"Finn! Thank God Sweetie... thank God!" Said Annie as she ran to me and hugged me.

"She thought you wouldn't come back." That, of course, was Mags.

I look at Annie's face and she's crying. I look for something to say that could cheer her up…

"See I have this bad habit of coming back."

She laughs, but I sort of mean it. I wish now, more than any other time, I never came back from my hunger games.

"Now sit down please, I need to give you some advice."

-"On what?"

-"On going home I guess?"

She looks at me… terrified.

-"You think I'll kill those kids…" She whispers.

-"I don't think you will, I think you have to. Yet I'll have to make sure you get out of there alive."

-"I can't Finn…"

-"Yes you can. As a matter of fact, you will." …otherwise I'll burn the capitol with my own two hands… so I completed the phrase in my head.

She sat down and I did the same, realizing I now understand Mags' motives when she ordered me to kill children. She loved me too much to let me die in there… maybe as much as I love Annie, and this is the same reason why I'll make sure Annie's never hurt while I'm alive.

-"First of all… never go to the cornucopia."

I see a smile on Mags' face with the corner of my eye and I know the reason… it's because this is exactly the first thing she said to me once we got here.

-"I'll send you the food, the water if you don't find it, and a weapon."

Once I said a weapon… she looked at me in terror. She doesn't even imagine killing someone… she's a better person than me. But she'll have to do it. I want her to get out of there alive, so she'll have to do it.

-"Second… keep hiding. Avoid the other tributes and let them kill each other… only start killing when it's extremely necessary. And they won't go after you or remember you from the beginning because you look weak and they'll think you don't represent a threat."

-"Well they won't be so wrong, will they?"

-"Yes, they will be. I know you'll kill as little as you can but I also know you will."

-"No Finnick… I won't."

-"Yes… you will!" I said this a bit loud. I was still angry, I regretted it instantly… who knew I'd spill the lava that's boiling inside of me on Annie too?

She looked at me with teary eyes… then ran to her room.

-"Finnick! You shouldn't have!"

-"I know… Mags, I know. But she'll have to get out of there alive. I won't be able to go on… I might go crazy otherwise."

She glared at me tenderly, then came and sat near me on the couch.

-"What are you going to do to get her sponsors?" She says with her eyes fixed on mine, her face expressionless as if she figured out what I intend to do. Well, maybe she has.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

-"What did you do?"

-"We just sat on the couch and had a nice sisterly chat and two cups of cocoa."

She sighs.

-"I know you so much I know how broken you are when you start cracking jokes. Did you do what you went there for?"

-"Well, after we finished and she asked me about… what I wanted…" I won't say the word "Price" because it makes me feel like a limo, "…I asked her for it. She was a bit scared that I might have feelings for Annie, but I assured her my heart is only hers and Annie is just my sister since we were children and her father is like my father, so she said she'll do her best for Annie and she'll recruit her friends to sponsor her too."

-"Good Job."

I sat silently for a while, looking to the floor.

-"What is it?"

-"She decided it's not enough of a payback for my… services… so she decided I deserved something more."

-"Like what?"

Softly I whisper: "Like… a secret?"

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

In my room at night, I try my best to sleep. Tomorrow will be a big day, I'll have to make sure Annie's training good enough with some weapon, and of course, there is another client waiting.

Every time of this humiliation feels like the first. Although I had 3 clients the last time and one this time, with 3 more waiting, I never got used to it and I don't think I ever will. Although I'm a man, I failed to even enjoy it, and the more humiliating is that I had to pretend otherwise… I had to fake a complete state of affection to the lady.

I was about to start crying when the door opened… I thought it was Mags, but as it came closer I saw the shadow of Annie.

-"Annie… what are you doing here? You should be asleep."

She sits on my bed then lays down next to me… really close.

-"I couldn't sleep. I figured out I needed someone…"

I waited a few seconds for her to complete her sentence, but she didn't.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier today."

-"It's okay. I figured out you're only too scared for me. I understand the pressure you must be under."

I smile darkly…"You have no idea." I whisper.

She says… trying to console me…"Cheer up, Odair, I'm the stupid little girl who's going to die, not you."

-"That is one nice way to make me cheer up. Annie, you're not going to die in there. If it happens… I don't know what I'll do."

