Chapter 12:

The next day and a half passed in much the same manner—with Annie managing to fly under the radar, always taking the place of camp guard during hunting parties, and when she made it into the final eight, I began to let my hope grow just a bit.

Johanna had taken it upon herself to stay permanently attached to my station and was currently sitting next to me with her bare feet propped up on the table and a bowl of popcorn in her lap. I watched her out of the corner of my eye as she popped a few kernels into her mouth. Man, she could be so irreverent at times!

I hadn't slept properly for a couple of days now, and was sure that coffee was beginning to lose its effect. I shifted anxiously in my seat as I watched Annie and the other careers tidy up their camp after a small earthquake.

"Don't you want to get out of this room?" I finally snapped at Johanna as she began munching louder than usual.

"Right," she retorted. "Because I really want to go mingle with the Capital." Mags chuckled softly on my other side.

"When is she going to kill someone?"

"She's not going to kill anyone," I explained for at least the third time in the past 48 hours, running my hand over the side of my face as I tried to stay alert.

"Well," said Johanna, who seemed unimpressed with that idealistic goal. "If she's going to win, she's going to need to break away from the Careers and kill someone pretty soon."

"We'll see," I answered noncommittally.

"Something better happen soon or the Gamemakers are going to take matters into their own hands," Mags muttered. "That last earthquake was too small to do much physical damage. The next one will be big."

No worries, Mags," Johanna replied in a bored tone. "That Alex kid is about to cause some trouble."

I tensed and leaned further towards the screen. Annie had described Alex very accurately when she told me that he was a pig. Indeed, the guy had given crude interview and despite the fact that he was fighting for his life still managed to somehow find time to hit on the female tributes both with lewd comments and occasionally with his hands. I felt sickened at the very thought of him—the imbecile had no idea how to treat a woman!

Right now, his eyes were focused on Annie My jaw tightened, as did my grip on the table in front of me, as he approached her casually.

"Cresta," he greeted as he came up behind her, pretending to look over her shoulder at the supplies she was sorting through. But it was impossible to miss his hand as he placed it dangerously low on her back and began inching it further down. My grip tightened even further.

She swatted him firmly away and moved down the line of supplies, not even sparing him a look. He followed, again trying to make a smooth grab at her. Again, she rebuffed him and kept moving. My teeth began to grind as he made his third attempt.

This time she swung around, looking him directly in the eyes.

"You so much as attempt to do that again, Alex, and I will shatter every bone in that hand of yours," she spoke in a low, calm voice, but could not be mistaken. I felt Johanna shift slightly towards the screen—her interest piqued.

"Can she do that?" Mags asked curiously. I didn't respond, but remained focused on Alex, who clearly had the same question on his mind. He glanced behind him at Jake, who, to my chagrin, had been watching the entire interaction between him and Annie without so much as one attempt to step in.

Usually District partners had each other's backs to some extent, but then considering his indiscretions towards Annie, I guess it was too much to hope he would do something. If anything, he was watching with a look of great interest, as though trying to figure out what would happen. He glanced at Alex, smirked, and shook his head slightly with a shrug o his shoulders.

This was all the confirmation Alex needed. He let out a loud laugh through which the exclamation, "Yeah, right!" could be heard, as he reached for Annie again.

It happened so fast; the only reaction possible was dazed shock. His fingers had barely brushed her backside when her hand whipped around, covering it. The next thing possible to register was the sounds of many small bones cracking with impressive force and speed, and a string of curse words flowing from Alex's mouth.

"Yes!" I pounded my fist once on the table before throwing myself against the back of my chair. I couldn't control the huge smile forcing itself onto my face. "Yes, yes, yes," I repeated under my breath.

For a moment, the rest of the room remained silent, still stunned. Then Johanna burst into a fit of laughter. I glanced over at her, trying to fight my smile, and caught her eye.

"Well, ok then," she nodded. "I just might approve of your choice after all!"

Mags smiled silently, anew spark in her eyes, and from the District 1's station I could feel the glares on my back. Ah, well, it really isn't my problem that their tribute is a doochbag, I decided. The guy had it coming to him.

I took a deep breath, focusing again on the screen in front of me. Annie had left the camp and was stomping through the woods. Somewhat to my dismay, Jake was close at her heels. After a few minutes, having put a significant amount of distance between herself and the camp, she whips around to face him. Her face remains calm and her voice is measured.

"Why are you following me?"

"I—" Jake stumbles over his words slightly, and I'm pleased that he looks a bit disconcerted.

"I didn't know you could do that," he finishes lamely. Annie places her hands pointedly on her hips.

