Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I know I said this would be up yesterday, but I honestly couldn't get motivated. But anyway, Happy Easter!
I have been in this arena for what feels like weeks. I am miserable. The air is humid and muggy, nothing like the District Four air. Pretty much the whole arena is a swamp, excluding some desert areas. This means that unless you have perfect water-proof shoes, your feet will always be cold and wet. It is horrible.
I am curled up in my mangrove tree when the dam breaks. My ears are covered by my hands, trying to block out screams. I have no idea whose they are, but I have a faint idea that they might be mine. Ever since Raycen got killed, I don't know what memories are real, who is still alive or if I am still in the living hell of my life. Water laps up onto my feet. I slowly remove my hands from my ears, letting the water calm me. My mind wanders to District Four, my home. When I think of Four, I think of Finnick. I really wish he were here right now. He could wrap his arms around me and comfort me.
I am brought back to reality by a parachute dropping down in front of my cave. I open it and see that it contains a laminated photo of me and him. I hug it to my chest and rock back and forth, crying. Soon the water is up to my knees. I get up and walk out of my mangrove. The neighboring tree is at least ten feet higher than mine, which is at most twenty feet high. I climb up the tree and settle down in a fork. The water is rising dramatically. It is already half way up the tree. Soon enough, I should be able to hop off my tree and start swimming. Finally, something that I can enjoy.
Ten minutes later, I get my wish. The water is almost covering me like a blanket. I tuck the photo of me and Finnick into my jacket. Thank god it is water-proof. I slide off the branch and into the water. My head goes under briefly and I get back up. It is salt water. Just like home. This could be the best time I have had since being reaped. I swim normally for a while, and then decide to do some backstrokes. A smile spreads across my face. I close my eyes and decide to just enjoy swimming. Decide just to forget the hell I am in for now and focus on doing something that pleases me.
That night, when the Capitol seal shows up, there is only one face. Raycen's. I could have sworn he died a while ago. But I guess I have been in my own little world.
Every so often a cannon fires. Whenever that happens, I shriek or flinch, but then return to swimming.
After swimming for at least a day, I bump into something and slowly turn. It is a girl, I think from District Ten. "I'm sorry." Her voice comes out raspy.
"My name is Annie Cresta, District Four. What's yours?"
"Tally Rion, District Ten," so my suspicions were correct, she is from Ten. "I'm 17. How old are you?"
"17." The Capitol seal shows up and the anthem plays. Four faces show up, all Careers.
"Annie, cover your mouth. I want to tell you something." She puts her hand over her mouth, and I do the same. When Tally speaks, she whispers. "I want you to win. I am done here. My dad is a victor, and he is miserable. I've heard rumors of Snow making victors do things if you are attractive. Horrible things. I don't want to live that life. Please. Push me under. I will forgive you and I won't hold anything against you. I am literally begging you." Tears fill my eyes as I nod. She goes under and I swim over her so she can't get up. A couple minutes later, her cannon fires.
Trumpets flair and I cover my ears with my hands. The water is going down like a drain has been unplugged. "Ladies and Gentlemen! We are proud to present to you your victor for the 70th Annual Hunger Games, Annie Cresta!" By the time they are done saying this, the water is all gone and the land is completely dry, if that's what you can call a swamp. I curl into fetal position and rock back and forth. I take out the photo and hug it to my chest. A ladder gets lowered down next to me. I ignore it and stare ahead. Claudius Templesmith's voice rings out and I start shrieking at the top of my lungs. A couple Peacekeepers come down the ladder and try to take me away, but I flail and fall out of their arms. I run and hide under a mangrove so they can't find me. They pass by my tree and I hear them talking. "This one is crazy. I know it. Her district partner got decapitated and then she ran off, hiding and mumbling nonsense while covering her ears." I want to come out and yell at them for calling me crazy, but I know that will have them take me away. After about an hour, they still haven't found me. Then I hear a familiar voice. "She couldn't have gone far. If she is acting the way you say she is, she wouldn't want to go anywhere but where she felt safe." I can almost see the light bulb go off in his head. He runs ahead of the Peacekeepers and crawls under my tree. When I see Finn's face, I can't help but hug him tightly. When we finally separate, he begins to talk. "Annie, we have to get out of here. They want to fix any injuries that you have. They care about you."
"No Finn, they don't! Don't you see? They make all of us watch our own neighbors fight to the death on live TV! They make us live in poverty while they are stuffing their faces with everything imaginable! Please don't make me go. This is my real home. Under this tree. Come live with me! We can have this whole arena to ourselves! It'll be fun!" The look on his face makes me break down. I stop sobbing for a second, and slap my hands over my ears, blocking out Raycen's screams. Finn picks me up bridal style and brings me to the hovercraft. Once we take off, I am forced out of his arms. I start flailing and shrieking for him. A man in a white coat and a needle come at me. But form my view, the needle looks like a thin sword, like the one the young career used to decapitate Raycen. "DON'T HURT ME! PLEASE! I'M NOT TRYING TO KILL YOU! DON'T KILL ME LIKE YOU KILLED RAYCEN!" He plunges the needle into my arm and I take one last look at him before I slip into a black fog filled with nightmares and Raycen's bodiless head staring at me.