-"If we just say that it's a big probability, that my chances down there are as big as anybody's…"

I'm still silent, thinking about the odds of a little fragile girl like Annie getting out of the arena alive…

"…Would you do me one last favor I ask you for?"

-"Anything." I say it even before thinking of the probability of what it might be.

-"Hug me, kiss me, treat me like you really should… how you really feel. Hold me into life, Finn, in my last few days on earth."

I think of her request and it sounds only appropriate. Yes, I'll try my best to keep Annie alive in this, but let's say the odds are against her favor… even if I get my revenge later… should I waste her last days on earth pretending I'm her older brother?

-"This sounds fair, Cresta." And I don't care if you're watching, Coriolanus Snow, she won't be taken away from me before I get as much as I can of her.

She laughs.

-"Now hug me into sleep… I can't sleep in here."

I cover her with my arms and drawn my face in her hair enjoying the fruity perfume … I close my eyes and sleep with no regrets.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

In the next few days, I went to more clients and convinced them all to sponsor Annie, more secrets were spilt in my ears. Political secrets… scandals… cheating… sexual affairs… secrets I'd like to use against their holders and those they concern one day. Yet my biggest achievement was with a game maker.

His name is Hugo Dunnings. And yes, it's a "him". Of course, being a heterosexual male, it's uncomfortable to me, but not much worse than doing it with these women. With both, I end up wanting to throw myself in the ocean and die by the end of the day. It's not as if I could choose my clients, I'd choose to be a prostitute at all. Anyway, he said he'll find a way to help Annie in the arena.

Still, I pushed Annie more and more into training with knives and traps, and promising me she'll execute my plan. Mags was easier on her, and one night she got really mad at me because I insisted on Annie training better and eating more to build herself up she slipped into hysterics and ran into her room. Of course, I gave the same advice to my other tribute, only out of honesty because if I have to get Annie out of there alive I have to guarantee that boy and everybody else dies, but his zeal indicated he wasn't listening and he's going to the cornucopia after all. Annie and I personally knew that boy; his name was Lantis Stroma, the son of a poor old fisherman who lives nearby Annie's house.

Last night at the interview, Annie played the strategy I told her to play exactly: The sweet little girl who's in love with a boy back home madly and wants to go back to him. Of course she couldn't say it's me, she could only say she misses him like crazy and she hopes one day, if she returns home safe, God will reunite them. Senthia, who's still the stylist of our district, helped me by designing a little girl's dress that's short and sky blue, ballet shoes and only natural and simple make up. It did leave the intended impression although Annie's not a child… she's 18. After it, when we went back to the training center, we slept together for the last time. No, we didn't go too intimate. Just a few kisses and whispers in her ears that she'll be okay, and right before she sleeps she whispered in my ear, "I want you to know if I die tomorrow or any following day… I've loved you like people would think it's impossible to love somebody. I'll be waiting for you on the other side." And I whispered to her sleepy ear, minutes later, "I'll never let anything happen to you."

In the morning, I had to stay standing up and sober like a man watching her get into the room from which she'll be dropped into the arena. We both cried and hugged each other, but I stayed strong enough to make sure she remembers everything I told her, and her knives training which I'm sure she doesn't intend to use. And as Senthia takes her hands pushing her into that room to put her in the games' outfit, we're still looking at each other fixedly with our eyes still teary. My hands are lifted as if to reach to her again, but they don't.

On the television, I see the arena: A giant river with an isle in the middle of it with the cornucopia on it, and woods. As I look carefully I see how violent the river's flow it, they needed a dam. Of course, the river was not deep even someone who can't swim can get to the cornucopia, but even if it was, Annie can easily swim to the cornucopia; she's a fluent swimmer… I mean I taught her swimming myself. I am, not to be venting because it's the truth, one of the best swimmers in our district. Yet my instructions' and Mags' are simple: Do NOT go to the cornucopia.

As that sound of some kind of electric bell rings, and the tributes are given a permission to finally run, Annie runs opposite the direction of the cornucopia, right into the woods. But as she looks back, she sees one thing: Some steps behind her, a career with an axe, who, of course, considers Lantis just a wannabe, waves his axe in the air right into Lantis' neck, cutting it.

