Chapter Ten
Where Annie goes on an emotional roller coaster.
Annie wanted nothing more than to distance herself from Cael the next morning; however a guilty conscious and his pleadings for her to stay kept her around. She couldn't look the boy in the eye, she could hardly address his wound, but Cael stuck around. He insisted that he be dragged out of the burrow and laid at the riverbank, where she spent her morning and afternoon swimming. She held his hand while she fed him the last of the apple slices for lunch.
The water was like bathwater from the Capitol, warm and relaxing. It was also like the salt water of home in the sense that it was wide enough for her to swim in. Annie could function properly while she swam, though she didn't exert energy trying to fish in the deep water. She watched Cael dip his toes into the water timidly as she dived up and down amongst the waves. The Arena disappeared before her eyes as she was in the water. She didn't feel happy anymore because of the familiarity; she felt content – which was more than Annie could ask for.
"I wish I knew how to swim," mused Cael absentmindedly, watching the lapping waves. The water was reflected in his blue eyes in such a sense that rang of District Four. His hands were pressed over his abdomen, holding together his wound. "There isn't a chance to learn in District Nine."
"I wish I could teach you," gurgled Annie, spitting out mouthfuls of water. Her head bobbed above the waves as she treaded along the surface and kicked towards him, hair splaying out and flowing over the waves. Her eyes were stuck to the bloody, crusty gash in his stomach. Her stomach rumbled uncomfortably, though it wasn't due to hunger. "You would be so good at it."
His eyes brightened and he sat straighter. "You really think that?" asked Cael, voice growing more enthusiastic. He sounded better now than Annie had ever heard him. Grass around him rustled in the breeze, creating a beautiful surrounding for this dying boy.
Annie propelled herself to the sandy, flooded banks and hoisted herself ashore. She splayed out beside him in the grass; warm sunlight washed over her skin and instantly began to dry her. Her fingers searched for Cael's in the grass and she comfortingly began to stroke his palm. In a vague sense, she was reminded of each of her brothers when she was with this boy, yet it wasn't terribly difficult to watch him die. She breathed in slowly and exhaled even slower, feeling the air enter and leave her lungs. This wasn't the Arena. This wasn't the Arena. This wasn't the Arena…
"Of course I think that," she confirmed, smiling towards the sky with her eyes closed. The breeze danced across her skin gently, bringing her to a comforting world that was a parallel to District Four. Annie missed the scent of the salt water air more desperately now. "I haven't met a single person that couldn't at least tread water once they started learning."
"At least the work in your district is fun," sighed Cael, voice carried by the wind. "I spend my day in a processing factory so the grain we produce is good enough for the Capitol."
Annie took a moment to draw that in while she drowned in the warm breeze. She couldn't imagine being cooped up in an old, run-down factory all day while she was expected to sit back and do her work quietly. At the marina, where she made and tried to sell her nets after and before school, she had the freedom to put down her work and go for a swim if she pleased. The Peacekeepers had set up the law some time ago that women weren't allowed to go out fishing like the men, so they didn't mind as much when Annie needed to relieve stress. She sat up, listening to the crack of her spine as each vertebrae popped. "I can't imagine that."
"The Peacekeepers are nice, though, or at least they are to me." Cael's voice was giving out, he was almost inaudible now. He was panting. Annie hoped it was just because of the wind, drowning out his volume, but when she saw him clutching his abdomen rougher than ever she knew that it couldn't be. His fingers were slicked with fresh blood; he had started bleeding out again. Somehow, she knew that this was it. Annie forcefully gulped back the bile that was collecting in the back of her throat and scooted closer to him, bringing him down to rest in her lap. His forehead was sickly cold and pale, his skin had lost all color. She ran her pruned fingers through his hair, trying to warm his skin. "You're going to get home, right?"
She nodded, watching his eyes brighten and dull with his dying strength. Annie could feel the tears swelling in her eyes and she hoped that they would be hidden by the water droplets that still clung to her face. She was more terrified of watching this boy die than accepting his death. "I am going to get home," confirmed the girl. Her eyes darted from his face to her ring and back to his face.
