I do not own The Hunger Games.
Finnick Odair is precious.
The Girl With The Green Eyes
Back To The Beginning
They take her home, all the way back to District 4.
They take her back to the Victor's Village, the only place they have left.
And begin the process of putting Annie Cresta . . .
". . ., Annie. We're home."
. . . back together again.
They take her off the blue pills.
". . . like the way they made me feel. Like I was in a nightmare I couldn't wake up from."
They stay by her side during the withdrawals.
". . . eat something?"
"No. No, I can't, my stomach . . ."
During the paranoia.
". . . coming for you, Annie. You're safe."
"You don't know that, you can never know that-"
During the high anxiety.
". . . sit down. It's okay, will you put that down please, it's not safe."
"I have to be ready, I have to be, I'm not ready, you don't understand-"
During crying bouts, the depression, during the moments of mania and the moments of . . .
". . . -to me, listen to me. Breathe, Annie, breathe."
"I can't breathe, they're strangling me, they're strangling me with their eyes-"
. . . utter collapse.
Finnick holds her when she cannot sleep, hardly a night goes by that she does not crawl into his bed and cry in his arms.
She reports strange dreams, racing heartbeat, and dizziness.
There are times when she falls for no reason and he must catch her.
There are times when her thoughts are confused and he must . . .
". . . not real?"
"Not real, Annie. That's not real."
. . . ground her in the only reality he can see and hear and feel and touch.
There are times when she experiences chills and fevers, insists she smells aromas Finnick cannot detect, begs him to stop the electric shocks she feels racing through her body.
One could attribute these things to withdrawal from the little blue pills they used to take the edge on the Tour.
Finnick agrees with this, has experienced the after-affects of them himself.
But more and more, he is concerned . . .
"Annie, it's okay, Annie . . ."
. . . that she is actively dying.
"Annie . . ."
And he cannot . . .
"Annie, look at me . . ."
. . . stop it.
She does not retreat to the closet, does not require artificial hydration or nutrition, though it is all a near thing.
She does not ask Finnick to kill her, though he dreams she does and when he roils up out of the dream with her body dead/not dead in his arms, he is slick with sweat and gasping for breath and fumbling for an acceptable lie with which to quell her questionings.
The month after the Tour is long and a special kind of hell in and of itself.
Mostly because he loves her now more than ever and finds it impossible detach himself from her suffering even the least little bit.
Mags is stronger than any of them because she never falters, never breaks, never screams or cries or demands death in exchange for release.
Her silent tears are sorrow for them and not herself, her hands always gentle and supportive.
The wave of madness rises, rises, rises, crests.
Threatens to engulf them all.
And finally . . .
"I'm sorry, Finnick. For being such a burden."
"It's okay, Annie. You're not a burden."
. . . begins to recede.
Slowly.
Her hysteria wans, her madness eases.
They open the windows again, let in the light.
And eventually, Annie Cresta . . .
"This is better. Thank you."
"I'm glad."
. . . makes it back to the ocean.
In a way, a little insanity is a blessing because it negates her beauty and desirability in the eyes of the Capitol.
Insanity denotes weakness and the Victors of Panem must always present themselves as proud and strong, represenrative of the best part of Panem.
Strong and ravishingly mighty.
Annie Cresta, with her madness and strangeness and tears, has proven herself to be not the poster child for Panem's Elite and Desirable.
It is whispered and gossiped throughout the Capitol, among the Districts.
And never surreshed to the girl herself.
Though, not always quite so mad and unintelligible as she may appear to some . . .
"They're not going to take you. You're safe."
"Because I'm crazy."
. . . Annie Cresta, Finnick Odair, and Mags Flanagan know.
"You're not crazy."
"They think I am."
And it is decided unanimously among them . . .
"Does it matter?"
"No."
. . . that is a small price to pay . . .
"What about you, Finnick?"
"I'll be fine."
. . . for freedom.
"Really?"
Peace.
"Yeah."
And relative safety.
One more chapter and then it's done.
This story anyway.
I hope you have enjoyed so far.
I've enjoyed writing.
