Avox
by Zexevev
Chapter 1
Water. It was the first thing she felt; it was nipping at her toes when she awoke half buried in the sand. She pulled herself up, spitting out the grime and grit that had accumulated in her mouth. She quickly scanned her surroundings (she was on a beach), then her thoughts. I am Lavinia. I am a criminal refugee. I currently in District…4, maybe? Satisfied with her recollection, she got on her feet and walked forward.
It didn't take long for Lavina to be able to see a nearby village. The short distance didn't surprise her; this was District 4, they fished, they needed it to be near the water so they could get the millions of credits they get for their natural resources. The town was more rundown than she had expected, but she knew that it could be her lifeline. A woman in her situation had no reason to complain about the luxury of a place; it made her seem vain. As she continued on her moonlit walk, the sand on the beach shone like diamonds, and so did the armor of the two rapidly approaching Peacekeepers. Lavinia gritted her teeth, and mentally made a note that she could probably outrun them if she had to.
"Hey, you there," one of the Peacekeepers (who was blond) said in a commanding tone. The "Hey" seemed to betray the respect he attempted to command, Lavinia thought. He's probably new.
"What are you doing out here so late," the man said, his voice turning to concern. People didn't often stumble up to Whitegate in the middle of the night covered in sand, so he assumed the worst.
"Well," Lavinia said, quickly formulating a lie in her head, "My name is Sophie. I was fishing upstream when a rough current came out of nowhere. My boat got torn up. It was scary, you know?" She was attempting to buy sympathy, and to anyone but the two idiots who were talking to her, it would've been obvious she was lying. "My boat got torn up, I lost all my supplies, and now I'm lost and scared. Could I come into town?"
The second Peacekeeper, who was a redhead like her, said "Of course you can ma'am. However, we can't let you in tonight. We can't open the gates until morning for security reasons. However, morning'll be here in about an hour. Wait outside for a little bit. Then we'll be able to let you in. Understand?"
Lavinia nodded, and grinned
Only from the outside did the town seem worn and run down; in truth, it was rather luxurious. It seemed to be built around a single stone street perhaps 500 yards in length. Positioned on the sides were plentiful alleys and branches, most of which lead to dead ends. The street ended in a large circular formation, with the town's Justice Building at the very end, where they kept criminals and other scum. Like me, Lavinia thought to herself, half jokingly.
Not many people payed attention to the strange redheaded girl walking through the street, browsing the various stalls and shops littered on the sides. She purchased fifteen loaves of bread, a jumbo pack of Bertrand's Homemade Lasagna, a sleeping bag, a tent, several knives of various length, two fishing poles, a flint and steel, a handheld computer, and a hairbrush. She payed using a Capitol sanctioned spending card. Eventually, she walked into a nearby restaurant, The Crawfish Café, and sat down at a table in the far corner. When a bubbly waitress came over to the table, Lavinia did her best to hide her annoyance by the waitress' constant attempts to get her to buy the drink of the day at 9 in the morning. She ordered a blackened tilapia.
"Greetings, citizens of District 4," the TV blared suddenly as Lavinia took a sip of some freshly brewed coffee. "My name is Ocrest Annick. Here is what you need to know for today." Shit, Lavinia thought. News. They'll mention me, I guarantee it. "Our top story today, a woman who has committed a crime of unspeakable horror is still on the run. We need you, the people of District 4, to keep an eye out for a woman named Lavinia, who often goes under the alias Sophie." Lavinia's picture flashed up on the screen. Great. Just fucking' great. She got up in a hurry to leave when her hand bumped the table, spilling coffee all over her feet. She couldn't help but yelp out of surprise. She clamped her hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Every hair on the back of her neck stood up as the people in the café turned to her, and gasped.
"There she is!" someone shouted, presumably a man. "There's the criminal!" Lavinia wasted no time. She bolted out of the door and dove down an alley. "Get the Peacekeepers! Get the Peacekeepers!" the people shouted, almost ritualistically. Oh God they're gonna get me. Oh God Oh God Oh GOD. Luckily, the alley she had chosen wasn't a dead end; it kept going to another part of the street. She got there and turned right, knocking people over as she ran. Lavinia looked back to see if anyone was chasing her, and sure enough there wasn't. She turned back just in time to see the heavily armored fist of a Peacekeeper slam into her face. She was knocked out cold.
