QUERENCIA - THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY | FINNICK ODAIR STORY

CHAPTER 1

Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

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One thousand and seventy seven. That was the total of the days she was in the cell. The total of days she pitied herself. Lily was arrested at age 14 for using weapons to train, which was not a real crime. Her father was teaching her how to use knives and guns to be a guard, a decent job in The Ark. But alas, they were caught and her father was floated for that stupid crime and she was locked. Just one person to blame for all of these, Thelonius Jaha. She hated that man to the bones. She wasn't satisfied for just ruining that old face, she wanted blood. Lily wanted Jaha dead. But of course, that wasn't possible when she was locked inside a small cell like she was the villain. She was dreading the day she would get floated. She wished it was faster so she wouldn't feel like shit anymore. Maybe God heard her plead.

The door of her cell opened with a loud thud. She stood fastly and looked at the guards who held a box confused.

"Prisoner 2-4-5, face the wall and put your hands up!" he said. Didn't want to cause a problem, she just did what the guard asked her to do. She walked slowly to the wall and put her hands up.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Be quiet. Give me your right arm" he asked again. Were they planning to float her right now? She was only 16.

"You're going to float me?" she asked, hopefully she would get the answer yes out of that guard mouth.

"No. You will not get floated"

That voice. Shumway walked in with a neutral face. She turned her head towards Shumway. It's been a long time since they saw each other. The last time was when her father got floated and Shumway was the one who took her into her cell. When she was distracted, a guard snatched her hand and put on a wristband. The feeling of needles punctured her wrist made her hissed in pain. What was this thing?

"Don't worry. It's a wristband to let us know your vital condition" Shumway said.

"It hurts like bitch" she grumbled. Shumway ordered the guards to leave them alone to talk for a minute. After the guards left, Shumway moved closer towards the young girl.

"We don't have much time. I promised your dad I would look out for you" he said.

"What's happening?" she asked calmly. It was no use for panicking. Not when she was already sentenced to death by Jaha.

"They will send you to the ground to see if it's survivable again. All 100 of you. You are the first prisoner they need to put in the dropship, I requested that so I have more time to explain" said Shumway.

"The ground isn't survivable for another century. It's a suicide" she said. Shumway sighed, already knowing the consequences. He touched her shoulders with both hands and gave her a small smile.

"Then it will be worth it. They won't forgive you for punching Jaha. They're going to float you and I can't do anything about it. This is the only chance for you to survive" he said quietly. She looked at Shumway, thinking about those words.

"What the hell? I'm going to die anyway" she said defeatedly. Shumway nodded at her words and took out a gun.

"It's full. Emergency only. Use it wisely" he said then gave it to her. She took the gun and hid it, tucked it into the back of her pants, and hid it with her shirt.