ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ sɪx
"They love you," Finnick's voice suddenly said, causing Mary to look up from her book.
She made a confused face, which Finnick found cute but would never admit.
"What?"
Finnick smiled slightly at her, put his arms on the table, and leaned forward. "The Capitol people. They love you."
Mary rolled her eyes and laughed dismissively. "I noticed that."
Finnick looked into her eyes and saw fear. Fear he knew. Fear of what would happen afterward. He saw how people had screamed for Mary earlier, and also how they had fallen over. He saw a déjà vu in front of him. He found himself in a loop again. This time, however, it was not he who was being used, but she. The person who was sitting in front of him.
Just like him, Mary was scared.
"You're scared," Finnick just managed to say.
Mary looked into his eyes and nodded slightly. "Yes, I am. Did you see those people earlier? They're crazy." As soon as she said the words, she wanted to take them back.
'Why am I so stupid?' she thought to herself. Finnick was still one of the Capitol. It didn't matter if he was from the same district or not. It didn't matter if he was her mentor or not. He could easily tell somebody what she just said. He could let her get killed.
Finnick apparently noticed this and squeezed her hand.
"You can tell me, Mary. I'm not your enemy. I'm your friend. I know these people are crazy, I've seen it and experienced it myself."
Mary looked at him in confusion, to which Finnick sighed. "Two years ago, at my games, people were the same way. They were screaming that they loved me and how much they wanted me. What's happening to you isn't rare." He took a sip from his glass and sat up straight. "Sometimes I wish I had died. You don't want to win. No one should have to experience what happens after that." He took another sip and stood up abruptly. "I told you too much," he muttered.
He took his glass, put it in the sink, washed his hands, and dried them. He threw the towel on the counter and walked toward the door.
Before he disappeared, however, he turned and spoke, "Good night, Mary. Sleep well, tomorrow will be a long day."
With that, she was alone. She was alone again.
She didn't know what he meant by the 'after' thing. Was there no rest after the games when you won them? Mary thought that then they would have peace and have everything they wanted. They would have money and...
And...
What else did you have? Fame? But those were just unimportant things. You had your family, but they could still be in the games.
Mary almost racked her brain as she thought about it.
And how she just didn't know that she would soon know what they had after all that.