Here's chapter 10. I hope I'll post the next chapter by next week. Hope you like this chapter :)
I wake up in my bed. I don't know how I got here, since I blacked out in the corridor. Or was that a dream? I hope it was. But I can't tell Finnick, in case I wasn't dreaming. I sigh. I hate my memory. I decide to go back to sleep, but then I remember what's happening today.
The Hunger Games begins.
I try to get up, but my head is throbbing and my whole body aches. I just end up sprawled on my bed. Yup, I'm sure last night was real.
It's still dark outside, but I know I have to escort Finnick. I hear a knock on my door.
"Rise and shine!" It's Lyka. I wonder where she's been all this time. I don't really blame her. Being around a lunatic isn't really good for you. But then again, I have been quite absent in everything, and she might've been busy. I haven't seen her since... I don't even remember. The past few days might as well have been months or years. So much has happened. Too much. But hey, it's The Hunger Games. What do you expect?
I groan and wince as I straighten up into a sitting position. I start crawling to the edge of the bed. I walk to the bathroom and take a nice warm shower. Fortunately, everything's so hi-tech I barely have to move.
After drying myself, I walk to the drawer and grab the first thing I get my hands on. I pull it out to see a deep blue long-sleeved t-shirt. I put it on and rummage around for pants. I get a pair of long black pants with soft material. I pull them on and Lyka's head peeps in through the door crack.
"All dressed and ready, I see. Let's go and grab Finnick then. It's going to be a heee-uge day!"
Her excitement makes me sick. I walk to her, flinching a bit when she enthusiastically pats my back. She doesn't seem to notice my pain. I plaster on a fake smile and we walk down the corridor.
We reach his door. Lyka immediately knocks.
"Are you ready? It's a heee-uge day!"
She always says "hee-uge". Always. Finnick opens the door and without a word, we embrace each other. It hurts quite a lot, but how can I complain? He's about to go into the arena. I wince a bit and he notices. He pulls back with a questioning look. He strokes my hair but stops when he rubs the huge bump on my head. Uh oh.
"Annie? Are you okay? What happened?"
I smile. "No, it's nothing."
I've never been good at acting.
He spins me around and his hand is on my neck. He gasps. He lifts up the back part of my shirt and immediately yanks it back down.
"Annie, what happened?"
He spins me again so that I'm facing him. His eyebrows creased with worry and his expression is angry and sad.
"Nothing, Finnick. Let's just get on going. We'll be late, right Lyka?"
I turn to see her horrified face. I raise my eyebrows. She straightens up and says, "Yes, of course. Let's get going."
We walk side by side, not daring to touch, in case someone passes by and sees us. But we're trying to make use of the time we have left together. He goes into a death match and I go to face whatever Harold has prepared for me. I look at him. He looks back at me and gives a tiny sad smile.
Lyka stops us abruptly. "Okay Annie, just until here. I'll escort him the rest of the way."
Finnick and I turn to face each other. It's time to say goodbye. We both look around and there's no one else -well, except for Lyka- so we hug each other tightly. It hurts a lot but I don't care. Without knowing, tears are falling and I try not to sob. He grabs my face and kisses me and we stay like that until Lyka clears her throat.
"Well, it's time to go."
Finnick and I separate and he looks at me. I look deep into his green eyes and imagine myself back home, when it was just the two of us on the beach. Everyone back home knew about us, I think. But no one ever said a word.
"Don't cry, Annie. We've been through a lot, we'll get through this." He tries to smile.
I let out a sob. "Just come back, Finnick. Win this and come home to me."
"Bye Annie. Take care."
"Bye Finnick. Stay safe. I love you."
"I love you too."
Lyka then escorts him the rest of the way. I partly think it's because she doesn't want me to break down in front of everyone.
I start walking back to my room but I'm too dizzy and confused and suddenly I can't breathe. I fall to the ground, clutching my chest. I shut my eyes tightly and suddenly I'm back at home, watching the Games. Finnick's running and running and suddenly a spear goes through him.
"NOOOOO!" I scream at the top of my lungs. He falls onto his knees and there's blood on his shirt, on the ground, everywhere. I scream and scream until no sound comes out.
Someone taps me. I open my eyes to see Harold. He holds out his hand and I take it.
"Okay, Annie. Time to go. If you make a sound, or if you try to escape, I will make sure Finnick is the first tribute to die." His tone is actually quite caring, which really doesn't fit to what he's saying.
I nod and tears involuntarily spill out. I try to be strong, I really do, but I just can't. I wipe the tears away and try to give a straight face. Looking weak will just give him pleasure.
I nearly gasp when he lifts me up. He carries me in his arms and whispers, "Close your eyes. Don't open them until I tell you to."
I do what he tells me and he immediately starts walking. He's not gentle at all and I even bump my head against the wall a few times.
We walk and walk and walk. I think we reach a staircase at one point but I'm not sure about that either. We keep walking for what seems to be like forever, and I'm wondering how Harold has the strength to carry me this far when he abruptly stops.
"Okay. I'm going to put you down now."
I straighten up, but I still keep my eyes closed.
"Open your eyes."
The way he says it makes it sound like a command. Suddenly I don't want to open them. I'm scared of what I might see. Why would Harold want me to open my eyes? It's supposed to be a relief for me, but if he says it like it's a command, it can't be good. But I have to be strong.
I slowly open my eyes.
And that's when I start screaming.
The room is full of pictures and videos of past arenas. Of mutts and traps. Of dead tributes.
I shut my eyes tightly. What place is this? I see flashes of when I was in the arena. When I watched Finnick in the arena. When I got reaped. When Finnick got reaped. When Ren died.
Tears fall as images pop up in my head rapidly. I scream and scream and scream because it's all too much. This has never happened. It's always just been one memory. But this time, as one flashback plays out, another one forces it's way in.
I close my ears with my hands and scream again. My throat feels dry. My legs turn to jelly and start wobbling. I sink to the ground.
I'm too tired to scream now. So I just sob. I'm running. I'm running from the tributes and suddenly I'm drowning in a sea of tears. I can't stand this. I just want someone to knock me out.
I hear footsteps and look up through blurry tears. I see a glimpse of the pictures again, but that's not what I'm looking at.
People come in. People in white lab coats. One of them walks toward me and I feel my right arm being extended. I feel a sharp pain and for once, I'm thankful that they're drugging me, offering some relief.
The world goes black.