Chapter 2
"Well, they say her name is Lavinia, and that she's a criminal, but that's about all we know. The Capitol shockingly hasn't released much information. We want you to find out what she did, okay?"
" Yes sir," said Dezdren Arenir as he strode down the prisoner's hall of the Justice Building. The hallway was about 50 feet long and went from the offices to the interrogation room, which was soundproofed. He had been assigned to interview the criminal "Lavinia"; probably a dangerous scumbag, he thought to himself. He had no idea what she possibly could've done to warrant such anger, but he could imagine it was probably terrible if it was "unspeakable". Murder? No, not "unspeakable" enough. The murder of an infant. Yes, he thought. She's a baby killer.
The room Dezdren soon entered was a small one, about 5 square yards in area. The padded walls were painted a moldy yellow, with the exception being the maroon iron door. In the middle of the room was an iron table four feet in length and two chairs, also iron. Despite the girl being a "baby killer", Dezdren couldn't help but think she was rather attractive; pale, blemish less skin, deep blue eyes, bright red hair, and a small nose came together in a rather nice way. She didn't appear to have eyebrows though, which was quite unnerving. She wore a tank top and worn jeans.
Dezdren shooed away the two Peacekeepers at the door, and he soon heard the distinctive metal clang of the door closing. No way in or out, Dezdren thought. He pulled out the chair that wasn't occupied, and sat down in it.
He did not say a word to the girl for five minutes. He needed to compose his thoughts for someone like this.
"So," he finally said. "We've finally got you. I'd like to ask you some questions, if you don't mind."
"You wouldn't 'like' to do anything. You're interrogating me out of a blind obligation to the tolitarian society that is this country. The fact that you find me physically appealing is worthless when you take into account that the second this conversation is over you'll turn me over to the Capitol, where they'll do with me as they please," Lavinia bursted out in one breath. Dezdren's eyes bulged. How the hell did she know that? He thought.
"What's the matter?" she continued. "Do you find it difficult to believe that a woman could possibly excel at psychology, a predominantly male profession?" Hm, Dezdren thought. She must be paranoid if she expects chauvinism from someone she hasn't met simply based on a reaction.
"Why do you expect chauvinism from me?" he asked her, voicing his thoughts.
"Why not? You joined the Peacekeepers, of which there hasn't been a female member for about thirty years. Why did you join? Clearly, it was born out of some sort of trauma, as an inner desire to prove your strength or manliness. Why is that? Did your mom beat you, perhaps?"
Dezdren cringed slightly. She was exactly on the mark.
"You're trying to get in my head, and it's clearly not working."
"Yes it is."
"NO IT'S…NOT!" Dezdren screamed, lying to himself
"Wow, real mature, Mr. Big Cop Man."
"Goddammit, will you shut up and tell me what happened?"
"That's a bit rude isn't it?"
Dezdren placed his face in his hands. This woman was annoying the hell out of him, and he was letting her get to him. For God's sake, he thought, I've been on the force 12 years, and NEVER have I encountered such a troublesome…bitch. I can't think of a better word, she's a fucking bitch. Wait. I'm approaching this the wrong way. This is how everyone must have treated her, and look how that went. If I'm going to find out anything, I need to act natural, calmly. Dezdren sighed. It ain't gonna be easy.
"I…apologize," he sighed. Lavinia raised her brow. "That was…unprofessional."
"Rude, too," she smirked.
"Yeah. Rude too. I would…appreciate it, if you told me what happened."
"I'd rather not."
"Please? Maybe I can help you."
"There's nothing you can do to help me," Lavinia sighed, sinking slightly into her chair.
"Well, maybe there is. I'll make you a deal. You tell me the story, and I…"
"You'll put in your good word?"
Dezdren, slightly annoyed, said "Yes. Exactly. Do we have a deal?"
Lavinia pondered for a minute, before smiling slightly. "Deal."
"Excellent," Dezdren smiled. "Shall we get started?"
