Hey everyone, thanks for reading! Special thanks to my reviewers:
ArabellaSmith; my very first reviewer - woohoo milestone! DCdreamer55 which helped me to noticed I hadn't changed "Crest" to "Cresta" in all places; and Cindella204 for her constructive criticism with my change of POV, which means a lot that someone bothered to point that out in order to help me:) Y'know, that ALWAYS been a problem of mine, and I am trying to fix it but please alert me if it gets too distracting!
Thanks to the seven people who put Translucent Waters under story alert,the one who put it under 'favourite story', and the two who put me under 'favourite author'.
I'd also like to give a BIG thanks to Dawn-of-Indescribable-Colors for the unconditional support, it's a major reason I was confident enough to post this!
Spin me round again
and rub my eyes,
this can't be happening
when busy streets amass with people
would stop to hold their heads heavy
Hide and Seek; Imogen Heap.
The song above is not only beautiful but fits well with this chapter, specifically Annie's POV.
ANNIE'S POV
It... I ... me?
I was numb. I didn't hear Bombay gasp and throw herself on me, I didn't feel the Peacekeepers grab me by the elbows and tow me towards the stage. I didn't even feel my feet moving, but somehow they were; left, right, left, right. Somehow I got to the stage, I saw the faces in front of me. Somehow I knew Finnick had grinned at me, but all I had been able to see was his eyes, and they certainly didn't tell me what his smile did. His green orbs were the last thing I saw before the world became one mess of colour.
Faces were hovering over me, bodies pressed against my dress on all sides. I was being ushered somewhere, I knew that. Occasionally I attempted to restore myself back into full mental alertness, but whenever I tried the blurriness took over my eyes and things became worse; I stumbled on stairs and tripped over my own feet. There was a strong hand on my arm that attempted to guide me, but when that wasn't enough it fell to my back as it practically lifted me over the carpet.
I was sat on a red couch, made of a fabric much too luxurious for me to ever be able to identify. My thoughts swam and the room began to spin until a door slammed shut. Looking up, everything was beginning to clear - my family was here, grasping at me, crying, wailing, pulling at me for their turn to hold their delicate daughter one last time. They knew I wouldn't come home, just like I did. Even though I came from a Career district, no one had volunteered to save poor little Annie Cresta, and I would be tossed into the arena like a lamb waiting for slaughter.
An ancient Greek myth I had once read came to mind, that of the beautiful Helen and her great defiance in order to follow love. It wasn't of Helen that I thought of, but another woman. Iphigenia was the daughter of Helen's brother-in-law, and when he angered some ostentatious Goddess or another, he was told to sacrifice his only daughter so he could successfully conquer the Greeks and bring back Helen. I couldn't remember how he bribed her to come down from her room, but when she found out her fate was to be death, she struggled and cried before she laid down her neck and submitted to her fate. So daintily and honorably did she sacrifice herself that the vengeful Goddess saved her and gave her life on another island.
Perhaps no Goddess would come to my aid, but I now knew my fate and I would die gracefully like Iphigenia.
And like that, I had decided my fate. After all, what are we to do but learn from books?
FINNICK'S POV
This girl, this Annalaese...
I had almost begun to feel bad for the poor girl. Almost immediately after I had so charmingly smiled at her, her eyes has glossed over, the irises becoming murky and clouded as they grew increasingly vacant. I didn't know much about this girl, this Annalaese, but she was certainly quite odd. In my few years as a mentor I had seen tributes react in every way possible; from weeping to celebrating, I thought I had seen it all.
This girl, this Annalaese, had somehow turned herself numb. She was unresponsive to all the Peacekeeper's probing and prodding, immune to Stark's idle chatter - a power I envied - and unfeeling to the world around her. She was taking so damn long to get up the stairs I eventually moved my hand from her elbow to her back and pushed her up. She didn't snap or push my hand away, so I shrugged and figured she didn't mind. Or maybe she couldn't even feel it, who knows. I gotta say, even though it was strange, I kind of admired the way she remained unattached to the crazy surroundings. I could've learned something from her after my own Reaping; I had been a shaking, snotty mess.
We reached the room she would be saying her goodbyes in, and Stark flaked off with a squeeze of my bicep and flick of her tongue. Needless to say, I internally shuddered. A Peacekeeper grabbed Annalaese by the forearm and began to shove her into the doorway. Hissing, I blocked his arm and shooed the rest of them off. She and the other tribute - God damn, what was his name? A... Am... Am-something - were under my jurisdiction now and they didn't need their abuse. The next few days would be hard enough without it. Yet when I turned to Annalaese to earn a grateful smile in return for my heroics, she was simply staring ahead, apparently not even noticing everything I had done.
Incredulous, I raised my arms in question before sighing and opening the door for her.
"In you go, sweet." I raised my eyebrows and did my best to remain charming; gracing her with a wink. She remained still.
This girl was going to be a pain in my ass, I just knew it.
ANNIE'S POV
When I came to, it was sudden and without warning; blobs became shapes and shapes became faces. My mother was in front of me, her face stained with tears, her hair in disarray.
"Oh, Momma!" My voice was hoarse and my eyes dewy before I could control it.
"My baby, my baby," She cooed, her thin arms wrapped around me, nails digging into my flesh. I could feel the tears stinging at my eyes, my throat closing up, already raw. But I forced my mouth to open, sucking air in and out at a steady pace. If I cracked in front of her, if I let myself slip, she would just break, flying into one of her fits. And if my last memory of my Mom was her screaming and rocking on the floor - I just, I can't deal with that. I can't.
