Chapter 1 – The Big Trip
Finn POV
"Mom seriously? Take a break. Don't get so worked up about everything," I shouted over my shoulder as I left my warm house with my bow in my hand. I made a beeline for the woods, the only place I actually feel as though I can relax. It's hard enough being the son of not one but two victors, but it gets just a tad bit worse when those two victors happen to be some of the most well-known people in Panem history. In district 12, I can never get a moment alone unless in the woods. I opened the fence dividing the district from the depths of the woods and headed off to my hunting spot. My father says it used to be illegal to go hunting, but things have changed. Everything has changed in fact. The hunger games don't exist any longer. President Paylor banned them and destroyed the arenas they had previously existed in. Kids my age only know what people and a few books have told them. The tapes held by the capitol were destroyed and it is illegal to show them in schools. But I've seen them. My god father Haymitch still has his collection. I've seen my mother twirl around on stages and then enter the arena to kill people. I've seen my father be the charismatic gentlemen that Panem fell in love with and only live through the games because of my mom. My favorite games though is the 65th, the year Finnick Odair, the man Im named after, took out the other players by trapping them in a net he wove and killing them with his trident. Unfortunately, being named after him even furthers people's expectations of me. I made my way through the quiet empty woods, feeling the rush of the wind in my blonde hair and the crunching of leaves beneath me. The woods are always empty because while people like wild game, no one actually knows how to hunt. My mother is the only one who actually knows how, other than me, and she only goes out when she's angry. Making my journey to the northwestern half of the woods, I climbed up into my favorite tree, closing my eyes and leaning against its wide trunk. Everyone has such high expectations for me because of my family. People look to me to see what extraordinary thing Im going to do. No one wants to know me for me. That's why two years ago, at the age of 18, my sister Johanna left. At first, I hated her for it. I hated seeing my parents' faces as Johanna told them that she was taking a job in district 2. It tore them apart. They would have been almost okay with any other district but they have something against the second. I've never been able to piece it together, but my mom is always really sensitive about it. That's why she was freaking out this morning when I told her I wanted to visit Johanna. It has nothing to do with the fact that I want to live there or upset my parents, it's just that I need to get away. My sister and I have always had a weird bond and I miss her. But I guess that's not even the reason I want to visit it's just that…..I have to get away. I feel so trapped in district 12. I've never left it. Everyone knows me, my family, my life, things that only a few people should know. In district 2, at least for a while, I could pretend I was normal. I could forget about my reputation and expectations and just be me. I could see the mountains and the weapon industry. I could see the intricate stone carvings Johanna had told me about. According to her, she commands and controls a lot of the apparatus for the Capitol's defenses. She has access to places people rarely get to see, let alone a 16 year old like me. This could be the trip of a lifetime. After sitting in the tall Oak for what seemed like hours, I hopped down and returned home with a few rabbits and a squirrel from the snares I had set the day before. By the time I approached the Victors Village, it was dark and the moon overhead seemed to taunt me with its white glow. I took off my muddy boots and hung my grandfather's jacket on the back of my couch. My mom and dad just sat there in the room staring at me as I walked in. By my mom's puffy red eyes, I could tell she had been crying. "Okay son. Your mother and I talked about it and…we just want to know why you want to visit Johanna. Other than the fact that you love your sister. I mean….you're not upset with us are you?" My father asked quietly. I hated that. I hated disappointing him and making him feel as though he wasn't good enough. My mom had done that to him for practically his whole life. He was always so patient and so loving. The last thing I wanted to do was upset him. "No dad of course not. You guys are the best. It's just that, lately I've been feeling really trapped here. I feel like everything in District 12 is the same. I go hunting, I go to the market and sell game, I go to school, I come home, eat dinner, and go to sleep. My life is just a giant cycle that repeats itself over and over again. It's so boring! Everyone knows me and knows what Im doing and even though it's not your fault, everyone expects me to be a certain way because of you two. I just need a break. I don't want to leave you and I have no interest in living in 2, I just want a vacation." I rushed out my words as if someone would take them from me and prayed that my parents could just understand. My mom picked her head up from her hands and stared me in the eyes. I knew with that look that I had succeeded. My mom was one of the fiercest people you had ever met, but she was understanding if nothing else. She connected with me. We had the same gray eyes, the same rough personality, and the same passion for the things we love. I knew the minute I said I felt trapped that she would get it. "Fine. You can go to 2. But you call us as soon as you get there and I swear if you get into any trouble I will hang you in the woods and watch you squirm," she stated with a growl. I leapt up from the couch and before I ran upstairs to pack my bags, I pressed my lips to her cheek. "I love you mom." I bounded up the stairs to my dark green bedroom and threw open the door. The ancient cat, Buttercup, looked up from his position on my bed. My mom always complains about how he will never die. We don't even know how old he is now but I would suspect somewhere around 20. Seeing me, he laid his head back down and resumed his slumber. I picked up the phone on the table next to my bed and dialed the number I now knew by heart. I grabbed the newspaper that my father reads every morning and checked the train times. District 6, specializing in transportation, would run a train at 9AM to the stop just a few miles outside of District 12. From there the ride would take about 12 hours but it would stop right on the outskirts of District 2. My sisters cheery voice rang through my ears and upon telling her the good news, she promised to be waiting for me at the stop. I threw my clothes, some money, and a couple canteens with water into my bag. I set it and my bow against the wall and sprawled across my bed on the area that wasn't already consumed by Buttercup. I closed my eyes and my last thoughts before my night long hibernation took over was that by this time tomorrow, I would be in District 2.