Hey! I'm glad that I got this out cause I've known what would happen in this chapter since the start. Leave a review if you have any tips or thoughts.
Hope you like it,
TAD
When I arrive home everyone is cheering. I run forward and hug Prim.
"Katniss! You came back just like you promised!"
"Sure I did little duck." I try to smile but I'm too upset. I think the reporters think that it's cause of Peeta. Next I hug my mother, then Gale.
I walk into my new home in the Victors Village and shut the door. Then I slump down on a couch and begin to cry. Prim and my mother are immediately there, making soothing noises and letting me cry myself out. They don't ask what's wrong because they think they know what's wrong but they don't know the half of it. I'm actually crying because I can't help but imagine the families and marriages I will tear apart.I keep on wondering how many times I will have to go until they lose interest. I thought once I had won the games that would be it. Now, not only did I have to kill people, I have to be a whore.
I am silent during dinner and when I escape up to my room, I collapse onto my bed, fully dressed.
I fall asleep only to be woken up by my nightmare of Pieta's death. Prim rushes in, having heard my screams.
She convinces me that it's over. I never have to go back in.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"It was Peeta. I don't want to tell her anything else. She nods her head.
"I'm really sorry about him."
"Don't worry."
"Did you really love him, or was it just for the cameras?" She says this cautiously.
"I don't know." I sigh
"I think that you cared about him a lot but only loved him as a really good friend." She explains wisely.
"Yeah I guess so."
"You must be tired with all cameras going around. You should go to sleep."
"Yeah, that's true. The Capitol never leave their victor alone."
"What's it like?"
"Prim please never ask me about the arena." I can't believe she asked me that! I thought she was the tactful one!
"No! I mean the Capitol!"
"Well...they all look like freaks. They have tattoos all over their body and some of them even have whiskers! The Capitol itself is massive. They have so much technology that now I don't have a single scar. I can even hear out of my left ear!"
"Wow! What's Haymitch like?"
"He's usually drunk, but when he's sober he's moody and sarcastic. But he kept me alive and I don't blame him for drinking."
"Why does he drink so much?"
"Because of the games." I don't want to explain it in more detail. "But don't worry. I won't be drinking any time soon."
Prim giggles and we end up going to sleep in the same bed. Prim seems to keep the nightmares at bay.
The next morning I go down to have my breakfast of broth. My mother comes in holding a letter.
"Who's that from?"
"I don't know. It's addressed to you and it's from the Capitol. Do you know who it's from?"
She starts to open it and I spring up and snatch it from her hand.
"Katniss" She looks at me in a mixture of upset and confusion
"Sorry. It's just that I got told that you guys aren't allowed to read my mail...because it may be to do with the games." I know my mother sees right through my lie but, for whatever reason she lets it slide.
I go upstairs with the letter, knowing what it'll be about. It says,
Dear Miss Everdeen,
Your first appointment will require you to leave at nine in the morning in four days' time. You will be departing on the train station and you will be going to District 4.
My client wishes you to wear comfortable, on formal clothes.
You will be told his name nearer the time.
You will return the following morning.
Remember to do well,
Yours sincerely,
Coriolanus Snow.
I start to cry. I don't want to leave my family just to lose my virginity to some rich Capitol man.
Once I have composed myself I go downstairs and announce to my mother and Prim,
"In four days' time I need to go to District 4."
"Why? You've only just come back." Prim exclaims. My mother just stays silent.
"I have to go, but I'll only be gone for a day and a bit."
"But still. Can't you just stay?" Prim complains
"No I need to go."
"But why."
"Because I have to." This is harder than I thought.
"Just tell me. Then I'll understand."
"It's Capitol business."
"But-"
"Prim, just stop asking. It's clear that she's not going to tell us." My mother finally says.
"Thank you. I'm going to go over to Haymitch's."
With that I stride out to Haymitch's house. He isn't up yet so I chuck a pitcher of water over him. He stands up slashing a knife.
"Oh. It's you."
"I think we should go on a walk." He seems to understand so he comes along with me after changing into dry clothes. I tell him about my first appointment.
"District 4 huh?"
"Yeah. I don't know why."
"I think I do."
"Why?"
"Never mind."
"Haymitch. I say warningly
"I don't want to get your hopes up" What? Get my hopes up? Why?
We both head over to the bakery to offer our condolences.
There is a tinkle of a bell when we walk intone Pieta's mum, or the witch, sees me she walks over to me and scolds me,
"Thank you very much for killing my son. I don't know why he fell for you. You're not even that pretty. What are you here for anyway? To laugh at my face?"
"No we actually came to say so-."
"Well don't. We don't need your sympathy."
We start to leave but comes and says sadly,
"Thank you for trying to keep him alive." I start to speak but he cuts me off. "He really loved you. Thank you for coming."
I buy some the apple pie with goat's cheese that Peeta talked about and deliberately give Mr. Mellark way too many coins. He starts to tell me but I say,
"Thank you for taking care of Prim. I am really sorry about Peeta."
With that I and Haymitch walk out.
"You go. I want to talk to Gale."
He nods and makes his way back to the Victors Village nursing a hangover.
As I make my way through the Seam I leave coins under people's door mats. I hear a whoop and feel a smile forming.
"What are you grinning about, Girl on Fire?"
