Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.
Chapter 1: The reaping.
I wake up with a stiff neck and sore eyes. The night before I fell asleep on the beach, propped up on some rocks. That's not something I do all the time, but I felt like a caged animal in my bedroom, and later found myself escaping through the window and before I knew it, my feet had carried me to the beach. I had been up all night anxious. I knew I wasn't the only anxious one though. Who wouldn't be the night before the reaping?
I groan as I sit up straighter. It was about dawn now, I wondered how many hours I had been sitting up against this rock looking up at the stars. No doubt I had dark circles, not that I cared much. I could hear the waves crashing over one another close by. Once I stand, I stretch with another groan. I really didn't want to leave from my spot on the rock, But I had to go get ready for the reaping, not to mention my mother will probably notice I'm missing soon, I am fourteen after all...But, I had to visit someone first.
After a while, I walk myself to my closest friend Annie's house. We've been friends since we were children. We met in the ocean. She was being drowned by a boy in her grade. I Don't think he was trying to actually drown her, just scare her. She was a good swimmer, but when your face is held down in the water by someone much stronger than you, there isn't much you can do about it. I was catching some fish with my trident near by, and saved her from him. Let's just say, after that, The boy was terrified of me, And her and I were best friends ever since.
I grabbed a fishing pole that I had left in her backyard the day before, and climb up a tree that was outside her window. I peer into her window, to make sure she was the only one in her room, I pause for just a moment to watch her admirably. She was so beautiful. I didn't always love Annie Cresta...She just kinda crept up on me.
I see her sitting at her vanity, brushing her light brown hair with a brush, I wished the window was open so I could hear her humming like she usually did when doing tasks like brushing her hair or weaving a fishing net. I take a sea foam green ribbon I had bought for her yesterday in town, and tie it to the end of the fishing pole, before tapping lightly three times on her window to catch her attention. She turns her head, and gives me a small sad smile, which causes me to do the same, as she approaches the window.
"Hey. Look what I caught this morning." I say, reeling the fishing pole so the end lands on her window seal. She smiled a bit, untying it from the fishing string. "Thank you, it's beautiful." I reel it back in quickly, then set the fishing pole down on a branch, and climb through her window once she opens it. "Your dad home?" I asked and she nodded.
"He's drunk. Again. I don't even think he knows what day it is." She said with a shaky sigh. I nodded lightly, knowing that in a few hours or so, peacekeepers will be knocking on their door, to make sure everyone is present for the reaping, if he doesn't wake up.
"Don't worry, he'll wake up by then, if he knows what's good for him." I comment, knowing that she didn't want the duty of waking him up. I'd do it for her, if he didn't hate me so much. I open my arms, and she leans against me. I wrap both my arms around her in a long embrace. "It'll be okay." I tell her. Since I'm 14, and she's only 13, This will be my third reaping, and her second. Neither of us have been chosen so far, but My name will be in four times, and hers will only be in twice.
"Finnick, I have this feeling that things aren't gonna go well this year…" She mumbled, looking up at me with her sea green eyes. I sighed lightly. She could be right, but I knew she needed to hear otherwise from me.
"Don't worry so much. We are in a career district you know. Even if one of us does get picked, I'm sure someone will volunteer." I say in my most confident voice I can manage right now. She nodded, spacing out a bit.
"I suppose you're right…" she mumbled lightly. I hoped she didn't see through my reassurances. While we were a career district, we didn't always have volunteers, in fact it was almost rare. Not as rare as in the poorer districts though.
She sighed and pulled away from the hug, going over to her vanity to brush her hair again. She did so without a smile on her face. I'd give almost anything right now to see her smile. I see her hand shaking slightly. I notice this, and I walk up behind her and take her brush, and start brushing her hair for her. I run the bristles through her brown waves.
"I know this day is always scary. But you just gotta trust me, that it'll be okay." I say, running the brush through her hair a few more times.
"But-" She protests but I cut her off.