Cael had no color left at all. The blood that had drenched his body was now seeping down onto her skin. Annie cringed at the feel of the hot red liquid. "If you ever see District Nine, tell them I was happy to be your ally. I don't want them to think that District Four is so bad anymore."
"Of course." Annie wouldn't remember that, she was just saying what the boy needed to hear. She was crying now, breath hitching helplessly. Her palm rested on his forehead and he tried to smile at her. It was so unfair, he was just a kid.
"Annie, please don't cry," he pleaded, eyes dulling and beginning to slide shut. "I really didn't want to win anyway; my mom said the ones who die in the Arena are the lucky ones anyway. I'm going to be fine."
"You're going to be dead." Annie ducked her head. Her tears dribbled onto his cheeks. She held him closer. His pulse was no longer radiating through his sick skin, worrying her. There was no turning back. She pressed her hand over his heart. Thump… … Thump… … Thump… … It was growing weaker with every beat.
"I'm going to be fine," he repeated, never before sounding more childish. Cael's brilliant blue eyes faded as they slipped shut. He sucked in a last breath through slightly parted lips. His heart now felt hollow. Annie shrieked, throwing her head back, sobbing. The boy's body fell limp in her arms.
Cael's cannon sounded.
Annie was frozen as she sat by the riverbank, still holding onto the boy's corpse. The breeze rustled the leaves in the trees looming overhead and the spring green grass, harmoniously complimenting the sound of the rushing river at her feet. Sunlight poured down on her, washing her in warmth. She was shaking and could feel her skin bubbling in the heat. In the distance, Annie could hear the Capitol hovercraft zooming into the Arena towards her. Cael's corpse slipped from her lap and she crawled away from the spot.
She kept her back turned as the Capitol cleared Cael from the Arena. The girl commanded herself to retreat to the burrow, though instead of curling up and crying like she had with Cael after Hollis was killed, she gathered her things into her backpacks and stole away from the sight. When the hovercraft had disappeared again, she slung the packs over her shoulder and dragged her feet along the riverbank as she forced herself to move on. She didn't want to leave her nest, she didn't want to be alone like she thought she had. Annie felt empty inside without them, she had been more attached to them than she thought she was. It was horrifying now to think of facing the Arena on her own. Annie kicked her balled-up, blood-drenched jacket into the river as she walked away from the site.
Shivers rocketed down her spine in the breeze. She had grown more sensitive to everything, even the slightest noise. Annie now immediately assumed it was the Careers. She trudged along the riverbank, clothed in pants and underthings, with her skin crawling. Her mind was like a beehive, swimming with thoughts that all blurred together to create an irritating buzz. She couldn't pick out one specific thought if she tried her hardest. She just walked forward, unsure of what else she could do.
She thought of Finnick. Annie meandered along; following the riverbank into the thick of the forest where plants climbed up the trunks and the ground was disrupted by thick roots. She somehow found sanity thinking of her mentor, and he kept her from doing something rash like running off to find Rayne. Her fingers brushed the silver band around her finger longingly. Her mind was kind to her and replayed their last day together for her, minus the fear of entering the Arena. She pretended she was holding his hand to calm himself, and not for the familiarity of home, because she wanted to be with him.
The river eventually dipped down a cliff when the forest broke off. Annie wasn't going to attempt to climb down the rocky slope, so she decided to just rest there. It was far enough away that nothing, even though it was practically the same, reminded her of her small sense of contentment with Cael and Hollis. She contemplated heading back into the forest for more concealment, but after spending all afternoon hiking through the woods, she decided that she liked the openness. Annie placed her packs at the base of a tree trunk and stretched out her tense shoulders, breathing in the sweet scent of the air.
Over the cliff, which sloped to the ground thirty feet below, Annie could see the Careers' camp. Her heart skipped a beat. There was a tent the size of a decent Capitol bedroom and was clearly made of the same material as her blanket, so it reflected body heat. Beside it, a stack of crates filled with food and other supplies. She couldn't see the Career pack, though she could be certain that they weren't far.
After she conquered the initial fear of the Careers, Annie thought that setting up her own camp on the edge of the cliff, looking down on them, might be smart. They couldn't climb up the steep cliff, not quickly at least, so that would give her time to run away and she could keep tabs on them. They could spend the rest of the Games searching the Arena for her and she would be right here. Annie grinned madly at the idea.
