Little Puppets with Broken Strings

"It's Too Cold Outside for Angels to Fly"

--Finnick--

I woke up and got dressed for some party that I had to go to in the Capitol to meet with a client. I hated that. In 10 years it hasn't been any easier, I still hate every second of it, but today was worse, Snow was going to be there, so I had to make it good. 

I was on my way out, but I stopped at Maddies door. I knocked. "Maddie?" 

"Come in." She replied, still clearly angry. If there was one thing that I've always been able to count on with her, it's her fiery attitude and ability to hold a grudge. 

I wasn't prepared for what I saw walking in the door. My sixteen year old baby sister was dressed in shorts that were ridiculously short, a crop top, and a lace kimono. Her makeup and outfit didn't leave me with any questions as to where she was going. 

"You're not going anywhere." I stated. "There is no way in hell that I am going to let anyone see you dressed like that." 

"Many people have seen far more than this." She retorted. That was it. I knew exactly what I had to do. 

"Get changed, I'm taking you to Annie's, there's something I have to do." I turned around so that she could change, though I was expecting her to argue more.

"Fine, whatever, Mr. Secrets." She grumbled. "Okay." She said after a minute. I turned around to see her wearing jeans and a flannel. 

"Much better." I reached behind me and grabbed her necklace. "One last thing." She lifted up her hair so that I could fasten the necklace around her neck. It was a black trident with little pieces of sea glass. I made it for her when she was 9, when I gave it to her, I promised that I would always be there to keep her safe. I was going to make sure that today I protected that promise. 

"Thanks." She mumbled. 

We walked down the road to Annie's. I stopped in front of her house, unable to go inside. 

"I have to go take care of some things, but when I come back things are going to be different. I promise." I told her, holding onto her shoulders.

"What are you talking about?" She wasn't angry anymore, which made me relieved.

"Take this, don't be afraid to use it and if anything happens, you take Annie and run, go to Julian's house and hide. Don't come out unless I tell you. Promise me." I placed a small knife in her hand discretely as I whispered the instructions to her, carefully making sure no one was watching or listening. 

"What are you talking about? You're scaring me. Is it the Quell that's got you so worried?" Her blue green eyes were full of concern.

"Yeah, but I just need you to promise me that you will do those things. Please, Mads, this is so important." I begged. 

"I promise." She slipped the knife into the waistband of her jeans and pulled her shirt back down over top of it. 

"I love you and I never meant to hurt you, you have to believe that." I pulled her into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. 

"I love you too and I believe you." She hugged me back and stayed like that for a while. 

I never wanted to let go, but I had to if I was going to keep her safe. "I have to go, but I'll be back tonight, if nothing goes wrong I'll pick you up here and then we will go to the house and spend the night just you and me." She nodded. She turned around and walked up the steps, but stopped to look at me with worry filled eyes one last time. I gave her and reassuring wink and smile. She didn't seem to buy it, but went inside anyway. 

I took a deep breath and made my way to the train station. The whole ride I was shaking with nerves and could barely sit still, but I knew what I had to do and I wasn't going to change my mind. I walked into the party with my signature smirk plastered on my face. I faked small talk with people and forced myself to flirt with countless women, all the while searching for President Snow. Once I found him, I politely excused myself and walked over to him. 

He was in the middle of a conversation with some guy that I didn't recognize. "Sir, I need to speak with you privately. It's urgent." I interrupted as politely as possible. 

"Excuse me." Snow said to the man. I had attempted to refuse him enough times to know he was already angry with me when I followed him to one of the private rooms in the house. He instructed an Avox to stand at the door and not allow anyone to enter. Once she was gone he turned to me.

"I believe you are meant to be somewhere else." He said, implying that I was in serious trouble if I didn't turn around and do what I was supposed to.

"No, I'm done. I'm not going to be your personal whore to give out to whoever you please. Not tonight and not ever again." I was surprised by how much power I was able to put behind the words. 

"Are you sure? It would be a shame if something were to happen to sweet little Madeline, or the fearless protector Julian, or the beautiful Annie, or even your mother, who you love dearly even though her mind is elsewhere. Seems to be a common theme for you, doesn't it?" I grit my teeth and tried to ignore his words. 

"I'm done playing your games, it was a mistake to ever go along with this in the first place. I can protect them myself. You're not going to touch them." 

"So you finally figured out the secret that's been in your own home." I wanted so badly to take the grin off his face, to not fall into this trap, but I couldn't resist.

"What are you talking about?" 

"Why didn't you think to ask her how long she's been doing this?" Behind Snow, an image of my fight with Maddie from last night came up and I felt my blood boil. "She started even younger than you did. In fact, it was the night that I suggested you bring her to the victory tour party at my house after Annie won the games. Someone gave her improper directions to the bathroom. Strange though, it was almost like that wasn't the first time she went through that. Anyways, after, I gave her the same choice I gave you, the poor thing was terrified, said she would do anything to protect you, your mother, Julian, and Annie." He was clearly very pleased with the torture he was putting me through. "You thought that she was just doing it on her own." I could feel the guilt eating me alive, I yelled at her and judged her and the whole time she was doing the same thing I was doing, protecting us. 

The video changed, instead I saw Maddie slipping out the back door of Annie's house and running down to someone else's house, she was wearing a short black dress that dipped very low and showed most of her stomach. A man answered the door and the way he looked at her made me sick. It changed again and now she was in a room the backs of her legs pressed against a bed and the man towering over her. His hand ran along her cheek. "Come on sweetie, you know what will happen if you don't." He said, pushing her back on the bed. She was crying, but she didn't move or try to fight back at all. 

"Turn it off!" I yelled. 

He laughed, but the video stopped. I stared at the frozen image from the video. "What do you want from me?" I whispered. 

"You know exactly what I want, but you can't seem to understand that it is meant to be done without any consequences, so I will just have to teach you a lesson. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an announcement to make about tomorrows reaping and you have somewhere to be, I believe." 

Numbly, I turned around and left, trying to find the woman who had purchased me for the night. The whole time I couldn't stop thinking of my sister and the horrors she had gone through to protect our mother-who couldn't care less about us-, myself, my best friend, and the girl I loved. I have never felt so powerless in my life. When Annie came back from the games and had the nightmares and constant terror and guilt, I was able to do something to help her, even if it was just holding her. With Julian, I was able to give him advice and take his mind off it. I can't do anything to help Maddie and I've probably just made it worse. 

I cried the whole train ride home. I felt like such a failure, I couldn't protect her. She's just a kid, she shouldn't have to deal with this. No one should. 

The Capitol anthem played on the TV and I turned to watch only because I wanted to know what Snow had in store for this years Hunger Games, especially since it was a Quarter Quell. 

"For this years 75th Annual Hunger Games, the Quarter Quell, the tributes for each district will be selected from the existing pool of victors. In addition, one district will have one tribute selected from the Victor pool and one selected from the usual pool." That was it, my punishment was that I was going back into the arena.