I was sitting on the lakeside. I was staring at the sparkling water in the darkening September night. I was listening to the seagull's screaming, the waves licking the cliffs, the wind blowing in my ears. A time ago it would have made me happy and calm, but now it just gave me horrible flashbacks of the Arena I just got away from two weeks ago. I remembered the screams of the dying tributes, the blood of the bleeding tributes, the canons declaring the deaths of the vulnarable tributes. I was suffering, but I stayed there with tears of pain in my eyes. While I stared at the water, I saw something in the horizon. Something quick and mesmerising. While that fast character came closer, I recognized it as my mentor in the Games, Finnick Odair. A victor. A prostitute. A lady magnet here on District 4 and Capitol. But I didn't see him like that. I saw him as a life saver, because without him, I wouldn't have made it through the Games. Thanks to him, my fellow tribute from Four, Michael and I became allies. Thanks to Finnick I didn't starve or dry out. Thanks to him I survived. "You're not going to go swimming?" a familiar, amused voice asked behind me. I snapped out of my memories and turned my head quickly. Finnick was standing there with a small grin on his face. I just shaked my head. Going to the water was too painful to think about. Finnick got serious and sat down next to me. For a long while all he did was stare at me. Then he turned his head to the water and said quietly: "It's beautiful, isn't it? The sunset." The sunset. I hadn't paid attention to that beautiful scenery I was staring at. It truly was beautiful. More beautiful than I remembered. It had different shades of orange, yellow and red and a dash of violet. It almost made me smile. Almost. Finnick looked me with a curious look on his face. After a while I turned my head towards him and asked irritated: "What?" His annoying and in someway charming grin returned on his face. He jumped up and said: "I was just thinking how beautiful you look when you're wet" I blushed a little and I knew where he was going with it. "I'm not going to swim, Finnick" I tried to say strongly but it sounded weak. "Come on, I'll help you" he said softly and gave me his hand. I hesitated but then grabbed his hand. Finnick led me to the pier and jumped to the water head first. I sat down to the end of the pier and waited Finnick to jump to the surface. But he didn't. For a long while. "Finnick?" I asked and stretched my neck to see where he was. The water made me shiver and I could see the careers in my head. I could see them cut Michael's skin and behead him with a knife. Michael's terrifying screams, his last breaths, the cannon, the career's laughter. It all came back to me and almost made me pass out. And right then, Finnick jumped from the water, grabbed me and pulled me to the water. I shouted, but I was already under water, so I got water in my mouth, my throath and my nose. I couldn't breath and I felt like I was about to sink. Everything went blank but then I felt like someone was pulling me. I was pulled on sand and I could finally breath. I coughed water from my throat and sat up. I was cold and shivered and then I felt a warm towel over me. I turned around and saw Finnick. He was clearly scared and obviously he had pulled me to the shore. I stood up and threw the towel on the ground. "What's the matter with you?" I shouted with a vibrating voice. I was shaking of shock and anger. "You scared the life out of me, I could have drowned!" Tears were falling from my eyes. I was shaking worse than ever. Finnick was speechless. I tried to run away but tripped. I sat up and hid my face to my hands. I took few deep breaths. I was trying to hide my crying. I didn't know what Finnick was doing untill he slowly and softly placed his hand on my shoulder and whispered: "I am so sorry" For few minutes we were both quiet, other than my weeping, but then Finnick asked me: "Why did you freak out? You survived from the Arena because you were the best swimmer. I don't understand why you can't swim anymore" I turned my wet face towards him and saw a soft, gentle, apologetic look on his handsome face. He was sincerely sorry and curious. I took a deep breath and started telling him about what I experienced in the Hunger Games. I told him about how the careers killed Michael, how they enjoyed and laughed, how they kicked his corpse and threw rocks at him. How they ran away and how I cried next to him. I knew he had seen it on television, but it was a hundred times worse live. I told him how I washed the blood off my hands and how I was hiding and hoping for a quick, painless death. And then I told him about the flood and how the tributes were screaming and crying. How one by one, they all drowned and how that way I became a victor. "Every time I see water, I see Michael's blood, drowning tributes and their corpse. That's why I can't swim anymore" I ended my story. Finnick was still holding my shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have pulled you to the water. I didn't know you were afraid. I'm so sorry" Finnick whispered with a gentle voice. I looked into his amber coloured, deep eyes and said: "It's okay. I forgive you." And after that sentence, Finnick kissed me. Finnick's lips touched mine and my lips touched his. And it felt right. After a moment that seemed like an eternity but was still too quick, we pulled away from each other. And for the first time in a long, long time, I was actually happy. Finnick smiled at me and I smiled back. "Do you want to try swimming again? I promise, this time I won't pull you in the water." I nodded and stood up and let him lead me to the pier. Finnick went to the water and held my hand. I let Finnick slowly pull me next to him. After ten hard minutes, I was already in the water. Finnick stood behind me, gently grabbed my waist and said: "Now fall." I hesitated. "Annie, you can trust me." I turned around and looked in his eyes again and knew that I could trust him. I knew he would catch me. And so I fell in his arms and started floating. I looked at Finnick and saw him smiling. I closed my eyes and let him hold me. After a while Finnick lifted me from the water to the pier. We stared in each other's eyes and it felt magical. That moment I realized something. I was falling in love with Finnick Odair.