Querencia | Finnick Odair

Chapter IV

I walk towards Caesar, my hips swaying and my leg showing through the slit in the dress.

"Talisa Moreno. What a dress!", Caesar exclaims.
"Awww, thank you Caesar, you don't look too bad yourself", I chuckle, forcing a smile and trying not to show my distaste.

"Well, let's celebrate the fact that you broke the record for the most kills!", Caesar says and the crowd goes crazy. "You took down 11 tributes by yourself! No allies! Tell us your secret."

I smirk.
"What can I say Caesar, they just chose the wrong person to mess with"

Again applause. "Well then, let's watch these historic games"

I take a seat on the throne-like chair, crossing my legs and straightening my back.

They start with the reapings and show the whole parade. That was another reason I liked Keaton. He didn't put me in one of those awful costumes made out of wheat that barely covered a thing, like the tributes had the three years before.

I wore a dark brown dress made out of hundreds of little beads, fitting tightly to my body. My hair was braided and pinned up and topped with a crown, where the wheat aspect came to life since it was a delicately made crown, seeming to be woven wheat, but really being fine gold.

Then came the scores, which in my case was a 10 and then the games began.

The confusion written over the tributes faces when we couldn't see because we were temporarily blinded by the reflecting snow. Then they focus on me, how I try to orientate myself and how I smile as I spot a whip and katanas inside the cornucopia.

I already know what is going to happen and I dread watching it. Because the gong sounded and I stormed forwards. As soon as I arrived at the cornucopia I grabbed the katanas with their sheath that could be strapped to the back. I grabbed the whip and then went for smaller daggers when the boy from 4 tackled me to the ground. The daggers clattered onto the icy snow and Mikael tried to stab me. I rolled over, barely getting him off me. Then I was behind him and used the whip to strangle him, his movements slowed and I knew he was dead.

I force myself to smirk at the sight.

They show me, seeing a girl out of the corner of my eye, they show her as she moved her arm and threw a knife. So I pulled Mikael on top of me again and the knife hit his chest. The thick jacket somewhat restricted the possible movement but was thin enough to not pose a problem for the katanas. I grabbed the daggers and ran out of the cornucopia, facing the District 12 boy.
I quickly sliced his neck, surprising him and turning the white jacket red. Next to him was a bag and after a quick look around I grabbed it and threw it over one shoulder.
The next tributes were two girls. Carleigh and Miriam, District 4 and 10. They managed to injure my arm, but I drew my katana and -it was really hard to not look away at the sight- sliced Carleigh's head off and once again slit a throat, grabbing their packs as well. The people of the capitol cheer and holler and I blow them a kiss.

The rest of the day is cut together.
The endless wandering around in the snow, me finding a cave and looking through the bags, sorting through them and assorting them new.
Food for a few days in one, along with two sleeping bags and matches. In the other I put the wire, the small pot and a classifying book for plants at which I scoffed, but kept anyway. Some night vision goggles. A small pocket knife, some warm socks, two first aid kits and water bottles with purifier.

I remember how angry I was when it was only so little in the three packs. They show me binding up the small wound on my arm, then they cut out until the girl from 7 and the boy from 6 stumble into my cave.
They made no move to attack, but I reacted and used the dagger to stab Malia. The boy was more of an issue then. In the cave, I wouldn't draw my katana, so I was reliant on my whip and the daggers. It took about 10 minutes until I got a good hit and the boy went down, but not without cutting my leg.
On the screen I let out a string of curse words and some of the audience laughs, so I adapt and chuckle in my seat. In the arena I then moved to sit on the boy.

"Sorry Kaiden, I really thought you had a chance", I hear myself mumble and then see me plunging the knife through his ribs into his heart.

I remember every second of dragging them out of the cave and then contemplating if I should leave in the night or the next day.

And so it goes on, kill after kill, a special focus on the wolves that hunted me and injured my sides. The three small scars are a reminder of that. I play touched and grateful, my hand on my heart, as I blow a kiss once again when they show how they send me medicine and food since I couldn't set traps or look for small edible plants underneath the snow.

The battle with Aspen, the District one boy, was another highlight, since I didn't kill him, but left him injured, because I could barely walk myself. That was in the second week and I was surprised they were happy with the games as they were, because they are usually much shorter.
Luckily my other wounds had healed by then and I survived the deep gash, since I had some medicine left. Then there was only me, the pretty girl from two and the boy from three left. I killed both of them and they cut after the gong sounds for Tristan, not showing me moving his axe away from him.

I stand, let myself be applauded, flash smiles and blow kisses.

Then President Coriolanus Snow walks on stage. I bow my head and he sets a crown, similar to the one during the parade on my head.

"Congratulations, Miss Monero. I am sure we will enjoy each others company during future events", his eyes are like stone and I feel cold once more. "I am not sure we will", I answer in an icy tone. The president smiles and I can finally leave the stage. But only after more waving, more kisses and more smiles.