My name is Annie Cresta. I'm from District Four.
My best friend's boyfriend, Spens, was selected as a tribute to participate in the Hunger Games alongside me. He was killed in the arena. I was not. I survived...and I won.
Something about that statement doesn't seem quite right, but if that's what the Capitol is telling me, then I have to accept it without question. Otherwise...I don't want to think about otherwise.
"Oh, Annie..." Liliana says now. She has been asked by the Capitol to come and visit me, because they think her presence may calm me down. There's sadness and something else in her eyes, some emotion I can't decipher. "I'm sorry it had to end up like this."
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect Spens," I insist.
Hurt. Pain. Was Spens' death my fault? Come to think of it, I can't really remember anything from the arena anymore. A young girl...what was her name? Was she important to me?
The white walls of my prison are making me fidget. I can't stand it. It's like I'm floating in nothingness, and if anything, it's driving me crazy.
She places her hands on top of mine, firmly. "Don't blame yourself," she says softly. "It's not your fault he's dead."
"It was right before your wedding, too, wasn't it?" I ask bitterly. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to attend your wedding."
"It's not like you had a choice," she mutters so quietly I barely hear her. She stands up. "I'm so sorry, Annie. But...I think it's better if we're not friends anymore." she chokes on these last words.
I can tell she doesn't want it to be like this. "You're my only friend," I beg. "Don't leave me, Liliana!"
She shakes her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Annie," she repeats, but her apology is meaningless. "Everyone around you have died. I don't want to end up like them." She gives me one last look, and I see that her eyes are filled with tears before she escapes from my prison, leaving me alone.
What did she mean...by everyone around me have died? Did I kill them all? Am I a murderer?
I've been stuck in this room for so long, I've lost track of the days. It feels like it has been forever since the day I woke up.
Dr. Hyde sometimes comes in to speak with me, but he avoids answering any of my questions. Instead, he asks me things about my childhood, my friends, any family, and what I wanted to do in the future. Did I have a say in that?
After Liliana left, another man comes in to visit me. I remember him faintly.
His name is Finnick Odair, and he was my mentor. That's all there was to our relationship. "Annie?" He asks gently, "Can I come in?"
His face looks familiar, as if there's another name that should connect to it, too. But I can't remember who.
I answer his question with a shrug. He sits down beside me, and pulls something out of his pocket. "Here, I brought you this. It might help with the boredom," he says casually, holding out a piece of rope for me to see.
"You...you knew me pretty well before, didn't you?" I ask, taking the rope from him. My hands move almost automatically as they tie knot after knot.
"Well enough," he says tightly.
Eager to get more information from him, I press on, "Did you have any family back home?"
"Sure, I did," he says. "My...mother and my father."
I frown. It's as if he's deliberately avoiding my full question by leaving someone out. "Anyone else? Siblings, perhaps?" I ask.
"No," he states firmly, but I can hear the pain in his voice.
"Really?" I demand. Then, before I can ask him any more questions, he suddenly leans forward and kisses me, directly on my lips. I freeze, and the rope slips out from my hands.
I don't know how to react. Why is he kissing me? What is he thinking? He...there's no chance, someone famous like him, can fall in love with someone like me! I force myself to pull away, and I stare at him. "F-Finnick?" I stammer, hating how one kiss can make me so tongue-tied. "Uh, I, um..."
"Sorry," He says, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have. Excuse me."
He stands up to leave, but I reach my hand out and catch his. "Please, stay! Please, don't leave me like Liliana did!"
"Oh, Annie," he says solemnly, turning to look at me again. "I promise I won't ever leave you. I promise I'll protect you from everything, and I'll make it up to you for everything I didn't do. I wish...I was in the arena protecting you."
"I don't understand," I say. "What are you saying, Finnick? What was our relationship like before the Games?"
He smirks at me, and something tells me that this is the old Finnick I used to know. "Want me to show you, little mermaid?"
My heart begins thumping ridiculously hard in my chest, and I can feel my cheeks burning. I don't think I can live much longer if this is the affect he has on me. I shake my head furiously.
He sighs at my reaction, and remarks,"As far as I can tell, you were pretty close to falling in love with me, eh? And you did promise to tell me those secrets, too, dear Annie."
I can't believe I was in love with him. Was I? I don't know. And I certainly don't remember promising to tell him my secrets, not that I had any. Except one. The one Liliana had just told me before she left.
"I'll tell you a secret," I agree. "But in exchange, will you tell me more about what happened? I can't seem to remember."
"That wasn't the original deal, but...I guess it'll work," he says. "It'll have to work."
Thank you, I think, and lean in and whisper into his ear, "I'm a murderer."
His expression of shock abruptly changes into one of rage, before he takes a deep breath to compose himself. "No, Annie, you're not a murderer! Who told you that?"
"Liliana did," I confess. "Before she left me. She said that everyone around me died, so that makes me a murderer, right? You shouldn't...mingle with someone like me."
"Then she's not your friend," he growls. "Annie, whatever you do, or say, I promise you one thing. I'll never leave you, no matter what happens."
Dr. Hyde appears in the doorway then, signaling the end of his time with me. He turns to leave, too, but not before he kisses me on my forehead. "I'll be back, Annie. I promise."
And, as he leaves, I smile for the first time since...forever.
Disclaimer: I definitely don't own anything!
Ah, so no one tried to guess, eh? XD Well, the Capitol modified her memories and removed all of Davis from her mind, and instead replaced him with Liliana's boyfriend, Spens.
There's slow development to their relationship! But sadly, that means the story is almost at its end. Most likely one more chapter, or perhaps two, after this one. And this time I'm serious. (No sequels, but I might write the Finnick POV in the future..)
A shout out to amandamellark132 for being the 300th reviewer! And to everyone else who have been reviewing thus far, you are all awesome!