Finnick Odair's Story: Dark Secrets (The Hunger Games Fanfiction)

Snow

Winter arrives too soon, its icy cold fingers caressing the earth and freezing the ground. Tiny icicles form on the edge of my bedroom window, and the glass is frosty every morning. It's almost surreal to have the ground coated in white, as if it's some kind of pure magic. I've only ever seen snow once, and I was a tiny child. Waking up one crisp, December morning to find that my home was swamped in soft, cold flakes of snow was like being in a different world.

Ever since my birthday, Annie has been seeing doctors, therapists, psychologists; anyone who thinks they can help her. But it's no good, Annie is slowly losing her mind and no one can stop that from happening. Some doctors say she was scared into post traumatic stress disorder, which led to the loss of memory. Others claim it's in her genes, and was inevitable even if she had never been chosen to enter the arena. No matter what the explanation is, Annie could soon forget us all. They even cancelled her Victory Tour, claiming it wouldn't be good for her.

There's one good thing that's come from all these seemingly pointless sessions, Annie's nightmares have slowed down considerably, and it's been a while since I've had to go and comfort her.

As we sit inside one cold, February morning by a crackling fire, I watch Annie sip her mug of hot cocoa, curled up by the window. Her soft breath turns parts of the window grey, which soon fades back to normal. She is wearing one of my jumpers, oddly oversized on her ever-shrinking frame. Scrunched up toes peek out shyly from the bottom of the cashmere sweater, an unwanted gift from a client. Luckily, Annie never found out about that, and never will. As if she hasn't been hurt enough already.

You really need to stop this, Finnick, I tell myself. Stop acting as if Annie feels the same way about you, because she doesn't, and she can't. The fire spits an ember on to the rug as if to angrily agree with me.

Annie turns and smiles at me, and I weakly smile back. I've been called to a meeting with Snow today; a meeting about Annie. I wrap up warm, this is the coldest it's ever been in Panem. Thick ski gloves and fur lined trousers keep my body from freezing to death in the ice cold winds. Fortunately, I have a car to take me to the meeting, a car with central heating and a coffee machine.

Sipping a coffee with three sugar cubes in, I warm myself up on the journey. No doubt that my cheeks are burning red with cold, I press the hot drink to my face and revel in the relaxing warmth. I can't relax for long, as Elise's father once again escorts me inside the high security building. The guards, forced to stand in the harsh air, look ready to die right here and now.

I have my fingerprints taken as usual, followed by more extreme measures such as blood samples. After they've determined that I really am Finnick Odair, and not an imposter with a plot to assassinate the President, unfortunately, I'm permitted to make my way along the long, regal corridor to Snow's office. The door is wide open, welcoming me into the solemn room that brings back many bad memories.

Snow sits on one side of his large desk, watching different television screens and occasionally pressing a few buttons. He looks up at me with an expressionless face, his eyes crinkled with age and his hair the colour of his namesake.

"Mr Odair," he says, courteous as always. "Welcome, so glad you could make it."

"It's a pleasure, sir," I respond with clenched teeth, faking respect for the man who has made my life a misery.

"So, as I told you on the phone, this meeting is to discuss the future of a certain Annie Cresta, who has been living with you for the past few months since her victory," he says. "I've made the decision to send her back to District 4."

My heart clunks clumsily as my brain takes a second to process what Snow just said. Annie is going back to 4.

"But what about her therapists, and doctors?" And me, I think hopelessly.