"You learn something new every day." Jake shifts uncomfortably, reaching up to rub the back of his neck, and I can't help but smirk a little.

Silence ensues for a longer period then most people would be comfortable with, but Annie doesn't flinch away. She simply continues to look at him expectantly, waiting for him to make the next move.

"I figure we could ally for a bit," he finally settles on.

"I don't trust you," she returns simply.

"Well, I don't trust you!" Jake retorts, his anger flaring up. Annie lets out a short humorless laugh.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me," she explains calmly. "I'm not going to attack you. Unless, of course, you attack me, and then I'll be forced to fight you—and I will win." I smile slightly as I remember her similar declaration to me on the train.

Jake crosses his arms and smirks, finally getting back into his element.

"You wouldn't harm me," he argues. "The district wouldn't be to happy with you—I'm your partner." Whether he simply thinks Annie wouldn't be able to do it in the end because of her compassion, or her seriously doesn't see the obvious flaw in his statement, I'm not sure. But I'm more than willing to bet that it is the latter. Annie seems to think so too because she takes the time to lay it out for him.

"No one would be angry with me for killing you, Jake," she patiently explains. "Because the only way that it going to happen is if you try to kill me. You need to initiate it, so you will be the one people will be angry with one of us ends up killing the other."

Jake takes a moment to consider her logic.

"Fine then," he concedes. "Alliance?" Annie surveys him briefly.

"Don't slow me down." And with that she turns on her heels and marches further into the woods.

I slowly let out the breath I had been holding, and attempted to loosen my insides, which seemed to be in permanent knots—it was futile though. I ran both hands through my hair, grasping them behind my neck.

"This isn't good," I muttered.

"What?" Johanna butted in. "She's in the best shape I've ever seen a tribute in at this stage in the Games."

"Physically, perhaps," I conceded. "Mentally. . ."

"She's fine!" Johanna laughed. "You saw everything that just happened! She was calm, in control—she handled it perfectly!" Mags raised her eyebrows at Johanna's rare compliment, but I didn't bother with amazement at the uncharacteristic remark.

"But she's not fine," I said, frustrated. I sighed harshly. Yes, I knew she looked fine to everyone else, but I still saw the way she tried to control the automatic flinch that came with each canon. I saw the look in her eyes when the Careers returned to camp with so much blood on their swords, or her slightly labored breathing when a child's dying scream pierced the air.

I had known Annie for years, watched her for years. How could I explain this complicated girl to Johanna in minutes, when it took me years to figure her out—and sometimes I wasn't even sure I did have her completely figured out. I took a deep breath. I had to try.

"Johanna," I began. "You won't know that something is wrong with Annie until it is too late. She doesn't deal with things outwardly the way you do. It's all done internally with her. She takes everything in and processes it that way. You've been through this," I gestured to the arena. "Can you imagine taking all of this in and dealing with it there? Trust me, the stress is starting to get to her."

Johanna raised her eyebrows and I could feel Mags smirking at me despite her concern.

"What?" I asked defensively. "I had a lot of time to observe. . ." I trailed off. Mags sighed and patted my arm in her grandmotherly fashion.

"Not much we can do for her," she spoke softly.

I knew this, of course. But as Mags said it, the most poignant feeling of dread came over me. I had never had a premonition before, but I couldn't help but remember the time I had been present for one of Annie's feelings only a couple of months ago. I remember her preparing my usual order one day in the fish market. She had seemed off that day—tense. Her eyes kept flitting to the shore and her brow would furrow in worry. I couldn't understand it at the time—it was the perfect day, nothing unusual or dangerous about the weather or the work that was being done—and yet she was clearly distressed. That night I received the news of the freak accident that caused one of the fishing vessels to go down—her father went down with it.

Now, I took a deep breath in an attempt to steady myself, and watched as she leaned over to build a small fire to cook some meat, her shoulders tense.

END OF CHAPTER 12

REVIEWS ARE ALWAYS MUCH APPRECIATED! I WOULD REALLY LOVE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS CHAPTER!

I HAVE A VERY THOROUGH IDEA AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHO ANNIE IS AND HOW SHE OPPERATES AND WHY SHE CRACKED—THESE THINGS WOULD BE MUCH EASIER TO EXPLAIN AND EXPLORE IF I WERE WRITING FROM ANNIE'S POV, BUT IS PROVING AN INTERESTING CHALLENGE TO EXPLAIN TO READERS THROUGH FINNICK'S POV, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE I THINK ANNIE IS AN INTERNAL BEING RATHER THAN AN EXTERNAL ONE.

ANYWAY—WHAT DO YOU THINK?