Hunger Games Fan Fiction part 2: Johanna and Rille (r-ih-l)
Johanna gazed out the foggy window, the edges of the panes crystallized by the frost that had kissed all that it touched while they slept. At least the autumn weather didn't bring as many memories. Not like summer. The sunburns and therapeutic trips to the pond in the District 7 woods behind her house and occasionally the beaches of district 4 always brought up memories of loved ones the capitol had taken from her. She had long ago put the deaths of her biological family to rest in her mind, but for some reason Finnick's death had been a bit of an obstacle.
She never talked about him anymore, but whenever she wasn't otherwise occupied, thoughts of him drifted in to fill the void. Usually it was just stupid little memories that came up, like when Finnick convinced her to walk naked through a park in the capitol while she babbled about how she was "born to wear this outfit," or the time she convinced Finnick to play strip dinner at a capitol ball. He ended up in just a bowtie with a very smug look on his face. Or the time he bet her she couldn't harm him with a strand of her hair. He didn't make bets with her anymore after he got out of the hospital. She really missed him. He made all the mundane things the capitol required of its victors fun. Tears made Johanna's eyes glassy.
Something was jerking at her shirttail. "Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!" A little voice said. "Moooooooooooooommmmmmmmyyyyyy! MOM!"
"What?" Johanna exploded. "What do you want?"
"I'm hungry." The little girl said as she placed her chubby hands on her hips. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek and mud caked on her fingers. She looked up at Johanna with big brown eyes. "I'm going to die of spartavtion." She said dramatically.
Johanna rolled her eyes. "Starvation," She corrected. "Go wash your hands, I'll make you a sandwich."
The little girl grinned and skipped into the living room. Johanna sighed and took out a tray of cold meats and the loaf of bread. She heard the distinct click of the television being switched on.
"Rille!" Johanna yelled. "TV off. Go wash your hands!"
"Okayeeeee!" Rille yelled. The little patter of feet preceded the sound of running water. Johanna forced air out of her nostrils in exasperation. One night stands with stupid men named Klik while completely wasted are not supposed to result in an eighteen year commitment. Especially not one that makes as many messes as Rille.
"Hurry up, Rille!" Johanna yelled. No response. "Rille! I'm going to eat your sandwich if you aren't in here in exactly ten seconds."
Rille's distinctive little pattering footfalls echoed off the hall. She plopped down in her chair. "Let me see them," Johanna said and peered at her daughter's outstretched hands, nodded when she deemed them acceptably clean, and slid the plate over to her. "Mom!" The four year-old exclaimed, looking from the gigantic bite mark in her sandwich to her mommy's bulging cheeks. "You ate it!"
"I sampled it," Johanna retorted from around the half-chewed mouthful.
"You ate like half of it." She whimpered.
"Oh stop it. Your stomach isn't big enough to hold that entire sandwich. Besides, it was mostly crust," Johanna replied, waving the sandwich up in the air expressively. Rille was about to respond when her eyes suddenly got bigger (if that was even possible), and she clutched at the front pocket of her overalls.
"Mommy, do you have a jar?"
"Why do you need a jar?"
She turned bright red and started to giggle. Johanna was about to question her when the answer exploded from Rille's pocket with a frantic RIBBIT!
Johanna screamed, grabbed a spatula, and swung it wildly at the slimy, wart covered little surprise. Rille's screams raised a pitch higher than Johanna's. "Stop it, mommy! Stop it! You're going to kill him!"
"That's the idea!" Johanna roared as she spatula made contact, turning the frog into a bumpy little projectile. It hit the wall with a thud. Johanna stood there, her "weapon" poised above her head like an axe, chest heaving, a wild look in her eyes. Even her hair looked crazed.
Wouldn't you know it, the frog got back up! Though it looked no worse for the wear on the outside, from the way it hopped right into the glass sliding door, Johanna was sure it hadn't escaped without brain damage. Rille was wailing something. "YOU KILLED MY PUPPY!" she sobbed, big tears rolling down her face.
Johanna pushed her bangs up out of her eyes. "That is a frog." She enunciated.
"His name was puppy!" She wailed. Johanna sighed and scooped up the now mentally challenged amphibian with the spatula and put him in the bushes.
"New house rule." Johanna said upon reentry. "The outside stays outside. That includes the wildlife and/or natives."
"You killed puppy." Rille whimpered.
"Your frog- I-I mean Puppy is not dead, just suffering from a small concussion."
"You gave my frog a corncushion?"
"A head booboo." Johanna corrected and looked at the mud that was once again caked on Rille's hands. Johanna got a towel and wiped her daughters tears from her cheeks and firmly instructed her to go wash her hands. After Rille disappeared around the corner Johanna began to wipe the mud off of the table. Suddenly Rille's voice rang out from the washroom. "Mommy! There's a puddle on the floor!"
Johanna groaned and grabbed a paper towel. Rille liked to over exaggerate. What she claimed was a puddle was most likely just a few drops of water having a little shindig on the floor. When she entered the hall her foot slipped and she landed with a thud on her backside, the impact sending a shock up her tailbone. She was sitting in an inch of water. A scream ripped out of her throat and she sloshed into the bathroom, grabbed Rille, and flew into the living room.
Sobs forced their way out of her throat as she held her baby to her tightly. She was huddled in the corner of the room. Her eyes were shut tight and she was shaking violently. "Are you okay?" She finally blubbered, still tightly holding Rille in her arms.
"I-I think I left the water on when I ran to eat my sandwich. I'm sorry Mommy!" Rille wailed hysterically.
"Are you okay?" Johanna said, sobs making her voice jerk.
"Yes." She whimpered. Johanna refused to let her go for another twenty minutes, but when she finally began to relax, Rille was still holding onto her tightly, terrified because her mommy was so scared.
"It's okay Rille," Johanna said, her voice still wavering with tremors. "It was just some water, that's all. Mommy just over reacted." There was nothing Johanna wanted to protect her daughter from more than the fear that plagued her every time she stepped into the shower. Rille looked up at her with big brown eyes before reaching up and wiping away the tears on Johanna's cheeks with her hands. Johanna pulled Rille into another hug. "I love you so much, baby." She said, her cheek pressed into the child's hair. When she finally released Rille, Johanna wanted nothing more than to go climb into bed for the rest of the day, but she knew she had to be functional for her daughter. Standing on unsteady feet, she gathered an armload of towels and threw them into the puddles on the hall and bathroom floors before reaching around the counter and shutting off the water.
Two excruciating hours later she had the floor dry and a very sleepy Rille in bed for a nap. When she finally collapsed onto the couch and allowed her mind to wander, she realized how much she really needed Finnick to be here. She needed his help getting through stuff like this. He was gone when she realized she was pregnant, he was gone when she went into labor, he was gone when Rille got the flu and was blowing chunks to accent the 103 degree fever she had, he was gone when it was raining outside and Rille wanted her mother to go out and play in it with her, he was gone when she needed comfort.
Tears began to fill her eyes and Johanna cruelly forced them down. Her problems were small compared to the ones Annie had to deal with daily. Annie. Her mind went back many years ago when Annie had told her to call if she ever needed something or just wanted to talk. Annie would understand what she was going through. Johanna stood and went to the counter, opened a drawer, and rooted around in it until she came up with a phone number on a piece of faded paper. She dialed the number. It rang four times before a soft little voice came onto the line.
"Hello?"
"Hi Annie…Its Johanna."
Johanna could almost hear the smile spread across Annie's face in faraway district 4.