SINKING [Finnick Odair]

viii. let the games begin

"Feel the fury closing in
All resistance wearing thin
Nowhere to run from all of this havoc
Nowhere to hide from all of this madness."

~ Madness, Ruelle

-•-•-•-

As soon as she had entered she had been dressed in a thin, skin-tight suit which easily gave away that whatever the arena may be it would be of a hot climate.

She stood in the room with the tube opposite to Ophelia, the escort had shed several very fake tears before encasing Emeraude in a hug.

Despite the fact that neither she nor Ophelia were close to one another, and the factor that the woman positively irritated her for the majority of the time, Emeraude hugged back. It may be the last source of kind human contact that she would get, and, for but a moment, she could imagine that it was Mags or Lapiz or Finnick whom she was embracing.

Finnick.

She hadn't conversed with him since she had slipped off in the aftermath of their heated kiss, and now she wished that she had talked to him. After all, chances were high that one of them would pass during the bloodbath.

"Sixty seconds to launch," a Male voice informed them, breaking Emeraude from her comfort.

Deciding that there was no reason for her to remain on the outside of the pod - though, admittedly, fearful about entering for this was the final glimpses of the world outside of the games that she would get - she began to edge towards it.

That was until Ophelia's voice called her back, "Emeraude. I was wrong."

The golden haired tribute turned to face Ophelia in slight confusion as the older woman continued, "you are the same girl you have always been. That kind, loving, trusting, sweet young girl is still in you, you've just been forced to grow up. Don't lose who you are, Emeraude."

A slow smile graced the tribute's lips at Ophelia's words, muttering a thank you before the pod's speaker sounded once more, "thirty seconds to launch."

Emeraude entered the pod and felt it immediately close up around her. Closing her eyes she tried to stop panicking and instead looked outside.

As artificial as the pure white room may be this may be her last view outside of the games, and she would take what she could get.

Ophelia smiled sadly at her and cried tears that then Emeraude thought may be real.

"Ten seconds to launch."

Mags, Topaz, Finnick, Mags, Topaz, Finnick, Mags, Topaz, Finnick.

As she finished the last name - the last reminder - the staging below her began to lift and turn, Emeraude looked to the room and Ophelia one last time before she was blinded by the light within the arena.

When her eyes finally readjusted she saw nothing but rainforest for miles as well as a circular stone structure filled with water.

Water.

She winced. Before her games she couldn't swim to save her life, after becoming paranoid she took lessons to make sure she was prepared for anything; but she was by no means a strong swimmer.

Moving her attention from the body of water she began to look around, seeing who was near her.

Peeta Mellark was to her right and Wiress to her left, neither Finnick nor the Girl On Fire was within her eyesight; she supposed that both must be located somewhere on the other side of the circular area, blocked from view by the centre cornucopia.

Casting her view back to the cornucopia she observed as the projected, digital clock began to read out the numbers, ignoring the dread that filled her.

She felt her heart pulse as the numbers got lower and lower, not stopping for anyone.

10.

She tried to picture Mags, her loving grandmother within her head.

9.

She pictured Topaz and all the times they had spent together, all the times when he was the only one who could make her smile.

8.

Rubye, her mother. Her mother who had done no wrong, who had been the victim of a vengeful President. Oh how she longed to see her once more. Tell her her troubles; receive the comfort of a mother.

7.

Little Lapiz, the young boy who had been murdered for no other reason than being related to her. Because she did not attend the execution of a dear friend. She might as well have killed him herself. It was her fault.

6.

She thought of her older sister who had long since abandoned them. She had a family of her own now; she was a stranger to Emeraude. But she still held hope that her older sister was watching this. That she was hoping she would survive.

5.

Her father. The man who had left her and her little brother. A man who she knew had meant so much to her grandmother. She wished she had known him; she wished he had had more time upon this earth.

4.

She thought of the children. The children of the Orphanage and poor areas of District 4 who she would give food and money to. Who would help them now?

3.

She thought of her mission. She thought as to how she would have to throw all those people's love - or once love - down the drain as part of the bird protection squad. To die for the Mockingjay.

2.

Also she thought of Johanna. Johanna who had lost as much as one could lose, all that she loved was gone and the woman was but a shell; a very protective shell. Yet she was her true friend.

1.

She thought of Finnick, sea green eyes and messy blonde hair. Of his charming smirks and kind gestures. Of what he had done for her; of all he had done for her. And that she had all but thrown it away.

0.

And with the final book of a cannon she leaped from her podium and into the water, swimming under the water to where the rough, jagged stone pathway was.

Unsure if she would make it through the next ten minutes.