My name is Annie Cresta.
In my nation, I am known for several reasons. The first reason is because I was the victor of the 70th Hunger Games. The second is because I am one of the seven former Hunger Games victors who survived the Second Rebellion, in which we emerged victorious and defeated the Capitol which had long reigned over us and enslaved us, the citizens of the districts.
I grew up in District 4, and as such, I was spared of some of the hardships that many of my countrymen had to endure. During the war, as well as my time in District 13, I had learned much about what the other districts had been through, and the grueling starvation they had to live under. Nevertheless, we were still subject to the cruelty of the Capitol, with public executions regularly taking place. Each morning, we would go to our work shifts, with heavily armed soldiers in white uniforms standing behind us, prodding us with the barrels of automatic rifles.
Four years after I won the 70th Games, a young couple from District 12 won an unprecedented dual victory in the 74th Games using unconventional tactics. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark forced the Capitol's hand by threatening a double suicide, which meant the Capitol had to relent and allow both of them to win.
In the months that followed, there was much talk among my fellow citizens of District 4 about a new uprising. It was not long before citizens started taking to the streets, holding the banner of the Mockingjay and demanding representation in our government, better working conditions, respect for basic freedoms, and an end to the Hunger Games. The Peacekeepers, heavily armed as they were, made every attempt to stop them. In response, my countrymen started throwing rocks, bricks, and whatever weapons they could find.
We had been able to deal enough damage to cause seafood shortages throughout the nation. But in hopes of stopping the uprising, President Snow announced that for the 75th Hunger Games, the tributes would be chosen from the existing pool of victors. This was meant to show that even the strongest could not overcome the power of the Capitol.
Finnick Odair, who had won the games five years before me, was drafted as the male tribute. I was chosen to represent my district as the female tribute, but Mags, an older woman, volunteered in my place. It was only days into the games when everything changed. Katniss Everdeen fired an arrow into the roof of the arena and suddenly, the screens went blank. At that moment, everything broke loose. The entire district broke out in revolt; Peacekeepers tried in vain to contain the unrest.
Citizens began grabbing weapons they could find, including rifles stolen from Peacekeepers. Days later, Peacekeepers showed up at my doorstep and arrested me, taking me to the Capitol where I was imprisoned alongside a few other former Hunger Games victors and tortured. The Peacekeepers were brutal, showing little mercy.
Weeks later, District 13 sent a special forces unit to rescue us, taking us back home. While I was never allowed on the front lines, back in District 13, I was able to marry my beloved Finnick, and we did it not long after. I ended up becoming pregnant and would give birth weeks after the war was over.
After the Battle of the Capitol in which we easily destroyed what remained of the Peacekeeping Force. Unfortunately, my husband, Finnick, who was a member of Squad 451, an elite unit designated to penetrate into President Snow's mansion and kill him, was slaughtered by mutts. Nevertheless, this did not stop the rebel army, led and supported by District 13, from advancing into the heart of the Capitol, taking over the entire city.
President Coin, the leader of District 13, declared herself the interim President of Panem immediately. Weeks later, she called for a meeting with myself and the six other remaining Hunger Games victors.
The question she asked us was simple: Should there be a final Hunger Games with the Capitol's children?
I voted no. I knew that my late husband would have voted with me had he still been living. Long story short, the Games were never carried out, even though a narrow majority voted in favor. Why? Because my friend, Katniss Everdeen, decided to kill Coin at what was supposed to be Snow's public execution.
Immediately afterwards, I was sent back home to District 4, heavily pregnant and due to give birth any day.
I woke up one warm morning weeks later at 7:00 AM. I was feeling groggy and under the weather. I was feeling nauseous and ill.
"This is it," I thought. This was the day I would give birth. I got up and went to the bathroom, sitting on the toilet. I groaned and moaned. It had been nine months since I did it for the very first time, and I was about to give birth at home. I had planned an unassisted birth all along.
I went back to bed and laid down. I groaned and moaned, wanting to continue sleeping. I doze off for a little bit more before waking up forty-five minutes later. This time, things felt completely different.
I was feeling intense, searing pain. I covered my mouth with a towel, as I screamed. It was excruciating. What was going on?
I was feeling an intense urge to push. Quickly, I took off everything and went naked. Lying down on my bed, I began to push as I felt the intense urge to do so. My body made me push into my bottom with all my strength. I clenched my teeth, as I saw my naked self in the mirror. My bare breasts, my birth canal opening, and everything were visible.
