toxic

Quarter Quell Announcment

i woke up the next morning to an arm wrapped around me. i turned around and kissed finnick on the nose before walking out of bed and brushing my teeth.

Alba was eating breakfast and when she was finished, she braided my hair and put me in a regular outfit.

everyone was up and ready but finnick.

i walked back into my room and finnick was still asleep.

i jumped into bed.
"wake up!"

he fluttered his eyes open but closed him again.

"finnick..." i muttered.

he opened his eyes. "hmm?"

"are you hiding something?"

he was fully awake now.
he sat up.

"what?" he brushed his fingers through his hair. "of coarse not."

i sighed in relief.

"why would you think that?"
he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"i don't know but you need to get up. announcement starts in half an hour and everyone except you is up and ready."

he hopped out of bed.
"sorry." he smiled and kissed me.
"wait...what're we getting ready for?"

"we're watching the announcement in the living room then we have to take an interview over what we think about it. remember?"

he nodded and frowned. that look again.

i shook my head slightly.
"Penia has your outfit. brush your teeth and fix your hair."

"what are you my mother?"

"just get ready." i chuckled.

he nodded and ten minutes later he was ready.

we sat on the couch.

mom was in the recliner. Penia and Alba were sitting in chairs. Alta was sitting on Clayton's lap on the couch and Finnick sat next to Clayton as i sat next to him.

he grabbed my hand.

"what do you think it's gonna be?"

he looked scared.
"um...i don't know."

he laid his head on mine as President Snow approached the screen.

"we gather here today for the announcement of the 75th Hunger Games, that's right! this year will be the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games, and that means it's time for our third Quarter Quell!"

he goes on to tell us what happened in the previous Quarter Quells.
"on the 25th anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who would represent it."
that would be horrible, i thought.

"on the 50th anniversary, as a reminder that two rebels died fr each Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes."
that was Haymitch's year he won. District 12 mentor.

"and now we honor our 3rd Quarter Quell."
he placed his old crinkly hands on a box and slowly opened it.

he pulled out an envelope that had "75" written on it.

"what if is like Haymitch's games? where there are twice the number of people. that'd be horrible."
i said.

finnick nodded, gripping my hand.
"brook, i-."

"shh. he's about to announce it."

"but-."

"after this." i brought my finger to his lips to shush him.

President Snow opened the envelope.

"on the 75th anniversary, as a reminder to be rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors."

i let go of finnick's hand.

"no...no, no, no." i whispered in tears.

before i know it, i'm running out the door into the woods. i sat down and cried.

there's one female victor and one male victor of District 6.

i was going back into the arena.