Annie Cresta- Beyond the Sea

Epilogue

"Annie! You done with dinner yet?! Jr.'s getting hungry!" yelled Johanna at the kitchen table.

I stirred the Mac and cheese in the pot on the rusty stove.

"Yeah, almost done," I replied loud enough so she could hear. I could hear Jr. wailing his head off. It's what he does when he's hungry.

It's been a matter of years since Finnick's death. I was struggling to raise the little kid that mirrored him so much, so Johanna came to help me, and I gave her Finnick's room to stay in. She's been helping me out so much, and honestly at first I thought there would be no way to repay her, but really she's okay with me cooking her food when she wants it instead of money.

I stirred the pasta one more time, then turned off the stove and scooped the noddles into three bowls, two large an one small. I walked over and set the two bowls in front of Johanna and Finnick Jr., then sat down and began to eat my own. Johanna dug into hers, too, but Jr. Just played with his little plastic fork. Looking like Finnick with a miniature trident..

"Mommy?" he asked.

"Yes, Jr.?"

"Where's did Daddy go?" he asked. He's repeated that question a lot, lately, and the same answer kept coming up. But each time it did, it saddened me more than the last; like a splinter in my side. Each time you touched it, it went in further. "I'll tell you when you're older, sweetheart," I said, looking down at my pasta. I had lost my appetite.

Johanna gave me a worried look, but didn't say anything. But that's okay, she didn't have to anyways.

"But Mommy-"

"Just don't ask me! Please!" I blurted out. Maybe too harshly. I looked up, and both Johanna and Jr. were staring at me, now Jr. looked worried too. Why did I have to be cursed with a child that reminded me so much of him? I stood up, metal fork screeching against the plate.

"I'm sorry," I told them in a small voice, and walked off to my room. I closed the door and locked it, then flopped down on my bed. I sighed, remembering that fateful day that changed everything. That made me hate the Capitol and the rebellion itself. At one point I even hated Katniss Everdeen for creating it, but then took it back because if the Capitol was still here, I know my son would've been dead a long time ago. That day she told me he's gone.

And I thought I knew broken when I was in the arena.

I closed my eyes and clutched the necklace that started it all. It was still around my neck, ring, seashell and all. But then it came to my memory that one sentence Katniss once said to me. "You can't ever save people. You can only love them." I guess I fulfilled that. But I still wish I had him next to me, because he's really the only one who can keep me safe.

The only one who can help me keep my sanity.

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The End! Ok so I had fun writing this and I want to thank everyone who reads it. All of u r amazing. Don't forget to read some of my others stories, vote, and fan! Thx!

-Nat:)