(Age 23, The 75th Hunger Games- Quarter Quell )

A battle cry instanly fell from my lips when the realization hit me. It's her fault! Everything! Gloss, the rebellion, Snow going back on his word and Me trapped in an arena. All. Her. Fault.

And now she's finally going to pay for it. Screw everyone killing me the second I kill her!. I wanted Finnick to win anyways and let's be real, he's got this in the bag with or without my help.

I started swatting my machete at Finnick madly to get out of his iron grip. His constant lines of soothing words were whispered into my ear. All of which I ignored as I stared at Katniss like a mad dog. Johanna had an axe rasied in startled confliction. I knew she wouldn't kill me but she can't let me kill Katniss either, it's part of their motive that I've yet to figure out. But I know at least that much.

Katniss had her bow aimed at me but quickly shot just off to the left, Brutus and Enobaria. Gloss hadn't come alone. With a quick kiss to my temple and a grunt, I felt my head connect with the side of the Cornecopia. It was a strategic hit, rough enough to keep me down for ten minutes or so but too soft to inflict any real damage. The kind of wound that takes practice to inflict. I rolled my head slightly to see two figures spearing, Finnick and Brutus.

...It was Finnick who'd attempted to knock me out before Brutus could kill me, how lovely. I watched half heartly as the two figures speared. In my confused state it looked like dancing. I heard more grunts around me, more figures moving in and out of sight. A loud ringing was all I could focus on though. I knew I should be panicked, that this is a shit situation to be stuck in. A second bloodbath almost and I'm down for the count, my machete just slightly out of reach.

I felt my fingers reach for it and gasped. I watched in wonder at my stretched out fingers, they seemed to push away the machete with air. My machete rolled away, as if it was alive. More confusion washed over me as I watched it move on its own accord. Was this a dream? Would I wake up soon grasping my sheets instead and calling out for Sparks? Odd, I've never found myself reaching for my machete in dreams, it must be a new one. Afterall I'm in an arena, friends with Finnick Odair, Powerless again...It's not real. This. Isn't. Real.

I looked around me in new found appreaciation. I got that feeling. That odd feeling when you know you're dreaming. The feeling when you've made that realisation and you know you've only got two seconds before you wake up.

The arena and the world kept spinning. Another indication that this is obviously a dream. A dream that might be scarier then my arena. An arena full of expirienced killers, A game of all games. One where Gloss dies and I might die too because unlike all the other dreams I don't know how this one ends...mainly because none of it is real.

It's not real so I can wake up!...Wake up... You're deaming, wake up...Velvet, Wake Up!

Why can't I wake up!?

My eyes darted to the Victors around me clinging to rocks for dear life. Spinning in an upside down nightmare. I saw Finnick gripping Peeta, keeping him from near death. Johanna dug her axe aggressivly into a rock and gripped Katniss with her other arm. Her wild eyes connected with mine before she qucikly whipped her head to Finnick. With a scream she called out to him and they made eye contact, his sea green eyes looked to me and then Peeta. Debating who to save. With a nod to himself he let go of Peeta.

My eyes drifted to the water, if this is a dream then Sparks is in there. And if Sparks in there I can attampt to reach out for him. Once my fingers brush his then I'll finally wake up. It's the only way I know how to wake, wake up screaming.

As we all continued to spin, and as Finnick crawled closer to me, I closed my eyes and rolled my body into the water. The current was strong, just as strong as my games. Another body fell into the water beside me and I reached for it, thinking it was Sparks. It has to be him, I have to wake up!

I watched my hand reach for the figure yet it dispeared before I could even see a hand. Instead I was left stumbling, screaming and water started to fill up my lungs. But what was worse was that I could feel it. It wasn't just pain, but the water, I'm wet! This...Shit, This is real! Finnick had concussed me and my stupid ass thought this was a dream. Fuck.

As if someone had just slapped me awake, my whole body breathed back to life before I started making my way to the surface. In a mad scramble of limbs and current I moved up, willed myself to keep holding on. As soon as my head popped up I was instantly swept back under. Fuck. I continued to roll with current, continued to fight my way up until the water stilled. My head popped up with a gasp and I treaded water chocking up a lung before diving back under to swim back to the cornecopia.

