Strong (Johanna Mason Fanfic)

The Games 1.8

I crash into the running person. I get a glimpse of dark hair and grey eyes. Hunter. I almost scream when I see him, a large cut across his right cheek. He has bags under his eyes, a nasty slash on his leg, and hollow cheeks. He wildly looks at me and stops, touching my shoulder.

"Johanna." he cries.

"Hunter." I reply.

"I don't want to die, I don't want you to die." he croaks.

"But only one of us comes out." I say sadly.

"This is the end of the world. I want this to end." he screams.

We run together from the cracking ground, jumping over branches, bushes, and other plants, avoiding spider webs as well as nests. The storm won't end. It won't end until there is only the victor left. We are all running low on energy and when the ground stops cracking, we decide to take a break. That's when the speaker booms.

"Tributes!" announces Templesmith, "As you can see, the storm is vile and unforgiving. You all need a safezone, right? The only one you will find is the Cornucopia. You will be given around fifteen minutes of calm conditions to get to that destination. After the time, the whole arena will start destroying itself. I am warning you, all parts of the arena will be flooded and the cracks will get bigger. I wish you all the best of luck. And as always, may the odds be ever in your favor!" he says.

"Shit. What do we do now?" says Hunter.

"How far is the Cornucopia?" asks Ash.

"Let me see." I say as I find myself a tree to scale.

I basically run up the tree, climbing it with such speed that I almost get sick. I reach the top and see all of the damage. All parts of the arena are practically burned down, a thin layer of water covering the surface, several big cracks in the ground itself. The Cornucopia is untouched, covered by a layer of ice. The maelstrom is still spinning, the clouds still circling. The safezone is pretty close, we should be able to make it under fifteen minutes. But I have a feeling that the time given is under fifteen minutes. Seems too good to be true. I wonder if Ramsey and Lance see what is happening. Is Ramsey watching carefully, hoping that I will get back, or is he dying inside, sitting in the forest? Is Lance looking from above? Saving my sorry soul from this disaster? I hope so. I hope he doesn't see the relationship that I have established with Ash. I hope he doesn't care. Ramsey knows by now that this is an act, but Lance? He's dead. He doesn't feel, he's not here.

I jump down the tree and we start moving. We decide to walk it out a bit before we jog. I am ahead of the pack, ax in hand, eyes wide open. Ash is right behind, holding three throwing knives in each hand, ready to strike. And at the end is Hunter, holding a single spear.

"So, Johanna?" asks Hunter, "How did you almost die?" he says sarcastically.

"Poison, an arrow, a cut, and almost falling into maelstrom as well as the quake. What about you?" I laugh.

"Got attacked by Galaxy, almost killed by spiders, a rabid wolf, almost drowned in the Lake, got a spear thrown at by Ovid, and nearly got washed away by the wave." he says.

"Shit. That is a lot. Some adventures..." says Ash.

"What about you, Two?" asks Hunter.

"I got attacked by wolves and spiders. Almost washed away by the wave. Other than that, nothing really. Well, Beatrix tried to kiss me once and Galaxy was constantly trying to get me to sleep with her. That girl was so desperate." laughs Ash.

"No fair. You almost never died. And you had girls try to sleep with you!" pouts Hunter.

"But I don't care about those girls. I have my beauty right here with me." he says, turning to me.