We Stood Strong

Chapter 25: The Forcefield

Chapter 25 [Annie's P.O.V.]

When the train had dropped me off at the train station back at district four, I stumbled my way through the darkness of the early morning. My head dizzy, only because of crying on the way back.

When I had made it into my house, I staggered into my bedroom and collapsed on my bed, new tears seeping out of the side of my eyes over the old dried tears and fell into unconsciousness.

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When I woke up, there was no Finnick. Neither was there Mags. They were gone, light shone in from my windows. I pull myself out of bed--it's what Finnick would have liked me to do instead of sitting here. I turn the television onto the channel for the games, commercials and Capitol shows flashed by. I hobbled into the kitchen to the pantry to find something to eat, it's what Mags would have done for me.

I sat alone and watched the games. Alone. It reminded me when he was in the games the first time. It gave me the same pain as last time.

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[Finnick's P.O.V.]

Peeta leads the way into the thick jungle. Followed by me and Mags, over my shoulder, and Katniss bringing up the rear. My opposite arm is filled with tridents. Peeta swipes at the vines and trees, leaving a jagged path. I roll my shoulders back and forth, trying to avoid Mags getting whacked by the extra greenery that Peeta didn't need to cut for himself to get through. As I shake Mags around, it tires her out as much as I was trying to help her. She can't catch her breath quick enough, and it kills me to be responsible for that pain.

The steep incline caused no stress onto myself. But I began feeling guilty for Mags, she was struggling to breath over my shoulder. We had gotten far enough to be far enough away from the cornucopia, and we did it at such a speed, I decided it was safe enough to stop.

"Let's take a rest," I said.

Peeta and Katniss were happy enough to oblige. I set Mags down on the jungle floor, Peeta does the same next to her. Katniss wanders off a bit, sizing up the trees.

It's a much different feeling now, that we are away from all of the battle. Johanna will have gotten Beetee and Wiress, or at least I hope she could have gotten to. If she didnt make it, I shiver even through the jungle heat, I don't want to think about it.

Katniss pulled herself up a sturdy tree and faced the cornucopia. Watching all the bloody bodies, and the dead victors. She has never given up her determined attitude to back down. She stares for a long time. Part of me is curious to know what it looks like, also, but I force myself to keep in mind what's in hand.

She will still be plotting how to save Peeta. I am still a threat to her. I recall the words,

Lack of intelligence is its own form of weapon. The less you know, the more options you have.

She doesn't know. There is no safety of telling her now, she still remembers the same victors that held hands last night. She believes they wouldn't act for the Capitol, like her. She thinks they keep the same attitude all the time, like we would never have to act for the Capitol like she does. For instance: me, she must still see me as the Capitol Finnick Odair.

I lift one of my tridents across my chest before Katniss begins to descend. Her eyes widen a bit once she has landed on the floor and spotted my trident.

"What's going on down there, Katniss? Have they all joined hands? Taken a vow of nonviolence? Tossed the weapons in the sea in defiance of the Capitol?" I press.