Querencia | Finnick Odair

Chapter XXXXIV

I pull the hood further down to cover my face more and swiftly move to the back of the building into the servant's entrance which I know because I once had a small fling with one of them when I was sixteen and he worked here with his family and snuck me in from time to time.

I walk through the hallway and only have to move into smaller rooms twice to avoid being seen. Now is just the question on how I get Haymitch out of the room. Because to be honest, he has alcohol in there and nothing will get him to move except his bladder. So I go with confrontation and just stick my head through the door.

"Haymitch...", I say, but he doesn't hear me. Katniss does though and she looks at me, an alarmed look on her face.

"Haymitch!", I say louder this time, Haymitch looks up and I pull my hood back slightly and he immediately leaves his seat and follows me into a storage room.

"What are you doing here?!"

"I don't have much time. I need you to give this to Finnick. If you can't, burn it. All you need to know is that I screwed up and need to set things right."

To my surprise, Haymitch nods. "Okay."

"Also...you might need this...", I say and take out one of the guns, "hopefully your aim is still halfway good because your kids are gonna get into trouble, or at least cause it."

"Where did you get this?"

"Well, I couldn't let these two reckless people die, could I?"

Haymitch takes the gun and smiles.

"You have become a good person Talisa. I am sure your grandparents would be proud."

"Yeah, now go back and don't drink too much."

"Sure. And you don't wallow in self-pity too much."

I shake my head. "You know too much Haymitch..."

He laughs.

"That's my job, sweetheart. Now go, we don't want you to get caught. And don't worry, I will get this to Finnick."

I nod and pull my hood back up, leaving the way I entered and hurry back to my house. The peacekeepers still stand in front of my house and haven't moved an inch. They are too trained and don't think. If they are told to guard the door, they will only do that and not leave their post for anything. Stupid, if you ask me, to brainwash ones soldiers to stop thinking by themselves.

I pull myself up by the rope and hide the two remaining guns in the library, then go downstairs and turn off the music.

I fix up some lemonade and hum, taking it outside.

"So, if you have to stay here all day...do you want some lemonade?", I ask the peacekeepers, who stand stoic.

"Very well. I will just leave this out here for you", I smile and return inside after setting the tray down. Now I have an almost believable alibi if anything came up.

Inside the Justicebuilding

Haymitch reenters the room, the gun in his waistband, covered by the jacket Effie made him wear, the girl's letter in the inside pocket. Katniss looks at him curiously.

"Who was that?"

"A good friend of mine."

"You have friends?", Katniss questions incredulously.

"Yes, hard to believe, I am aware. But some people do not annoy me to my bones every day", he smirks and Peeta laughs.

"So, is she a victor?", he then asks and Katniss sighs.

"Of course she is. How else would he know her?"

Haymitch speaks up: "Enough. She asked me for a favour and that's it. And it is none of your business, so eat up kids."

.....

The weeks fly by and every time I am a minute away from a breakdown I train. Sometimes alone, sometimes with Daniel. Sometimes I play with Theresa or go into town with Mariann. I don't dare to go to Lucidas grave. Maybe that makes me weak, but I don't feel deserving of it.

I didn't get invited to the Capitol in eight weeks, which is a new record and I run out of space for my paintings.

There are more riots and demonstrations, lots of dead people and even some executions in the market square. Most of the time I stand in the back and watch with clenched fists.

My paintings capture what is happening and I really want to be able to draw other things again. But I haven't heard anything from Finnick and the only happy moments are with the kids and I have enough drawings of them already. Mariann and Mike have a painting hanging in their living room and I have one of all of us in the kitchen. I cleared out my grandparents' room, finally, and stored all my paintings there because my studio was overflowing and now their room only contains paintings, sketches and one big table with more supplies. It's like a storage room.

I gave away the blankets and pillows and sheets and everything I could carry to my old neighbours. They invited me for tea and I was thrown back into my old world, where there was barely enough space to sit around the table.

Anyway. I need something nice to paint and if I walk to see the lashings and executions that is all I can think about and the dead peacekeepers. And Finnick. If there are riots in four as well. If he is safe. If he is in the Capitol.

Soon it's time for the announcement of the Quaterquell and I am quite sure that won't be something good either.