Hi everyone! I'd always wanted to write a story on Finnick and Annie after reading THG, so after I got an idea, I quickly got started. Sorry if the first chapter is so short, hopefully the second one makes up for it. I apologize if the two characters might be OOC, but I'm going to try my best to define their characters better in the later chapters. Happy reading! :)

Chapter One: Finnick: Call of the Sea

No matter how often my mother told me of the constant dangers, deaths and uncertainty, I could never quite hide the fact that I loved the sea. Of course, I couldn't deny that the gentle, rolling waves that carried me to imaginary places as a child were the same violent, churning torrents of heavy water that sent many unlucky men to the darkest depths where they mysteriously perish without a trace, but, being the young foolish lad that I was, I didn't quite understand that yet. All I knew was that I loved the sea and the sea loved me as well.

When the heat and haze of a summer's afternoon got to me, the sea would playfully spray me with refreshing waves of saltwater and cool me down after a long day. When I felt alone in the cold, slow winter months, the sea waters would crash on to the shore mournfully, furiously, like it could feel my sorrow as well. I remember once, I had tried to kill myself after having a horrible fight with my father, and the minute I tried to jump off a cliff into the ocean, a sudden torrent of water hit me backwards, sending me back to the land. At first, I felt confused, frightened, at the dangerous powers of the sea. Then I felt grateful, for even when I had given up on myself, the sea had never given up on me.

But what I'd admired the most was the constant persistence, and surging determination; it didn't matter what season it was, or whether it was night or day, the sea was always alive, always stirring, never giving into the abiding temptations that continue year round, from the frigid winter's breath to the pleading silence of a warm summer's night. I wished I had that kind of strength, that passion that would drive me fearlessly towards my distant dreams. But compared to the sea, I'm just a dot, a mere pinprick of life among millions, while it was a vast, mysterious world full of wonder and secrets.

Most people see the sea as a monster of demonic hunger, mercilessly causing death to those who dared venture to forbidden waters, then bringing sorrow to those left behind. But I see past that. The sea called to me, in a way that couldn't be understood by anyone else, its distant cry, pleading, almost mournful, beautiful, yet oddly disturbing, like the song of the sirens, their dangerously hypnotic voices, forcing death upon those who heard them. It is beautiful, for there aren't many places that fill a child's mind with such fascination and curiosity.

And who knows?

The sea may be the only visible presence of beauty itself.

I know, I know, that chapter was so short, but I'd run out of ideas after the last sentence, so I decided to leave it and move on. I'm planning to rewrite it to make it longer, later on, but I'm still debating with myself on whether that will be necessary. I hope you enjoy the first two chapters! :)