"Well," Lavinia said, leaning forward in her chair, "I was born in District 5, but I didn't stay in the land of electricity for long. My father had attracted the attention of President Snow, who wanted him as an advisor. We packed up our bags and moved."
"Your father was an advisor to the goddamn president, and you're being sought for a Class H offense?"
"Yes, that's right. I'm glad your powers of observation work well. Anyway, the Capitol was nice. Living standards in the Capitol were much better than back home, and there was less of a chance that you would get electrocuted on a daily basis."
Dezdren laughed.
"The luxury of the place is what I loved the most. I doubt you have any idea what it was like for me. I gorged myself daily, dyed my hair red, and for a while made my skin purple. It was nice. Then it happened."
"It?"
"It. I'm not going to tell you about what happened there."
"Why in the hell not? We had a deal…"
"I know we have a goddamn deal, I just…don't want to tell you. Simply because it's a matter I feel uncomfortable discussing with …you." Dezdren felt an insult in that sentence, but also, somehow, a backhanded company. That perhaps she didn't want him to worry about her.
"All I'll say is that after it happened, I was sent to prison to await avoxiation. A fun little process I'm sure you're aware of."
"I'm not."
"You aren't? I'm surprised that someone who's allowed to contact a Class H offender hasn't heard of what happens to them."
"I assumed it was just execution."
"Oh no. It was much worse than that. First, they lobotomize you, so you have no emotion. Then, to make sure you can't protest, they cut out your tongue and make you eat it. That's my fate. That's what'll happen the split second the Peacekeepers come to get me."
Irony has a cruel sense of humor, for just as Lavinia said those words a knock came from the door. All of the hairs stood up on the back of Dezdren's neck, and Lavinia slunk down in her chair, stifling back tears. Dezdren placed his face in his hands, thinking. The door knocked again. He was crazy, caring for the fate of a criminal. He had joined the Peacekeepers to see people like Lavinia put in jail. And yet, he knew what would happen to her. No one deserved to undergo that monstrous process, he thought. What was he going to do?
The door knocked once more, and Dezdren made his decision. A calm swept over him like he had never felt, and he got up slowly. He turned to the door, and opened it to find three Peacekeepers in the hallway, two in front of him, another 10 feet away. They had full body armor, but Dezdren took note of a number of weaker spots, most notably around the designs; the Capitol was focused on luxury and fear, not the safety of those who they're in charge of.
"We're here for the criminal," the Peacekeeper in front of him told him in a monotone voice
"What?" Dezdren said, acting surprised. " I have another hour to interview her."
"Well, now you don't. We got here early. Give us the girl. Now."
Dezdren's face scrunched up in a vile grimace. "No"
Dezdren didn't hesitate for a second as he sunk his knife into the stomach of the Peacekeeper in front of him. As he bent over from the pain, Dezdren spun wildly, his long black hair in a whirlwind, as he slit the throat of the next. He almost cringed as he heard the gurgled scream. Almost. The third Peacekeeper, the one who was ten feet away, almost had his rifle all the way up when the knife flew through the air, hitting him dead between the eyes.
All three of the Peacekeepers were dead. Dezdren had killed them.
Chapter 3
Dezdren stared at the violent picture he had just painted. He had killed three Peacekeepers for a woman he had just met, a criminal for God's sake. What had compelled him to do that? It wasn't love; he was married, and he wouldn't kill even for her. Perhaps it was guilt; he saw what was about to happen to that poor girl, and didn't want it to happen. He decided that was his motivation. But motivation, at least in Dezdren's mind, didn't matter. What he did mattered, and he had just murdered three people.
"What in the hell are you doing, just standing there like an idiot?" Lavinia shouted from behind him, soon shoving him out of the way. "RUN!"
And so he did. He ran through the metal hallway, through the offices, down the stairs of the Justice Building, and into the street. He stopped only for a second, to look back and see if anyone was pursuing him. Satisfied that no one was, he ran down the street, and through the small island of trees in the middle of the giant stone circle. He was vaguely aware of the blood all over him. He dove into an alley, landing head first into a trash bin. He got up, ignoring the pain, and kept running. I'm going to make it out! He thought. Then Dezdren turned into an alley lined up with a couple of Peacekeepers, all three of them pointing their guns at him.