Slowly, soothingly, my dad pried my Mom's nails from my skin. Wincing, I looked up into his big brown eyes. The intense earthen eyes I didn't inherit. The eyes I always wish I had. As they turned away, sadness horribly hidden in his orbs, he stroked her pale arms and her hair. He was always so good at calming her down.
The Peacekeeper in the room eyed them oddly as he opened the door once again. This time it was my friends, Carp and Bombay. They had both obviously been crying, but Carp had the good grace to not continue with his tears in my presence. Bombay, on the other hand, was having a harder time keeping it together. They were both quiet as they approached me.
"Annie," Carp sighed, wrapping his strong arms around me. The smell of him, fish oil and sea breeze, calmed me as I inhaled his sharp scent.
"I'm gonna miss you, y'know." I managed a chuckle as he pulled away. Grabbing my shoulders, he stared into my eyes intensely.
"It's only for a little while, you see," His voice cracked. "cause you'll be back in a couple of weeks, and we'll go swimming and fishing and, and... everything you like, we'll do." His eyes were about to spill over, so he kissed my cheek and turned around.
Over the years, many had wondered if Carp and I were a couple. I didn't blame them, we were always around each other and he was liberal with his cheek-kisses. The truth is, even if I did want to be with Carp, I just couldn't. Not only was he like a brother to me, but his affections certainly did not match-up with me. What Bombay and I knew that D4 didn't was that Carp was just as interested in the muscular fisherman by the docks as we were.
Bombay approached me next, apparently calmed. But I knew better. Bombay normally talked a mile-a-minute, and the fact that she was hugging me without talking meant she was holding in her emotions. If she spoke she knew she wouldn't be able to control the tears. So I spoke for her.
"I love you, Bombay, you know that right?" It was my turn to be strong.
She simply nodded, biting her lip.
"And I want you to know I wouldn't be the person I am today without you. You've made me a better person, and for that you are the best friend I've ever had." I attempted a smile, but by the end of my soliloquy my own eyes were misty and threatening to spill.
She sobbed, drawing her hands to her face for a moment in a feeble attempt to hide her tears. I got up from the couch and wrapped my arms around her, swaying us back and forth in an attempt to calm us both.
Suddenly the tears came to a stop, Bombay's eyes ferocious and her demeanor intensely determined. I backed away, confused.
"The other competitors, Annie, they're stupid. They'll make mistakes. You won't. Don't fight them, just make them make mistakes. You can win, Annie, we know you can!"
With that she tore of her necklace and strung it over my neck. My eyes widened, Bombay knew I had always loved this necklace - and who wouldn't? It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen among the destitution of 4, with a delicate gold chain and large gold watch hanging from it. The detail was exquisite, with swirls that almost replicated water etched along the sides. When you opened it up, there was an archaic-looking clock on one side and a picture of the ocean on the other. It had cost Bombay's parents a fortune, and ever since she had received it as a Christmas present years ago, I had envied her with a passion.
"Bay, I can't take this!" I moved to remove it from my neck, although the weight already seemed fitting over my smooth neck.
"Nah, you keep it." She smiled slyly. "You always liked it better than I did anyway." Cocking her head, she wrapped her arms around me one last time and brushed a strand of hair away from my face. "We'll help you Dad take care of your Mom, Annie, don't you worry." She whispered, smiling softly.
I could only nod, now in my own silent mode to prevent tears. As Bombay and Carp left hand-in-hand, my attention was drawn back towards my parents. My mother was now sitting in an armchair looking only half-present, and my father was staring at me sadly, his eyes watery and his hands in his pockets. He approached me slowly, as if moving too fast would set me off, like a bomb.
Smiling wistfully, I embraced him as he turned his wiry body into mine. "You've always been a smart girl, Annie. You may not be the strongest, or the most experienced, but you keep your wits about you, you hear me Anna Banana?"
"Yes, Daddy. I hear you." And with that, a tear spilt out of my eye. Because it's not the words I am listening to. It's his voice. His shaking, pressing, fantastic voice. I don't care for the words he is saying, it is of no matter what they are. But when I die, I want to be able to remember exactly how he sounds. I want to hear him call me Anna Banana one last time before the darkness takes me.
Alright, so that's the end of chapter 3! I had a bit too much fun last night and stayed up till 1am typing this out so I could post it for y'all today:) don't expect all updates to be this quick, however;) This wasn't my favourite chapter to write but it had to be done, nonetheless.
So I put a few subtleties in this chapter that I hope weren't lost on you guys! Annie's fade-from-reality moment is something crucial for me; she can't bring herself back to reality by will, she remembers things incorrectly (in her blurriness she imagines everyone tearing at and crying all over her, while in reality, aside from her Mom, they are relatively calm), and that her mother is mentally ill in some modicum. We all know Annie goes mad after seeing her District partner beheaded, but I firmly believe it didn't just happen in a snap moment like that. Of course, it caused the majority of it, the severity. But she was already to some degree mentally unstable when she entered the Games. And, yes, Finnick will love her all the same for it!
On the subject of Finnick, another few subtleties to add from his POV - he's a little vain (or maybe vain isn't the right word, he knows he's inhumanly gorgeous, so that's only fair), he is already paying more attention to her (ex. he can't remember the other tribute's name), and he's protective (ex. stopping the Peacekeeper from pushing her). He will not recognize his feelings for some time, but the signs of his affection will be small and constant throughout the story. Cause, y'know, we may see he's falling for our lovely madcap Annie but he has to believe she "snuck up" on him.
Sorry for that long author's note, and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are not required but they certainly motivate me - so if you want to see faster updates leave an opinion! Thanks for spending your time reading my drabble, I send love to you!