AN: Song for the chapter: So Cold by Ben Cocks (Please listen to it.)
Zara POV:
Depression. It was a word used too lightly when discussed or addressed by a victim of it or a physician.
I suffered with depression all my life or at least most of my life. My parents passed away when I was only twelve years old. They were both shot to death by two armed unidentified robbers.
For a long time, I wondered what would possess someone to break into my home and kill my parents or kill anyone for that matter.
My parents were not perfect, but they were still honorable people. My mother was a nurse's assistant while my father was a well-known, charismatic police officer, yet they died on the worst day of the year. They were murdered on my twelfth birthday while my older sister and I were out celebrating at a local restaurant.
I always believed that the day of my parent's death was symbolic, and I had ran through the idea of their deaths being orchestrated or plotted out somehow. I obsessed over the idea so much it caused me an immense amount of anxiety. I barely slept or ate. I could just sit alone in my room all day and wallow in my misery or continue to obsess over my negative thoughts about my parent's death and dreary life.
Some of that changed a year ago, when my older sister Alma convinced me that it was not healthy for me to stay sitting in my room all day staring into space, she claimed that it would be wise for me to go out and do something productive.
Alma believed that I should move past our parent's death, and that they would not want me to carry on feeling depressed or stressed out. I thought my sister Alma was being selfish because she didn't understand what real guilt or remorse felt like.
Alma was nine years older than me, so she was thirty years old while I was twenty one. After our parents died, Alma got a job as a waitress at a rundown diner and finished nursing school.
When Alma graduated from nursing school, she started working as a nurse at the VA medical center where she met her fiancé Zen Moon, a renowned medical student studying to be a medicine doctor.
Zen cared for each and every one of his patients just like Alma, and somehow they worked together perfectly even if their relationship was sickening.
Zen recently moved into our three bedroom apartment since him and Alma's wedding was approaching in a couple of months.
Several months ago, Alma had mentioned moving into an average sized house somewhere in a suburban area, and we she said it I knew that she meant her and Zen were moving. I knew her and Zen were tired of me depending on them for everything, and taking up all of their time with my mental problems.
I was a bother to both of them, and Zen constantly worried about me and my mental status. Every day I had trouble getting out of bed in the morning even though my body refused to fall asleep. I think they both feared that one day I would just give up.
Until then, I tried to accept Alma's advice and be as productive as possible. Since Zen and Alma were always at school or the hospital, I cleaned that apartment five times a week.
Then I worked as a waitress for an elite restaurant called The Capitol. I worked at the restaurant for a year, and I hated every second working at the place.
There was always a flood of customers that were needy and demanding. The customers were always rich models, lawyers, or business men that looked down upon me because I was not from the Upper East Side. They treated me as if I was inferior to them just like my coworkers.
My coworkers always teased me or insulted my unique work ethic, and I could not go and day without being judged by someone.
The treatment I received eventually annoyed me, and it only caused my anxiety and depression to worsen.
I received advice from Zen to hold my head up high and try to remain positive even though I constantly faced adversity. His advice was not necessary because Zen did not understand that no matter how much I was taunted by others stupidity I was not going to break just because of their judgmental behavior.
I tied my long, silky dark brown hair into a side ponytail, moisturized my dry plain oval shaped face, and dressed in my work uniform.
My work uniform consisted of a tight fitted black skirt that fell just above my knees, a white quarter length sleeved button down blouse with a bow tie, and a pair of plain black flats.
After I was done dressing, I grabbed my small purse, turned out the lights, and exited the hardwood floored, three bedroom basic apartment.
The apartment I lived in seemed like a completely different world to most of the destitute side of Brooklyn, New York. The crime rate was extremely high.
There were people on every street corner begging for money or food. I would have given into their needs, but I knew that their pleas were only a staged act in order to get money for drugs. That was what I saw everyday drug dealers, drug addicts, homeless children and adults, hustlers, thieves, and car robbers. No one in my neighborhood could be trusted, but the criminals always left me alone since I did not have a social life, and I guess I appeared to be intimidating.
I walked all the way to a nearby subway in order to travel to Upper East Side Manhattan, New York to go to work.
The distance between work and home were not ideal, but I decided that my check was satisfying enough for me to travel a moderate distance from home.
When I arrived to Manhattan I walked out of the subway station and back onto the concrete city streets. I walked through the large crowd of fasting walking people on their tablets and cell phones seemingly not paying me any attention. That was one thing I could be grateful for living in the city was no one recognized anyone in particular on the street. Everyone just mind their own business, and the privacy was refreshing.
I walked onto the 96th street towards the large restaurant building sitting at the very corner of the street.
I noticed how full the parking lot was on the street and on the side of the cube shaped glass building and I knew that it was going to be a long day.
I entered the restaurant through a door on the right side of the building that was labeled staff.
Once I walked into the back of building I arrived inside of the large, immaculate kitchen. The kitchen had around twenty chef's preparing the food with the manger calling out orders for the waiter's to carry to their assigned customers.
