AN: This story does not contain any spoilers. Just imagine that Zander is still alive, the 111th hunger games still happened, Zara's parents are still dead, and she decides to move in with Rye and his parents. Willow is still dead as well.
Song for this chapter: Flashlight by Jessie J
I'm stuck in the dark,
But you're my flashlight,
You're getting, getting me,
Through the night
The warm heat blew relentlessly from the vent sitting at the very bottom of the wall in the right hand corner of my bedroom. I wasn't used to the cool fall weather at the end of October. Warm temperatures suited me just fine.
It was strange living in a house with central air conditioning and heat, but then I thought it was strange living in a house with any electricity. I was not used to flat screen televisions plastered against the wall, temperature controlled showers, laser ovens and microwaves, and censor controlled lights in every room.
Even though I had lived with the Mellark's for two years everything still felt new to me. I felt like I was staying at a guest house or like I was running away from my old life, and one day I would have to face my reality. I would have to go back home and start all over. I would have to stop playing pretend and realize that I was never meant to live a simple life. One day I would have to come to terms with the truth, but I chose to deny it for as long as possible and continue to live with the Mellark's until something tragic happens, then I would know it was time to leave.
I considered Mr. and Mrs. Mellark to be fairly pleasant people considering all they had been through. They both wore the scars of war and the Hunger Games. Mr. and Mrs. Mellark were damaged beyond repair and to make matters worse their daughter Willow was killed by psychotic doctors that worked for Chronis, while Rye's body was being transported to District 12 for his kidney transplant after both his kidney's failed in the Games.
Rye's sister Willow's kidneys were donated to him since her kidneys were the only available match for Rye, and Mr. and Mrs. Mellark had to make an impossible decision. They couldn't allow their only child left to die, so they allowed Willow's kidney's to be donated to Rye, and I felt like that must have been the most difficult decision the Mellark's had to make in their lives.
They had been through hell and back, but nothing must have compared to losing their first born, just like despite all the adversity I faced nothing compared to me losing my parents. I didn't know what grief or pain was until Eros told me that my parents were dead.
At first, I was in denial I didn't really want to believe I spent seventeen years of my life taking my relationship with my parents for granted, but after I decided to move in with the Mellark's six months after the Hunger Games had ended things changed. They were still grieving over Willow, while Rye was still in recovery and taking hundreds of medications daily to make sure his new kidney's would continue to function properly.
Despite their grief they still welcomed me with open arms with minimal concern over Rye and I living under the same roof. I considered it as a good thing because there was no reason for Mr. and Mrs. Mellark to be concerned about Rye and I technically living together.
After I was informed about the loss of their daughter, I knew that we could both gain something from each other. Mr. and Mrs. Mellark could gain some resemblance of a daughter while I gained a home, and the sense of what it felt like to be a part of a family no matter how scarred and depressed they all were. At least they did not suffer from oppression due to the harshest form of slavery. Anything was better than being a citizen of District 11.
Even though things in Panem were changing for better since Zander's family friend Krios was elected President, after Chronis was banished and sent to prison with a life sentence two weeks after the 111th Games. He would rot in prison, and be tortured every hour of ever day and somewhere in the darkest part of my mind I believed Chronis deserved much worse. He ruined what was left of my pitiful life.
The very thought of Chronis's name made me want to stop thinking all together or maybe even stop breathing. I decided to stare at the pale blue walls covering the room. My bed room was a decorated plainly with pale blue paint, a sterling silver rectangular desk by the door, and a rolling chair. The queen sized black and white bed sat in the center of the room with a mahogany night stand beside it and a black and white lamp. Then I had an antique styled wardrobe on the left side of the room, and a black flat screen television plastered against the wall beside the wardrobe.
The wardrobe was filled with clothes that Mrs. Mellark insisted that I buy from one of District 12's clothing shops. I arrived at their home two years ago with just the clothes on my back, so even though Mrs. Mellark didn't care for shopping, she knew that I was in desperate need of clothes.
Rye claimed I could have just worn some of Willow's old clothes if I lost some weight, when I was probably several pounds smaller than Willow; after all I was severely malnutrition with several food deficiencies.
I was amazed that I survived that long without any proper nutrition, but I made up for it by standing against anorexia and trying my best to eat three or more times a day at the Mellark's home. They never seemed to run out of food unless Rye ate all of it.
I heard a low clicking noise coming from my sliver door knob, and I sat up on the bed.
I sat on the side of the bed, got up, and walked towards the door. Before I could touch the moving door knob, the door burst open with none other than the menace to Panem Rye Mellark standing on the other side of it.
"What do you want now?" I asked knowing he just didn't barge into my room without a reason.
"Why do you assume I always have to want something?" Rye asked and I lifted one of my brows. Rye entered my room and sat down on my bed with a light bounce.
I shut my bedroom door.
"Because you don't just come to my room, and make yourself comfortable for no reason." I said but Rye didn't seem to hear me. He was living in his own world, it was called Rye's world.
He grabbed the remote off the side of my bed.
"What are you doing?" I questioned watching him.