My hand connected with the hard suface of the rock as two strong arms pulled me out of the water. Finnick. He looked shaken and teary eyed.

He held me to his chest and my legs wrapped around his torso, my head rolling onto his shoulder in exhaustion. He sighed. "You know, I'm the only one here with right to kill you. You're my condition remember. Stop trying to steal that from me, Love".

My breathing was ragged but I still managed to choke out a few words. "Wasn't, I-it to w-wake up".

I heard a huff from behind him. "Let's just get what we need and get off the bloody island. Is she okay?"

Finnick's eyes met mine and I vaguly registered him cupping my cheek. He smirked down at me. "Yeah, just a bit loopy".

I heard her snort. "Here's hoping she stays that way after what Katniss did to Gloss".

Her footsteaps echoed passed us and Finnick carried me out to the beach with the others, never not letting me go. Even as we sat as a group I was still safely in his arms. Katniss like me had fallen into the water, it'd been her body that I had mistaken for Sparks. I made it appear as if my concussion was worse than it was for several reasons.

Reasons are as follows:

a) I don't have my machete

b) I can't get any other weapons, everything fell to the bottom of the ocean as soon as the cornecopia sarted spinning.

c) I'm a career (defencless) and they're not.

d) They saw my rage, they know I want Katniss dead and at the moment they think I'm too out of it to realise that.

e) What are they going to do when I try to kill her, will they support me? or support Katniss?

f) I have the element of suprise. It's now the only weapon I possess...and maybe I like the way it feels being in Finnick's arms.

I just have to get Katniss alone. I might have a shot at killing her one on one, but not with the others around. It's strictly a waiting game from here on out.

I giggled drunkingly in Finnick's arms causing him to smile down at me. Strangly Finnick hadn't caught on yet. But it was nice, sitting on the beach in his arms. His smile reached his eyes and I felt one of my hands run through his bronze hair. "Pretty".

The word escaped me before I was even aware it left my lips. It was at that moment that Finnick bent down ever so slightly and kissed my cheek.

A scoff from Johanna didn't even break his gaze. I could feel Katniss watching me warily before she huffed. "So, besides Brutus and Enorbaria, whose left?".

Peeta answered what we all knew. "Maybe Chaff, just those three".

Finnick stroked my cheek with smirk. "They know they're out numbered. I doubt they'll attack again. We're safe here on the beach".

Johanna shrugged lightly. "So what we do? We hunt 'em down?"

That's what I'd do..if I had a weapon that is. A scream had me breaking my gaze from Finnick. "Katniss, help me!"

"Prim!".

In two seconds flat Katniss ran away from us all. I wasted no time chasing after her. In a split second suprise attack, I'd pushed Finnick and gone straight after her into the jungle.

I swear it's like she wants me to kill her. I didn't expect to be breaking character so fast but hey, it's the hunger games. And well, It's Katniss.

I saw her come to a stop and I stood beside her with a galre. I gritted my teeth at her. "You're dead, Twelve!"

Katniss gripped my shoulder in panic. "N-No please, Prim!".

As if I wasn't even worth caring about, She released an arrow into the air and a black bird dropped at our feet.

I gasped. "...Mutts".

At fist I thought they were the same ones from my games. I giggled. "Well, at least they don't have knifes, right?"

Confusion laced her features before she gave me a look of dread. "They're jabberjays, Velevt!"

oh...Oh Fuck.

"Katniss!". A male this time, it casued something to swirl in Katniss.

She tightly gripped my wrist. "Gale!"

Ouch. I felt my breathing increase, I didn't like where this is going. I swallowed nervously. "Shoot it down, Katniss".

And she did. But another instantly flew onto the branch from which she just shot. As if to replace it. We stood and waited with bated breathes...

"Velvet!"

No. My stomach dropped as I started running towards the tree. A scream left my throat. "Cashmere!".

I stared up at the bird as an arrow dislodged and cutt off Cahmere's voice. The black bird dropped dead and landed by my feet. I stared at before turning quickly to Katniss. Our eyes held joint fear.

Katniss bit her lip. "We're in a sector".

I nodded. "Right, that makes sense".

A wave of birds had me screaming, another black cloud. Theres no way. They don't have knifes...worse. It turns out beaks are worse than knifes.

