"IN THE CAPITOL'S GRASP.."

--¤☆¤--

"No. No. Athena. Come on, open your eyes! Please." A familiar voice shouts, gaining my attention.

I could feel a hand on my chest, and another interlocked on top of the other. Then pressure is applied to my chest, One⎯Two⎯Three, it continues until it reaches thirty. Feeling the same hands being placed gently on my forehead, another one was put under my chin, propping my head up. Then a pair of warm lips were placed on my own, blowing air into my lungs. Was that Finnick? What's happened? Why can't I move? Why can't I open my eyes? It was like I was trapped in my own head.

Using as much force that I could muster, I tried to open my eyes but they felt like they were made of lead. Was I dead? It felt like it. But, if I was dead, my body wouldn't hurt this much. Everything hurts. My head hurt, my ribs hurt, my chest hurt, even my feet hurt. All I wanted was for everything to stop hurting, but I was so tired. I wanted to sleep. But it's so hard to focus on the pain, when sleep was calling for me. I should sleep. Save my energy.

"Finnick. Finnick, it's no use." Another voice adds, as I could faintly hear the sound of a scuffle.

I wish that I could open my eyes, but I couldn't no matter how hard I tried. Using what very little energy that I had left, I tried to say something but to my disappointment nothing came out. Not even a groan or a grumble, just silence. I wanted to scream out, 'I'm here! I'm alive!' But, I couldn't.

"Finnick! Finnick⎯hey⎯She's gone. She's gone." Another voice said, that sounded a lot like Johanna.

"Finnick." Johanna tries again.

"Please, we can't give up." He begs, his voice raw.

'What the hell is going on? Am I? Am I dead?' I thought.

"NO! We can't give up on her⎯please⎯Athena wake up." Finnick begs, his voice beginning to grow fainter and fainter.

Then I hear the faint buzzing. I can't be dead if I'm hearing things, right? I have to be alive or partially alive. What if I'm dying? Is this it. Was I actually dying? Feeling something cold picking me up, I could hear and feel the hum of electricity on my finger-tips. The feeling was strangely familiar too, it was the same feeling that came off the net of the Helicarrier. The one time that I felt that type of power was when I had won my Games and they dropped down a net to collect me.

Now this time was different. I was 'dead' in their eyes. Would they bury me? Cremate? The quiet groans of metal mixed in with the hum of electricity, the sounds of a radio going off blurred together into the background. I didn't know what to focus on. Feeling a warm hand on my neck, I felt someone's breath hitting my face, like they were checking to see something. My pulse? 

"Oh my god. We have a heartbeat. We got a heartbeat! Get me a medic, now." A voice orders, before everything goes completely silent.

--0--

At first I feared the darkness, but as time dragged on, I learned to love the darkness. Because the darkness was a friend in disguise. It would distract me from the silence that surrounded me like a blanket. I could stare out into it, making out whatever my imagination wanted. It was comforting. Calm. Consistent. It meant that I didn't have to worry for the time being.

But the one thing that I did have to worry about was the pain I would feel in my muscles and joints. The aching feeling that would send pain throughout my body, making me bite my tongue in retaliation. They were tense and locked up. In need of a good stretch and massage. I knew it was going to be a bitch, when I woke up. Whenever that would be.

"When will she wake? He wants to see her as soon as possible." A raspy voice said, I could practically hear the annoyance in his voice.

"It's unsure. Her mind is fully functioning, but her body is still in the healing process. I need more time with her. Her injuries were critical. Broken ribs, a serious concussion, tear in the stomach. That takes time." A much more gentle voice answered.

"We don't have time for you to mess around. Now, how long do you think? If it's longer than a week, I cannot promise you that he'll be so⎯so, forgiving." The man said, emphasizing on the word forgiving.

"It's hard to say, if she keeps on healing at this rate and we keep on giving her medication. A possible⎯er⎯two more days possibly?" They answered, but it came out as a question rather than an answer.

