Tear Drops of Saltwater (Finnick and Annie's love story)

|C.5| Steady Breaths

𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚔'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅
(𝖥𝗂𝗇𝗇𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝗂𝗌 13 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖠𝗇𝗇𝗂𝖾 𝗂𝗌 12)

Every last breath is punched from my lungs. Something worst than yourself getting chosen is seeing your friend—a person you trust and care for, walk to their death. Not even the mayor's daughter is immune to the Capitol's games.

Dianna and I have been friends since we started school. Someone who was a friendly face to see on a stormy day.

I hear gasps and cries around the crowd, but the worst sight is her father. His face stone like a statue, holding an emotionless, unreadable expression. His hands clasped in a fist looking as if ready to punch anything.

Tears trail down Dianna's sun-kissed cheeks. Her hand's fiddle with one of her wavy blond locks. Her eyes puffy and red from her welling tears. She mounts to stage checking around her during each step.

"Come on, dear," Zetta Stales says.

Dianna walks beside Zetta. She tilts her head so she can see her dad, mouthing somethings before looking at the ground.

Zetta asks for any volunteers. The silence is like a solid answer saying no, which makes my stomach turn. I'm so focused on Dianna that I forgot that I still could get chosen. My eyes shift from Dianna to the bowl caring the names of the boys. Zetta's hand dips and she zips back to the microphone, speaking in her giddy tone.

"Tucker Wells."

To my surprise, the turning in my stomach remains. The nerves of getting chosen disappear, but the fear of Dianna dying makes a new feeling appear.

I didn't know Tucker. I believe he is maybe seventeen and helps clean fish. His stringy hair falls off his forehead and his eyes look in alarm. I wonder if he took tesserae.

The mayor's voice shakes and breaks as he states the Treaty of Treason. Dianna and Tucker shake hands in a flabby matter before they both disappear behind the closed doors of the Justice Building.

I push through the crowd, ignoring the protest from people. I find a hysterical Amy clinging to Delmore's arm. Even his eyes look worried and his lips form a frown. Amy pushes a sheet of brown hair from her eyes, staring at me with a pout.

"Oh, Finnick," she cried, freeing her grip from Delmore and wrapping her arms around me. I patted her hair as she cried into my shirt.

"Maybe we can say goodbye," Delmore counted.

I nodded. "Let's go see if they'll let us."

Luckily, they let us in after some protest from Amy. A girl came out of the room looking almost identical to Dianna but much older. She stared at us with a sympathetic look before breezing past us.

"That's Sylvia," Amy mumbles. "Her older sister."

We walked up to a peacekeeper guarding the door. He nods his head while opening it reveling a pacing Dianna. She's mumbling something to herself but is interrupted by the embrace of Amy.

"Why does it have to be you!" Amy cries. "I was too worried about myself, I didn't even consider your name getting drawn."

"Well, at least it was me and not you," Dianna says, a sad smile on her face.

The peacekeeper closes the door and Delmore and I walk towards Dianna and Amy. Amy stands to the side so Delmore can hug Dianna.

He signs. "Maybe you could win."

She laughs out a dark chuckle. "Delmore, I'm only thirteen! There has never been anyone younger than fifteen to win. I don't stand a chance."

"You're smart. You can read people, find out their strengths and weaknesses," Delmore says, determined.

"He's right," Amy adds weakly.

"How does that do me any good. If someone comes up to me with a knife I'm good as dead!" Dianna cries, tears falling from her swollen eyes.

She shakes her head. "Guess the odds aren't in my favor."

I walk up, wiping away her tears and grabbing her limp hand.

"Who cares about some stupid odds. Make allies; don't go it alone. I know you make friends easily so that won't be a problem," I said, look at a smile appear on her swollen face. "Make hooks and weave nets to get food. Find water. Watching past games if there is water most of the time District 4 comes out victorious. You can learn how to use a weapon during the training time they give you. Don't count yourself out, got it?"

She nods in a sluggish matter, still not completely convinced.

"I don't want to give you false hope. I want to die knowing I tried my best, so don't hold something upon me if I don't make it. Just know I tried my best," she explained, eyes glossy with tears.

We all agreed to her final wishes. Deep down we all knew well that Dianna wasn't going to come back, but we still had hope that she would.

We all huddle into a sad loose hug, taking the last moments we have together. A peacekeeper soon comes saying our time is up. I take the last look of her in person before leaving.