P.S. This chapter has the book in the beginning, then a flashback that I thought could very well be his past, just to let you know. Don't get upset(: More book in the next Chapter. Oh and I listened to BreakEven- ByThe Script while reading this, in case your like me and like to listen to music while reading, or just for mood music to get you into a story.
Katniss starts to scream his name over and over again, she even resorts to shaking and slapping his limp frame. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Doesn't she know you never shake an injured person? Let alone slap them... leave it to Katniss. I need to shut her up before she starts drawing attention, so I set Mags against a tree and shove Katniss away from Peeta. "Let me." I say shortly. I crack my knuckles and prepare for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Or C.P.R, as we call it in District 4.
I run my fingers over all of Peeta's pressure points, and then I pinch his nose and- like I was expecting- Katniss comes flying at me, and okay, maybe I'm a little ticked that Katniss cares so much about Peeta's dying, whereas if I did she'd probably be jumping with joy. My gut wrenches at the thought that it might of been Katniss who did the killing. So when my hand comes up to stop her, I might have put a little to much force in the block as she gets hurled against a tree. I hold back a wince, and bite my tongue before I apologize. Sure enough, she quickly pulls an arrow, and I know its now or never.
I tilt Peeta's head back and cover his mouth with mine. Purely professional. I mean, trained rescuer here? I concentrate on blowing his lungs in and out. Then I unzip his jumpsuit and start compressing with the heels of my hands. Counting in my head 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6... I get into the familiar rhythm of it, and all of the sudden a memory comes flying back full force. And I start to worry, as tears threaten to fall, and pain squeezes my heart and chest.
Flashback
"Dad?" I cry out.
I knew today was going to be a bad day. It had started out just fine, my dad doing his regular route around the coast, I was finally close to being old enough to man the boat myself, and Dad has said today I could go by myself. I had questioned him "I'm only 12, don't you have to be 13?"
He smiled his warm smile that made me feel like I should know better then to ask a question like that, but at the same time assured me everything was going to be okay. "Oh hijo. You look old enough to get a job, let alone man a boat, but if you come across an observant Peacekeeper, just say your the son of Fastidious Odair." He winked at me. "That should earn you some points."
So I set out soon after that, my mom worrying to no end. "Don't worry mama, I'm just doing a quick run around the ben." I had assured her, she didn't know I had intended to go a little farther then that.
After I was sure I was out of earshot, I gunned the motor and flew over the great sea I had come to call home. As I skimmed across the water, I let out a triumphant cheer, I stopped the boat and with a perfect dive, plunged into the cold blast of ocean. I felt small, in comparison to this vast space of water, to the world, and I could just swim into the sunset over the water, farther then I've ever gone in my small span of life, and into a new day, just swimming for eternity. No Peacekeepers, no President Snow, No work from dawn till dusk, no fish stink filling up my house.
No Hunger Games.
Basically, a perfect life. A perfect world. No worries. I thought back to the dusty book my mom read every night, something she said her great great grandmother had salvaged and passed down for generations, what was the name again? The Bible. I had only skimmed it once or twice, but I remember something interesting it had said in the beginning. They had lived in a perfect world, The Garden of Eden. That would be my Garden of Eden, I assumed it would probably never happen, at least in my lifetime, but down here in the big blue, I could almost feel it coming to me, a peace of mind. But it was destroyed as quickly as it had formed, a roar of an engine that was definitely not mine, rang in my ears, and a hand reach down, grabbed my arm and hauled me out of my safe haven.
"This the kid you heard?" A gruff voice said. I spluttered as I coughed water out of my mouth and nose.
"Yeah, definitely the one." Another voice sounded.
"Hey! what's the meaning of this?" I manage as I try to suck in air. The guy still holding my arm gave a dark snicker.
"Your coming with us." We glide over the water as their fancy boat propels us closer to land. I recognize the two men as Peacekeepers and my heart stutters. They dock the boat and shove me onto land.
"Hey watch it!" I protest. The gruff one ignores me, while the other mutters something about shutting up.
"Call up Fastidious," he says. "He might want to hear about this."
My dad soon arrives, with a business-like expression on his face, but one glance at me and the corners of his eyes soften, as his demeanor starts to crumble. My dad and the Peacekeepers have a quick discussion away from me. My dad starts to gesture with his hands, which he only does when he's agitated, or desperate.
Or both.
My dad walks over to me with a stricken face. "Im sorry hijo." He says softly."I didn't think anyone would notice." He seems to say this to himself more then me.
"So what's it gonna' be Mr. Odair," The gruff one says in a mocking tone, "your son or you?"
I look at my father, "What's he talking about dad, I'm not in trouble am I?" He frowns.
"No, not you. Me." He walks up to the men, says something quietly, and they each grab each his arms.
I lurch forward, "Dad?" I hear the other one laugh, then say "someone's got to pay the price Fastidious" I stop. Pay for what? And then all too soon, they force my dad- the man i've admired my whole life- into the ocean and hold him there.
Everything turns slow as I realize what they're doing. And all of the sudden there I am, grabbing the rope from the dock and attacking the two law enforcers. I feel an almost animal -like instinct take over, and it seems natural, till finally one is down on the ground, unconscious, while the other is choked by the rope I had used in an instinct of panic.
I run forward and grab my dad, who had already come up out of the water, and roll him over. I kneel next to him as my shaky legs finally give out, "Dad?" I croak. My voice hoarser then I expected.
No response.
"Dad?" I cry out. My senses finally come back, and I realize I have to start that thing my mom always does when ever one breathes in to much water. I feel a pulse and pull off his shirt to start those compressions my mom always does. Finally I hear a sputter, and relax a little bit. My dad looks at me, but stays laying down.
"I'm sorry hijo, I'm really sorry." He says in a soft voice, getting teared up.
I try to laugh, but it comes out like a cough and a choke. "It's okay dad, were gonna' get you help and you'll be as good as new, mom will kill you though when you explain." I smiled weakly.
My dad kept his face serious, not even trying to humor me, "Take care of your mother okay hijo? She needs you, District 4 needs you. In fact, Panem needs you." He says, trying to keep his voice steady.
I shake my head with a confused look. "No they don't dad, mom does, I know that, but I'm just a lone fishermen in District 4, not worth mentioning."
My dad closes his eyes and sighs. "They will Finnick, more then you know." He sets his head back on the sand as the tide washes over my knees and floats near his head. "Make me proud Finnick."
"Te amo mi valiente." He says, and then closes his eyes forever.
And it's there that I fall to pieces.