When Finnick Met Annie

Chapter 16

Chapter 16 

I stood by the door and watched as Finnick got ready. I had nothing on, except for underwear and one of his button-down shirts. “What are you doing?” I asked, even thought I already knew the answer. He kept quiet and just looked at me for a moment. His eyes were sad, and his lips were pushed together in a flat line. I could feel the lump forming in my throat and the tears threatening to fall. He held my stare a little longer before continuing to do whatever it was he was doing. “You don’t have to go, you know...” I said, rage and desperation filled my veins. “Annie, I...” “No, You listen to me Finnick, you don’t own them anything! You don’t have to go! Please, I... I can’t lose you again...” I said before he could finish. When he didn’t meet my eyes, I knew there was little I could do to change his mind. The tears stung my eyes and my breathing was getting heavier by the minute. Finnick got up and walked over next to me. He hugged me and let me sob on his shoulder, then pushed me away, enough for me to meet his eyes. “I’m sorry Annie, but I... I need to go, I need to fight. I owe you that much.” He said, and began to wrap his gloves around his hands. “No... No, you don’t owe me anything Finn, please, please stay here! Stay with me! Please...” I said between sobs, and started unwrapping his gloves. I felt like a child, begging someone not to leave them. He kissed my forehead and held my hands in his. “I can’t just back down, Annie! Not... Not after what they did to you... I’m so sorry...” He said. His own voice was breaking and his lips were trembling. For the first time I looked into his eyes and I saw just how scared he actually was. I could see how afraid he was of leaving me, and how afraid he was of never being able to be by my side again. I kissed him and laid my head on his shoulder. “Please, just don’t leave me...” I whispered. It was barely audible, but it was still loud enough for him to hear. “I’ll come back, I promise...” He said and kissed the top of my head, but somehow I think we both knew, that wasn’t true. I pulled away from him slowly and looked into his eyes. “I guess, there’s nothing I can do to change your mind, huh?” I said, my voice was trembling and tears were streaming down my cheeks. He brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear and shock his head. I couldn’t help but sob and feel miserable. “Then... Then at least let me want you, while I still can.” I said and he gave me a big goofy grin, the way he had done so many times before when we were kids. I couldn’t help but laugh at his expression. “As you wish, Mrs. Odair...” He said and grabbed me by the waist. “You know, that does have a nice ring to it.” I said, and he smiled. “Uh-huh...” He carried me bridal style to the room. I guess you could say, the rest was history...

Chapter 17 

Annie had sat there motionless for over an hour now. She would just stare at the door, as if it would explode at any moment. It had been 3 weeks since he had left to fight in the war against the Capitol and now, rumor was that all the survivors had come back. She had cried, prayed, screamed, even begged for him to come back alive; but no one had ever answered her, so she was only left with the cold, dreadful feeling of loneliness. Every night she would relieve the night he had left her, the last night she had been his. She could still feel his warm breath against her flesh; she could still feel the way his lips moved into one another, as if they had minds of their own; she could even feel his presence, sitting beside her as she waited for him in their room. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, she wanted so badly for him to come back that she had barely left the room. She needed him, just like a sailor needed the sea, or the stars needed the moon. More now than ever, she had to share the news with him; she had to tell him the miracle that had occurred on their last night together. Annie heard a knock on the door, which startled her. “He’s here...” She thought, her heart beating hard against her chest with anticipation. She opened the door to reveal two men standing by the doorway and a girl, Katniss. “Katniss, hi! Where’s Finnick? Why hasn’t he come here yet? Oh, come in, come in!” Annie said. She swallowed hard, dreading the reason why had two strange men, and the leader of this rebellion had even bothered in coming to visit her. “Mrs. Odair... I’m afraid we have some bad news to share with you... Your husband, Finnick Odair, we’re afraid that.... He died on the attack against the Capitol. We are very sorry for your lost...” One of the men spoke. Annie’s heart sunk in realization as the man spoke, and her eyes stung. Her throat felt dry as sand and her lungs felt as if they would burst. “What? No, that... that can’t be true...” She said, almost as a whisper. “Annie, I’m... I’m so sorry...” Said Katniss but she didn’t hear her, and if she did she pretended not to. “No, he’s... He’s not dead! Where is he? He-he promised he would come back! He’s not dead!” She shouted. The words came out louder than she had intended them to. Katniss placed one hand on her shoulder, but Annie backed away. “Look, Annie, I’m really sorry, but he, he’s gone.” Katniss said, her voice emotionless. “No, You’re lying, you’re all lying! He promised me he would come back! He promised, he...” She said and began to sob. It wasn’t just any sobbing, it was the “desperate-heartbreakingly-painful” type of sobbing. “Annie, we’re so...” Katniss began but Annie interrupted her. “Get out, just get out!” She choked out the words. “Just leave! All of you, just leave!” She shouted. The guards nodded to one another and left. Katniss followed them, close behind. The tears streamed down her face, she felt as if the world could end any moment and it wouldn’t matter because he wasn’t there anymore. Her whole body shock as she gasped for air, letting her screams fill the room. She curled up against one of the corners of the room and clutched her stomach as hard as she could, until exhaustion took over her. Only one thought crossed her mind before she blacked out. “He will never know... Now he will never know, that I... I bear his child. He will never know because he’s gone, and he will never come back...”