Juniper at the front with Johanna at the back, the only two with weapons. 

But Juniper wasn't filled with the hope of finding water like Blight or Beetee was. They would have found it hours ago, but they hadn't and so, nothing would change. But all Juniper could think about as she slashed at some of the vegetation with her sword was the dryness of her lips, the way her head spun slightly, and her itchy throat. 

In addition, she also became aware of the rumbling of her stomach and realised that whilst they had been so focused on finding water and the others, they had completely forgotten about food. But they didn't know anything about the jungle they were in. They were, of course, edible things in there, but they didn't know what it was and they weren't going to risk it. They also hadn't gotten any sponsor gifts so either their mentors didn't care about them or the Capitol didn't. That fact alone was enough to have Juniper annoyed. 

And suddenly, she heard, "A monkey. Hickory dickory dock. The monkey went up the clock. The clock struck five. The monkey went down. Hickory dickory dock."

"Will you shut up!" Juniper turned around and immediately snapped at Wiress, causing the woman to jump slightly as everyone stopped. But no-one questioned her angriness. They were all tired, thirsty, and hungry with their joints aching and their patience withering. "Wiress, just stop."

"We'll find something soon," Blight said as he laid a soft hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes with such warmness and care. "There has to be something around here."

But there wasn't. Everyone knew that and by the time the white sun sunk into the rosy sky, their legs nearly gave way and even Johanna's face was twisted into one of pain. The only way they could get water was by inhaling the moisture that swam around in the air through their mouths. But it didn't do anything and they looked completely ridiculous with their tongues darting out like dogs.

Juniper dreaded night as she realised with the sun gone and a pale white moon in the sky, there was barely enough light to make things visible. They were tripping all over vines and bushes, nearly head-butting into tree trunks. But then suddenly, the sky brightened up when the seal of the Capitol appeared, floating in the sky. The anthem echoed around loudly, making their bones rattle and every fibre in their beings nearly explode. 

The man from Five, the one Finnick had supposedly taken out with his trident, was first to appear. That meant all tributes from One-to-Four were still alive. The four Careers. Beetee and Wiress, of course. And then Finnick and Mags, something Juniper closed her eyes in relief at. She didn't worry about Finnick being dead since he was too cunning and slick to be caught in a trap, but the lingering fear was there, deep down. 

The man from Six appeared and was changed to Cecelia and Woof from Eight. Then it was the pair from Nine and Seeder from Eleven. Then the sky went pitch black, silence enveloping them as they all let the deaths sink in. They weren't close to any of them, but Juniper kept thinking of the three children that clung to Cecelia as she was chosen and she also kept thinking that Brent Higgins was still alive. Was he alone? Did he have allies? Or was he gravely injured somewhere, on the brink of death?

Juniper shook the thoughts from her head as Johanna suggested they kept moving. They had to find something to quench their pains and they had to find somewhere suitable to rest for the night, but the darkness of the jungle made it near impossible. However, they still ventured through. 

The man from Three had nearly lost consciousness a couple times, Blight having to carry him for a bit, but he always regained. And whenever he came back, Wiress would either clap rather loudly, in which both Johanna and Juniper would hiss at her to be quiet, or she would skip around in glee, in which Blight would have to retrieve her.

And the entire time they were walking through the night, Juniper had one thing on her mind. This was all for Katniss fucking Everdeen. What did she ever do to deserve this? Sure, she was to be the face of a rebellion, a leader of hope, but it didn't have to result in Juniper on the brink of fainting from the lack of water, food, and sleep. And if it went on for longer, death. But Juniper also had to protect her somehow, but she didn't even know where Katniss was. If she failed to do her task, would Plutarch not retrieve her from the arena? Would he leave her to rot? Would he not live up to his word?

But suddenly, her internal-self was interrupted as her legs suddenly toppled out from underneath her, her head throbbing as she fell to the ground. And it was Blight who rushed to her side, gently picking her up as he left Johanna with Wiress and Beetee.

"Are you okay?" Blight asked as Juniper's eyes threatened to close. "Juniper, are you okay?"

Juniper's head was spinning as she attempted to sit up, Blight supporting her as Beetee came limping over with Wiress, surveying her before concluding, "She's dehydrated and exhausted."

