Little Puppets with Broken Strings

"I Was an Ocean, Lost in the Open"

--Finnick--

When I arrived back at Annie's, I knocked on the door and waited for my sister to come out. She was wearing all the same clothes as when I left, the only thing that had changed was the bruise circling her left eye and I was sure that her eyes were a few shades duller. 

"Annie had a fit, but she's okay now, Julian came and helped, and she didn't mean to hit me, she feels horrible about it, but I told her it was okay." I could hear her voice breaking and the tears she was trying so desperately to fight. 

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and held her tightly to my side. I glanced behind us to see Julian standing in the doorway. I mouthed the words later and he knew that meant to come over in a few hours. He nodded and shut the door behind us.

Once we got home, she came with me into my room and we laid down on my bed side by side. 

"I'm so sorry, Mads, I never meant for you to get caught up in this. I was just trying to protect you." I confessed. She sat up and looked at me, confused. "After I won the games, Snow told me that I had to do some favors and that if I didn't cooperate, he would kill you, mom, Julian, and Annie."

"So this whole time, that's what you've been doing? I'm so stupid, I was so mad at you and you-" Her voice broke. She realized that I knew about what Snow was making her do. "I'm so scared, Finnick." She whispered, finally breaking down. 

I sat up and held her in my arms, wishing I could do something more. I wanted so badly to tell her that it was all going to be okay, but it wasn't. Tomorrow I would have to leave for the Games and there was no way that Snow would let me get out of that arena alive. After that, there was no telling what he would do to my family. I hoped he would leave them alone, but I knew that probably wouldn't happen.

Once she fell asleep, I gently laid her head on the pillow and pulled the blankets over her. I quietly walked out the door and downstairs out onto the front porch where Julian was waiting. 

"What happened tonight?" He asked, as I sat down next to him. 

"Well, last night when I got back, Maddie was up and she was so mad at me. She started saying stuff about how I never care and I'm selfish and I'm abandoning Annie. I blew up at her and she was scared at first, but then she told me that she was selling herself for money." 

"What?" He looked at me in disbelief. "Did you tell her about why you do it?"

"I was pissed, but of course she was more pissed and stormed off to her room before I could talk to her. So, then today, I was going to the Capitol and went to check on her and she was wearing this outfit and I just lost it. So, I made her change and took her to Annie's." I told him everything that happened with Snow and then Maddie.

"So, that black eye, that was from-" He couldn't say it. 

"Who knows how many other times that's happened and I just haven't paid attention. I tried to put a stop to it and protect her, but I couldn't even do that." 

"What do you think he means about punishing you?" 

"I think he's going to make me go back." I whispered, saying it out loud made it more real.

"If you go back, he's not going to let you come out alive again, especially not what happened last year with 12." Julian and I talked openly, not caring about the cameras Snow probably had everywhere. Julian won the 67th Hunger Games, so he knew exactly what Snow was capable of.

"If that's the worst he does, then fine. You can't volunteer for me, that will just make it worse. You have to promise me that you'll look after them, please. Annie already struggles, my mom is barely there anymore, and Maddie, she just can't lose anyone else."