I glance at the clock; 8:30.
I sigh, and turn back to the window. The train won't arrive back in district four untill around midnight.
I had to cut my last "date" short because the train was leaving earlier so I wouldn't get back home outrageously late.
So I sit on the couch, and stare at the countryside zooming past.
I'm eager to get home, and to see everyone. Actually I think I'm just more eager to get as far away from the capitol as I can.
I shiver, and rub at my skin. I can still feel them, their odd dyed skin, their long painted nails, their heavy perfumes seem to be permanently stuck in my nose.
As I rub my skin, I can still feel their hands on my arms, my neck and my chest. The rubbing doesn't help, so I start scratching, trying to rid myself of them.
I succeed in breaking the skin, and blood starts to seep out of the scratches.
I jump as someone touches my shoulder, I turn around quickly, and see a blonde avox woman standing there, I look at her for a minute, then recognition dawns on me.
"You were on the train that took me to the capitol for the first time, weren't you? You showed me to my room."
She nods, her large brown eyes sad. She must know what I have to do.
"Did you need something?"
She looks concerned, and points down at my bleeding arms.
"I...well...it's just that...I'll go get cleaned up."
I stand up quickly, and walk to my room.
Once inside, I sigh, and plop onto the bed.
I sit there for a minute, then the awful sensation comes back.
I run into the shower, and turn the water on, I don't care what I smell like, I don't care what temperature the water is, I just push random buttons, and rub and scratch at my skin.
The water turns on hot, very hot, and it feels like it will burn away the capitol from me. I'm enveloped first in purple foam that smells like lavender, then a pink one that smells like strawberries.
I stay in the shower for at least an hour, maybe two. Then I come out, and step on the instant dryer.
I find a pair of very non capitol looking sweatpants, and I slip into them quickly.
I glance in the floor length mirror, and sigh.
From my shoulders to my waist is covered in scratches, my back is the same.
They're not bleeding anymore, but they still hurt.
How could I have done that to myself? I still have some skin underneath my fingernails, and I quickly get it out.
Shivering, I grab a hoodie, and pull it on.
I smell very...sweet, and I actually feel relatively clean. I sigh and walk back to the lounge area, collapsing onto my favorite couch, I stare out the window, and focus on thoughts of Annie, and home.
I wonder what she's doing right now, maybe she will be helping her mother clean the kitchen. Or she could be reading, she loves to read. She could be swimming, sometimes we go night swimming.
I close my eyes, and I can hear the sound of the ocean, I can almost smell the salt air.
I glance again at the clock, we'll be home in another two hours or so.
I must have dozed off, because I wake up in a dream.
I'm not on the beach, but I can hear the ocean in the distance. I'm standing on a stage, and I spot Annie waving to me from across the square. I wave back.
"Finn come on, let's go play down by the water!"
She smiles, motioning me to come. I smile back, and am about to jump off the stage, when all of a sudden the square is full of women from the capitol.
I jump back into the middle of the stage, and shiver. The capitol women reach up onto the stage, and stretch their arms forward, trying to touch me. I can smell their horrid perfumes, and cover my nose.
"Come on Finn, I can't wait forever."
Annie says playfully. I stare at her in shock, can't she see them? How can she expect me to go anywhere near them.
"I guess I'll have to go swimming by myself."
She says, turning around.
"Annie wait!"
I shout, stepping towards the stage edge. immediately hands stretch forward, trying to grab me and pull me into the crowd. I step back.
"I can't wait if you're not willing to go through them for me."
I shudder, and shake my head.
"Goodbye Finn."
She turns and vanishes.
"No! Annie!"
I step to close to the edge, and a hand grabs my ankle.
I yell, and jerk awake.
The avox woman is standing over me, motioning.
"What?"
She points behind me, and I turn around.
"We've arrived sir."
An attendant says quickly. I rub my eyes, and stand up.
"Thank you."
I say to the woman, and almost run to the train door.
Before I reach it, I can already smell the salt air.
I burst out of the train, and inhale deeply. Home.
I smile, and close my eyes. I'm home, away from the capitol.
"Finnick?"
I open my eyes, and look around quickly.
"Bruce!"
I run forward and give him a hug.
"It's really good to see you."
He says, firmly patting me on the back. I release him, and take a step back.
"Yeah, same to you. You didn't have to come get me, I could have gotten home by myself."
He nods.
"I know you could have, but I thought you would like to see a friendly face on your return from the capitol."
I grin.
"You got that right. I'm glad you came. Did you walk?"
"Yep. Bit of fresh air never hurt anyone. Come on, let's get you home."
We start walking back, both of us silent.
"Why are you wearing sweats?"
I glance down, remembering that it's spring, and spring in district four is usually hot.
"Uh...no reason. It was kind of cold on the train."
Bruce stops, and I stop.
"What?"
