Sink or Swim | f. odair

i

"HEY! WAIT UP!" She called, her small voice drowned out by the ocean. He continued jogging ahead, urging her to chase him. She giggled and ran faster. She finally reached him and she tackled him down. He fell forward with the surprising weight on his back. He sat up and spit the sand out of his mouth while she dusted it out of her hair.

"Hi," he smiled at her.

"Hi. I live in District Five." She introduced herself.

"You're gonna be my friend now. Why are you here in Four?" He asked, reaching out his hand. She shook it, nodding happily.

"My papa is here for work. He manages the dam at home. What does your daddy do?" She asked.

"My dad's a fisherman. He catches huge fish," he said.

"That's cool. Can you swim really fast?"

"Yeah, of course. Can you?"

"No," she frowned.

"I can teach you if you want," he smiled. Her little eyes lit up like stars in the sky and she nodded.

"Thank you! Want to hear a joke?" She asked. He nodded. "What do you call a fish with a tie?"

"What?"

"SoFISHticated," she said, grinning. He laughed.

"That was a bad joke," he said, still laughing. She nodded, smiling.

"I'm Scarlett, but my mama calls me Scout. What's your name?" She asked.

"Finnick," he replied with a toothy grin. "How do you get Scout from Scarlett?"

She just shrugged, not really knowing.

A man shouted down the beach for his daughter. Scarlett stood up in the sand, feet sinking down into it slightly, covering her toes.

"It was nice meeting you Finnick, but I have to go now," she said, brushing herself off.

"Will I ever see you again?" He asked, staying seated in the pale sand. She smiled her assurances.

"My papa comes here all the time. Next time you can take me swimming," she waved him goodbye before running off to meet with her father.

-

SHE OPENED HER eyes and sat up with a start. Sweat dripped down her neck, soaking her pyjama shirt. She sighed, running her hand through her hair. The sky was bright, the sun had risen. She wasn't sure what woke her, but she assumed it was probably a nightmare. It always was.

"Good morning, Scout," a small voice said next to her. She looked over to see her mother going through her closet. "C'mon get up, you've got a big day today."

She stood up from her bed, walking over to the old woman in the closet. Her mother handed her an airy dress and a thinly crocheted sweater to cover her exposed shoulders before leaving the room without another word. She and her mother had never been close. She started getting dressed, already hearing the ruckus of the town as they prepared for the reaping.

Just as she pulled on her sweater and finished putting up her hair, a few peacekeepers stormed into her house and began to escort her to the raised stage. This year was the Quarter Quell. The rules were never the same. This time, the tributes were coming from the existing pool of Victors.

She was led up to the left side of the platform, along with the only other female winner. Creda Lunae, a grey woman at the ripe old age of sixty-two. On the right, there were only two male Victors. Jax Carmelo and Jerome Hedder.