All I Never Lost
For the Caesar's Palace Monthly Oneshot Challenge. Prompt: 'When you have nothing, you have nothing to lose.'
The huge screen takes up a whole side of the main square. Her slate blue eyes dart around the temporary scaffolding, taking everything in. The things she would do if she had access to that feed...
At home, she has files and files of Hunger Games reruns. Images of twelve-year-olds in the arena; shots showing best friends being slaughtered together; hour upon hour of children praying for mercy, pleading to live, and then hour upon hour of their deaths. She has it all, ready to show the public in a shocking display of the Capitol's cruelty.
But she knows punishment for doing such a thing. Her parents, uncaring as they are, would never get over it.
Behind her, a shop door opens and the district's butcher appears to watch, a huge knife in his hand. As far as she knows, he is the only person who owns a weapon in the whole of District Twelve. Most houses - even ones like her's - don't have knives like that. If they did, the Games would've stopped years ago. If they did, she wouldnt be standing here, watching her best friend living so close to death. If they did, she would hope that someone - maybe even her - would lead the district on a peacekeeper killing spree.
No, that's not true. Owning weapons wouldn't help any of them, especially not her; not with her status.
Not with that much to lose.
A shrill birdcall sounds across the square. Her blonde head looks up at the Mockingjay that swoops towards the Justice Building and lands on the Capitol standard, totally oblivious to her eyes watching the white tips of its wings. She can't help but smile at the sight, her perfect white teeth ining behind thin lips. It is only a glimpse of a smile - a flicker that fades as soon as those wing-tips bring back another memory. Another secret. Another plan that can never be carried out.
She has seen the reporter standing in the ruins of District Thirteen. She has seen the footage of the totally destroyed civilisation, but it does not scare her like it is meant to. Instead, it gives her hope. She has seen the Mockingjay's wing-tip, and she has seen the truth.
But she cannot pursue it. In her heart of hearts, she knows that she would never make it to Thirteen, even without her delicate skin and pretty dresses. Never.
On the screen, a flash of light catches her eye. A flash of gold in the faux light.
The pin.
Her pin.
She sees the pin, sees the boy, and sees the berries.
She sees the spark of a rebellion begin.
Realisation hits her full on in the chest, almost forcing the air from her lungs.
All this time she has planned and scemed, but then failed becuase she can't afford to do anything. Of course she can't bring down the Capitol. She has too much at stake and too little in common with thoe who don't.
But with help from someone...
A rebellion could happen. Her wish could come true. All it needed all this time was someone with nothing: nothing to lose.