Chapter 2
My jaw falls open, my eyes bugging out.
Mags?
I feel my left hand suddenly grow cold, and I look down in shock to find that the Peacekeepers have started to drag Mags away.
I glance over at Finnick to find he's watching the screens, his jaw clenched, and his eyes hard.
I gulp, shaking hard, as I look back towards Mags's limping form, walking slowly but surely towards the stage.
Suddenly I can't take it anymore.
I inhale sharply and start to push people out of my way.
Colors blur together, smells and voices mesh, creating the one thing that I don't need right now…
A flashback.
"Annie Cresta!" Agnes bellows, her pink eyes hungrily scanning the crowd for me.
I gasp, my whole body shaking as I slowly walk towards the center of the TownCenter.
Two Peacekeepers come and roughly grab my arms, half dragging half carrying me towards the stage.
Finnick watches me with cold eyes as I'm deposited on the cold wood of the stage.
His posture tells me that what we had before was over.
Never to be friends again.
And that I'm going to die…
"MAGS!" I scream, shoving the last of the girls out of my way and suddenly I'm the center of attention.
I glance briefly at the screens to see that Finnick is also on the screens, and his eyes are pained, his mouth set.
I feel tears starting to well up in my eyes.
"Mags!" I cry out again weakly.
"Ma'am," A Peacekeeper is right next to me, holding my arm, pity in his cold eyes, "Are you okay? Do I need to take you back to your home?"
"NO!" I scream, wrenching my arm from his hand.
"I'm fine!" I turn my wild gaze towards everyone else, and they cower away from me.
I'm turning back into the crazed Annie that everyone fears.
"I'm not insane!" I laugh coldly, glaring at the Peacekeeper, "In fact, I feel so much better than I have in a long time!"
I nod, turning around in a slow circle.
Finnick watches me, his eyes pained, but I stiffly regard him.
He subtly shakes his head, and I lift my chin up higher, suddenly feeling defiant.
"And I know what I have to do." I calm down, my eyes softening as I point towards Mags, "I volunteer as tribute for Mags Hernandez."
Mags eyes go wide as she starts to shake her head wildly, telling me no, don't go.
I nod slowly, sobering as the Peacekeepers come over to drag me to my place on the stage.
I pass Mags and she stares up at me with tears in her eyes.
I'm sorry I mouth.
Her eyes never leave mine as the Peacekeepers deposit her back in the woman's section. Immediately all the women crowd around her, helping her sit, but her pained eyes still don't leave mine as I'm hauled up the stage.
I land with a thud on the stage in a heap, and I moan, my head feeling lightheaded.
Agnes's face floods my vision and I scream, curling up into a little ball, my hands over my ears.
"You'll win…"
Jake…
"Want to be allies?"
Jake…
"I'll beat you to the chariot!"
Jake…
A hand firmly grabs my elbow, hauling me up, effectively making me uncurl from my little ball.
I'm shaking so hard now that stars start to dance across my vision, and I sway to the side.
Agnes firmly grabs my elbow and drags me to the center of the stage.
She smiles brightly, but her eyes are staring at me coldly.
"What's your name dear?" she screeches into the microphone.
I moan, swaying even further to the side.
Agnes roughly pulls me back, preventing me from falling.
"What's your name?" Agnes grounds out, her smile still flashing.
"Ann-annie Cr-r-res-es-ta." I stutter out, black dots flashing through my vision.
"Our volunteer, Annie Cresta!" Agnes says brightly, starting a half hearted clap.
The audience claps half heartedly and I moan again, falling to a heap on the stage.
My eyes blearily meet Finnick's and he's staring at me coldly, like he did at my games.
That makes me want to go into the sea and never come back again.
I vaguely hear Agnes screech, "And now the men's!" as I push myself up into a shaky upright position, staring in horror at the slip of paper.
Oh no…
Oh yes Annie, President Snow hisses in my mind, now let's see what you'll do…
Agnes hobbles over to the microphone and screeches, "Finnick Odair!"