Chapter 18- The Strength of the Beast
Finnick's P.O.V
The beast is gone, but is it really? Is the beast really gone? There is a beast everywhere, in everyone. So is it really gone? How are mere human beings supposed to face every beast we have in store? Strength, I suppose. Annie has strength; I tried to give her every ounce of mine.
My mind races as I stare at the ceiling above me. Bars of moonlight decorate the darkness that surrounds me, and "the lady of the night." Her smooth and even breathing suggests that she is fast asleep. She's been asleep for quite some time, while I lay motionless beside her. It's quite strange how her silver-tinted skin matches the exact shade of moonlight that cascades atop her. Her jet black hair falls in waves around the sheets, covering her bare chest.
In the Capitol, she is beautiful. She's been so surgically altered that she has achieved the upmost perfection. Well, the most perfection that money can buy. However, in a couple of years her skin will fade, her black hair will fall out, her nails will chip, and the fashion of the now will move on. She won't be perfect for long.
That's why I never find myself with any emotion tangled in my clients- because while they pay hundreds to achieve the image of now, Annie fits the image of forever for free.
My pearl- my Annie. She is washed in the waves of sanity and insanity. She is battling a tidal wave alone. She is facing a tsunami against herself. I was worried about the other tributes this whole time, making sure weapons were of no issue. I could've never predicted that Annie's biggest enemy was herself. That's what scares me; her biggest beast to kill is her own insanity.
While the waves roll on in the arena, I've been thinking of a solution. I remember that the venom from the beast targets mental capacity just as much as physical pain. Maybe, if we are lucky, Annie's insanity is just from too much venom. So, I went to go find the woman who gave me the antidote last time.
She was executed for treason.
So I researched her company to see if I could talk to another representative.
The company was shut down by President Snow himself.
I have been looking for a psychologist to help me find a solution.
All have been unresponsive.
I can hear President Snow's laughter slithering through my mind now. He's laughing at me. He's won. He knew what would happen to her! He knew that she couldn't do this. That devil only put Annie's name in that reaping bowl, triggered the Beast to attack her, and shut off any solution I could find to save her.
A cold tear slides down my cheek as the wave crashes over the shore. He has her. My Annie is no longer mine. I need her. She's the only thing that keeps me from giving up. I am nothing without her. I am dead without her.
President Snow knows that. That's why he's torturing her in front of me.
He's breaking me, piece by piece. It hurts so badly. Hope is the only thing I have left. She is still alive. She is still breathing. Demere is protecting her. I am doing everything in my power to protect both him and her, but is it enough?
As of now, I am powerless. This is something she is going to have to win. This is a beast she has to kill. She is the strongest person I know! When I was at my weakest, Annie gave me the strength to keep going. Where is that strength now? It is in me. I am holding her strength, because I selfishly took it when I needed it, and I never gave it back. I never gave it back.
This is my entire fault. All of it.
The darkness of the room satisfies the darkness within me. Just as I am about to give up, a sliver of moonlight shines on me. The hope.
Annie is strong. She can do this. And when we win, I can laugh at President Snow. Even though we will both be shattered, and some pieces may never be put back, we will have each other. I am her glue, and she is mine. That will be the day that I hold her hand in pride, kiss her lips in pure love, and cherish her, for she is the only thing that keeps me living.
And I can never repay her for that.
Annie's P.O.V
Annie, my love, come swim with me, Finnick's voice is beautiful as I sit in the sand. He sways in the water, his muscles outlined by the sunrise behind him. I shake my head, my curls bouncing as I do.
I'm making you another bracelet, silly, I say back. The sun warms my pale skin and eases my mind.
Please, I won't let you drown, he responds, smiling. I smile back, and nod my head. Dropping the bracelet I started, I walk into the water. Slowly but surely, I make it to him. His arms absorb me as I hold on to them. He chuckles and lifts my chin to direct my eyes to his.
See? I got you. You're always safe with me, Finnick says. His lips press against mine urgently, almost painfully. I kiss him back, regardless of the pain.
Suddenly, his lips still attached to mine, he pushes me under the water. At first I think he's playing, teasing me, but as I squirm, and as the seconds tick by, he doesn't let me go.
I have no air in my lungs as our lips disconnect. With all of his strength, he keeps me under. I scream into the water, hoping someone would hear. He's drowning me. Finnick is killing me. Looking up at his face, a spine-chilling smile creeps up on it. My body hits the sand hard, releasing my last bubble of air. Then, the water warms. It thickens, and turns a maroon red. Blood; I'm drowning in blood.
"ANNIE! PLEASE WAKE UP!" Demere's voice wakes me, as it always does.
My eyes snap open to see a muddy and panicked Demere leaning over me. As soon as our eyes find each other, relief floods his face and he collapses beside me, sobbing.
I try and sit up, but pain shoots through every inch of me. It's blinding, and so surprising that I almost throw up whatever food is left in me. It's all I can do to lift my hand and stroke his hair, trying my best to comfort him.
"You…you almost died. That gorilla thing almost had you," he says through sobs. I can only make out those words as his face is deep in mud. I hear some more mumbling, almost like a whisper, and realize that he's praying. How refreshing.
Strength bubbles in me as I speak, "Thank you for saving me."
