Waves Breaking Over Rocks Part 2

Chapter 9

Annie

The interviews go by in a blur of words and phrases. I can barely keep count of how many Victors, well, tributes, have gone by. Then its Finnick's turn. He squeezes my hand, looks at me sadly, then gets up and walks away. I don't watch him go, instead I turn my head to the other side. My eyes widen at the familiar person beside me, who clearly isn't either of the Victors from 5.

"Mags?" I ask, surprised. A split second after, Mags disappears, and I'm left facing a confused-looking woman. She's not Mags, any more than Finnick is. I rub my eyes, as if trying to figure out what had just happened. I decide not to dwell upon it much, even though she looked so- real. Instead, I turn my attention back to Finnick and Caesar.

"I believe you have a message, for somebody out there, a special somebody. Isn't that right?"

"That's correct." What?! What is he doing?!

"Then please proceed." My heart starts beating fast. He could get us killed, and yet, I'm too intrigued to possibly interrupt.

"My love,

You have my heart,

For all eternity.

And if I die in that Arena,

My last thought will be of your lips."

Oh, God. I'm crying now. I don't know why I'm crying since its obvious the people loved it. What people? Why do they have to love it? I think. I can't seem to remember just where I am or why. I start getting a little scared. I feel an extreme unease until I finally remember that we're in the Capitol. That doesn't exactly make me feel any better, though.

His words start flooding my ears. He's so sweet. He's too good for this awful world.

Then the time is up and he takes his place on the platform where the Victors who have already spoken reside.

"And now, the lovely Victor from District 4; Annie Cresta!" I get up, my hands shaking. Someone gets in front of me and quickly wipes something off my face.

"Crying with mascara... What were you thinking?" I believe it was Rosalie, but she died ages ago. Died ages ago? No, Rosalie is still alive.

I shake the thoughts from my head and walk up to the stage.

"Hello, Annie!" Caesar exclaims, using his awfully loud voice. I try to look at the audience, but I'm blinded by the bright lights, that, after all these years, are still there to blind me. "Annie, I think we're all wondering; how is your family?" I look at him, memories rushing back. Mounts of shining red hair and huge green eyes looking up at me with adoration and a kindly pat on my back and a motherly hug that went missing far too soon.

"They're dead. All of them. They drowned. All professional swimmers and they drowned." Come on, I have to Stay. I can't Leave now, mid-interview. Come on. I can do it.

"Oh, well. How unfortunate..." I blink back tears. Come on, I can't cry now. I have to keep going.

"Yes." I whisper. "It was very unfortunate."

"Well, let's move on to something nicer, shall we? How about... Finnick Odair?" I draw in a breath. What if they found out? We would die in the Arena... "Last time, he was your mentor. Now, he's your partner. How does that make you feel?"

"Insecure. I mean, without him getting me food, how would I not starve?"

I take this as an opportunity to look back at him. I hope he's getting the meaning of what I said. I don't depend on him for food, but I need his care and love and caution, just like he needs mine.

His face is completely expressionless.

"That's very true, but now you'll have a different mentor and I'm sure he or she is going to feed you well." Oh, god. How embarrassing. I'm making a fool of myself. "Now, onto the question I believe we're all thinking; what do you think of going back to the Games?"

How do I answer something like this? I think about the other Victors, and finally decide to speak my mind –with a smaller number of curse words, of course-.

"I don't think you know how this feels, do you? Going into the Games. You don't know what it's like to face your worst fears, watch your friends die before your eyes, and kill people. Killing others, it takes away a part of you; a part of your soul. Seeing the life leave the eyes of innocent children, who were as terrified as you, and knowing that it's your fault... you don't know how that feels. You cannot imagine what it's like to befriend someone, only to watch a spear go through their chest and have them say their last words to you, not to their family like it should be, but to you, because there is no one else around to listen to them. Having their blood on your hands. And now, I speak for the mothers and fathers and siblings, the loving families of tributes who could only watch as their loved ones were carried away. How would you like it if someone took your child, your little baby, who was supposed to bloom and grow, and have him killed for other people's amusement?!" Women in the crowd have started crying by now, and I enjoy it. I enjoy watching tears fall from their eyes as they stroke their children's hair. "And finally, being the tribute who has to live through all of that, and getting out of the Arena with that little bit of humanity you have left vanishing. And, once you're out, you find everything you fought for is a lie! And now you're making us live though all of that again?! And you enjoy it! You think this is a game! You should be ashamed..." Then, curtly, I stand up and walk down the stage to join Finnick and the others. I finally allow tears to fall as I grab Finnick's hand. I glance at him and I can tell that he's proud in the way he glances at me too. The people applaud and applaud and applaud, but all I hear is Finnick whispering:

"It's ok, Annie. You can let go now..."