The first shot slammed into Dezdren's knee, shattering it. He bent over in pain, grabbing his leg. The second shot rang through his upper arm, going straight through to his stomach. He flew backwards from the force. The third and final shot, which Dezdren had expected, went straight into his eye, stopping just a half inch short of his brain. He slammed into the ground, and started breathing very slowly. He was in so much pain that if he moved at all, he knew it would kill him. His eyelids started to droop, and he suddenly felt very tired. Dezdren closed his eyes, made his peace with God, and died.
And yet, soon afterwards, he awoke in a forest, staring up at the starry sky. Dezdren lay there, thinking about how he had gotten there, before he sat up. He puzzled for a second, wondering why he couldn't see out of his right eye, before he realized. Dear Lord. I've been shot. I should be dead. Why aren't I dead? AM I dead? Clearly I am. This must be the afterlife. Much more green then I expected.
"You're not dead, you idiot. Get up." Suddenly said a voice. Dezdren didn't need to look around to know who it was.
"You know, I've never been so happy to see a criminal," Dezdren joked as he sat up.
"You don't really see me, do you? Besides, I'm not the criminal here, you are. Catch," Lavinia said throwing a cooked salmon at him. He gladly took it, and gnawed at it
"It took Capitol brand medicine to heal you up. Well, mostly. I couldn't do much about the eye."
"I wouldn't expect you to be able to."
Lavinia grabbed a fish off of the spit in front of her, and they ate their meal in silence, not even acknowledging each other's existence.
"So what did you do?"
"I told you, I'm not telling you."
"Really? If I'm going to be on the run as your 'accomplice', as they'll probably word it, I deserve to know what you did. You could be a murderer for all I know." Lavinia stared at Dezdren quizzically.
"Okay, bad example. Could you just tell me? Please?"
"No."
"We had a deal."
"It's kind of ineffectual at this point, isn't it? You can't do much to save me."
"Exactly. Wouldn't you want someone to know the truth before you…you know."
Lavinia sighed, and Dezdren could've sworn he saw a tear slide down her face. "There was a girl. Her name was Chayla, and I was…friendly with her."
"Friendly as in, like, dating?"
"Maybe."
Dezdren thought for a second. Of anything, he hadn't expected that.
"But that's not a Class F offense. I think that's a B. The worst you'd get is a month in jail and a restraining order."
"That's not what I did. Well, not fully/ She and I were walking through the street, buying some fruit from District 11, and some Peacekeepers came up to us. They told us we were being arrested for sexual perversion, which didn't surprise me; I didn't exactly make it then thehead of the squad that was arresting us came up to us and told us we could 'convince' him to let us go. Chayla just said no, and then he grabbed her, and they held me back. They were going to rape her, punish her just because of who she loved. It was so antediluvian, so primitive, it was ridiculous. I couldn't let them do that to her. So I attacked him. Dug my nails into his cheek"
That was her crime, he thought. Assault of a government official.
"They tackled me, and Chayla started running. Then…then one… then one of them pulled out a gun and…" She didn't finish. She just started crying, tears running down her face. Dezdren walked up to her and wrapped his arm around her.
She cried the whole night.
When morning finally came, Lavinia got up, cried some more, and went to wake up Dezdren. He grumbled and rolled over, before coming to his senses.
"What…oh. Hey." Dezdren sat up. "You okay?"
"No. But I'm better." She smiled at Dezdren, then looked to the side. "I think we're somewhere outside District 12. If we can get to the Seam, the poor part of the District, then maybe we can…"
A shrill shriek interrupted her, followed by another, and another. Dezdren raised an eyebrow under his bandaged eye. Lavinia's eyes widened.
"Oh My God. Oh my God, hovercraft! HOVERCRAFT!"
"What?"
"Get up and run! RUN RUN RUN RUN!"she shrieked
Dezdren pushed himself up, already broken into a sprint. He and Lavinia ran side by side, like two gazelle. The shrieks continued. Dezdren looked back and saw three bright red lights in the sky. He could tell they were from the hovercraft.
Dezdren knew in his mind that it was today. This was the day he would die.