He lifts his head, eyes wide, and looks at me. Tears still stream across his face, mixing with the mud that drips down his chin. I grin, hoping it's enough to calm him down.
Just as he opens his mouth to comment, the familiar beep of an oncoming parachute makes its way through the ringing in my ears. Demere runs to catch it, and comes back with a container about the size of his fist. He gestures it towards me, but I shake my head once.
"You open it," I say.
He nods, and does so. Slowly, he pulls out a syringe with a minimal amount of green liquid. A small piece of paper with printed directions is all that's inside:
INJECT INTO NAVEL
Then on the back:
Stay strong my pearl. –F
Just those words pierce me like a dagger and send butterflies up and down my spine. He still believes in me.
"Do you trust me enough to do this?" Demere asks slowly. Tears still drip.
"After all that's happened, yes," I say.
I lift my blood soaked shirt and close my eyes. After some time, a piercing feeling jolts my senses. I can actually feel the stuff burning through my body. It's like a wave of fire rolling through every part of me.
"So? Are you okay?" Demere asks, panicked.
"Y-yes. It feels good," I say truthfully. The burning sensation settles down to a mere sizzle, and then lastly…serenity.
"Holy crap, Annie," Demere says, his eyes gazing up and down my body.
"What? What is it?" Even my throat feels like it's covered in honey.
"Your cuts, your burns, it's all healing. I can actually see the wounds healing themselves."
With my new strength, I lift my head to see the magic for myself. Suddenly, I'm speechless. The unending claw marks that surround my core slowly fade to three pink lines and dried blood. The burns from the acidic venom bubble and blend into my skin as if they weren't there in the first place. Energy runs through me. This is amazing!
Demere smiles, and, to my surprise, wraps his arms around me. Even though we're both covered in blood and mud, I hug him back. I haven't hugged someone in a long time. It feels nice.
"We're going to be okay. We're alright," he says as he lets go.
"Hektor…" I start, unable to finish.
"Is in a better place than we are," he finishes. I nod and he grins, "Want to try standing up?"
"Yes, please," I beg. The mud is getting quite disgusting from under me. He gives me his hand to anchor me up, and I take it, ignoring the look in his eyes when I do.
Although my feet sink in to the damp Earth beneath me, I feel balanced. Demere's eyes stay wide, cautious of my stance. He probably thinks I'll collapse again. I've done that a lot.
To my surprise, and to his, I stay up. His hand still stays at my back, and he never takes his eyes off of me, but I am strong. I am standing, nothing hurts, and I am strong. I smile, showing my happiness. He smiles too. New relief floods his face, and we stand together. No words are spoken.
Until finally, he talks, "Annie, you can win."
I look at him, his smile wiped clean off of his face. "So can you."
He shakes his head. "No, I don't want to."
Demere walks over to our backpacks, and starts fiddling with supplies, leaving me. He's obviously trying to avoid this subject, but I don't care.
"What are you talking about? You know know what happens if you don't win."
"Yeah, I know. If I lose, that's one less person for you to kill, and a bigger chance for you to win."
Stunned, I stay silent. Then words find me. "Why do you want me to win so badly?
He looks at me, face blank, wanting me to continue.
So I do, "This whole time we've been in the arena, all you've been doing is saving me. Putting medicine in me, killing people for me, you've been doing it since day one."
A smile creeps on his face, and he stands again. "So you've noticed."
For some reason, anger boils in me. "Yes, I've noticed. It's hard not to. What, do you think I'm weak? Do you think you have to do this? Am I some charity to you?"
He walks closer to me, slowly, but I continue.
"I don't want anyone dying for me. I've already had that happen to me, many times, and the feeling afterward sucks. It breaks you. I can't deal with you dying for me. It's not fair to you! You have a fair shot at living a care-free life as a Victor. Your family…they need you. They love you."
Finally, he stands centimeters apart from me. I notice how close we are, and nerves replace my anger. His face is so close to me that I can feel him breathing. His heart is so close to mine, that I confuse my pulse with his.
A smile is still stamped on his lips, as he whispers, "Why did those people die for you, Annie?" I stay silent, and he continues, "Because the love you."
My heart beating faster, I mutter, "Then if you want to die for me…"
He shrugs, "Then that must mean that I have fallen under your spell, Annie. I love you too."
And with that, his hand cups my face and he kisses me. It's a hard kiss, a panicked kiss, as if I'll push away. For some reason, I don't. I don't push away. Something inside me tells me to kiss him back. Something inside me tells me to love him back. Something inside me also tells me this is wrong.
He pulls away with a look in his eyes that cannot be matched with one word.
Then, confusion slaps his expression. Everything in the world moves slowly. Then, I'm confused. His hands fall limp; his eyes turn blank, and his head…his head.
His head falls off.
His body falls limp.
Blood is all over me.
Blood is all over the axe.
The axe is held by a girl.
The girl is my enemy.
She killed Demere.
I must kill her.
I'm covered in blood.
Blood. Blood. Blood.
N/A: Hey ya'll! Happy Late Valentine's Day! Shoutout to everyone who reviewed. Love you guys so much and I'm really glad you like the story. This is what I live for haha! Thank you for being the best readers ever! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. Sorry it took a while! I had to mentally prepare for this one!
Love you forever,
Karlee