You guys are officially the bestest! And for being the bestest I give you... dun dun dun... two chapters in two days! Please enjoy you wonderful humans.
Morning came all too quickly. The ringing in my ears was enough to drive me from sleep when the sky was still dark. Maneuvering my way out of Hank's arms, I silently slipped out of the house and down to the beach. The sand was cool beneath my toes. Cool air blew in from off of the sea as it crashed against the shoreline. I dropped into a cross legged position, looking out over the ocean. There was a tickle in the back of my brain. Something deep down inside my soul that told me that this might very well be the last time I saw this view. That this might be the last time I got to watch the sunrise from this spot. I took a deep breath, trying to fight the anxiety that started rising at the thought of everything to come.
Breath in.
Breath out.
In.
Out.
A gust of wind blew the strands of hair that had fallen loose of my braid into my face, forcing me to reach up and pull them out of my mouth. Something about that was so normal it was painful. Nothing about this world seemed right, but even living in this society of supposed perfect people, I still got hair caught in my mouth and sand in my shoes. The fact was, comforting, somehow. That there was still a sense of normality about this whole thing. The sun always reminded me of a little kid, peeking up from behind the edge of the ocean like a child would look over the lip of the table to see if there was another cookie. As it rose, the sky changed colors like an angry god threw a bucket of paint over the horizon. Bright oranges and purples. True beauty was here, not the fake stuff that resided in the Capitol. This was so real, but so untouchable. The sound of footsteps drew me out of my musings. Finnick sank to the sand next to me. His face was unsettled, hair still mussed from sleep and probably other activities.
"This is it huh?"
"Yeah, I guess it is."
I looked over at him, "It doesn't feel real, that this might be the end."
He looked over at me, a small smile gracing his lips, "Unfortunately Beatty, it is very real. Maybe it's not the final end, but maybe it's the end of something."
I twisted the mockingjay ring on my finger. It changed between feeling like a brand and feeling like freedom. Today, I think it felt like freedom.
Finnick held out a scrap of paper, tied with a small piece of twine. "Give this to Annie, if I don't make it out of here."
I took it gingerly, resting it in my palm, "But I'm going in with you."
"Then give it to Hank. But don't let her read it until I am dead and gone okay?"
I tucked the small note into my pocket, "Okay."
"Thanks Spunky." The old nickname that wasn't that old, originating on this beach, two years ago, sparked something in me.
"We're going to be okay Fin."
He sighed, shoulders slumping, "I hope you're right, I pray to all the gods in this world and the next that you are."
"Do you believe in heaven, Fin?"
Finnick looked at me for a moment before turning back to the ocean and the blooming colors on the horizon. I almost didn't think he was going to answer, "I do. I believe that there is something after this, I just don't know what."
I only nodded, staring out across the water, "Good."
"Good."
Believing in something was good.
✧✧✧
The prep team showed up right after breakfast. Adrian wrapped me in a warm embrace, and it was all I could do to keep the tears from my eyes when he looked down at me.
"You look so much better Sage."
"Thank you."
He patted my cheek, leading me over to one of the kitchen chairs. He sat me down, taking up a hairbrush in one hand and some kind of spray in the other. "Let's make a statement my dear. Snow wants the victors, we'll give him the victors."
Hank came down the stairs, his eyes finding me.
I gave him a small smile before answering Adrian, "Give them the victor. No more pretty fluffy princess, I want to be dangerous."
✧✧✧
Adrian gave me dangerous. A skin tight black shirt and loose dark green trousers. Simple, with my hair braided back into two dutch braids. It all felt so similar, but so different. The pull on my scalp was the same, but the pull in my chest, in my heart was different.
He brushed a light layer of makeup across my skin making my face harsher, more angular. "Now you look like a dangerous woman, Sage Beatty." Adrian said as he stepped back to observe his work.
Hank was leaning on the counter, "You look like you could kill someone and not even blink an eye."
I pulled the braids to the front, running my hands over the smooth shiny hair. It was longer than I realized, reaching past my butt. Time to cut it. "That's the point isn't it? To kill people without flinching?"
Grabbing the boots from where they sat, abandoned on the chair I pulled them on. They fit the same way they had two years ago. Sturdy and laced up to the knees.
Adrian gave me one of those knowing looks, "I found them on the train two years ago. A little girl left them." Working at the laces that I thought were long gone I smiled at him, "I figured the woman would want them back."
