❝FIRE ON FIRE WOULD NORMALLY
KILL US, BUT THIS MUCH DESIRE,
TOGETHER WE'RE WINNERS❞
in which a girl from district 4
meets a boy from district 2
during the 74th annual
hunger games.
[the hunge...
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FINNICK ODAIR SAT IN the train car, his gaze fixed on the reflection of the District 4 train station that was crowded with peacekeepers. He had done this before, too many times to count. Each year, the faces of the chosen tributes from District 4 seemed to blur together. Each year, there were two more children he would have to mentor...to try to keep alive.
But this year felt different.
Maybe it was the growing exhaustion from the Capitol's keen interest in him, or the pressure of the intrusive interviews, or the cameras constantly on his face that made him apprehensive.
The train jolted slightly as it departed from the station, and Finnick took a deep breath, preparing himself to face the two children who he would be mentoring for the Games. He heard the door to the car slide open, and he turned to greet them with a well-practiced smile already on his face.
That was, until Lilia Conway stepped into the car, her eyes glistening with fear.
Instantly, his smile dropped. He couldn't breathe. This was no random tribute, no anonymous face to forget after they were killed in the Games. This was Lilia. His Lilia. Finnick's heart pounded in his chest as the reality of it hit him.
"No, no, no," Finnick muttered, his voice breaking.
He was supposed to protect her, but how could he protect her from this? How could he keep her safe?
"Lilia," he finally said, his voice filled with emotion. "I'm so sorry."
Lilia's gaze softened as she looked at him, reassuring, "It's okay, I'm okay."
Finnick's chest tightened at Lilia's words. He wanted to believe her, to take comfort in her resolve, but the fear in his chest was too great to handle.
"Who else...?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Lilia opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated. Before she could respond, Finnick shook his head sharply, coming to the realization.
"No," he muttered.
Just then, the door to the train car slid open again, and Adrian Reed walked in, with a haunted expression that made him seem older than his mere seventeen years. He glanced at Lilia, then at Finnick.
Finnick's breath caught in his throat as he stared at Adrian, the realization crashing down on him. At least one of them were going to die.
───────────────
As the train moved smoothly beneath them, Lilia stared out of the window, watching as the vast oceans in District 4 blurred past in a blue hue. Beside her, Adrian sat with his arms crossed, eyes glued to the polished floor.
