Trapped, Finnick Odair

꧁01꧂

SOME SAY DEATH is the worst thing that can happen to someone. But very few say eternal life on Earth is the worst thing that could happen. And as I lied on Riffian's brown leather couch, trapped in the same house I hadn't gotten out of since I was 13... I couldn't help but agree with the few that believed this Earth was a form of punishment worse than hell or death. Riffian's house had been all I'd known ever since the captiol framed me to make it look like I ruthlessly killed my brother to win.

And seeing Snow's wrinkled face on the projector that projected his face on the beige wall... The face of the man who destroyed every part of my life... It made me furious. Maybe those who didn't have to live the life that comes after the games were lucky.

There was no feeling like the anger I felt in that moment. President Snow looked smug and proud as the entire crowd cheered loudly for him. It was ironic... No body in the cheering crowd had ever been a victor or fought in one of the Hunger Games. President Snow's wrinkly face moved as he began to speak, "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is the 75th year of The Hunger Games!"

The crowd got louder as he finished his sentence. His obnoxious smile grew wider at the cheers. I could hear Riffian drop something from the kitchen and run to the living room where I was. I sat up and moved to the side of the couch so Riff could sit with me. He made himself comfortable and sat on my left, his face scrunched up in curiosity. President Snow began speaking even louder as the crowd died down, "And it was written in the charter of The Games that every 25 years, there would be a Quarter Quell... To keep fresh for each new generation, the memory of those who died in the uprising against The Capitol."

Riff turned to look at me, but I was too focused on the nonsense Snow was speaking about, "Each Quarter Quell is distinguished by Games of a special significance. And now on this, the 75th anniversary of our defeat of the rebellion, we celebrate the 3rd Quarter Quell."

The crowd cheered even louder than last time as he slowly pulled out another index card he was reading off of. I took a deep breath, trying to take in what he was saying, "As a reminder that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of The Capitol, on this, the 3rd Quarter Quell Games, the male and female tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of Victors in each district."

Shock.

Fear.

Pain.

Numbness.

That was all I felt as I heard President Snow's horrific words. My eyes widened as I sat in place. It felt as if the world that was spinning around me had just stopped. The entire universe felt as if it stopped spinning just to painfully squeeze in on me. It didn't feel real in that moment, nothing in my life did. I heard yells come out of Riff's mouth as he shot up from the couch and shoved his hands in his curly black hair.

I didn't know if I was supposed to cry, smile, laugh, punch something, or yell. I felt numb. Paralyzed. Whatever I was feeling was so deep under all the other stuff, I couldn't move. All I could feel was the feeling that seemed like the equivalent to a giant knife being shoved into my chest. The idea of going back into The Games with a bunch of other victors from every district didn't feel real to me... It felt like a nightmare.

This life was hell on Earth for me.

"Victors shall present themselves on Reaping Day regardless of age, state of health, or situation," President Snow's continued, but his monotone voice sounded muffled while I sat in shock, my eyes zoned out onto the floor. It felt as if I had been drowned underwater, and all I could do was just embrace the water I was in and prepare for death. Because that's exactly what I would have to do. Prepare for my death.

"Ameria!" Riffian yelled, making me pay attention to what he was saying, but my eyes were still zoned out onto the floor, "Did you hear him?"

"Yes," I said carelessly. It wasn't that I didn't care, I just couldn't process it, "W-We could go back."

"Ameria, look at me," he sternly demanded, getting on his knees in front of me on the floor. He grabbed my shoulders and shook me, which made me take my eyes off the floor and divert them to his tanned face.

There was only 1 other female victor in District 6, and 3 male victors. The odds that I got picked were too great.

I finally put my thoughts in the darkest place... And also the most realistic— Everyone in every district and the capitol knew me as the betrayer after what happened with Alexie and the Capitol framing me. No one trusted me, and I would have no allies.

If I was chosen, I'd be the first one dead.

"Oh my god, I'm gonna die," I didn't know if I was repelled by the idea or comforted by it, "Riffian, I'm gonna die."

"No, you're not," he let go of my shoulders and wiped a tear out from under my eye, "I'll make sure of it."

I shot up from the couch and ran to the kitchen. I did the one thing I rarely ever did... I poured myself a drink. I ran towards the bottle of scotch and poured a heavy amount into a dirty cup I had yet to wash next to the sink. Everything I did to prepare my drink was aggressive. I set the bottle back onto the counter with a heavy amount of force. I quickly pressed the cup to my lips, letting the room temperature liquid burn down my throat slowly. The feeling of the beverage going all the way down to my stomach was painful, but not painful enough to distract me from The 3rd Quarter Quell— Which I doubt was even a real thing that Snow didn't just make up the day before.

The feeling of anger took over as I gripped the glass cup that had beautiful striped patterns all over it as tight as I could before pouring the liquid onto the floor. I gripped the cup even tighter right before I forcefully threw the glass cup at a wooden cabinet. The glass shattered and crumbled all over the floor, yet the feeling of pain and anger was still there.

I grabbed a stool that was in the corner of the kitchen and threw that as well, making one of the legs break off. I could hear Riffian telling me stuff, but I couldn't hear through my obnoxiously loud sobs. I violently shut the wooden cabinets that were open with force and kicked them afterwards. I kicked every wall in the kitchen and punched every counter.

I grabbed the sink's faucet, preparing myself to rip it out, but Riffian's hand tightly yanking my hand off the faucet made me let go of it. I turned around to make eye contact with Riff's giant brown eyes. I exhaled loudly as I saw his sympathetic face... The same face Alexie gave me right before he died.

I clenched my fist and punched Riffian's chest. I did it again but with my other hand. I didn't hit him with full force, but enough to make him move a little everytime I hit him. Riffian didn't hit me back though, instead, he attempted to wrap his arms around me. I kept slapping and punching his chest rapidly, but his arms were too strong to resist, so I stopped the slapping and gave in. I shoved my face into his chest and let out the loudest sob I had ever let out. His hand softly rubbed circles on my back. I felt him rest his face on the top of my head as he whispered things I was too upset to hear.

And with my arms around his torso, and my tears covering his shirt, the only thought going through my head was death.

And how terrible yet great it would be.