I pulled the bow tight before I rose to crush him in a hug. "Thank you Adrian, as always, for everything."
He hugged me back, "You know you never have to thank me darling."
"But I always will." Hank came over pressing a kiss against my forehead.
Adrian smirked at me, "I told you, Uncle Adrian made sure you got that man." He flicked my nose, "I'll give you a minute."
It wasn't until the door clicked shut behind him that I spoke, looking up into Hank's sea blue eyes. "I have something for you. Just in case I don't get a chance to give it to you."
Confusion painted his face, "Why something for me?"
I pulled out the note that Finnick had left me, along with my own scrap of paper.
"One is from Finnick to Annie." I said, holding up the small scrap before pressing it into his hand, "And one is from me." I took his hand, placing the second note in it before closing his fingers over them. "Don't read it unless you know I'm dead and gone."
"But you won't be dead and gone." His eyes had the look of cracked glass, like they would shatter if something bumped him wrong "You have to come back to me, Sage. You can't just resign yourself to death just because you might be okay with it!" His voice was rising now, filling the small space between us, filling the kitchen. But then it broke, "you can't leave me here alone."
I gripped the side of his face forcing him to look me in the eye, "You were fine without me before."
A tear tracked its way down his cheek, "That was before, Sage. Before I knew you, and what you've been through and before you let me in. Now, now, I don't know how I'll live without you."
I didn't say anything, just wrapped my arms around his body and held him. Strong arms wrapped around my waist and squeezed. "I don't know if I would have lived if it wasn't for you Hank." I said into the soft material of his shirt,
"Then come back to me Beatty." This was whispered into my hair.
I took a deep breath, trying to save the smell of him. Salt, and woodsmoke. We stood there until Adrian called for us.
Hank pressed a kiss to my lips, whispered, "Come back to me," one last time before letting me go.
I knew he was going to see his mother, and the thought of that goodbye only left a gaping hole in my chest and solidified the determination in my soul. I was going in. Not Ash, not Mags, and for sure not Annie. Me.
In my hand Hank had left a sand dollar. It was perfectly round and intact. That action alone made me want to break down and cry. I held onto it the whole ride to the square. Clutched it as I lined up behind Annie and Ash. I pressed it into the pocket of the trousers when we filed onto the stage. Finnick met my eyes, nodded slightly and turned to look out over the crowd. I couldn't hear anything but the roar in my ears as Lily stepped up to the microphone. Anger, true and hot seared across my senses.
This.
Is.
Not.
Fair.
Annie started to shake and I reached over and took a hold of her hand. She clung to me like a lifeline and I let her. I looked into the cameras, letting that anger simmer to the surface.
My ears cleared when I heard Lily announce "As always, Ladies first."
All of the sound around me returned like a roaring wave across my senses. Ash straightened her shoulders, and Mags swallowed. Gritting my teeth I braced myself.
Here we go.
The clicking of Lily's heels sounded like gunshots. That snake started gnawing on my guts again as she reached into the bowl. Only four slips, that was all that littered the bottom of the huge glass fishbowl. Lily's light purple gloves swirled around above them, trying to build the suspense.
"Get on with it." I growled through my gritted teeth, and one of the peacekeepers that had surrounded us whacked me with the handle of his nightstick.
Somewhere in my chest that spark that I thought was long dead started to sputter back to life. I shot the Peacekeeper a dirty look as Lily plucked a piece of paper out of the bowl. She clipped over to the stage, taking her time unfolding and smoothing the slip. Annie clamped down on my hand so hard it could have been a vise.
Lily cleared her throat. "The female tribute from District Four, is..." I saw her face fall, just slightly. That crack in her mask showed the humanity behind the violet hair and makeup. It wasn't her fault we were here, something I would be wise to remember. "Annie Cresta."
Annie crumpled beside me, almost dragging me down with her. My hand started to rise. It had to be me.
"I volunte..."
I was cut off by a hand, dragging my arm down with a force that shouldn't have been possible from the small frame that was Mags. Her hand was in the air, and I died a little inside.
"No!" Meeting her eyes I plead with her. "Please Mags, let me do this!"
She shook her head, and when she spoke it was almost too quiet to hear.
"You. You will save us."
Hellooooo everyone! Here is yet another chapter! So, I'm planning a little bit of a bonus chapter...(Jazz hands) but that won't be for a few chapters, but I think the Peeta lovers will love it.
Have a wonderful day!
All the Love
Des