Author's Note: All rights to Suzanne Collins

Finnick's Point Of View

"Finnick Odair!" Julian exclaims and I feel like I might fall over.

How was this even possible? I wondered as I forced my feet to move me forward and propel me onto the stage. I can hear the whispers moving through the crowd and everyone's eyes on me. How was this happening? My name was only in there a handful of times. It was nothing compared to others, people who had their names in that glass bowl almost a hundred times.

This had to be some kind of a sick mistake. But I knew that it wasn't.

This was real.

I walked onto the stage and squinted in the light, looking out into the crowd of faces. I knew these people, grew up with them and went to school with them. I swam with them in the mornings and fished with them in the afternoons. I was friends with these people and yet here I was, wishing that one of them was standing here and not me.

I prayed that someone would volunteer for me. I wished that they would realize how young I was and know that no one my age has ever won the hunger games; in all the sixty-four years. I hoped that someone would step up and save me like I desperately needed to be; but no one did.

"Here we have it!" Julian's voice rang loud and I gulped, realizing my opportunity to be saved was gone. I was now officially a tribute in the hunger games and no one was going to take my place. This spot belonged to me and I was going into that arena no matter what. "District four's tributes in the 65th annual hunger games! May the odds be ever in your favour!"

Julian's words were like cold water, breaking me out from my thoughts and forcing me to focus. If I had any hope of winning these games then I was going to have to start campaigning now, meaning that I was going to have to put on the show of my life. So that's exactly what I did, forcing myself to raise my arm and crack a smile at the cameras.

I waved and mouthed my thank you to the crowd that began clapping lightly. I needed to play this up as best as I could, so I remembered everything that I've seen the careers do in the past. They always acted grateful and excited to be entering the arena, although the thought made me sick I knew that I needed to do it.

And then that agonizing minute was over and I was being guided inside the building. Everyone seemed to move into action, Julian and the mentor - a small, grey haired woman - moved towards a room at the end of the hall, while the mayor of our district and other officials began talking quietly. The peacekeepers separated me and the other tribute, taking us to rooms where we would wait to say our final goodbyes to our families.

I was taken to a small room that overlooked the ocean, which helped me calm my nerves. I always took comfort in the ocean, always felt soothed by the smell of the salty air or the sound of crashing waves. I just hoped that I would eventually see it again, would feel the cool water on my skin and be able to take my boat out again someday.

I was thinking about how relaxing it was on my boat, the faint smell of my latest catch in the air while my hands restlessly tied knots. I was always good at making nets and the repetitive motions always seemed to soothe me. I guess it was a win for everyone because I loved it and all the men in town bought my nets, knowing that that the knots never came undone and they always caught plenty of fish. They always told me, "Finnick Odair, these nets are even better than your fathers!"

I would always smile and thank them, make a few jokes here and there before go back to making nets. I wish that I knew what my father's nets were like or anything about him really, all I knew was that he died a few months after I was born. It's just been me and my mother for as long as I can remember.

Just then the door to the small room flew open and a peacekeeper stepped in, his face expressionless. "You have five minutes."

He moved to the side and my mother stepped in, her face was the furthest thing from expressionless. She had so many emotions running across her features, her eyes wide with fear and her body tense. She reached for a hug as soon as she saw me, her fingers grasping at my shirt and holding on tightly.

"Oh, Finn." She gasps and I could hear the way she was trying to fight back tears. I just swallowed and held on tightly, wondering how my mother was going to survive if I don't come back. She makes some money in town but not nearly enough to survive, it was my net selling and the fish that I brought in that was our main source of income.

If I died in that arena, my mother would be all alone here. And although she always puts on a brave face for me I had no doubt she would probably die soon after. Because for as happy as my mother pretends to be, I knew she wouldn't be able to go on living after her husband and son are this world, family is everything - without it you have nothing.

"I know." I tell her, patting her back soothingly. "It's going to be alright. I'm going to come home." I tried to comfort her as best as I could, tried to reassure her that I would see her again soon.

Some might find it odd that I was the one being sent off to fight to the death, yet I was standing there comforting my mother instead of the other way. I knew that it was strange and that she should be the one telling me I would make it back soon, that I would be alright in the end. But my mother was fragile, she pretends to be light and carefree but we both knew it was an act. She couldn't reassure my safe return because my mother couldn't even think about me going off, the idea might just ruin her.

Besides I had been taking care of my mother for years. I was always determined to get food on the table, to make sure she was happy and healthy, that she didn't fall into despair. I was the man of the house and it was my responsibility to look after here, that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

My mother nodded, still not breaking away from me. I thought that we would probably stay embraced like that for the remainder of my time then my mother suddenly broke away. Her movements were swift and unexpected, causing me to jerk back slightly but she grabbed ahold of my arms and looked deeply into my eyes.

"You can do this Finnick," She told me, her expression deadpan and her voice raw. I was a little taken off guard at how intense she was in that moment, my mother who never talked about anything serious because she couldn't stand the idea. "You're smart and you're strong and you're charming. You can think and talk your way out of anything, you know how to use a trident and you can catch fish. You can win."

I was a little taken aback by what she was saying. I mean, I had convinced myself that I could win but that was partly just fake confidence, I had no idea if it was true or not. But now, hearing someone say it with such truth and belief in the idea, I found myself believing it too. Maybe I really could win this, I had the skills now all I had to do was showcase them.

"Your five minutes are up."