She returned to thinking of Finnick when she slumped back against the tree trunk, pulling her packs into her laps. Her mind was set at ease. However, when she exhaustedly slipped into a light sleep, her mind was wrecked with nightmares. She watched the life fade out of Cael on repeat, like a broken record that they played in the square at home for special occasions. Annie woke in the middle of the night, staring at the pitch sky with tears staining her cheeks. She was horrified, worried that her cries may have been heard by the Careers. When she realized she wasn't threatened, Annie relaxed.
The girl crawled to the riverbank, which had receded slightly, dragging a backpack along behind her. She splashed the water into her face to wash away her dried, sticky tears. Annie pulled out a container of meat and peeled the lid off. Her stomach rumbled as she examined the contents for the first time. She plucked out a strip of Capitol bacon and treated herself to it happily. It tasted just as hot and juicy as fresh bacon had been in the Training Center. She tried not to drool while she ate. It was delicious.
Annie kicked off her shoes and dipped her toes into the rushing river. The current was stronger as it flowed over the cliff. She wriggled her toes under the surface of the water. Annie was finding mental peace in the simplest things now, especially after Cael's death. She needed to keep calm.
"It's going by fast," said a girl's voice. Annie's eyes widened in fear. It was the Careers returning to their camp at the base of the cliff. Annie glanced over the cliff, straining her neck, to see Mira and Maroon returning to their tent. "Soon they'll be after us, you know."
"We agreed we were going to kill off Rayne first," giggled Mira naïvely, as if that was reassuring. She twirled her spear around like a baton. "We can start worrying about it when that happens!"
Annie's heart dropped. Kill off Rayne.
Maroon sighed and shook her head. "You don't understand," she screamed at the twelve-year-old. "We don't stand a chance against Pascal and Iem!"
Annie nearly passed out of shock. If there was anyone who she wanted to get back home at this point, it would be Rayne. She wanted to think he would fight back, since he was so driven to win at the Training Center. She packed her things into her backpack and retreated from the riverbank hastily.
She was panicking, trying desperately not to fall a victim to her own fear. Annie was seeing now that she was too close to the Careers. She needed to get away. She needed to find another safe spot. But where? The river ran right past them and she wouldn't dare return anywhere near her old hideout with Cael and Hollis. Annie's mind was spinning in circles. Instead of running like some kind of maniac, she ducked behind a thick-trunked tree, gathering her things with her. She watched the cliff like a hawk, as if waiting for the Careers to emerge over the top.
After what seemed like hours, Annie found herself watching a small white parachute float down from the sky and land in the grass before her. It was meant for her, but she wasn't going to retrieve it because she had listened to all the rest of the Careers – not including Rayne, which made Annie worry what had happened to him – return to camp and she didn't want to be seen. Annie's heart sped up excitedly when she realized that the parachute must have been a sponsor's gift and therefore came from Finnick, and that thought alone was almost enough to make her leap from her hiding spot to grab the thing.
The Capitol seal illuminated the dark sky and the anthem began to boom loudly throughout the Arena. Annie watched the four Careers line up outside of their tent, backs to her, noses turned toward the sky impatiently. They waited for the faces of the day's victims to be shown. She took that as an all-clear signal and darted from her crouch to the field at the edge of the cliff to retrieve the parachute and the gift it carried.
With all of her Arena-belongings in hand and the parachute with the gift, Annie sprinted into the forest, in the opposite direction of both the river and the Careers' camp. She crashed to her hands and knees on the forest floor, panting heavily, dropping her things around her. Brushing the matted leaves and twigs from her sweaty palms, Annie turned over to sit properly while she regained her breath. She reached for the parachute and the basket it held with numb fingers and pulled it into her lap. The anthem was still booming in the Arena and the sky was lit faintly with the seal. Annie was plenty safe now, but the seal posed for better concealment.
And, honestly, she didn't want to see Cael's face in the sky anyway.
Then it hit her, what if Rayne's face was in the sky as well? He wasn't with the others.