"Severely?" Blight asked. Juniper looked up to barely see his chapped lips to realise he was dehydrated as well. They all were. 

"Nothing dramatic as of right now, but if we don't find the simple necessities for us to live, it might as well be."

"Well, we won't find anything in the dark," Johanna said, peering up to the only light source. The moon. "But we can't stay here in the open."

"What do you suggest we do?" Blight asked, helping Juniper up on her feet as he retrieved her fallen sword, passing it to her as she took a deep breath. 

"I don't know, Blight." Johanna scoffed. "Climb the trees and sleep there?"

"Do you really think Wiress will climb a tree and not fall out?" Juniper retorted, nodding over to the woman who was muttering to herself like a lunatic. 

Before anyone could answer, a large sound, something like a bell, echoed around the arena, causing them all to jump. And it wasn't like the one they rung at every Justice Building on New Year's. It was deadly and yet mysterious. It caused them all to shiver, goosebumps rising at the base of their necks. 

And then the tolling of the bell stopped.

"Twelve rings," Blight said. 

Juniper and Johanna nodded as scenarios ran around in their minds. One ring for each district? Twelve rings to symbolise midnight? No-one knew, not even Beetee as he, in his tired, pained state, admired the sky. 

"Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock," Wiress repeated and it caused the women from Seven and Ten to groan loudly as they clutched their weapons. They didn't need Wiress singing again. 

"Look..." Johanna began to say as she juggled the cylinder of wire and axe in her hand to run her fingers through her hair. "Why don't we keep moving until one of us faints, aye? And hey, maybe we'll find a set of sleeping bags..."

Everyone nodded, but after a while of walking, they all jumped again when they heard the sound of lightning going off. And everyone stopped. They all stopped because they were smart enough to realise that the sound of lightning was followed by rain. And huge grins plastered onto their faces, Blight chuckling as they looked up at the sky, seeing dark, thunderous clouds appear just a little way from them. Finally, water was coming to them. 

"Fucking finally!" Johanna yelled over the lightning. "I swear I was gonna tumble like Hale did!"

Not bothered to come up with a witty remark, all Juniper could do was watch the clouds and hear the sound of a lightning storm happen. And suddenly, she felt herself fill with glee. They would get water from the storm that was set to roll over them and then they, if they were lucky enough, would get some sponsors that could send them some food, and then they could find somewhere to sleep.

They waited nearly an hour for the clouds to roll over to be above them and when it did, the lighting stopped. They all felt giddy at the realisation they could quench their thirst. And it was Wiress who spotted the droplets first, pointing to the sky and so, all of them opened their mouths gladly, waiting to feel the luxuriousness of water. 

But then Johanna screamed. She began to thrash around and despite Juniper raising a brow, she soon realised what was happening when suddenly, a few droplets turned into a whole sheet of water, drowning them. But it wasn't water. 

It was hot, thick blood. 

It was so hot that the minute the blood was poured all over their skins, it practically seared their flesh off. It made all of them jump and scream at the sudden burning sensation, but as they tried to cry out, the blood poured into their open mouths, causing them to gag and choke. The crimson liquid coated their entire being, the only sounds heard being that of their guttural screams and the blood rain heaving down heavily. All they could see was red. It had managed to get into their eyes, coating their irises with a deathly maroon so they were staggering blind. 

Juniper didn't know where she was. She had jumped back when she had first heard Johanna's scream and since she couldn't see anything nor knew where the others were, she had nothing to cling onto. She could do nothing except feel her flesh be burnt, to feel the thick blood searing into her skin. 

But suddenly, she had the urge to run. She had to run. She had to get out of the blood rain and she had never felt happier to feel someone's flesh rub up beside her and whoever it was, she clung to them and felt herself be dragged backwards into a running state. Whoever it was, it had to have been a man since the bloody flesh felt rough and yet somewhat soft. It had to have been Blight's and considering she didn't mind the fellow, she allowed herself to be pulled along. 

