Finnick and Annie

Heaven

Pain. It's everywhere. I thought being dead was supposed to be more peaceful, but when I wake up my body feels like it's on fire. I look around, but I can't see anything. I'm surrounded by darkness. I can hear some rumbling in the distance, but I can't make out what it is.

"Annie... I'm sorry," I croak, but my voice is raspy and quiet. Speaking burns my throat. "Help."

I reach my hand out to evaluate my surroundings, ignoring the stabbing pain on my shoulder. I touch something cold and metallic. My trident. What is it doing here?

I hear steps approaching, and I try to lift my chest off the ground, reaching for my trident, though I know I'm as a good as dead in this state.

"Hey, you shouldn't try to move, Finnick," says an unfamiliar voice. "I brought help." But before I can answer, my head starts to spin and I collapse once again.

I come in and out of consciousness. I don't know where I am, or what day it is. I don't know how long I've been dead. Am I even dead? I should be. I can't understand how I wouldn't be, after that mutt bit my neck, yet this doesn't feel much like heaven. Or maybe I'm in hell. After all, I'm nothing but a glorified killer.

I hear water rushing by and a train. I'm being carried somewhere. I'm still in the sewers. I pass out again.

When I come around, I'm in District 4. The waves wash over my bare feet. The sky is studded with stars, and I can't hear anything except the sound of the waves. I don't know how I got here, but for the first time in a long time, I feel peaceful.

I sit on the sand, reaching down to hold it in my fists. It's comforting. The beach is completely empty. I take in my surroundings, the ocean is just as I remembered it, but something seems off. In front of me, the water stretches into the horizon, but when I look to my left and right, there is no end to the shore. And behind me, where there should be houses and buildings, there is only more sand. For a moment I wonder if all the buildings were destroyed in the war, but in that case there should be at least ruble.

Maybe now I'm really dead.

"You're not," says Annie, resting a hand on my shoulder and taking a seat next to me. She seems to have appeared out of thin air.

"Anne... what are you doing here? Where am I?" I ask, but she shrugs.

"I'm not sure. But you're not dead, because if you were, I couldn't be here." I take her hands firmly in mine and hold back tears.

"I'm sorry," I choke. "I shouldn't have left you."

"Shh, it's okay, baby," she reassures me, wrapping her arms around my body. She presses a soft kiss to my neck, but where there should be mangled flesh, there is nothing but smooth skin.

I don't know what's going on. I don't know where I am. I don't even know if I'm dead or not, but Annie is beside me. I'm pretty sure I'm just imagining her, but maybe this is heaven after all.

"It's time to go, Finn," she whispers sadly against my skin. I look up at her and tears fill her emerald eyes.

"Stay with me," I beg, but she just gives me a soft smile and stands up.

"I'm sorry. It's time to go." Without another word, she steps into the ocean, moving further away from me until she's been completely absorbed by the waves.

"Wait!" I cry, running after her, but the waves keep on pushing me back. I thrash and kick, but the waves are too strong. I can't swim. I'm tired of trying. My body starts to burn once again, so I stop struggling and let the water surround me.