"Annie, do you trust me?" I ask, and the memory of taking her out in a boat the first time flashes through my eyes. I asked her if she trusted me, she hesitantly nodded at me. We both had so much fun on the boat that day. I snap out of the memory when I see her crack a light smile. That was what I needed to see, to get me through the day. That lovely smile of hers. She nodded.
"Okay, then trust me that everything will be okay." I said, promising her something that I had no control over, no business promising. She stood up from her chair and hugged me.
"Okay. If you say so." She said hesitantly, again, reminding me of that day, she was seven and I was eight and she was hesitant to go into the water again. Some people never change. I kiss her forehead when we pull away from the hug. Annie and I weren't in a relationship, but we knew we loved each other. Neither of us are sure exactly when we decided we liked each other. We had never talked about being in a relationship much either, but we always knew we had each other to lean on though.
"I gotta go get ready, or my mom will freak if she goes to my room and I'm not there." I say, looking at the things on her vanity, mostly things that had once belonged to her mother. She nodded.
"Okay...see you at the reaping." I head for the window, and sit on the edge.
"Oh, and Annie?" I ask and she looks at me. "It will be okay, I promise." I tell her before disappearing in the window.
I sneak back through my window and take my shirt off, tossing it to the ground, and hop into my still made bed, just minutes before my mother knocks on my door and enters my room, making it appear as though I had been there all night.
"Finn honey, wake up." She said. And I open my eyes and fake a yawn. This wasn't the first time I had snuck out of the house in the dead of night, by this time I was a pro, that, or my mother noticed, but never cared mention it, nor to punish me for sneaking out. I open my eyes, and my eyes are so tired, it probably looks like I was actually sleeping just now. I rub my eyes as I sit up with the covers still on half of my body.
"What time is it?" I ask, and she tells me. I roll out of bed and see what outfit she picked out for me. Since I am now 14, I usually picked my own outfits, but since it's reaping day, I let my mother pick out something nice. We always dressed nicely on reaping day in case we get picked, which meant we would be on television. I'm wearing an ordinary button down shirt, that's a nice shade of blue that once belonged to my father, and some pants, I wore shorts almost always, so it felt a bit off to wear pants that covered my whole leg for once. My mom smoothed out some of the wrinkles in my shirt and smiled.
"Well, you look like a spitting image of your father." she smiled again. She's smiling because she doesn't want to show me the fear that I know she's feeling, fear that her only child could possibly be reaped today.
I smiled halfly. "You don't have to pretend mom. I know you're scared." I said, trying to do for her, what I did for Annie, assure her that everything would turn out alright. I hug her. I didn't hug my mom very often, but I could tell she needed it. Sure I was fourteen, maybe a bit too old to be hugging my mother like a small child would, but for all I knew, it could be my last hug from her if I was reaped. And despite I was acting so brave to everyone, deep down, I was a little scared.
It's one PM and children of ages 12-18 are gathered in the square, as well as everyone else in the district, since it's mandatory to attend. I wonder if Annie and her father have made it to town's square yet, or if her father even woke up. If not, then he will surely be imprisoned for not attending. I look around for Annie, and look around for a few other people I know. There's camera crews sitting on top of some shops surrounding the square, taking the place of the seagulls and pelicans. I wondered if the capital camera crew was disgusted by how much bird poop is probably up there, and how funny it would be if the seagulls attacked them to get their spots back.
I sign in, and make my way through all the other fourteen year olds, looking again for someone I knew. As time goes on, the small area we're in gets more and more crowded. I find myself body to body with a few kids from my class, I move through them to find a boy I knew. Aegus. I gave a small wave and stood next to him. We were friends...more like acquaintances. We don't talk, we just stand there and wait for the horror show to begin.
The stage in front of the justice building stood empty until the victors from our district from over the years walk on and take seats in the back. There's two large fish bowl looking things sitting on two tables with a podium between them. They all had bits of paper in them, with mine and my school mates names written on them, some once, others multiple times. One glass ball had my name in it four times. The other for the girls, had Annie's. I was nervous for her. If she was chosen, I don't know what I would do. She would never make it. She's only 13. No one that young has EVER won the games before, it was probably impossible. I watch the stage as a man dressed in a sea green suit with fish embroidered all over it walks on the stage and takes a seat in front of all the victors. His name was Zeium Triseen, he was District four's escort, straight from the capital with his seaweed green puke colored hair.
