lover/fighter - Finnick Odair

Chapter 49 - Walking over glass

"Would you like to do something nicer today, or are you too tired?"

Rhea turns around to face him from her spot by the window, from where she had just been gazing at the wonderful weather outside. It's a sunny day, fluffy clouds are moving across the sky like sheep in a flock and the sea is calm and gentle.

Last night was the conclusion of the seven-day wake for the two fallen tributes. When Finnick and Rhea returned home this morning, completely exhausted, they both fell into bed to catch up on much-needed sleep. Now at midday, their breakfast had replaced lunch, so to speak, and Rhea was busy thinking about how unfortunate it was that she had already lost half of such a beautiful day to sleep.

"I'm all right. Is there anything in particular on your mind?" she asks Finnick with interest, because after spending most of the last few days taking the occasional nap without ever really getting a good night's sleep, she has a strong urge to finally feel the sun on her skin again. Life as a vampire is definitely not for her, that much is for sure.

"Maybe we could just go for a walk, nothing too strenuous. I know a few lovely places," Finnick suggests.

"I think that should be fine," Rhea replies, even though she is admittedly still pretty tired. She's used to getting by on little sleep, but that's why she usually has a fixed sleep routine that she sticks to and that makes it easier for her to cope. Being thrown completely out of rhythm like this is not exactly good for her, she realizes, and it will certainly take her a while to get back to her old form.

Nevertheless, she can no longer stand it in the house. The constant sitting in the dark is getting on her nerves and she wants to get out into the sunshine. She should survive a short trip, even if she is not at her best, if only the gloomy mood will brighten up a little.

They set off along the coast, past the cemetery where they have spent most of the waking hours of the last few days, heading north. The landscape is characterized by a mixture of sandy beach and rocky terrain. The dunes give way to small ridges, with narrow, steep footpaths leading down to the sea here and there.

They walk for quite a while as the sun blazes down on them with almost no obstruction, only a gentle breeze to counteract the heat, before Finnick takes one of the narrow pathways down to the beach. Rhea feels a little queasy as they climb down the unpaved slope and honestly hopes that she will somehow get back up there later. Fortunately, Finnick seems to have much less difficulty with this and makes for a good handhold to get down safely.

"If we wanted to go to the beach, we could have just gone to the one right on your doorstep," Rhea says a little shakily as they work their way down.

"True, but this one is special," Finnick replies with a laugh.

It's special because it's very similar to the place he liked to retreat to when he still lived at home, his real home, before the Games. After all, Finnick is not originally from the central village, but from further south in District 4.

He helps Rhea down the last few meters onto the gravelly ground, which crunches with every step. But the sound of the waves running over the pebbles is much more striking, like a rhythmic, clinking song.

Rhea looks around, searching for what might set this place apart from one of the other pebbly beaches closer to the Victors' Village. The answer lies in the small shiny specks that dot the stony beach. It's not the same sparkle that can be found in sand when the sun shines on it, because in some places there are flashes of all different colors.

Rhea's eyes follow the glow down to her feet. She crouches down and quickly discovers that the source of the colorfulness comes from the vast quantities of polished pieces of glass and porcelain mixed in with the gravel. She picks up a piece of green glass and rubs her fingers around the rounded edges. The areas that must have once been sharp tips are still a little recognizable and as the sun shines on it, it gleams like an emerald.