Puzzle Pieces • Finnick Odair

C H A P T E R 4 5

Everyone in 13 goes quiet again to listen. Katniss stands shakily next to Finnick, her glossed eyes went to the rope in his hand.

The camera moves from Peeta, who is escorted back to his cell, off camera, and onto Jessica. Most of the people watching in both the Capitol and the Districts, gasped in shock at the brutal slash on her face. Finnick felt rage and guilt and sickness and many more emotions build up in his stomach but he was unable to move. His feet stayed planted into the floor, scared that if he did move them, he would fall to the ground.

"What are you feeling about the rebellion, were you a part of it?"

"Yes," she answers simply, before hearing a cough. She follows the sound to see Snow point at a hologram with words typed onto it.

"You were aware of what was happening?" Caesar questions.

"To an extent," she answers vaguely. Smartly.

"What do you wish to happen now?" Caesar asks.

Everyone watching in 13 were on the edge of their seats.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles.

"What? Whatever for?" Caesar asks, genuinely confused.

Jessica looks past the camera, "I can't see it," she pretends, speaking in a hushed tone as to seem as though it wasn't meant to be heard, but purposefully loud enough for the camera, and everyone watching, to hear. The words zoom in, Snow luckily thinks nothing of it, not knowing how well she can act and fake an emotion.

She squints her eyes slightly, really playing the part as she reads, "the Capitol, Snow, Panem. They all want," she pauses, "peace."

The people in 13 start to talk in hushed whispers, some discussing the fact that she made it clear they were being made to say these things, taking some tension off of Peeta too, some were talking about her scar and the abuse she must be going through, some were discussing the ridiculousness of the statement.

"And what do you think?" Caesar asks.

"You want my opinion?" He nods. "My genuine, honest opinion?" Caesar nods again unaware of the fact that he had now given her permission to say whatever she feels. She looks at the camera as if she searching for this seafoam green eyes, "I think that if peace is what Snow wants," she pauses, thinking over the consequences her actions would bring to herself before deciding she didn't care how much pain Snow caused her, "then give him hell."

District 13 cheers until they are silenced by the sight of the three peacekeepers that had approached her as she rushed out the last part of her sentence.

It all happened to fast.

Two peacekeepers yanked her up, out of the chair, with painful force as the other one struck her right in the head, knocking her out.

Unfortunately for Snow, the cameras didn't cut fast enough and the last thing seen by Panem was the blood splatter onto the camera, the tv screen. Jessica's blood. Everyone watching knew she would be punished greatly for it.

Katniss reached out to grab Finnicks arm as he stormed out of the room. The guilt was tearing him apart, especially after seeing her blood splatter on the tv screen. She wished he could swap places with her. He would willingly go through daily torture if she was safe and well.

AN: no one can tell Jessica Miller what to do/say. Clearly.