Annie Cresta- Beyond the Sea

Chapter 8

I peered down ruefully. The careers were going to clobber me every chance they get, and Finnick can't do a thing about it. Worry knifed through me.
"But hey, listen to me. You know how to use a trident, Annie, you know how to make a net. Make an allience.. But with someone you can trust. Also, stay near the water. You are an amazing swimmer, that may be your only escape away from the careers, if the arena's like that.." he trailed off. I knew he felt guilty and horrible, it was written all over his face. Maybe that's the reason he was so afraid when I got reaped.
"Finnick... I'll be okay..." I tried to calm him down. I didn't want him to worry about me. I'm already worrying about me. "I don't need you to protect me."
He buried his face in his hands. "This isn't about me protecting you anymore. Ever since they called your name up there, Annie. That's when I stopped being able to protect you."
He took a deep breath and rested his chin on his fist. He suddenly looked much older than seventeen. "This is about you being punished for something stupid I did a long time ago that just adds to everything else stacked against you. This is about revenge, and it's about survival." He brought himself to look at me; already grieving, it seemed.
"I'm so sorry, Annie."
"You didn't do anything," I stated, surprising myself with my sterness.
"Yes, I have. Those careers are going to go after you, and it's all my fault they are, and- Jesus. This is not going to be the reason you're dead. I'll make sure of it." He paused a moment to laugh, but it was lifeless. "Some boyfriend, huh? Almost getting you killed?"
"You couldn't have known." I watched his movements for a moment before realizing we had stopped talking. "You're really gonna get me killed if that's all the advice you have to offer."
"Fear not, Miss Cresta. I have done some... Research, let's say.. And I have life saving advice for you." His voiced dropped to a whisper. "Annie, by midnight of the third day, you have to go to the highest place possible. Let nobody else go to that place either". He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Do you understand?"
It hit me he somehow knows what's going to happen in the arena, or what the arena itself is going to be I gapped.
"Finnick, you could get KILLED for knowing that kind of information! They might be watching us right now!" I exclaimed as quietly as I could. I couldn't imagine President snow raising a sword over Finnick's beaten body.
"Of course they're watching." He smiled, but how fake it was drove fear into my gut. "But I'd rather risk this then have you be killed. Its my fault you're in this mess, anyways.." Finnick trailed off.
I gapped. I felt like crying. Why would he do this for me? He couldn't have known. It made me so upset that after everything he went through, he still continued to beat himself up over shit that wasn't his fault.
There was a long pause, and then Finnick asked me, in a lighter tone, "Are you still hungry, Annie?"
I didn't feel like eating after that. But truth be told, I was starving, and food might make me feel a little bit better. I nodded.
He pulled a biscuit out of his sweater pocket. "Bread?"
I took it out of his hands. He pulled out a cookie that was also in his pocket and split it in two, handing me the bigger piece. Of course he would.
"Thank you," I told him, slowly munching into the cookie. He smiled at me and we ate in silence for a few minutes.
After a while, Finnick looked like he had just remembered something. "Hey, Annie, I have to go. Remember what I said, and the biscuit. It's hard to sneak food past Jayda, you know." He hugged me in the way he always hugs me: tight but gentle, warm like home. I hugged him back, and then he left, closing the door behind him.
I plopped the piece of bread in my mouth, then curled up on the bed and inevitably fell asleep hugging one of his pillows.