And she figured it to be Blight because as she tried hard to not open her mouth, to not let more blood choke her to death, she heard a man grunting and gagging and then a woman. Johanna. And then another. Wiress. And a pained, strangled cry. Beetee. And somehow, they were all running and if Juniper wasn't worried about getting out of the thick, hot blood rain alive, she would have wondered how they hadn't bung heads.

But as Juniper let herself be guided along by someone she figured to be Blight, she realised she had dropped her sword somewhere. It had to have slipped out of her grasp from the slickness of the blood. And so, with a pant, which was only met with more blood entering her mouth and therefore making her gag, Juniper tried to let herself go from Blight's grasp to retrieve it. But he kept a firm clasp on her hand and continued to run aimlessly. 

They kept sprinting aimlessly for what seemed like an hour and Juniper was sure she was going to fully collapse as she nearly tripped over multiple bushes and nearly banged into several trees. But suddenly, her hand slipped from Blight's and there was a large boom. But it wasn't from a cannon. Juniper didn't know what it was, but whatever had happened, it generated enough force to have the woman be flung backwards harshly, whacking into the tree and causing a large enough headache that had her hissing with pain.

But when she hissed, her lips or mouth weren't met with the hot, thick blood. Nothing met her lips or mouth and her hiss echoed around the area freely. It sounded as if the rain had stopped. Everything was filled with tranquillity as insects began buzzing again, branches swaying in the breeze. The only sound being heard was the panting and whimpering of tributes. 

And then a cannon. 

Juniper snapped her eyes open and her vision was blurred. Red infected her sight and her flesh stung from the burning torture, but with a shaking hand, she managed to wipe away some of the blood from her eyes to see some of her surroundings. It all looked completely identical to where they were prior to the rain with two figures huddled against a tree, a woman moving slightly in the bushes with a man flattened completely on the floor. 

So, feeling somewhat happy that the blood had stopped and yet filled with rage, Juniper tried to get up from where she was, head spinning slightly as she spat out a huge wad of the crimson liquid. She tried to walk, but her joints and muscles ached and stung. But she needed to find out who had died and if it was anyone important. 

"I'm fucking slaughtering the Gamemakers."

Johanna was still alive and seemed to be okay, Juniper heading over to her. She was lying in a bush of moss and was trying to get up. But whilst the Hale woman tried to help her up, she was too weak to even try and so the two slumped back down. 

"Damn. Hale, is that you?"

"Yeah." Juniper managed to cough out, wincing at the taste of the metallic blood that coated her gums. 

"I can't see anything," Johanna said, a hint of urgency in her voice. 

"Maybe it's because your eyes are closed—"

"But with them open, I can't see anything!" 

"Just wipe the blood away." Juniper groaned as she blinked. Her vision was still fuzzy, but as blood began to slowly pour out of her eyes, her surroundings were becoming more clearer. 

Standing up, Juniper tried to make it over to the two figures huddled at a tree across from them, but standing made her lightheaded and so, she opted to crawling over slightly. She could barely make out the figures of Wiress and Beetee. The former was whispering something and the latter was trying to wipe the blood away from his glasses. They were still alive. And so, Juniper crawled over to the tribute that laid on the floor, who had to be Blight. 

"You okay, Blight?" Juniper grunted as she kneeled beside him, shaking his shoulder. "Blight?"

"I'm not joking when I say I'm gonna fucking slaughter the Gamemakers." Juniper nearly thought it was Blight who had opened his mouth, but she looked over her shoulder to find Johanna trying to stand up, spitting out blood. "What's up with Blight?"

Juniper furrowed her brows as her vision became clearer. He was coated in blood, like they all were, but unlike them, Blight remained still. And whilst the Hale woman concluded he was unconscious, she looked closer to find him not breathing. And then she remembered the cannon. 

"Well, what's wrong with him?" Johanna snapped. She was trying hard to walk over to where Juniper was without tripping, but there was still remnants of the blood rain on the earth so it proved to be slippery. "Hale?"

Juniper felt her heart sink slightly as she let out a sigh, looking over her shoulder with pursed lips. And if Juniper's look wasn't enough to make Johanna quiet with realisation, it was Wiress that silenced her. 

"An elephant, oh no. Hickory dickory dock. The elephant went up the clock. Oh no."