I stand close to the edge of the water, the edges of my feet hidden underneath the cool, wet sand. Wave after wave rolls in, the bubbling foam slowly creeping up to where they lay, then falling back into the murky blue water. I lift up my head to look from the seashells near my toes to the horizon above. It is a pretty day, the sky a beautiful blue with a couple white, puffy clouds scattered here and there. I take a few steps forward and where the water laps at my ankles. I close my eyes, hearing only the roar of the waves. I think about all of the years that have passed here: My first time seeing the ocean and feeling the sand beneath my feet. The many sandcastles of days past, only to be swept up by the vast ocean. The time that has slipped away, floating by with the cool breeze. I am used to this; comfortable. I understand how it all works, where I belong, but now I am not sure. My once empty head begins to fill up with thoughts of my future and the day to come. I long to stay here forever, to swim in the ocean and become one with it, never to be ripped apart. I try to silence my thoughts again, walking a few steps further in the water. They again become clear, though something new is here, something warm and different than my own thoughts. I open my eyes and turn around to see him walking towards me. The man I love: Finnick. His dirty blonde hair ruffles in the wind and he takes off in a run towards me, making me smile. He takes off his light blue shirt in the process, throwing it off to the side. He is about to run straight into me when he reaches for my torso and picks me up, spinning me in the air. His warm, calloused hands clutch the sides of my waist as he slowly drops me back down into the water. The hem of my dress flows under the water, making it a darker, more brownish color than the rest of my peach colored dress. His hands smoothly glide away from my sides and find my own, taking them in his.
"Good morning," he says, his deep, sea-green eyes staring into mine.
"Morning," I reply, with a smile.
"How are you feeling, today?"
"Alright I guess, just nervous."
"Me too." The corners of his mouth lift up into a soft smile, his eyes not moving from mine. He takes his right hand away from mine and cups my face with it, his left moving from my hand to the small of my back. Though he doesn't know I heard, he whispers "you're so beautiful," before he pulls me closer to him, reaching his head down to kiss me. I take my hands and wrap them around him as his lips meet mine, all of my troubles seeming to melt away. His lips are warm and familiar like his hands, and he smells of saltwater, as he always does. We kiss for what seems like an eternity, and he pulls away from my lips. I wrap my arms around him closer to me and hug him, resting my head against his bare chest. I can hear the steady beat of his heart pumping blood in and out, and I close my eyes, feeling them begin to fill up with tears
"I don't want leave you, Finnick," I say shakily.
"You won't, Annie. You can never leave me," he responds quietly in my ear, moving his hands from my back to my shoulders to push me off of his chest so he can look at me, "there's no saying what could happen at the reaping. I know the odds aren't in our favor much today, but we can't help that anymore. All we can do is be together now and hope that we'll stay together instead of fearing that we won't."
I nod my head and smile softly. I look up into his eyes again and he looks back into mine.
"I love you, Finnick," I say.
He smiles and moves his hands back to my waist, lifting me up. I wrap my legs around his torso, securing myself by holding my hands on his shoulders. He moves in to kiss me, but before our lips touch, he says, "I love you too."