Annie pulled the thing from its container cautiously, throwing both the parachute and the basket aside. She stared at it curiously, unsure of what to make of it. It was black and rectangular, about as thick as her wrist, and sliced in several places on what she assumed to be the front uniformly. An antenna of sorts stuck out from the side of it, blinking violet. She rotated it, swapping it between her hands for quite some time as she examined it. Annie didn't have a name for what this was or any idea as to how it would be of any use to her.
The Arena silenced again as the anthem ended, leaving nothing but the sound of the rustling leaves in the night's breeze to cover her desperate panting. Annie's muscled were strained and exhausted; she didn't feel that she would ever recover. She tightened her grip on the plastic thing, worried that it would slip from her sweaty grasp. She brought it closer to her face, trying to see it better since the little light she had faded away.
A fuzzy crackling sound came from inside of the thing, the outer plastic shell vibrated. Annie threw it out of her hands in shock, terrified that one of the Careers had heard it make that strange noise. The sound ended and picked up again. Annie crept over towards it, commanding her legs to carry her. It was painful, but she managed to crouch beside it to stare at the thing making the strange, unnatural sound.
"Annie."
Her eyes lit up. "Finnick!"
She scrambled to retrieve the thing from the ground at her feet. Annie's heart was beating excitedly. His voice was wrecked with worry, anyone could hear that, but it was Finnick nonetheless. Annie held the communicator close to her face, pressing the antenna against her lip. She scanned the Arena – the trees and the bushes and the ground – for cameras, despite knowing they were too well hidden for her to ever catch a glimpse of.
"Hello, lovely," he said, wearing a smile in his voice.
"How did you–? Why did you–? What–?" Annie stumbled through unfinished questions awkwardly. "Finnick!"
"You seem to be doing fairly well on supplies and it was easy to see that you needed someone to talk to more," he explained. Annie settled against a tree, a torrent of peace sweeping through her, washing away panic. She wanted to listen to him talk for hours. Suddenly, Rayne's comment about driving herself mental rang through her mind; she surely knew Finnick meant the same thing. "This is your one and only gift for the Games, but I think it evens out the fact that I am allowed to generally guide you through this. It's been cleared with every one of the Gamemakers and second-in-command to President Snow for me to talk with you."
"It was those pictures," Annie gasped in realization. That's what they were for. A light sparked in her head. "That's why…"
"It was planned between Mags and I from the start, though I suppose we could have mentioned it to Gossamer," Finnick confirmed. "I had to pull a few extra strings to get this to you, so I hope–"
"Finnick!" she spat happily, cutting him short. Emotions were swirling inside of her like a whirlpool, slowly consuming her heart with blithe. She couldn't ask for anything more. Annie felt like a child, switching from one emotion to the next in the blink of an eye. She looked around for the cameras again; there was no receiving end to the communicator, so she assumed that's how Finnick heard her end of the conversation. "Finnick, I…"
"I know." He seemed to know everything. The ring around her finger felt comfortably warm, but more prominent than ever. "Annie." Finnick's voice was suddenly commanding, a drastic change from his usual seductive purr that kept Annie listening. "I need you to pick up your things and go to your left until you get to the clearing."
She did as she was told, though it took Annie a moment to collect herself and remember which hand was her left. Eventually, though, she could follow through with her task. She kept waiting for Finnick to say something. He was silent until she was standing at the edge of the forest, looking into the clearly. Stars shown down on the golden horn, the Cornucopia, and when she saw it, Annie's breath hitched. She didn't want to be back here. Images of Cael being sliced open flashed through her mind, even though she hadn't witnessed the event. She felt the scraping of Career weapons against her calves and forearms and shivered, trying to shake away the feelings. She stood frozen, watching the night.
"Annie." Finnick's voice was smooth again as he prepared to coax her into moving forward. Her expression was nothing short of horrified, and they both knew why. "Trust me, just go ahead."
Trust me. Annie couldn't refuse that. She ignored the pain in her limbs and did as she was told, cautiously moving around the Cornucopia. The stars embedded in the night sky provided just enough illumination for her to see without tripping over her own feet. She eased herself into the situation when she thought that she was safe, assuming that she was alone. Annie clutched Finnick's communicator.
"What now?" she whispered to no one.
