The Ocean Rolls Us Away
Chapter 48: Annie
After Finnick got back, we spent the next few days entirely in each other's company. It was very clear that we both needed each other badly, and were barely able to survive on our own. It made sense though, because we had been though so much heartache. By the first day of the Victory Tour, we had both begun to finally find some sense of peace. But sadly that peace wouldn't last for much longer.
Everything started to fall apart when we were watching Katniss and Peeta's arrival in District Eleven. Finnick had come over, and joined Bress and I in our living room to watch the event. Finnick and I were sitting on the couch, me leaning against him with his arm wrapped around me, and Bress was in a chair next to us.
Usually I didn't watch the Victory Tours, but for some reason this time I wanted to. It could have been because like everyone else, I was intrigued by rebellion hanging in the air. But really it was because Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark made me wonder if what had happened to Martin and I could have been different.
Finnick didn't seem to think that it was wise for me to watch the tour, but I insisted that I would be all right. Yet, there was a small fear lurking inside me, that whispered I would fall apart. And when Bress turned on the TV, I began to think that Finnick had been right.
Before the cameras cut to District Eleven, Caesar Flickerman gave a jovial introduction of the two victors, and repeatedly highlighted their romance. I wondered sadly, while watching Caesar, if he had been that happy for my tour. Right away I knew the answer was no. But there was a large difference between my tour and Katniss and Peeta's. They had won their games in triumph, whereas I had one mine by chance. So how could you expect such different victories to be of equal mirth?
When Caesar had finished his introduction, he turned to the screen and smiled as a signal that the first stop of the tour was about to commence.
The screen was suddenly filled by an image of Katniss and Peeta standing in front of the District Eleven Justice Building. It was strange seeing someone else standing there, after I had stood there so many years before. But the worst part of it was that as I stared at Katniss, I only saw Martin. Just like she did everything to save Peeta, he had done everything to save me too. But even though they were both brave, and excellent fighters, she had come out alive, and he hadn't.
A painfull shudder ran up my spine as I thought about Martin, and Katniss and Peeta were given two bouquets of flowers. Peeta then stepped closer to the microphone and began a speech about the two District Eleven tributes, Thresh and Rue. At first he spoke simply about the bravery Thresh and Rue had shown, but then paused, glancing down at his speech card in his hand. After a moment Peeta looked sadly back up at the audience and said, "It can in no way replace your losses, but as a token of our thanks we'd like for each of the tributes' families from District Eleven to receive one month of our winnings every year for the duration of our lives."
At that moment the entire audience gasped, and so did the three of us watching from our living room. I looked over at Finnick shocked, and he looked back at me with the same expression. No one had ever done anything close to what Peeta Mellark had just done of live television.
I looked back at the screen and saw Katniss looking at Peeta with total respect and awe in her eyes. Then she leaned up and kissed him.
"Can he do that?" Bress asked distractedly, staring at Peeta in astonishment.
"I doubt it." Finnick replied anxiously.
I looked up at him, and saw him furrow his eyebrows at the screen. Instinctively I looked back at screen just in time to see what Finnick was staring at. Katniss and Peeta had both been about to leave when Katniss suddenly turned around and shouted, "Wait!" She stumbled towards the microphone and whispered again, "Wait, please."
Katniss paused and looked anxiously around at the audience. Then she started quietly, "I want to give my thanks to the tributes of District Eleven."
Immediately it was clear that Katniss was about to speak as personably as Peeta had, or even more.
"I only ever spoke to Thresh one time." She continued, glancing over at his family. "Just long enough for him to spare my life. I didn't know him, but I always respected him. For his power. For his refusal to play the Games on anyone's terms. The Careers wanted him to team up with them from the beginning, but he wouldn't do it. I respected him for that."
I glanced over at the male tributes family, and saw an elderly woman, probably his grandmother, smile to her self at hearing those words about her grandson.
After a moment my attention was drawn back to Katniss when she spoke again, "But I feel as if I did know Rue, and she'll always be with me. Everything beautiful brings her to mind. I see her in the yellow flowers that grown in the meadow behind my house. I see her in the mockingjays that sing in the trees. But most of all," Katniss paused, and swallowed down what I recognized anywhere as tears. "I see her in my sister Prim." Katniss paused again, then finished quietly, raising her head, "Thank you for your children."
I stared at Katniss in awe. It was clear to me now why she had made it out alive. She was stronger, and braver than any person I'd ever seen before.
