Just swim.
The mantra repeats in my head as I hear canon-after-canon go off as other tributes drown. It sounds as if I'm in the middle of a tempest. Canon-blast after canon-blast roars like thunder then slows as the storm moves away. Just swim. That is what Mags would tell me if she was here with me. Now the canon booms only occasionally as the final tributes exhaust themselves to the point of giving up.
Gliding through the water, I enjoy the resistance against my legs as I smoothly kick and stroke. I turn onto my back to float, resting a moment. According to Papa, I was born to water, swimming from the instant I was birthed in the tub. His little selkie come to life. I turn over once again and continue swimming. It wouldn't do to be still too long for the gamemakers. As I stroke through the water, I imagine I am the selkie my father would spin tales about as a child. Half human-half seal.
It isn't until I'm ascending in the claws of the hovercraft that I look down at the flooded landscape and finally let myself remember my district partner, Niall. Then grasp what has happened to every other tribute.
Just swim. They don't believe me when I tell them that I know nothing, which is unfortunately the truth. Finnick was trying to protect me, but he should have known better. I could have prepared.
After what seems like hours, they lead me away to a small glass room the size of a shower. Before making me enter, a Capitol attendant places a collar around my neck, making sure to graze my bare nipple, reminding me of my own nudity. My clothes stripped from me immediately after capture. They call me "Finnick's bitch" as they shove me into the little room. Then the water starts to flow. It doesn't stop until there is just enough room for my shoulders and head to stay above the water line as I tread.
I'm so, so tired. I move to the side to try to rest a bit, when I feel a zap around my neck. I push off the wall then lean again only to get another jolt. I swallow and blink back the tears as I realize what I'm wearing. Just swim.
My arms give way, then my legs. I feel myself sink down to the bottom of the chamber. I hold my breath and look out beyond the walls. They're watching me. I finally let go. Bubbles float to the top as I say a goodbye to Finnick that he will never hear. My lungs fill with water as I realize that this is what it must have felt like. To die in my games.
A door opens and the water escapes as I collapse on the ground.
This repeats for days on end. I have nothing to tell, not that I would.
Finnick is leading me somewhere. He says he has a surprise as he leads me down the dark corridors that I have never seen before in District 13.
"Finnick! Tell me where we are going?"
"Uh-uh," he says as he pauses to push me up against the wall to steal a kiss.
I still can't believe we were married just a couple hours ago. His lips glide along my jaw and down my throat causing my breath to hitch.
When he steps away his eyes dance as he whispers, "This is my wedding present to you."
Soon enough we walk through double doors and I see a large pool. I giggle in delight as I feel Finnick work the zipper on my dress.
"Finnick! No! Someone could come by."
He shakes his head. "They won't. This is the training pool for the District 13 Amphibious Demolition Unit. They are offsite. I made arrangements with Paylor to have this to ourselves."
Finnick glides the dress down my body and it pools at my feet. He kisses along my shoulders, as his hands glide up and down my arms. I turn around and meet his lips as I make short work of the buttons on his shirt, pulling it out of his slacks. I push the garment off his shoulders before raking my nails down his chest. Then I go in to tickle his solar plexus causing him to jerk away. A laugh escapes my lips.
"So you think that's funny, Mrs. Odair." Finnick says as he scoops me up to toss me into the deep end.
As soon as I hit the water I try to stand, but my feet find no purchase. I'm just supposed to keep swimming but I can't. A yelp escapes me as I being to panic, trying to stay afloat. Just swim. But instead, I sink. I feel arms wrap around me and pull me up out of the water. I cough as he carries me to the shallow end of the pool where we both stand up right. I cling to him as I cry into his shoulder. He soothes me and eventually guides me out of the pool onto a bench.
Finnick shucks his sodden slacks, before sitting beside me and pulling me onto his lap. He waits until I'm ready. Then I tell him about the glass room and treading water.
We are trying to teach Johanna and Benji how to sail today. Ciaran is showing incredible patience as he works on showing someone half his age—but twice as stubborn as his mother— how to tie knots.
"I can't believe he's ten," I mutter to Johanna.
Johanna commiserates. "He's the spitting image of his father too. You're gonna be in so much trouble in a few years."
Shaking my head, I smile. "Don't I know it."
We hear a splash and turn. Ciaran is frozen in place as he looks overboard.
Suddenly I'm in the water, grasping Benji's life jacket and pulling him back to the boat. I hand the crying boy over to Johanna to comfort before Ciaran helps me out of the water.
Ciaran hugs me to him, his head tucking under my chin. It won't be long until he's taller than I am. He mumbles, "Mom, you swam."
After he pulls away, I just nod and tell him to go start lunch. Water is the native environment of selkies. Even after years in human form, they never forget how to swim.
It's been twenty years, but the panic still overtakes me on occasion. Like today. I let the water flow above my head as I sank to the bottom of the pool. I calmed myself, then pushed off the bottom letting go of my breath as my head broke the surface.
Just swim.
A/N: Thank you very much Pookieh. You are an amazing beta who turned this fic around incredibly fast. Thanks for putting up with me.
Thanks to Ro-Nordmann who hosted the Write-Me-A-Story-Hunger-Games-Challenge.
The characters are the property of the amazing Suzanne Collins and do not belong to me. I occasionally weave lines from her novels. Those totally belong to Ms. Collins too.
If you'd like more information about my fanfiction, please visit my Tumblr: dispatchesfromdistrict7.