And it only takes Annie a second to scream and run like crazy.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

The night came, then next morning. Annie was hiding in the trees after she ran as far as she could, I even doubted the arena must end somewhere and Annie was hitting it soon, but she found a very far shelter. Before night, I got sent a lot of sponsor money, some of them with love letters to me. I bought her nets, a knife, some canned food, and of course water because the only known water source in the arena must be protected by the careers now. I sent them all consecutively. It's very rare that someone gets sent so much stuff in the arena specially a weapon, yet this was much less than what I got sent, and I'm sure that kitchen knife is much less expensive than the trident I got. She did well with the traps with her nets; no one could hurt her in her sleep.

More than anything, I was worried about Annie's mental state. She was sobbing for two days and sometimes covered her ears with her hands and looked scared for no reason. Mags looked worried too, but we'd both not complain as long as she's alive. But of course we'd notice no more 'cause the directors must find the scenes of the careers killing much more exciting than Annie hiding in the trees.

Two days have passed like that. I didn't sleep, I only watched Mags sleep for a few hours assuring her that if something happens I'll wake her up right away. She asked me to exchange places and sleep a few times, but I mumbled firmly that I cannot sleep.

12 tributes died in the first day, mostly in the blood bath of course, and 4 died in the second. Annie's sobbing went worse at the cannon shootings and the photos of the fallen. That is one huge death rate, they're down to the final 8 in two days only! This was more worrying because soon, the careers would start looking for her before they break their alliance and start killing each other. In the end, Mags finally convinced me to sleep on the sofa and she'd wake me up immediately if something happens. I lay my head on her thighs staring at the television, and in the same instant I start dreaming. I start dreaming of me and Annie together by the beach, each of us wearing a wedding ring. And, steps away from us, our son turns to us yelling, "Dad, mum, I found a seashell!" I look at him and he has my bronze hair and my skin color, and the green eyes Annie and I share. I wish he had more of Annie, but as long as he's mine and hers, I'm satisfied…..

-"Wake up, Finnick! Wake up now!"

I wake up immediately.

-"What happened?"

-"See for yourself!"

I look… and the screen is shaking like crazy. Annie's screaming and so are the others.

I take seconds to get it: It's an earthquake.

Annie, opposed to the others, took some lessons on emergency cases with me in our district, so she held on to the closest high object she found: A tree. Slowly she started climbing it too, but the Earthquake stopped. During the earthquake, we heard 3 cannon shots… this means that Annie and 4 others are left now.

But the more important effect came quickly: The dam is broken, and the river turns out to have been not only passing by the careers' area, but surrounding the arena; a part of it was close to Annie's place.

The arena drowned.

"Thanks, Mr. Dunnings." I whisper. Thanks because I know now how big my girl's chances are.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

-"You'll be watched, Mr. Odair, we're not sure yet how bad the condition is. She might attack you."

I stand in a capitol hospital as one of their head doctors says those words.

Annie survived. She's a victor now. When the arena flooded, two career boys who didn't know how to swim drowned, and a district 2 career who surprisingly knew how to swim tried to find Annie, But Annie was sent food by me, while that girl had no more food since the cornucopia drowned. The girl lost consciousness due to the lack of energy then drowned.

When we lifted her from the arena, I was on the hovercraft, and I didn't care about all the people watching… I only hugged her and kissed her hair like crazy, I laughed and cried at the same time. They took her from me saying she needed to rest when I noticed she was hardly conscious and she was looking strangely expressionless.

Now she's not okay. She only witnessed Lantis' death, and that alone shocked her. I start to realize how innocent and sheltered she was compared to the people of Panem. When you live in Panem, being struck by death is a luxury that means you've been spoiled.

-"It's okay."

-"Follow me, Mr. Odair."

I follow the doctor to Annie's room, and there she is, just sitting on the bed expressionless.

-"We'll be watching you from outside."

I stand in there looking at her cautiously. She only notices that I'm there when I call her twice.

"Annie! Annie, are you okay?"

-"Finn…"

At least she remembers my name. She gets up from the bed and looks at me strangely.

"What's with all this blood? And why are children screaming?"

-"What are you talking about?"

-"You're covered in blood -she points at my completely clean white T-shirt- and those children outside are screaming!"

But I hear nothing but silence. Nothing.

"Finn… we have to get out and help them! Why aren't you moving Finnick! We have to help them!"

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.