"Gale!" I turn around and launch myself into his arms
"I'm so glad you're back. Things can go back to normal."
"Yeah." I feel myself smiling but I know, nothing's going to be the same.
"Let's go." Others may have had to ask where, but not meshed means the woods.
"Sure. I just need to go back to my old house."
We go and I grab my hunting jacket and soft leather boots.
We are in the woods for about ten minutes when I shoot a turkey, but instead of seeing the turkey fall, I see the boy from 1.I fall to me knees shrieking.
"Katniss!"
"It's fine." I say shakily." Just a flashback."
"I didn't know the games did that." Gale said thoughtfully
"That's why so many of the victors drink" Well that and other things.
We carry on going but get jumped by wild dog. We scurry up a tree and shoot at them. I start screaming again when I see the mutts jumping at us.
"Katniss. It's okay."
"Yeah. Sorry."
"Katniss.I know the games were bad, but are you sure you're not going over the top."
"Gale! You have no idea what the games were like! I wake up every night from nightmares of killing people or watching them die! You have no idea!"
"Sorry that was stupid." Well duh. "Let's go back. We can go hunting on Sunday. I can't hunt any other day cause I have to go to the mines now."
"I can't hunt with you on Sunday."
"Why?" He looks angry now
"Because I have to go to 4. Capitol business" I say the last bit before he asks
"What business?"
"I'm not allowed to tell you. Sorry."
"It's okay. I just can't believe they're making you go when you've only just come back." He says angrily.
"Yeah I know."
By that time we're back at Gale's house.
"Hello Katniss."
"Hi Hazelle."
"Good to see you back." She smiles and pulls me into a warm hug. I slip a few coins into her hand and whisper in her ear,
"Don't tell Gale" She understands. Gale would never accept it but it will make the next few days a bit easier.
Sunday rolls around so I say goodbye to my family and a shouldering Gale, Haymitch just shoots me a sympathetic look, and board the train. It is the same type of train that took me to the Capitol.
When we are ten minutes away from 4 I receive a note saying,
My clients name is Finnick Odair.
He will be waiting for you at the train station.
Remember to put on a good show.
That gets me thinking. Finnick Odair. Why would he want me? He has to go through this so how can he do it to someone else? Anger is coursing through my veins when I meet him at the platform. I am civil when he escorts me to the beach.
"Do you fancy a swim?" I am surprised at this. Aren't I here to lose my virginity? Anyway, if he wanted to swim he wouldn't have to ask.
"I don't have anything to swim in."
"Don't worry. I have a costume here for you." It is like underpants and a bra that are attached with cloth in the middle. Interesting. He could have just told me to get naked. He surprises me even more by turning away to let me change with some privacy. I get changed and he pulls off his shirt and sandals.
We go swimming for what seems ages. When we are nearly there, or so I am told it is dark. There, is a small wooden raft. He gets on and I follow, unsure of what is going to happen. He must know that I am worried because he says,
"By the way, I don't plan on doing anything to you. I just wanted to talk in private and this was the only way."
"Why did you want to talk to me?"
"Because I wanted to give you advise that I never got."
"What advice"
"First of all, I want you to be completely honest with media can't help you if you lie."
"Okay. What do you want to know?"
"Are you a virgin? "He says bluntly
"Yes." Where is he going with this?
"Do you have anyone back at 12 that you would be okay having sex with?" What!
"Why?"
"Because you don't want to lose your virginity to some old creep from the Capitol."
I nod my head. That is true. "I guess I could do it with my friend, Gale."
"Do you think he would let you?"
"Probably. If I told him why. Because we're not really a couple or anything."
"Okay. Tell him that you need to because the people in the Capitol won't leave you alone because you're a virgin."
"Okay. What if he says no?"
"Then buy me for a night."
"What! I can't have sex with you! We've only just met!"
"True .But I'll be slower on you than the people from the Capitol. I'll also be a nicer way to lose your virginity. Don't you think?"
"Yeah I guess so. Is that all you wanted to talk to me about."
"No."
"What else is there?"
"Don't refuse. I refused once so Snow sent Annie to the games."
"Annie?"
"Annie Cresta. You know, the dam year."
"Oh yeah." She went mad after watching her partner get beheaded and only won because she could outswim everybody else when a dam broke.
"If you refuse they'll kill one member of your family to send a warning. You have a lot of friends and family so it'll take a long time for all of them to be killed."
"Okay. How do you deal with it?"
"To be honest, I don't really. It's hard to make Annie think I'm happy about it because she think I like it there more than being with her. But telling her would be her." Now I see Finnick for who he really i.e. young boy, barely an adult, just trying to keep the people he loves alive. He's not the flirty, cocky person I thought he was.
"I'm really sorry."
"Me too. The people may hit you, or call you every name under the sun, but you have to pretend that you love it, otherwise they'll tell Snow"
"Thanks Finnick"
"Should we head back now?"
"Yeah."
"One more thing, if you ever need to talk to me in private, just buy me, okay? I'll do the same Mags or Annie buys you it's gonna to be for the same reason. Got it?"
"Yeah."
We head back and when we do he guides me to his own house in the 4's version of the Victor's Village. He leads me into a spare room and I fall asleep immediately.
I loved writing this chapter cause Finnick is one of my favourite characters.
Thank you for reading this. It really means a lot to me. Till next time,
TAD
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