AFTERGLOW // finnick odair

nine

For as long as your heart needs.

Alivia could only hear the echo on the microphone. It was horribly loud and somehow she heard it far, far away. She stood on that stage with Mags by her side, Finnick standing a couple steps away. Only clouds greeted them, as if the sky was mourning something. Her shoulders were stiff like she was carrying around the couch they slept on. Their awakening wasn't exactly nice with peacekeepers at the entrance of the Victor's Village, just waiting.

She was distracted, flinching every now and then from the sound the microphone kept making. It thundered in her chest along with anticipation.

She heard it distantly but as if it was mere instinct, when Mags' name was called out, Alivia volunteered. It didn't feel wrong, it felt like it was supposed to be that way.

But the male tribute was about to be reaped and suddenly all Alivia could think was Don't let it be Finnick. She barely recognized the other tributes, even though all Victors were supposed to live in the same village. They were either never home or never left their houses because Alivia couldn't even think she'd seen them around at least for the past year.

Alivia knew better than to beg for things she knew she wouldn't get but there she was, hoping with all her heart it wasn't Finnick. On the other hand, Finnick had accepted his fate. It wouldn't surprise him if the only name on that little bowl was his. When his name was called out, he did what he knew best, he put on an act. Even through that perfect camera smile the rage was visible. His eyes were very expressive on its own.

The reaping was barely a blur, were they always this short?

The peacekeepers wasted no time and started dragging them directly to the train. That was kind of sad because it meant they had no one else to say goodbye to. At least for Alivia, the closest thing to family she had was Mags and she was right by her side.

Still, the peacekeepers kept pushing them as if they were going to escape.

"We are perfectly capable of walking on our own," Finnick said once they started to be more aggressive.

He could be pretty intimidating sometimes, they retreated at least a couple of steps.

Mags held on to both their hands tightly. She followed them to their rooms and for a while, she stayed on hers. Alivia didn't have anything to unpack, she just un-made the bed she was probably not going to sleep in.

Right before dinner, Mags asked to step in. The sadness in her eyes was indistinguishable as she placed herself behind Alivia to brush her hair.

It brought sour memories immediately. Back to a train like this, when her victory tour was due.

Alivia's hair was a tangled mess. She needed to get ready. She needed to– She grunted at the tug she gave herself, trying to sort it out. There was a knock on her door, hesitant.

"I need a minute."

On the verge of tears, it hurt to even try to keep her voice steady. You need to look in the mirror, she thought. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she tried to feel out the knot, hoping to deal with it with her fingers. There was another knock on her door and her heartbeat mimicked the beat.

"A minute, please," she said more desperately.

The comb slipped right out of her hands and her heart skipped a beat with the loud thud it made as it clattered the floor. She was so on edge she made the mistake of looking through the mirror. Bloodshot eyes, tangled mess of hair, dark circles under her eyes and barely healed scars on her neck. She couldn't stand to see herself like that. That was not Alivia.