Katniss was already running from it but I didn't. A scream had pierced through the air. One that had me glued to the spot. A scream that had turned the grass below me a deep red. One that had me dropping to my knees in terror as I ran my fingers across my neck. It's her...

Annie. It's Annie's scream. The one from the arena. The one I was now screaming with like I had all those years ago. That scream that caused me pain to scream out.

An hour. An endless hour of screaming. A loop, my mind was a loop of countless images for an hour on end. Never not ending, Never not screaming.

A sword...

The head...

Blood stained grass...

Her tear...

Her screams...My screams, Our screams.

Never not screaming. The birds were relentless and I didn't know if they were putting images in my head or if it was my own madess. I felt eighteen again. Scared, naive and powerless. I felt everything. Everything Snow had told me to keep bottled up. It was pouring out relentlessly. I screamed vengfully, I screamed for the fallen and I screamed for me!

...For what they've done to me. To everyone in District One and every other district in Panem. To, and for all those oppressed by the Capitol. Sword, head, blood, tear, screams. Things that can never be unseen by children. Sword, head, blood, tear, screams. Ghosts I'm reminded of every second I close my eyes. Sword, head, blood, tear, screams. The reason why I shouldn't make it out of here alive.

Sword, head, blood, tear, screams...

Sword, head, blood, tear, screams...

Sword, head, blood, tear, screams...

Until silence. Annie had stopped but I kept going. Kept screaming out in pain as I clawed at my neck.

Sword, head, blood, tear, screams...

Sword, head, blood, tear, screams...

Sword, head, blood, tear, screams...

I was vaguely aware of Johanna clicking infront of my face. Aware of Katniss being dragged infront of me to watch me scream while Peeta held her disheveled form close. Aware that someone, most likely Finnick, holding me close against them. Yet I continued to scream. Because even though they couldn't hear it anymore, I still could.

Beetee gently moved Johanna aside and looked me down while I screamed in his face. "She's in shock."

Finnick cleared his thoat. "H-how do we?..What can we do?"

Beetee sighed. "Can anyone remember how she got herself out of shock from watching that boy..."

His vocie trailed off but they all knew what I saw, what I was seeing.

Katniss was panting but she looked to me with a look I couldn't read. "Peeta and I watched it before the chariot race. The boy from Two, he said something and she just stopped...and then suggested the suicide pact".

Johanna took a deep beath. "What so, she just snapped out of it?".

Katniss swallowed and nodded.

I felt someone's breath on my ear. Finnick. He knew, he'd watched those games many times. If not to mostly find more ways to make my life hell but..."It's what we're taught".

I gasped causing Katniss to jump back in freight. I felt tears silently roll down my cheeks but I quickly whiped them before anyone said anything. Johanna looked at me with remorse. It had me galring at her and she chuckled before she clicked her tongue.

Finnick's grip on me intesified as I looked up into his concerned eyes, my eyes becoming more glassy as I did so. The words he'd just whispered haunted me.

Peeta was still comforting Katniss and Johanna scoffed. "Your finace's right. The whole country loves your sister. If they tourtured her or did anything to her, forget the districts, there would be riots in the damn Capitol." She turned behind us and glared up at the sky, waving her axe as she did so. "Hey, how does that sound, Snow? What if we set your backyard on fire? You know, you can't put everybody in here!".

I found myself staring up at her in awe.

He face drifted down to Katniss and then me. "What? They can't hurt me. There's no one left that I love".

I felt my gaze instantly drop and I caught sight of my ring. Shining brightly in the sun. My mother. I wish she wasn't dangled over me like a carrot, I wished I could scream vengfully too. Although I guess I just had. I found myself letting out a small giggle causing Johanna to wink at me before walking back towards the beach. As if the interaction between us had never happened.

We all followed after her, the others sitting in the sand while Finnick sat beisde me in the water. Watching the waves come in and crash gracefully into the shore. His hand brushed a piece of my hair behind my ear and I turned to him with a smile.

"Finnick!, Velvet!"

We both looked up at Johanna who nodded behind her at the rest of the group. Finnick's had latched onto mine as we walked up to them.

Beetee cleared his throat. "I have a plan".