He crosses his arms, looking right into my eyes.
"What?"
He grabs my wrist, and pulls up my sleeve.
"Did you do this?"
I nod slowly.
"What were you thinking? Were you trying to kill yourself? What is wrong with you?"
He says angrily.
I rub at the scratches.
"I...I couldn't...get the...capitol off..."
He softens, and pulls away my hand.
"Don't rub at it, they'll only start bleeding again."
I shake my head as we start walking.
"I could still feel them, their hands crawling over me."
I shudder, and rub my arm quickly.
"Hey. You're back home, they're gone. You've got to stop scratching yourself, understand?"
I nod.
"Good. How do you suppose you're going to explain this to Annie?"
I shrug.
"I'll think of something not too ridiculous."
Bruce walks me all the way back to my house, he says goodnight, and returns to his own house.
I go straight to bed. Falling asleep thinking how wonderful it is to have the whole bed to myself.
I wake up late the next morning, and stretch lazily.
I hear a loud knock on the front door, and before I can do anything, the door slams open and I hear someone running up the stairs. In about five seconds, the door to my bedroom flies open, and Annie comes running in and jumps on my bed.
"Finn you're back!"
She throws her arms around my neck, and hugs me tightly.
"I missed you so much!"
I laugh, and blow her wild hair out of my face.
"I missed you too. Can you stop choking me now?"
She shakes her head.
"Nope. Sorry, I'm making up for all the hugs you didn't give me this week."
I wrap my arms around her, and squeeze hard. She gasps.
"Okay, I think that's enough now."
I laugh, and let her go. She bounces up and down on my bed, her reddish-brown waves flying everywhere.
"I'm so glad you're back!"
I grin, and pull the covers off me.
"Yeah I figured."
She stops bouncing suddenly, and starts repeatedly slapping my shoulder; a sign that she just thought of something.
"Ooh! Ooh! I have something to tell you!"
I grab her hand, to keep her from smacking me again.
"What is it?"
She smiles, and blushes ever so slightly.
"Irvin asked me out on a date."
I raise my eyebrows.
"No way! Did you say yes?"
She nods quickly.
"We had lunch a couple of days ago."
I get out of bed, and search through my drawers for some clothes.
"Did you have fun?"
She is still sitting on the bed, and she wiggles around excitedly.
"Yes, I had tons of fun. He's really nice, and funny, and silly, and he's not afraid to give his opinion."
I chuckle as I pull out a pair of jean shorts and a blue shirt.
"Sounds like a real catch."
She giggles, and covers her face with her hands.
"Oh stop it. Don't tease me, he really is great."
I pull off the sweatshirt I had worn when I got home, and I am about to pull on my shirt, when Annie gasps, and jumps off the bed.
"Finnick what happened?"
Uh oh, she only uses my full name when she's scared or angry.
"I uh...It's nothing."
She reaches her hand forward to touch my arm, the only thing I can think of is the women in the capitol, and I automatically cringe away from her.
Concern shows deeply on her face, and she slowly pulls her hand back.
"What happened?"
She says it barely in a whisper.
I pull the shirt quickly over my head, and shrug.
"Nothing."
She gestures to my arms.
"This isn't nothing. This is definitely something, and I want to know what happened!"
She makes a small sobbing sound, and covers her mouth with her hand.
"Annie..."
I almost reach forward to comfort her, but the thought of physical contact still makes me shiver.
"The truth is, at the TV interview, they wanted to take pictures with one of their mutt pets, I think it's called a ferbie. They're actually terrifying; small fluffy things with big eyes and ears. Anyway, the thing didn't like me very much, and went haywire. Sort of clawed me."
She frowns, dropping her hand.
"What?"
I smile.
"Yeah I know, weird right?"
She blinks several time, disbelief showing on her face.
"They keep mutts as pets?"
I shrug.
"I think they make some mutts to be pets, but the ferbie thing was just as scary as any other mutt I've seen."
She giggles.
"Alright, now I'm going to have to see one of those things."
I laugh.
"I'll try to get you a picture. Or I could just buy you one."
She shakes her head quickly.
"No thanks, I'd rather just see a picture."
"Alright, will do."
We stand silent for a minute, then she sighs,
"I have to go..."
She shuffles for a minute.
"I'll see you later?"
She shrugs.
"I guess. I have to get to school, so maybe I'll see you tonight?"
I nod.
"Yeah, I'll see you later than."
She takes a step forward, and I think she's going to hug me, but when she sees my hesitation, she waves.
"Bye Finn."
I wave.
"Bye."
She leaves, and I'm left feeling terrible. Why did I pull away from her? Why didn't I let her touch me? I can't tell her the truth, but sooner or later she's going to find out if I keep acting strange. I have to act like everything is normal for her sake.
I sigh, and change into my jeans, then I decide to go down to the beach.
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