"Now we're a team," said Rayne, emerging from behind the Cornucopia. Annie's heart leapt into her throat in shock. How hadn't she seen him before? "The three of us."
Annie stumbled back, dropping everything but the communicator. Her packs scattered at her feet, spilling their contents about the grass. Rayne quietly gathered everything back into the bags and handed them to her. He smiled reassuringly. Annie didn't know whether to trust him or not, but she had to since Finnick thought it would be a good idea. She didn't know how they planned it or what had been said, but she was beginning to feel grateful that they would do this. On top of that, Annie felt awfully guilty that they had to worry about her. Now she had more people to think about when she was killed other than her brothers.
"Lovely," Finnick cooed to her, which was instantly embarrassing now that Rayne was there to hear. Her cheeks burned crimson. Rayne's bright eyes flashed in the dim starlight as he bit back a grin. Despite that, Annie wanted to hear him call her that again. "Calm. This is why I couldn't tell you things sooner."
Annie nodded, gulping. Her eyes darted unsurely from Rayne to the communicator in her hands as she wondered what was going on. Finnick seemed to have more planned out than he ever lead on, or maybe she just hadn't been paying close enough attention. Whatever the case, no one could blame her. This was the Hunger Games they were talking about. "Alright," she whispered.
"Allies," said Rayne, extending his muscled hand to her. She stared at it for a long moment before he dropped it to his side again. Annie watched him retract his hand and noticed that his shirt was ripped open over his abdomen, just as Cael's had been.
"Allies," agreed Annie after what seemed like hours, eyes brightening. She was glad that she didn't have to feel so miserably alone anymore.
Finnick gave them orders to find a good camp spot – he suggested swimming to the far side of the river since none of the other tributes had the skills to reach them, and the pair acted on that. Rayne made two trips across the stream to carry the supplies above the water while Annie was extremely mindful as she tread the stretch of the water to keep the communicator above the waves. She spread the heat-reflecting blanket across the grass and he weighed down the corners with her backpacks. Rayne hadn't been able to steal much from the Careers' stash, but he had enough food to last him days to leave Annie her supplies. Finnick praised them on their success, which made Annie proud even though it was such a simple task to complete.
Rayne sat cross-legged, untying several of her previously-made traps only to retie them again, while Annie was lying beside him. The communicator was set beside her head and she folded excess fabric over her, instantly warmed by the ingenious Capitol fabric. She was calm as she listened to Finnick tell her stories, most of them about District Four at her request.
Soon, Rayne was asleep and snoring beside her. The pair had spent ten minutes debating whether it was safe enough for them to sleep at the same time until finally Finnick had said, if the safety of the river wasn't enough, the Gamemakers have seen enough action for one day and were most likely going to allow all of the tributes a night of rest. Annie was up until all hours of the night, unable to tune out Finnick's voice.
"I'm so worried about you, Annie," said Finnick when he was finished telling the tale of the time he bought out the bakery with Mags and sold cake to everyone in the market square. "You have no idea how hard it is for me to watch."
"I'm sorry." She didn't know what else she could say. Annie closed her eyes, breaking her gaze away from the starry night, and tried to picture his face as he spoke. She felt horrible that he had to be so concerned about her.
"I didn't tell you so you could apologize," he reminded her. "I told you because I..."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "Because why?"
"Because I want you to know that I care about you."
She nearly bolted upright in pure shock. Annie couldn't have predicted that. She smiled sadly, tears swelling along the rims of her eyes. It almost felt like her body and mind was rejecting what he had said, she didn't want to hear it because she had already accepted her death. But, she was also certain that she felt the same way. She cared. Annie shivered and her words were caught in her throat. Breeze rolled across her skin and seemed to draw the words from her mouth. "Thank you, Finnick," she whispered. "I care, too."
It sounded horribly wrong. Her words were clipped like the Capitol accent. Annie had meant so much more than that…
"I love you," they said in unison.
Seriously, guys? SIXTEEN favorites just from the last chapter? That is amazing, thank you all so much!
Anyways, I could be happier with this chapter, but I still feel it turned out well. It seems as though I crunched two chapters into one here but whatever. Please let me know what you think! Comments and critiques are always welcome!