Before the Quarter Quell reaping, sugar cubes connected Annie Cresta to Finnick Odair.
Confusion. His head rollling at my feet. The blooded knife. Evil smiles. Muttations. Traps that torture and tear people. Skinning them alive. An arrow whizzing through the sky. Helicopters picking up pieces. The midnight anthem. Jabberjays. Trackerjackers. Head. Blood. Knife. Smile. Mutt. Trap. Skin. Shot. Helicopter. Anthem. Birds. Bees.
I shieded into the cave, hiding from the strip of light that reached inside, wanting to touch me. The darkness enfulged me, shielding me. In armlength was a small water puddle. I gazed at it, the sun forming a rainbow on it. I leaned a bit forward, gazing at the face in the water.
I pulled back quickly. Who was it? Tousled, messy hair, gaunt eyes, shallow cheekbones, a broken nose, tattered clothing. I caught sight of the pair of hands lying by the water. Nails were all bitten, dirt and grit in what was left. The right thumb was crooked in an unatural way. Who was it?
Very soon I fell asleep.
And I had a dream.
I saw a black and red vortex, tornados whirling around. Splatches of red murky things floated around, threatening to stick to me.
In the middle of the vortex was a pile of strange, lighted up white cubes that seemed out of place from the chaos. Approaching it, the light it gave out grew and grew, until it almost blinded my sight. It was huge, like a rough cube. Suddenly flashes of a face zipped through my brain. A handsome face. A familiar face. A loving face.
I reached out to the pile, but when I touched one of them it dissolved away, leaving a speck of white grain in my hand. The darkness ruled again. The face appeared again. Who is he? I shouted to the black and red. Who am I? Where am I?
The voice that answered me, was, very familiar as well. But nothing like mine. My voice was broken, rough. But the voice that answered me was melodic and sweet. Capable to be loved. You are nothing. You are in yourself.
Yourself echoed throughout the whole chamber.
Myself?
The face appeared in my mind again. This time it stayed. This time it shone in my mind. It shone in the vortex. A voice, a boy's, laughing, sweet. Mine. The chamber hissed, satisfied. All mine. Now you're gone. All mine.
Flashes spread through my eyes, filling my vision. Happy, sweet memory flashes. A calloused but gentle hand, petting a little dog. A mass of brown tousled hair bobbing in the water. And the laughter, the sweet laughter.
I fell to my knees, clutching the ground.
I screamed and screamed and screamed.
My eyes opened to pitch black darkness. My backside was wet. Lifting a bloodied hand, I stared at it. The white speck of grain was gone. I reached out, trying to catch the dream. But the scenes were fading me, fast. Only the laughter rang in my ears, but it was already fading.
A flash of silver caught my eye as something glided into the small cave. It registered nothing in my mind, except that it was small and silver.
The wrapping fell apart at my feet, revealing a container. Inside was a pile of small white cubes. With a little yelp, I snatched it up, holding it in my hand. A wave of emotions flooded me, all the memories rushing back. The voice I so coveted flowed back to me.
Finnick Odair, I whispered his name,
After the Quarter Quell reaping, sugar cubes connected Finnick Odair to Annie Cresta.
The jabberjays' sonata still rang in my mind. The screams, Annie's, Mother's, Father's, Mags, and all the neighbours that took care of me for my whole life. I was relieved when Peeta and Katniss volunteered to take the first watch. I needed the sleep.
I went out immediately, but my mind gave way to a dream. I was in a middle of a white, blurry, nothingness. Shadows of people lurk in the nothingness. Suddenly trees sprouted behind me, and the jabberjays materialised on the branches. They opened their mouths, and the screams poured out of their beaks.
I fell to the ground immediately, covering my ears with my hands. But then the owners of the screams stepped out from the nothingness, their hands reaching for me. Leave me alone! I cried. But the screams rang in the corners of my brain, attacking me ferally.
Fin. A scream faded into a kind and tender voice. I looked up to see Mags, my second mother. It's alright. She whispered. You died. I couldn't save you. I said stupidly. Mags smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. I never thought I could live through it. Live, Fin, and spend the rest of your life entangled next to Annie.
She held me close, cradling me to her chest, whispering soothing words, but she couldn't stop the screams.
A scream suddenly morphed into something audible. Finnick! With that all the other jabberjays fell silent. A yellow streak flashed through the sky, slicing through the nothingness.
With a start a I bolted up awake, startling Peeta and Katniss.
I can't sleep any more. One of you should rest. I cried. Then I saw them tangled together, in a very intimate position. Or both of you. I can watch alone.
But Peeta shook his head. It's too dangerous. I'm not tired. You lie down, Katniss. The Mockingjay nodded timidly, falling asleep next to the boy with the bread.
Both of us were silent, lost in our own thoughts. At least he had Katniss. The girl might not know it, but she did love him. And he loved her with all his heart. Sometimes I wondered how much Katniss had guessed. And now much Peeta knows. Haymitch once warned, If the girl knows that you're doing this to save her, she'll feel guilty like hell. But without the boy she won't help. And so here I was, seperated from Annie. I hope Haymitch can get her away quick enough when the rebellion erupts.
Annie. Where are you now?
When I spotted Peeta yawning I told him, Wake up Johanna and go sleep. He nodded, and after rousing Johanna, fell dead with her arm draped over Katniss, and she curled up to him in her sleep.
Nightmares, fish boy? Johanna asked. I hesistated, but although Johanna was a meanie, she could be a real sweetheart when she needed to. Yeah. I admitted. Johanna knew why. Nah, you'd hope she wasn't here. You can't protect all of us while you're protecting her. I snorted. Wow, you need protecting. Surprisingly, she said seriously, Yeah, I do.
We were silent again. Annie, Annie, Annie. How long had it been since we had shared a kiss? Or even a hug? Let alone sleep together minus the intimate part. It was ages later when I heard a faint humming of a helicopter. Somebody died? Johanna asked. I shook my head. No cannon. Plus only supply helicopters are silent. As if on cue, a silver parachute floated down from the sky to land in front of me. Yours or mine? I asked. Johanna jerked her chin at me. Open it, fish boy.
I did. And inside lay a small, white, milky tube. I raised my eyebrows at Johanna, and she smiled wryly. I guessed. Johanna explained. I opened it. And inside, as I had guessed, lay a pile of sweet sugar cubes.
Annie, I whispered,