FAILURE TO COMPLY ┃ f. odair

5.2 real

Calypso had all kinds of reasons to feel regret, but scaring off a ghost was never something she thought she'd have to regret. Finnick, in whatever form he had come, was gone. She'd driven him away and he hadn't come back in days. Every time she managed to sleep, something else in the room changed, but he never came back. More food arrived, fresh lavender replaced the first bunch, they put a music box on her little table that broke the quiet whenever she wished. But Finnick did not come back.

Johanna was the next person to walk in while Calypso was awake. She had no reaction at first, staying sat on the edge of her bed with wary eyes as her friend let herself in and immediately went for the bowl of cold soup. Almost as quickly as she'd picked it up, she made a face of disgust and dismissed the food.

"You look like crap," Calypso acknowledged. Johanna had lost as much weight as she had, though clearly she was working on getting herself healthy again. Her hair was still gone and her skin was still bruised. But she also had a little of her mischievous sparkle back in her eyes. "You've been eating well?"

"Every day," Johanna replied. "You obviously haven't. You look worse than me. Blondie is worried about you."

Blondie. Finnick. Either Johanna was being haunted too, or she was a ghost herself. Either was better than the alternative of having to admit the horrors might finally be coming to a close, that they were safe after all. All the horrible things she'd said to him... The horrible things she'd done. Not to survive. Just to spite.

Johanna did not wait for a reply once she saw the wobbly smile on Calypso's face, the woman having some kind of awakening moment. Johanna didn't much want to know what had happened to her friends during their imprisonment, but it was not the same physical torture she had endured. She did not have to wonder whether reality was actually real.

"I got lavender too," Johanna commented, lazily picking up the small bunch of flowers and letting it drop back down. "A gift from Katniss' sickly sweet sister. Though picked by Katniss. Apparently they've been letting her out of this tomb on good behaviour."

"So you've seen her?" Calypso questioned. She was almost afraid to hear the answer. "You've seen Katniss. She's here."

"Yeah," Johanna confirmed. "I saw Finnick and Annie too. Your cousin. They're all here. Took them long enough to get us out. But we're all here now."

Somehow, that was the thing that made Calypso come to her senses, at least partly. While Finnick was perfectly acceptable as a ghostly delusion, Johanna was there through it all. Calypso knew for a fact she had not died in the arena because she'd seen her friend in the Capitol. Johanna was real and speaking sense as she always did.

One shaky exhale, an awkward laugh, and then Calypso was sobbing in a way that made her glad Finnick was not there to hear it. Some part of her wanted to stay hidden in the strange safety of her delusions instead of believing that things were going to be fine. It was somehow easier to believe she was still alone and insane, that she could fade into oblivion and not have to face the world ever again.

"I think I need to go," she breathed out desperately, wiping at her eyes. "I need to leave this room and go somewhere."

"Like they're gonna let that happen," Johanna scoffed. "Not unless you get your act together. They're kinda pissed at you, you know. You killed one of them and attacked another."

"I know!" she groaned irritably, though it was not directed at her friend. Calypso took another deep breath and tried to reign in her hazardous emotions. "Peeta. Finnick said he was here too. But they... He's worse than me."

"Up for debate, but yeah," Johanna sighed, finally sitting on the bed next to Calypso. "They have him locked up for attacking their precious Mockingjay. The Capitol screwed him up pretty good."