Rye turned on the TV and started scanning the channels. "I have something for you." Rye spoke abruptly.
"Ok. What is it?" I said wanting a clear answer. Rye turned his attention back towards the TV.
"Oh, that's what I was looking for." Rye said and I turned around to see what was on the TV screen.
It was the food channel, a channel that addressed all the latest food trends from our District to the Capitol. The channel displayed a wide variety of different foods and new cravings.
I thought it was a unique channel.
"You know you're not going to lose any weight watching this shit." Rye said and I folded my arms across my chest.
"You're one to talk. You've gained several pounds since your kidney recovery." I stated noticing how bulky his muscles had gotten. There was no trace of lean muscle on him anymore not that I cared either way.
"Yeah right, don't make up lies to hide from the truth." Rye replied like he was certain he was right.
"Yeah keep telling yourself that, and give me the remote." I demanded snatching the remote out of his hand.
"Hey, I was not done with that." Rye said about to grab the remote.
I threw the remote on the other side of the room beside the door. Rye narrowed his eyes at me, and two seconds later he leaped off the front of the bed and towards the remote. Rye crawled past me, and I jumped on top of his back to prevent him from reaching the remote.
Rye still crawled towards the remote stretching his arms towards it. The remote was only about two feet away, and I nibbled on Rye's shoulder hoping to leave a bite mark through his thin short sleeved navy blue shirt.
Rye didn't flinch and I wondered did he have neuropathy. I continued to lie on his back with my legs falling beside his. I was glad that I had on a pair of gray sweats and a sleeveless navy blue hoodie and not a sundress.
Rye was inches away from grasping the remote, so I did only what I was certain I could do.
I placed both of my hands beside Rye's sides, and I tickled him. Rye had very ticklish ribs, I knew because Luna told me.
Rye's movement halted, and he flipped off his stomach and onto his back. I tickled him more aggressively, and Rye's eyes widen.
He tried to slap my hands away but it only made things worse. I tickled Rye more and he burst out laughing.
"Stop!" Rye fought but he really couldn't contain himself.
"Stop or I'll call Alma." Rye said slapping my hands, his short laughter ceased.
"Alma wouldn't lift a finger to save you, and I am not going to stop until you tell me what you have." I replied.
"Fine… I can't show you until you stop." Rye reasoned with red cheeks and tense muscles.
He tried to fight his silly instincts, so he could claim he defeated me at our little tickling game.
I stopped tickling him immediately. I didn't realize that I was sitting on the lower part of Rye's midsection until just then.
I stood up, and Rye followed shortly after. He reached into the pockets of his black sweats and fished out one sea green envelope.
The envelope had orange and black writing, and I wondered who could be so tacky.
"Here open it." Rye said.
I peeled away the seashell seal, and I opened the envelope to reveal a square shaped note.
It read. "Dear Rye and Zara, you are cordially invited to our son Cain Odair's Halloween party. It will be hosted by our son Cain, and there will be plenty of food, music, and costumes contests for entertainment. The location will be at Aster Slade's haunted mansion beside one of District 4's largest lakes. More information will be provided if you accept the invitation. Remember to contact our son Cain, so your name will be written on the guest list, and you are allowed to invite one other person. Love Annie Cresta." I read aloud.
"I'm going by myself." Rye said and I shook my head.
"I just read the letter, and you already made a decision." I said and Rye shrugged.
Zander already called and warned me. "You mean Zander actually called you." I pointed out.
"Yeah, he asked about you and everything. He wants to know whether you're going or not. I said I don't know, so you'll have to call him because Zander said he's not going if you're not."
"Well, he can forget about Halloween and partying because I'm not going. Parties are not really my scene; I'd much rather but cooped up in this house all day." I responded.
"Oh. Well I'm going anyway. They got free food, you know I'm in."
"How do you know the food's free?" I said.
"Because I know parties, and if it's not I'll just steal Zander's wallet." Rye replied shamelessly.
"Alright and what about Luna, she is your endless love. Aren't you going to invite her?" I asked wanting to bug Rye.
"Nope, we apparently have bad blood." Rye stated.
"How?"
"That's the same thing I was wondering." Rye said and I shook my head.
"Ok you can get out now. I want to take a nap since I suffer from insomnia at night." I said pushing Rye towards the door.
"But I want to lie in the bed and watch TV." He complained.
"Good, go do that in your room." I said opening the door and pushing him through it.
I shut the door with him standing in front of it.
"There is no way I am going to a party." I said quietly with my back pressed against the door.
AN: First, I know I suck for writing these AU's, but I have a good excuse first I wanted to write a Halloween AU. Then stories like this help my writers block. Also, I typed this on my sisters computer because my internet on my computer is down.
I'll update something soon, hopefully. Someone let me know what you think of this. Is it really horrible? You can PM me if you want. Thanks for reading.
The song Flashlight matches Zara and her AU relationship with the Mellarks. Please listen to the song Flashlight by Jessie J. I actually just heard the song for the 1st time yesterday.
I know that this is out of line because there is no Halloween in the future, but I just wanted to write a Halloween AU.