Changing Tides- A Finnick & Annie love story

Reaped

Annie's heart stopped for a second as reality struck like a knife to the heart. She froze in the crowd, not daring to move.

"Annie Cresta?" Reyna repeated, searching the crowd for the tribute.

Annie then turned her head round to see her sister amongst the audience, she had tears streaming down her face and stood motionless. Annie then slowly revealed herself and walked towards the stage. Tears began to stream but she tried to hold them back.

"Ah! There's our tribute! Come on dear!" Reyna called, as she saw Annie walk towards the stage. The peacekeepers then walked up behind her and dragged her up onto the stage. When Annie got on the stage, she stared out over the crowd, and caught the eye of her sister, who mouthed the words 'I'm sorry'. Reyna then called out for any volunteers, but it remains silence. Annie wasn't surprised, nobody would volunteer to enter somewhere with a possibility of never returning. Reyna then walked over to the male reaping ball and pulled out a slip. She walked back over to the microphone and called out the name 'Ross Weightier'. Annie had never met nor ever seen Ross before, so she was thankful her fellow tribute was not a person she knew, the last thing she wanted was to end up murdering a friend. All she knew is that he was 15.

After the reaping, Annie and Ross were taken into the Justice building, and Annie was told to wait in a room for a two minuet goodbye. She sat on the chair, trembling, trying to mentally prepare what was about to come. There was a cold draft that tickled the back of her neck, putting her even more on edge.

"Annie!" Rose cried as she entered the room and ran towards her sister. She knelt down beside her and buried her face in her lap, weeping uncontrollably.

"Annie, I'm so sorry" Rose wept. "You know I would have volunteered if I could! You know that right?!"

"I know that Rose" Annie replied, as she lifted her sisters head and whipped her tears. "There was nothing you could have done"

"Annie, listen to me" Rose said as she stood back up to face her sister. "Regardless of what you think, you are strong, you're one of the strongest people I know, and Annie, if you really try, I believe you can win this thing" Rose says, as she pulls her sister into a hug. "You can do this Annie, you're a strong swimmer, you can fish and hunt, you have skills that the other tributes don't have, I know you have a chance!" Cry's Rose, as the water works begin again.

"Don't worry Rose, I will try, I'll try for you, and tell dad I love him, if I don't get bac-"

"Stop it!" Rose snaps. "Think positive! That is the only way you can get though this! Don't think of the things you can't do, and concentrate on what you can do!" Rose cries again as she hugs tighter onto her sister.

"I'll do my best" Annie says as her whimpers stop. "Don't cry for me"

Annie uses her sleeve to wipe her sisters tears away.

"You will see me again Rose" Annie says subtly. "Don't say your goodbye's yet"

Before they could finish, their time was up and a peacekeeper entered the room and pulled Rose away.

"You can do this Annie! I know you can! I love you!" Rose says, as she gets dragged out of the room.

Once again, Annie was left alone in silence, until, Reyna entered the room and called her over.

"Come on dear, it's time to board the train" She chirps, as she grasps her hands together and walks away. Annie dragged herself to her feet and followed Reyna to the train station. The station was only a five minuet walk away, so it wasn't long until they all arrived. There was no crowd, nor any birds singing. The birds stopped singing once they smelt the death that happens here. As Annie and Ross entered the train, they stop for a brief moment to take in the sight that stood before them. Luxury chandeliers, vintage furniture and a buffet laid out in front of them.

"Breath it in children, this is your home for the next day as you travel to the Capitol" Says Reyna as she enters the train and sat on the quilted sofa next to the bar.

An hour later, Annie sat down at the table with Ross and Reyna as they began to eat dishes that Annie had never tried before but was in no chance willing to pass on. She stared at the other two sitting at the table and quietly picked at her food. Reyna was the first to break the silence.

"Your mentor will be joining us for diner any moment, I'm sure you've all heard of Finnick?" She asks, as she whips her mouth with her white lace napkin.

Annie and Ross nod awkwardly.

"So what will he be helping us with?" Annie asks as she nibbles as a slice of toast.

"Well, he was in your position only a few years ago deary, so he will most likely be giving you advice for the games and there to answer any of your questions"

"I heard he impaled all the other tributes with his trident" Ross comments,

"That's right" Nods Reyna. "Oh! And here he is now! Finnick, come and join us!" Reyna calls as Finnick enters the carriage and pulls out a seat opposite Annie. He grins his pearly white smile at her and picks up a sugar cube that was in a pot on the dining table and twirls it in his fingers.

"Hello Annie" He grins mischievously. "Want a sugar cube?"