Annie Cresta- Beyond the Sea

Chapter 4

As the applause died down, I could see peacekeepers shoving Finnick onto the train. He didn't refuse, he had just let them push him wherever they wanted, probably because he's still too stunned to move himself. I was shoved in a small, violet room back stage. A door unlocked and there was Alana. "You have three minutes," a peacekeeper announced before shutting the door.

"Honey, you look pale," is all that came out of her mouth.

I stumbled a little and told her shakily, "Well, you would be too, if you got picked". My voiced cracked at the very last word, and I felt a tear dribble down my cheek. No. Not here.

Alana came up and hugged me on her tip toes. I smiled and hugged her back, sniffling a tiny bit. As much as I hated living with her, I'd give anything just to go back home with her again.

"Annie, you can do this. You're strong. Don't be afraid, because fear is what brings you to a stop. I believe in you."

This surprised me. Alana was never this caring or this good to me, nor did she ever really hug me.

Then my eyes widened as I realized exactly what she's been doing the entire time I've lived with her. She's been training me.

Whipping me to bring my instinct to life, to make me learn how to treat an injury on my own, and help me be able to take a hit every once in a while.

Starving me so I can go long periods of time without food, and it taught me stealth when I attempted (many times, most failed) to sneak a candy bar or two.

Teaching me to stay quiet at night ("OR ELSE!").

And so much more..

I stopped hugging her when I came to the conclusion that my grandmother has been training me for the Hunger Games my entire life.
I was at a loss for words. "I, uh.."
She smiled and filled the silence, "No need to thank me, Annie. Just stay safe".
We spent the rest of our time sorting out what Alana would tell my parents and younger siblings and anything else I needed to know for the Games. But before we knew it, the peacekeeper came and said time was up. This was when I started to panic.
"No, no! I don't deserve this! You can't take me, look at what you did to Finn!"
Regardless, I was thrown onto the train, and hit my head on a table.
"Annie!"
It was Finnick, of course.
He helped me up then embraced me. I could tell he was about as scared as when he went into the Games. He was shuddering slightly like an old wooden house in a hail storm. It didn't help ease my troubled mind, which the table only did so much to subdue.
My head hurt. It felt like something was cutting it, and it hurt badly. I winced.
"Annie, would you like an ice pack for that?"
I nodded, and he had an Avox go get one. I saw Dallas at the table farthest away from us, just staring at the ground drearily. Clearly he felt somewhat left out, and part of me wanted to comfort him.
"Hey, you're going to be okay. Okay? We're gonna be fine." He touched two fingers to the pendant around my neck and stared straight through me, like I was a ghost. He didn't look fine. I didn't feel fine. I needed to comfort him.
"Don't even worry, Finnick. Alana's been training me for this my whole life! Can you believe it? She's my grandma for Christ's sake!"
That didn't sound right. Or feel right. I was getting dizzy again.. Why am I here?
Finnick looked at me like I was psycho.
"Annie, maybe you should sit down a moment.." he said. He always knew when something was wrong with me. He always has, ever since we were kids.
Even before he taught me how to swim.
I sprawled out on a chair next to him. I suddenly noticed the other mentor, Mags, sitting across from us. Has she always been there? Watching us like a TV program from the Capital?
"Goddamit," Finn's voice seemed very far away. "It's one thing to put me through this, but it's something else to watch someone you love go through the same thing. You got a lot of nerve, Snow."
I peered down. My brain was all twisted up, I definitely I hit my head on the table too hard. Random memories and ideas come flooding into my head, most of them I hadn't recalled until that moment. Moving in with Alana. Feeding my lunch to the gulls. Finnick's promise to teach me the ways of the water after I almost drowned. I held my head and closed my eyes, and I realized then I was floating in and out of consciousness.
"Annie!" I could hear his call, but Finnick's voice echoed in my head. Every time I opened my eyes, the people on ther train turned into dark silhouettes.
I sputtered something I didn't understand. I could barely speak, I could barely breathe. I could hear my own heartbeat as if it was a giant speaker sounding off. But it wasn't sounding off, instead I could hear it grow slower and slower. I just wanted to sleep. Was that really so bad?
Then I felt a pressure in my arm, and darkness rushed forward to meet me.