Chapter 1
As the moon crept up across the horizon, her eyes gleamed reflecting the sweetness of the crescent moon light as she laid her luscious cherry red hair along my arms. Her warmth hovered over me like a blanket in the wake of winter, protecting me from anything and everything. I've forgotten about the wretched hunger games, I won my own life but I haven't really saved myself at all from what we considered safety. I could still make out the screams in the dreams in the eve of each year's tragic hunger games.
"Sometimes I wonder how different our life would've been if somehow the games were no longer games", whispered Annie as she walked off to the window.
I didn't know how to respond to her, it was innate within my district, my family to be the best whenever it came to the games. I didn't have a choice to decide whether I wanted to do the games or not, because I always wanted to be like my father. A champion, but ultimately a victor and make him proud. I can vividly remember my mother's seafood delicacy brewing in the kitchen, greeting my nose with that faint scent of freshly caught fish from my brother's catch of that tender pink salmon earlier in the morning. We would sit in front of the miniscule box that we called a "tv", a humble present our father had given us, and just wait for the countdown of "10,9,8,7,6,5…". Yet my mother would never really watch the commence of the games with us, instead she would just escape into her room, and all I could hear is the sniffling of her nose. I didn't ask her why she always cried on the day of games because I already knew why. My father had died in the 50th Quarter Quell, as I've been told he was murdered by a multitude of rabid mutant lizards as he and his partner ran for a safe haven that was never there. He died for the Capitol's enjoyment and just left his family fend for themselves.
"Finnick, if it's alright with you, may I ask who that is", asked Annie as if she didn't want to hurt me anymore. I looked up at her and her eyes poured sorrow into my heart, a void that has been rejected for so long. "Just my father. This is the only way I can remember him." I instantly shoved his id sized picture back into my pocket as I got up from the leathery sofa and walked away from her, I didn't want her to know. I slowly turned back to only see the clear disappointment on her face but I quickly went after her and embraced her with my hug, a hug that I've needed for so long but a hug that couldn't contain all my insecurities and pains inside.
I walked towards the pier and everything glimmered in the darkness of the night, it was an oasis all to myself that might change as of tomorrow as the Capitol calls out the next "lucky" winner who gets to fight for their life in the annual 75th Quarter Quell. The water so crystalline as if it was a thin layer ice above the water, reflecting my face as I stared directly into the ocean. Suddenly something behind me tumbled down harshly as if it was pushed by another person. My eyes widened with curiosity. Who could interrupt my only moment to myself? A moment where I no longer had to smile for the Capitol, a moment where I didn't have to put on a fake smile for Caesar. I steadily crept up around the corner of the fishing supply shed to find a small rock laying distinctly on the ground. As I bent down it continued to shimmer, and discovered it was a smoothed out and very particular shell. I curiously felt the outside of my newfound treasure quickly putting it into my back pocket, looking around cautiously if anybody else was around seeing what I've found.
Then I heard a distinct raspy call for me, "Finnick!" I've heard his voice somewhere before, but I keep on forgetting to piece it all together. I hear the same voice once more from a distance, "Finnick!" I then in a flash realize that's the voice of my father, and as I come around the corner I see a shadow appear at the end the pier hauntingly waiting for me.
"Father, is that you?" I asked with such fear. "Father I've missed you oh so much, I have so much to tell you"! He then opened his arms and I just wanted to hug him one more time like the time before he got reaped for the hunger games. As I run for him my vision becomes static like the television back home, but I can still see the embracive outline of my father. Everything at that time began to slowly circulate, the waves were moving at the simplest pace, and my running became slower and slower. As I finally reach my father my vision goes completely black and all I hear is "remember who the real enemy is", as I stumble and crash onto the rugged wooden pier.