At two O'clock, the mayor speaks, and all I hear is "Blah blah blah." He tells the history of Panem, the dark days, and despite how important the day is, this will be the third year in a row I've heard it. He basically just reminds us the rules of the hunger games, and why we have it. The hunger games was something that struck fear into everyone, how could we forget it? We then get to hear a list of all the past victors, the ones behind him, and the ones that have died of old age after they won the games. We have an average amount, more than some districts, but not nearly as many as districts one and two. After we applause for the victors, we see Zeium walk up to the podium. He's smiling, as though today was an actual day to celebrate.
"Happy hunger games everyone!" He says with a wide grin, and I can't help but feel disgusted by the joy on his face. He talks a bit more, but I try to tune it out. Suddenly, I feel a warm soft hand slip into mine. I look over to my side, and see Annie and her small sweet smile. I could tell it was a nervous one. she must have slipped into the 14 year old's section when no one was looking. She was always pretty sneaky like that. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze, still not listening to Zeium speak his weird capital banter, until I hear that it is officially time for the reaping. I watch as our district's escort walks over to the girl's fish bowl, and sticks his hand in to grab a slip of paper. I find myself squeezing Annie's hand tightly, mentally praying, and begging for it not to be Annie Cresta's name he pulls out of that bowl. I only breathe again when I hear a name that isn't Annie's. I let go of her hand loosely. I didn't really register what name was called though. But I couldn't begin to explain the relief that washed over me now that I knew Annie was safe this year.
"What a lovely female tribute. Next, the gentleman." Zeium says as as he walks over to the boy's fish bowl. "Don't be me. Don't be me." I think selfishly. Sure I had some friends who were fellow guys that could be chosen as well, but I wouldn't dare trade places with them. It's now Annie's turn to grip my hand in fear for losing me, as I did to her less than a minute ago. Suddenly, I hear a familiar name, and stand in shock when I realized it was my own.
"Finnick Odair!" He says in a sickening voice with a grin, he dramatically puts a hand over his eyes as though searching for me in the crowd. Everyone who knows me has their eyes on me, others follow their gaze on me, and soon enough, I have every single person's eyes landed on me.
"Finnick…" Annie whispers to herself, still hanging onto my hand, tighter than ever. I try to shake myself out of shock, but it doesn't work, I hear a voice coming from the speakers again.
"Come on up here buddy, everybody is waiting." I look up to find it was our escort's voice.
"It will be okay…" I tell her under my breath, not wanting attention to be directed to her, as I knew all cameras would be on us now. I let go of her hand, she hesitates to let go of mine, knowing it very well could be the last time we see each other. I stagger forward, and slowly make my way up to the stage. I try my best to keep cool, and be emotionless, despite I wasn't exactly what you would call, thrilled, to win the 'honor' of fighting to the death. I take my place on stage as the escort puts a hand on my shoulder, and a hand on the female tribute's as well, who now I find looks very familiar. She was a bit taller than me. She was 17 or 18 no doubt, so older than me too. Ziem asks for volunteers, but no one does, So Ziem continues with talking to get rid of the awkward silence.
"Come everyone, let's give a big applause for your tributes!" He says and you hear some claps here and there, but not a whole then make the girl tribute and I shake hands, but she doesn't look at me. I can tell she wasn't exactly happy to be reaped... or was she? Suddenly, I hear the anthem of Panem blasting loudly in my ears, seeing people around the borders of children frantically writing on betting papers which is no doubt this girl's name, I can already tell that the odds of winning will never be in my favor
Author's note: So, maybe Finnick seems a bit out of character, you might be thinking, but keep in mind that he's only 14. Also, this is my first fan fiction, so I would REALLY appreciate it if you could please tell me what you think, and what I can improve. Thanks! :)