I duck out of the room before my parents notice. I know she didn't die in her sleep. I walk in my room and pick up the phone.
"Why did you do that?" I ask President Snow.
"You are getting a bit, um, cocky. I need to keep you on track. You can't be dating Annie! You're dating that girl in the Capitol, remember?" He says.
"What girl?" I ask. That was probably the wrong question.
"You know, Ami. That one that hired you to go with the prom with her in two months." He explains. I have never even met an Ami.
"No, just no! I'm not doing that and you can't force me!"
"I can force you to do whatever I want." The phone clicks off. Then, I walk into the door of Flora's old bedroom. My mom turns around to face me, her tears streaked with tears. She rushes over to me and hugs me. I hug her back because I know she needs it.
She tries mumbling out some words but she fails and just ends up crying even more. My dad is stroking Flora's hair like he used to do when she was little. I pick up her hairbrush that she never let me use. I'm going to miss our fights.
I walk over to her body, lying on the bed motionless. I wonder if the neighbors know. My dad looks up.
"Go to the school and tell the teachers. Then, go over to the cemetery and tell whoever's there to make preparations for tonight. The sooner, the better." He says.
I leave and I am happy to be free. I can't believe they really did that. I still have parents; Johanna doesn't even have that. When I reach the school, I am hounded by girls that I have to fight off to get to the front office.
"Oh, hello, Finnick. How can I help you?" The lady at the front office says. She still looks exactly the same, her hair pulled up in a tight bun and an ugly sweater.
"Flora won't be at school again. You see, she um, well, isn't exactly alive enough." She looks up at me in horror.
"Oh!" She pushes the gate into the waiting area where I stand and hugs me.
"Capitol?" She whispers. I slightly nod. She goes back to her work.
"I will inform the students and teachers." When I walked outside, all of Flora's friends came with me. As I walked through town, groups of people walked behind me, following me all the way to the cemetery. I stopped by the office and ordered the most elaborate plan.
When someone dies in 4, we criminate the body and pick 8 hosts to throw the ashes into the sea. Because everything begins and ends with the water, as we are taught in schools. When the man hands me the sheet, I have no idea what eight hosts to choose.
I first write down my parents and me. Five names to go. We don't have any living relatives, so that makes it very hard. I write down her two best friends. I decide to write down Daniel because I think my sister liked him. I think some more and the man is getting impatient.
I write Johanna because Flora always wanted to meet her. It is in best respects to have someone from the Capitol join us, so I choose Tabia. At least she isn't as insane as some other people. I hand the paper back to the man. As I leave, he picks up the phone and starts talking to someone about what the plans.
I have attended many funerals. When a tribute dies, I am normally picked because I was their mentor. It is rare for someone to cross borders unless they are going to the Games. This is a special occasion and is allowed under strict security. I have even seen the winner of the Game come to one of the funerals of a tribute.
I head back home and I can barely decide what to do with myself before the doorbell starts ringing. There is a line of people, stretching all the way across the street, holding out gifts, starting with the baker.
I stand at the door as people hand me their gifts and some are even crying. I can't help but break down myself at points. I fill up the hallway with gifts of food, clothing, and various household items. When the last person hands me a candle, I shut the door and fall to the floor. I look down the hallway and it seems like the line never ends.
I get up and start putting things away, in the kitchen, in the laundry room, and in the living room. It helps distract me from what is going on in my life. When I reach the end of the line, I feel sad because I have nothing to do.
I decide to take the change of leaving the house because I have no idea who will start weeping around my feet. I head to the train station and sit on one of the benches, letting my mind wander. I think I fall asleep because before I know it, Johanna is sitting beside me.
"You know what's crazy; you even have that cocky smile in your sleep." Johanna says. She is so serious.
"Now I suggest you stop sleeping because you have to get dressed." She looks down at my ripped jeans and jacket.
"I'm pretty sure you should wear a suit." She gets up, pulling her suitcase behind her. I stay there for a while after she leaves. I finally head home and put on a suit. Then, I head outside and wait for everyone else to come outside to start the procession.
The procession finally gathers, with the hosts at the front. We all head down the street to the cemetery, which is really just a gray building that has a desk and very low employed man inside. My mother goes inside to get the gray clay pot with Flora's ashes inside. On the outside are flowers and pineapples, the sign for a girl that died before her marriage.
Then, we take our pot down to the beach. A little area has been drawn off for us. We stand inside, in the order of our names listed. As I look down the line, I see my father holding himself together. I see my mother, crying her eyes out. Then, there is me. Her two friends look lost without her, and one of them is crying. Daniel looks depressive. Johanna looks like my dad. Of course, Tabia is dressed in an insane outfit, keeping her large smile in a thin line.
The pot is passed down between each of us. I take a handful and walk to the edge of the shore. I throw it out into the waves and wash the little black pieces float away. I watch all the others follow. When we are done, we are at the back of the procession as the people lead us back to our house.
Everyone parts their ways and I head inside my house with my parents. My mother places the pot on top of the fireplace. Then, we sit on the couch, really having nothing to do. I feel like I am living without purpose. The Capitol has taken everything from me and I won't let them take anymore.
I wander outside and down to the curb. I sit on the edge and I see Johanna coming across the street.
"Why do they do this to us?" I ask her. She has been going through the same things.
"It is a test, a way to make sure that no one falls out of line. You know the best way to get over it?" She says. I shake my head.
"To show them, that no matter how much they take from you, you are still the same Finnick that I met in the control room. The one that makes everyone laugh and fills a room with light when he walks in. No matter what they take from you, you just have to stare them in the eyes and take it like a man." Her words echo within me.
"Or I could hide from them." She looks at me like I just said the stupidest thing in the world.
"Or you could mentor next year and fight back and win." I know that she doesn't just mean winning the games but winning the fight that has been going in with me and the Capitol for five years.
"I better get back. They are going to have the Peacekeepers on me in like a minute." She runs back across the street and her silhouette fades away, into the house. I go back inside.
That year of the 71st Hunger Games, I am the first mentor to bring home victors in back to back years.
This chapter does count as a part of the contest! I love this chapter so much and I really hope you like it.