Underwater ( Annie Cresta's story)

Chapter 3- Saying Goodbye

“ Annie Cresta!” comes ringing out of Daisy’s mouth

Alice’s eyes fly open as she looks at me with horror. What just happened, no that was not my name, no no!

“ Annie Cresta!” Daisy repeats

That confirms my fears, it was my name, I have just become a district four tribute.

I start to walk up onto the stage but Alice’s grip refuses to let go,

“ Annie no!” she says, her voice is shakey

“ Alice, Alice!” I say trying to calm her down as she starts to cry

“ Don’t leave me!” she says

I pull my hand away as she starts to sob, I am at danger of crying too but I tell myself that if I do I will appear weak.

I make to the stage, I can see all eyes of district four on me.

I can see Alice, some of the girls in our class our comforting her.

My eyes find my brothers, Finn looks at me with terror Jack is crying into our father’s chest. My mothers face is blank, I know she is trying to be strong but seeing her son weeping for me is testing her.

“ Now for the Boy!” Daisy says in a sing-song voice

She does a little trot over the the boys glass ball and picks a name on the very top.

As she walks over to the microphone my eyes lock on to my father, he eyes tell me everything. He is saying, don’t be scared Annie, you are strong, don’t cry.

“ Ethan Witherspoon!” Daisy announces

No, NO! Not Ethan. Memories flash before my eyes, Ethan and I are four and we are playing in the sand with Alice, Ethan is explaining to me how he kissed Alice and she punched him, I am watching my two best friends fall in love.

I see Ethan’s place face as he walks onto stage, I see Alice who is full out crying, her best friend and boyfriend have just been chosen to fight to the death.

Ethan fixes his untidy dark brown hair as he stands next to me on stage.

“ Now everyone give a big hand to your district four tributes!” Daisy says

Only a few clap, many stay silent just staring. Surely they know how Ethan and I are best friends, how he is dating Alice. how Alice just lost both of us.

Now we are taken into the justice building. I am lead into one room and Ethan another one. My parents and my brothers come in right after the door closes. Jack and Finn launch into my arms

“ Annie don’t go!” Jack yelles

“ I have to go.” I say trying to be calm

“ Then win! So you can come back!” Finn says

I’m torn, me winning means Ethan’s death,  it means that Alice would lose the love of her life, what am I going to do?

“ I will try!” I say for now

“ Now, listen to what you mentors tell you, because they won it once.” my father says

“ Okay, but I’m no good with weapons!” I reply

“ That’s not true, you’re good with a spear and you can swim!” my mothers says

“ You don’t know if there will be water to swim in!” I say

“ But there are always spears!” my father says

“ I know you can win sweetheart!” My mother says

I take a deep sigh “ Okay, you know I am going to try my hardest to win, and I not giving up but, just, don’t get your  hopes too high because the unthinkable can always happen.”

“ We no sweetie, just know that we love you and will always.” my dad says hugging me

As we say our final goodbyes I try really hard not to cry, who knows if I will ever see them again.

Peacekeepers come to take my crying mother and the rest of my pale-faced famliy out.

I sit down on the windowsill look out at the vast ocean that is on the coast of district four.

In school we learned that District 4 is on what used to be called the Gulf of Mexico before the 4th world war that destroyed most of the land in the world.

I wonder what the other districts look like , are they as pretty as our sparkling blue waters that and just full of life?

I hear the door open behind me and turn around to find Alice running to where I sit. She flings herself into my arms crying and saying

“ First Nate, now you and Ethan.”

“ I know this just isn’t fair!” I say

Alice just keeps crying until she stops and says

“ I’m sorry here I am mourning your loss why you're still here, you probably think I'm so weak with me crying so much.”

“ No, people cry not because they're weak. They cry because they have been strong for too long.”

“ Why do you always say the right things at the right time?”

“ It’s a gift.” I smile

“ Annie you need to win!” Alice blurts out

“ But, what about Ethan?” I ask

“ Well I mean one of you needs to win because, well because, I can’t bear the thought of life without one of you, because without you two, I’m no one.”

I open my mouth to reply but peacekeepers come in and take her away. They took my best friend away like they took her brother and they took my family.

Goodbye is so painful, when you may never say hello again.