I pushed, pushed, and pushed, before deciding to change positions. I rolled onto my hands and knees. Looking down in the mirror, I saw my buttocks staring back at me as I groaned.
I felt a contraction and the urge to push. I took a deep breath of air and pushed into my bottom with all my strength. I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth.
"UUMMMPPPHHHH!" I growled.
I gave another push, "UUUUGGGGHHHH!"
And another, "UUUUGGGHHHH!"
I panted, and was sweating. The next contraction came, and I took a deep breath, and tucked my chin to my chest, and pushed. I gritted my teeth, as I was determined not to scream nor make noise.
"UMMMMPPPPHHHH!" I growled.
"HHUUUUUUMMMMPPPPH!" I growled again.
I gave another push, before moaning and breathing heavily.
"I can't do this," I whimpered.
What was I supposed to do? I had been pushing and pushing for quite awhile. The baby was still nowhere to be seen. At least I didn't feel anything tingling in between my legs, or anything coming out.
When I felt the next contraction, I gave all I had. "UMPH!"
And again. "UGH!"
And another push. "ARGH! Oh my gosh!" I cried, as I waited.
I gave another push, "UGH!".
As I felt the next contraction, I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth before I gave it another go.
And another.
And another.
I rested, burying my face in my pillow as I sweated profusely. All I could think about was getting my baby out safely. I gave another push into my bottom with the next contraction.
"UGH!"
Still nothing. I sweated and panted. This was harder than I had imagined, but I had to keep going.
I kept pushing and pushing. After some time, I began feeling a burning sensation around my birth canal's opening. The pain down there was horrific.
"OW! It burns! It burns!" I cried out. Tears sprang into my eyes, as I pushed through my pain.
"Oh my god, it hurts so bad!" I cried.
I looked down into my birth canal as I pushed again. This time, I saw some black hair. I felt a sense of accomplishment. I was getting there, but not quite.
Another contraction came, and I pushed. I focused every ounce of my strength and energy into my bottom. "UMPH!"
The burn down there between my legs intensified, but I gritted my teeth. I was going to do this no matter what. As I continued pushing, I felt my birth canal opening stretch.
I looked down, where I saw a round black spot.
"That's the head!" I cried out. I reached down to touch it with my hands. My heart pounded with intensity. I was going to make it. I was going to succeed. I was doing it.
As soon as I felt the urge to push again, I gave it all I had, "UUUUGGHHH!"
I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth, as I felt the opening between my legs stretch.
"HHUUUMMMPPH!" I growled.
"You can do this, Annie! You're almost there!" I told myself.
I looked down into my vaginal opening, where the baby's head was indeed, coming out.
As I again felt the urge to push, I pushed with all my might, as I saw the black dot between my legs become bigger and larger, and felt the stretching sensation in between my legs. I was doing it.
I saw the black in between my legs growing bigger and wider, as I brought the baby's head to a full crown. My heart pounded with excitement.
Then, I saw and felt the rest of the baby's head coming out. The black dot between my legs was being pushed forward, coming right out of my body.
"Oh my God!" I sighed. It felt like such a relief. After all that work it took to crown the head and stretch my birth canal, I had done it. It was almost finished. All that remained were the shoulders. And then, the rest of the body.
I panted and sweated. I was exhausted from all the hard work. But I was almost there. Just a few more pushes and I would be done.
On the next contraction, I was going to push with everything I had. Everything. My whole might, my whole strength, my heart, and my soul. I was going to give everything I had into this child. This wonderful, beautiful child.
I wondered to myself. Would it be a boy or a girl? If it was a boy, what would be its name? If it was a girl?
Before I could think further, another contraction took hold of my body. I took a deep breath, tucked my chin to my chest, and clenched my teeth as I pushed right into my bottom with whatever strength I had left.
"UGHHHHHHHH!"
I saw with my own eyes the shoulders passing through, and out slid my newborn child onto the bed.
An overwhelming feeling of relief took hold of my body, as I picked up my baby for the first time and held it in my arms. Tears flooded my eyes, as I began crying.
"Oh my God! I did it!" I cried. I laid down on my back, holding my baby in my arms.
It was a boy. Ten fingers, ten toes, and brown hair, just like his father. I gave him a kiss on top of his head as I began crying more intensely.