The manager name was Loni Eads, and she always found something to criticize me about. Apparently I could never do anything right or leave the customers happy, so she always threatened to cut my paycheck. I personally just believed that her French braid was too tight.
She wore her dark brown hair in the same French braid that laid to the side, and I wondered could she ever change her hair. I would be bitter to if I was Loni. She was around two years younger than me, and I heard the only reason why she got position as manger was because she was friends with the owner.
After she got through yelling out orders and bossing the chef's around Loni pointed her round violet eyes at me.
"Where have you been?" Loni asked already interrogating me.
"What do you mean where have I been, I just got here." I responded unamused by her unnecessary hatred for me.
"Exactly. Do I need to buy you a watch so you can keep track of time or should I just fire you?" Loni snapped.
"Do whatever you feel Loni. I really don't have to be here." I stated and I could practically feel Loni's blood boiling.
"You have no right to address me that way. Know your place Fitin or you can forget about walking through those doors again. Are we clear?" Loni questioned.
"Yeah sure, we're crystal clear." I said bored with our short bickering.
"Good. Here is the waiting list of customer's you will be their waitress, and I expect a good report from them by the end of the night." Loni said handing me then list and walking away.
She shot me a nasty glare before walking off, but I decided to ignore it and tend to my customer's. There ten people on the list so far, and I could feel my heart rate increase from anxiety.
I was born with poor social skills and I had to talk to each one of the customer's like I was sane or normal.
The first person on the list was a man named Zander Chronis, he was seated at the third table in the front of the restaurant by the window.
I passed by the large glass fish aquarium that sat in the center of the restaurant, and it divided the front and the back of the square shaped building. There was an elevator of the right side of the restaurant that lead to the second floor of the two story restaurant. I was lucky enough to never have to travel back and forth from the second to the bottom floor since most of my customers were always on the first floor.
"Hello, my name is Zara Fitin, and I will be your waitress today, how may I help you?" I said when I finally arrived to the young man's table.
I took my notepad and pen out of my pencil skirt pocket, and I was prepared to write down his order. I saw that the young man was still deciding.
I stood there waiting patiently to write down his order, and I tried my best to avoid eye contact.
"Ok..," The young man replied looking away from his menu for the first time. His head seemed to be hidden or buried behind the menu.
He made eye contact with me, and I looked away from my notepad for the first time.
He stared into my dark brown small almond shaped eyes, and I noticed he had large and expressive amber eyes, long lashes, thick eye brows, unblemished peach colored skin, and an averaged size nose and lips. His hair was slick, thick, wavy, and chestnut blond.
He wore a white quarter length sleeved button down, a black tie, and a pair tight fitted blank pants.
I watched how his eyes never left my face, and his intense gaze made me feel uncomfortable.
"What would you like to order?" I asked breaking the silence.
"Oh, I would like a filet minion medium rare with a side of asparagus, but hold the balsamic vinaigrette glaze please." He said in a respectable way. I wrote down his order.
"Sure thing, and what would you like to drink?" I asked looking away from my notepad.
"A glass of red wine." He said and I didn't take him for a guy who like wine or for a guy that would sit down and have dinner alone at a table for two. Based on his youthful appearance and cartoon eyes, I could tell that he was the same age as me.
"Alright, your food will be with you shortly." I said with a forced smile.
I began to walk away until he grabbed my hand.
"I'm sorry, what was your name?" He stated like he didn't remember what I had said only minutes ago.
"My name is Zara Fitin." I replied trying not to seem agitated.
"That's a nice name are you related to a woman by the name of Rue?" He asked and I nodded.
"Yes, she was my aunt, but she died many years before I was born. Why?" I said not wanting to prolong the unnecessary conversation.
"Nothing. It's just that some people in my family knew of her, and I was just curious if you were related to her." Zander said staring at my face as if he was trying to figure something out.
"Oh right, well it has been good to speak with you but I have other tables to tend to." I said turning around.
"I understand, my name is Zander Chronis by the way." He said and I recognized that last name.
His last name was similar to the dark lord's last name from a fictional story. The Chronis family were the most feared mafia family in Brooklyn. Every time a serious crime broke out the police assumed that it was one of the members of the Chronis clan. The only thing the Chronis's apparently valued was family.
That was concept I could relate too. When I was eighteen I decided to leave Alma's apartment, and move in with the only friend I had ever had. His name was Rye Mellark and he was my friend and enemy. I attended school with him ever since I was five years old, and then I decided to move in with him and his parents when I was eighteen.
His parents Katniss and Peeta Mellark were pretty good, excepting people, and they faced some of the same grief I had endured. The mourned the loss of people close to them. They both had difficult upbringings even though they managed to become upper middle class citizens in adulthood.
They lost their oldest child Willow Mellark in a fatal crash, and they were still in the process of mourning when I moved in with them.