"Good answer. Keep us updated on her condition and if she wakes up⎯forgive me⎯when she wakes up, inform us immediately. Understand, Miss.Page?" The man said, until I can't hear him in the room anymore.

"Entitled asshole. You can't rush the mind." She grumbles.

Feeling something rubbery touch my eyelid, a bright flash of white light blurred my vision. Feeling my eyes water up slightly, the light is removed after a few seconds. Hearing her grumble in annoyance, she released my eye lip and removed the irritating light. A part of me wanted to interact with her. But, another part of me just wanted to rest. To not have to come back to the present. To not have to interact with people. To not have to deal with whatever bullshit that was the outside world.

"Hello? Athena. Are you okay? Can you hear me? Can you give me a sign? Hmm⎯eye pupils seem normal. Your vitals seem normal. Athena? My name is Ava Page. Can you open your eyes? Say anything? Squeeze my hand? Move your fingers? Anything at all?" She pesters, placing what I guess was her hand in mine.

I don't squeeze it. I don't trust her.  

"Stubborn you are. Come on, you gotta wake up. I can't lose my little warrior." She said, which caught my interest.

I won't do anything again. I won't. She won't make me. She can't make me.

"How about some music then? You should know this song, Athena. It has meaning to you." She said. 

Hearing the humming of a piano, the hairs on my arm raise at the sound. I knew this. Where did I know this? Joining the piano was the ticking of a music box, an old one that needed to be cranked up. Then flutes and violins. A calanet joins with a light trombone. It's so beautiful.

"Dancing bears..painted wings..Things I almost remember, and a song someone sings..Once upon a December.." An angelic voice sings, making me shutter at the sound.

Staring at the darkness, a bright light flashed before I was pulled into what looked like a memory. Looking around me in awe, I watched as the figure of a young girl danced around with a woman. Flowers and grass enveloped the two like a warm blanket would, when it rained outside. A large tree stood behind the pair, with a small picnic basket and blanket hidden in the shade.

"Someone holds me safe and warm...Horses prance through a silver storm...Figures dancing gracefully...Across my memory..." The young girl sang, standing on her tippy toes.

Joining the pair was a man, he had curly black hair with dirty hands that looked like he was playing in the mud. Smiling at the pair, the little girl giggled loudly as he walked closer to them. Happy to see the man. Letting go of the woman's hands, she ran up to the man and jumped into his awaiting arms. Her daisy dress flapping in the wind.

"Someone holds me safe and warm, horses prance through a silver storm..Figures dancing gracefully, Across my memory..Far away, long ago.." He sang, twirling her in the air.

"Glowing dim as an ember..Things my heart used to know....Once upon a December.." The woman sang, kissing the side of the little girl's head.

"Someone holds me safe and warm..Horses prance through a silver storm, Figures dancing gracefully..Across my memory.." The man sang, handing the young girl back to her mother.

Cradling the young girl in her arms, the little girl's head was resting on her mother's shoulder as her mother rocked her back and forth in place. Her eyes began to open and close as she struggled to stay awake, in her mother's arms. She looked so peaceful. So at peace. Playing with a strand of her mother's hand, she lets out a small yawn.

"Far away, long ago..Glowing dim as an ember, Things my heart used to know..Things it yearns to remember...And a song someone sings..Once upon a December.." The little girl sang, before falling asleep in her mom's arms.

I knew that little girl. That was me. That was years ago. With my parents. In the meadow near our house. Snapping out of my daze, I jumped up from whatever I was laying on and looked around for the both of them. Was this a dream? A hallucination? A memory? Blinking away the tears, I couldn't find them anywhere. I couldn't see anything. Everything was a blur. Blinking again I stared at the blurry room in awe as a figure stepped in front of me. 

+++++

And I am done with the chapter! Stay safe out there guys!

I hope you all are doing okay emotionally and physically in quarantine! I love you all!

I hope that you are enjoying the book so far! A quick reminder to comment below about the story of what you think so far!