RUINATION | FINNICK ODAIR

THE TRUTH IN THE PROMISES

"My brother knows these tunnels really well."

Everyone gathered behind Pollux after they'd climbed down the ladder. They were now surrounded by the dark train tunnels, which smelled like something horrid but unidentifiable.

"He worked sanitation down here right after they made him an Avox," Castor continued.

Lara glanced at Pollux. She came to find out that the man couldn't speak because his tongue was cut out. She'd heard of Avox's but had never met one before.

Castor stepped to his brother's side and murmured reassurances. Pollux seemed to have some anxiety about being back underground, but he pushed on bravely.

He led the group through the tunnels, mainly walking in the main areas. Everyone was alert and suspicious of the deadly silence. Any disturbance caught their ears.

So when the sound of a train came echoing down the rails, they panicked. They sprinted to the nearest wall that divided the tracks. They all found cover as soon as the train came whizzing past them.

The strong breeze it left felt refreshing. Lara constantly felt sweat sticking to her body, but the wind gave her some relief. She closed her eyes as she pressed herself against the wall as far as possible to avoid being seen.

Once it was gone, Finnick placed a hand on her shoulder. It signaled that it was okay to open her eyes and move again. He helped her continue moving as Pollux led them to a more discreet area.

It led to another ladder that put them even farther underground. Large columns held up the ground above them. But their feet sloshed around in a small layer of sludge.

They entered another tunnel with Katniss in the front. She made sure they didn't run into any pods that would've been placed later on.

They were given a good scare when they walked in a narrow tunnel with pipes along the sides. Those pipes burst out compressed air, hitting them harshly.

Everybody ducked down to avoid the pressure. Lara felt an arm push her down to crouch faster.

Once the air disappeared, all that was left to hear was their panicked breathing.

"Is everyone okay?" Jackson called out.

Lara lifted her head up to check on their status. She thought the arm she felt on her back was Finnick. But when she looked up, she saw he was in front of her, having pushed Peeta down to keep him safe.

Her forehead crinkled in confusion as she turned around. The arm that protected her was Elias. Her immediate reaction was to stand up and move away from his touch, which is what she did.

She was the first to recover, taking steps forward to make sure the path was still clear. She held out her arm for Katniss to take since the latter was still low. Katniss grasped Lara's arm and pulled herself up, nodding in thanks.

Lara pointed down the tunnel, "It gets deeper."

They slowly approached an area of the tunnel that seemed to dip down. Lara pointed her flashlight down to reveal short, slick steps that led into murky water.

Lara crinkled her nose at the smell. Katniss seemed equally reluctant to go down that path. They both turned to Pollux.

"Is there another way?" Lara asked.

He shook his head.

She sighed and looked back down, "Gross."

Pollux was the first to venture into the water. He was followed by Katniss, Gale, and Cressida. Lara waited until Finnick was beside her again to continue.