But as life tends to go, I got the worst surprise ever. Rescue. I woke up in a capitol hospital, hooked to morphling. I was alone and doctors were talking.
Unstable.
Shouldn't mentor.
Lucky to be alive.
Snippets of conversation my ears picked up as I lay in the soft bed. I felt nothing. Not just a lack of physical feeling but emotional as well. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. And if I didn't know better I would assume this was death. I blinked my eyes open, seeing Amee curled in the corner. She appeared to be the only person in the room. She was crying. I tried to reach for her, but I was unable to move. I wanted her to see me, see that I was okay. Or more so alive, rather than okay. But maybe I wasn't. Maybe I was dead and no one noticed yet. But a doctor walked in and confirmed to me that I was alive. He flipped a few switches so I could move and speak.
"Glad to see you're okay Miss Cresta. Mind telling us what happened?" he asked me.
"I tried to kill myself." I said softly.
"Why?"
"He doesn't love me."
"Who?"
"Finnick." The doctor jotted down some notes. Amee quietly walked over, I took her hand. I smiled at her, the best I could.
"I love you baby girl." I whispered to her. I went to kiss her hand, but she faded away. My eyes widened in shock.
"Amee? AMEEE!" I began shouting her name. My parents came in the room, Allany close behind.
"Where's Amee?" I asked, but I knew. I knew where Amee was. The doctor walked out of the room. Leaving me with my crying family.
"Where's Amee?" I repeated. Noone spoke for a long time. Allany looked at our parents.
"Well, TELL HER!" she screeched at them. They just stared at her, shocked by her demand. Allany turned to me.
"I hate them." She said to me, tears welling in her eyes.
"Allany, will you tell me?" I could barely speak. I was the oldest of the three of us girls. Annie, Allany, and baby Amee. But in this moment, Allany was older than any of us, even Momma and Poppa. She took a deep breath, and laid down in my bed. Her face directly next to mine.
"Annie. Amee is dead." She told me what I knew. What deep inside, I knew.
"I thought so." I admitted quietly. She looked me dead in the eye.
"They let them kill her." She said to me. I shut my eyes tightly. All I could see was Amee. Gorgeous little Amee. She was so little. Not even 12 yet.
"How did she..." my voice broke, I couldn't finish my sentence. She looked at our parents with loathing.
"They hung her and Finnick's father. The peacekeepers."
"Why?"
"Finnick was trying to die with you Annie. They found his note in his house, and yours for him."
"Then why don't you hate me?"
"They told....them," she said the word them with so much hate. I knew she was speaking of Momma and Poppa.
"They told them what?"
"One of them could die in her place. I even offered. But the peacekeepers wouldn't listen Annie. And they killed Amee. In front of our whole District. I hate them. I hate them!"
"Hate me. It's my fault."
"Annie you fell in love. They let our sister die. You tried to kill yourself and had you succeeded Amee wouldn't have been killed. Love isn't a crime. Allowing a child to die should be." Allany was wise beyond her years. And she made me hate Momma and Poppa too. With all the strength I could muster, I shouted for a doctor to come in. One did. Quietly, I demanded he make my parents leave and bring Raviah in. The doctor left and Raviah entered.
I was expecting him to be angry. Upset with me. He wasn't.
"Thanks goodness you're okay." He said.
"Amee is dead." I said, my voice lined with hatred. He nodded.
"I know everything." He replied. Allany and I exchanged a look.
"Raviah, is Finnick okay?" she asked. I knew her plan immediately. And I agreed with it.
"He's in the next room. He's been awake for a day, asking about you."
"He is breaking off his engagement with Constine." I said.
"He told me that." Raviah added.
"He is to be engaged to my sister." Allany said.
"I..."
"I don't care about how little authority you have. You will at least make sure they can be together." Allany sounded so menacing.
"I can't allow that."
"Kill our parents in return." I said. He looked taken aback by this statement.
"Annie, they will." He said to me, as if I didn't know.
"Let them. Just let me and Finnick be together and let me raise Allany." I insisted. He nodded. He understood.
"I'll inform President Snow." Raviah said softly. He turned just before leaving.
"Finnick wants to see you." He told me.
"Tell him she's taken a turn for the worse due to strangulation." Allany said. Raviah opened his mouth, to interject but complied as we both stared him down. Once we were alone, Allany kissed my cheek.
"So baby girl is dead." I said.
"Yup." She replied, quietly. We laid in silence. Holding each other's hand tight.
"I hope Mom and Dad get killed in a much worse way." She told me.
"I'll tell Raviah to get them set on fire. Drowning wasn't fun, but they're used to water." I responded, bitterly.
"Good." She said, almost in a sigh of relief. We fell asleep together. I held onto her tightly. If it took my final breath, I would make sure Allany stayed safe. We stayed in my room for days, as doctors came and went. I never let Allany leave my sight. She took my hands one night, and looked right in my eyes.
"Annie, I think it's time Finnick sees you." She told me.
"I guess." I replied, after a moment of silent contemplation. She smiled. Stood up, and left. And fear pierced my heart. I was scared to see her leave, even though she was only going next door. But she returned quickly, Finnick holding her. He put her down and leaned beside me.
"I think you deserve an explanation." He said quietly. I stared through him.
"Can Trilish get here?"
"What?"
"Can..." he cut me off.
"Yes. I'll go get her." He said, and he left my room. Moments later he returned with Trilish.
"Darling. So glad you're okay. But I'm troubled by what happened."
"Tattoo me."
"I came prepared." She said with a smile, and she did. Amee's name, her beautiful name, got stamped onto my arm. Allany watched with a twinge of jealousy in her eyes.
"Same for her." I said, motioning to the only family I had left. Trilish nodded and in the exact same spot on Allany, she put the name Amee. Trilish decided it was time for her to leave our new family unit in peace. And handed me an envelope. Inside was the picture of Amee and Allany I got from my parents on my birthday. But also, a note from Amee.