For a long moment there was silence across the screen, but then suddenly there was a quite tune whistled from the crowd. Immediately the cameras turned towards the voice, which belonged to an elderly man wearing faded red overalls. When his eyes had clearly met with Katniss' everyone in the audience simultaneously pressed the three middle fingers of their left hands to their lips, and extended them towards Katniss. I had seen that sign before when Bress had been watching the last games. It was the same symbol that the citizens of District Twelve had given Katniss when she volunteered for her sister.
I looked up at Katniss' face, expecting to see some sort of expression of honor, but instead all I saw was dread. She looked as if these people had just sentenced them selves to death with their actions. And sadly I soon realized that she was right.
Before it was even clear what was happening, peacekeepers suddenly dove into the crowd and dragged the old man up to the stage. My eyes widened in horror and I stared at the screen as they shoved him to his knees and shot him directly through his skull.
I gasped and my hands covered my mouth as the old man's body fell onto its side. I had seen this image five years before during my own games. This man had died the exact same death as my father. Immediately my heart started to pound in my chest, and I felt my breathing pick up. Finnick turned off the TV and tightened his grip around me in an attempt to calm me down, but the memories rising in my mind were too horrific to stop.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the images of my father, but his bloody skull couldn't be erased.
"It's alright Annie," Finnick whispered soothingly, rubbing my back. "It's not real."
"Yes it is…" I whispered back shakily, still squeezing my eyes shut.
"They can't get away with this." Bress suddenly shouted angrily.
Slowly I opened my eyes and looked over at him. He was now standing and his hands were clenched into fists at his sides.
"Please, Bress…" I began shakily, reaching towards him. It was very clear that the old mans murder had pushed him to a place of zero tolerance. I had hoped that maybe he would forget the uprising, but it was clear to me in that moment that he would do just the opposite.
Bress looked down at me, and stared into my eyes fervently. Not a word passed between us, because everything that he could ever tell me was in his eyes. I would never be able to stop him from joining the revolution.
Without saying a word, Bress broke our gaze, and strode towards the front door.
"No! Bress!" I shouted shakily, leaning forwards as sobs started to lurch up my throat. But Bress walked out the door without ever turning around, and slammed it behind him.
My body sank back in Finnick's arms, and silent tears began to roll down my cheeks. Neither of us said a word because there was absolutely nothing left to say. Both of us realized that Bress was not the only person that had been inspired by what had just happened in District Eleven. And if history was doomed to repeat it's self, then District Four was about to join the uprising.
"They planned the first revolt for tonight…" I barely heard Finnick admit sadly over my thoughts, "In just an hour."
Suddenly, I sat up from Finnick's arms, and stared in panic at the front door.
"What is it?" He asked me gently, placing his hand on my arm. Clearly he was trying to calm me down.
"I can't let him do this." I said distractedly, thoughts tumbling through my mind. "I…" I stuttered, "I have to stop him."
"Annie, you can't-" Finnick began, but he stopped when I stood up and distractedly started putting on my jacket.
"Annie, stop it!" He suddenly demanded, standing up as well, and gently grabbing my arm.
I turned around and looked at him with frantic tears in my eyes, "Finnick, he's going to get him self killed!"
He looked into my eyes desperately, "You can't stop him."
I stared at Finnick without saying anything in response. I knew deep in my gut that he was right, but I was so panicked after what I had just seen, that his reasoning couldn't break through to me.
I bit my lip and I shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes. "I won't let him die." Then I leaned up, kissed Finnick, and anxiously headed towards my front door.
"Wait!" I heard him coming after me, but I opened the door and stepped out into the cool twilight before he could stop me.
Immediately I was hit by a cool wind as I ran down my front steps.
"Bress!" I started to call out. "Bress please, don't do this!" But there was never an answer.
I knew that he must have already been in town by that point, so I started to run down the street. I thought that I heard Finnick coming after me, but I clenched my hands into fists and forced my self to keep running.
"Bress!" I shouted again, frenzied tears now streaming down my cheeks. "Bress Please!"
I stopped in my tracks and glanced around the last few houses of the Victors Village, desperately trying to see if maybe he hadn't gotten so far. That was when I heard the first shots ring in the air.
I turned my eyes towards the town, fear now gripping my body. Within moments I watched helplessly as huge flames suddenly reached into the sky, and horrifying screams filled the air. The uprising had begun.
I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and look for the next chapter by at most next Sunday!
