She Crept Up On Me (a Finnick and Annie Fanfiction)

Chapter 26

ANNIE

Do you ever want to disappear? To poof right out of thin air. To forget everything bad that has happened and live in a paradise somewhere. I've been feeling like this a lot lately. Only, if I were to disappear, I would take Finnick with me. We could live on an island, just the two of us. It would be the most wonderful thing...

"Hey, watch where your going!" a slightly overweight woman says as I bump into her. I then remember where I am.

I'm in the town market. I think I left the house to get some fresh air. I wonder how the Games are going...

I trip over a large crack in the road and realize that I should probably watch where I'm going.

One step at a time.

I've been feeling dizzy and nauseous ever since the birds chased after Finnick in the Games. And the birds were letting out terrible screams, only they were human.

The screams belonged to me.

I tried to hold everything in, but everyone knows I'm not that strong. I wrecked the house. I flipped the couch over and smashed dishes. I threw things and crushed things. Eventually I ran out of tears, so I decided to come to the market to clear my mind. And hear I am.

"Hey, Annie" I jump, recognizing the voice. It's Lanceton.

Remember him? The boy who had a crush on me in school; who used to do everything to try to impress me. He's a huge jerk. I would've slapped him the moment I saw him. I would've ran away. But right now, in my wrecked up state, it would be hard to do either. So I just turn around.

"L-Lanceton"

"You're looking lovely, as usual"  He grabs my hand and kisses it. "Let's take a little stroll, shall we?" Still grabbing my hand, he leads me away from the market. Away from the people who could've saved me but didn't. Some of those people in the market know that Lanceton is trouble. Whenever you see Lanceton walking away with a girl in hand, you need to stop him. Because something bad will probably happen. But no one stopped. No one said anything because I'm the "mad girl". And who the hell would care about a stupid, mad girl like me?

Lanceton leads me on a trail heading to the beach. Eventually, he let's go of my hand.

"I know you're not gonna run away, Annie." he says. "I know what happened."

I look away. "How do you know?"

"Because I saw it. On TV. I saw what happened to Finnick. Knowing you, I bet you went on a total rampage, didn't you?"

I stay silent. Does he really pay that much attention to me to know what I'm feeling?

"Annie, I'm grown up now. I've matured. I just wanted to let you know that I'm your friend. I see the way people treat you. So, while Finnick's gone, I could protect you. Because you know I would never hurt yo-"

"Shut up! You don't know anything so just shut up!" I scream. Then I start to cry.

"Annie... I-I didn't mean to start anything. I was just trying to help" He says, startled by my sudden breakdown.

"Well, I don't want your help! All I want is Finnick!" Then I start screaming Finnick's name. I know that he's not going to hear me. I know that he's not going to come to my rescue. But I scream his name anyway. I scream it at the top of my lungs because there's nothing else I can do.

"Finnick!"

Then I pass out.

*********************************

When I wake up, I already know where I am.

I'm in Lanceton's house. His beat-up little mobile home on the other side of town. I'm surprised he carried me all the way here.

"Annie"

He's sitting beside me, patting a wet rag over my forehead. "You okay? When you passed out, you hit your forehead on a rock. I couldn't just leave you there, so I decided to take you home and take care of you... If you don't mind."

I reach up to my forehead and run my hand over the large scrape.

"Lanceton, I want to go home."

"It's pouring out there, Annie. And your house is all the way on the other side of town. Just stay the night here and I'll take you home tomorrow." He says gently.

"No."

What?"

"I said no!"

I get up, stumbling by the rush of dizziness, and run out of the house. I look back to see him just sitting there. He's not running after me. He has probably realized that I'm long gone. There's only one person who can save me and that's Finnick. No one else.

So I run away, leaving Lanceton to his sudden realization. I run away from the friend that might've taken care of me while Finnick is gone. I don't want any of that, but I don't know why.

I run through the pouring rain, realizing I forgot my shoes. But I don't care. I don't even know where my house is. I have no clue where I am. I just run.

The cut on my forehead opens up and blood runs down my face, mixing with the clear, sweet rain water and the salty tears. After awhile, I give up and collapse against the nearest building I can find, spitting the blood out of my mouth as I fall in the mud.

I fall asleep right then and there, wondering when my paradise will come. 

(If you need a refresher on Lanceton, go back to Chapter 21)