It had only been a year since they had lost their daughter and things were always dreary and depressing. Being depressed was all I knew how to be, so that dark atmosphere never phased me. Rye decided to cope with his grief by sleeping with every female he laid his eyes on. Eventually he got a girlfriend and a year later when I was nineteen I decided to leave because I caught Rye having sex with his girlfriend on my bed in my bedroom.
I practically ran out of the house and never looked back. I have lived with Alma and Zen ever since.
I kept my back turned towards Zander and I chose to ignore him. He didn't deserve my attention. I would bring him his food, and then pretend like I never met him.
I gazed down at the list in my hands and read the second table. The second table was table five which sat right across from Zander's.
It was a group of four men with black slick down hair. I saw the one sitting by the aqua blue wall was smoking a cigar.
"This is a no smoking section sir. If you want smoke than you need to take it outside." I advised knowing that I did not want to hear Loni's mouth.
Loni had an excuse for everything. She would say that I handed him the cigar or caused him to smoke.
"Do you want to know what I did to the last person that told me not to smoke?" The man with the combed brows, defined wrinkles, and slick hair questioned.
"Whether I do or not, I'm sure you're going to tell me." I said holding my list tightly in my hand. I just wanted to right the order so I could get away from all of them.
The man took another hit and the smoke blew in my face and up my nostrils.
"I like your spunk kid." He said with a light laugh blowing more smoke. The other three men just eyed me like I was a piece of steak.
"The last person that told me ended up hanging by their tongue, and I made sure they'd never disrespect me again." The man said eying me.
I didn't say a word, and it wasn't out of fear. I just didn't know how to respond to that.
Then the man and the rest of his men burst out laughing.
"I just joking with you kid. No one has been brave enough to tell me that." The man said and I believed him.
He put out his cigar in his astray, and then I noticed him looking past me.
"The name's Carmine Heavensbee I've been the Godfather of the Heavensbee family for ten years since my father got whacked by one of the Chronis's associates. By the way, these three men are some of my boys." Carmine explained.
"This one here is Frank, this is Vito, and this is my son and second in command Angelo Heavensbee." Carmine said gesturing his hands towards each of the three men. The biggest man was his son, Angelo.
"Ok, it's nice to meet you I guess. My name is Zara Fitin." I stated feeling awkward especially since I left my name tag back at the apartment.
"I saw you talking to that Chronis kid over their a few minutes go. Believe me when I tell you the kid's lethal. He's bad news, and a good, pretty girl like you needs to stay away from him. I know cause my father Plutarch Heavensbee used to work for his great grandfather Coriolanus Snow. Snow used to be the Capo dei capi till he was bumped off by one of my father's own. Then my younger brother God rest his soul was killed cause of that kid over there. He and the entire Chronis family are bad news mark my words." Carmine said pointing towards Zander as if Zander was blind and could not spot him out of the corner of his eye.
"I don't doubt that." I responded not sure of what else to say considering Zander nor his family had anything to do with me.
"Now what would you like to order?" I asked trying to ignore how the other three men were looking me up and down.
"My boys and I will just take wine and that special pasta of yours." The man said, and I wrote down the order.
"Alright coming right up." I stated swiftly, then I walked to the kitchen. I placed their written orders in the kitchen then I took orders from other customers.
When the men and Zander's food was ready I gave them their food without saying a word, and I hoped they did not need anything else.
Then night was long and after working eight hours the restaurant was closed at eleven o' clock. Loni assigned me to cleaning duty for the night, so I was left alone in the restaurant after one of the dark skinned male waiter's left.
I cleaned the filthy kitchen until it was spotless, and I left out of the restaurant at twelve o'clock midnight. I walked down the dark streets of Manhattan, and for once I decided to take a short cut between two tall apartment buildings to get to the subway.
When I walked through the dark alley I heard the sound of footsteps, and I assumed it was just the rats that lived in the sewers.
I continued moving until the sound of footsteps became, so loud that I had turn around and investigate.
When I turned around there was nothing or no one behind me. I concluded that I was just hearing things. I was going more insane than I already was.
I began walking again before I turned around completely the suddenly my side ran into something solid. I turned around to see one of the petite Heavensbee mob boss associate's. He was one of the overweight men with longer slick back hair that fell to his neck. He looked like he was at least 6'5 feet tall. The other two men walked from behind him.
"Hello sweetie." Angelo said with an evil grin that revealed several of his gold teeth.
He touched my ponytail.
"Where's your godfather?" I asked trying to distract him.
"He went by one of his old lady's house, and I told him we were just going for a walk." The big man said while the other two stood on both sides of him. One stood on the right while the other stood on the left.
"Well, I'm sorry to interrupt our little reunion, but it has been a long night for me and I was just on my way home, so if you'll excuse me." I said about to walk pass the men.
"Not so fast." Angelo said picking me up off the ground. He slammed my back against the brick apartment wall.
"See I figured if the boss can have a little fun, why can't I." Angelo said hold me in place.
I tried to writhe and kick my legs, but his grasp on my body was too tight. Angelo leaned in and placed a sloppy wet kiss on my mouth. I finally worked up enough strength to push the must smelling creature away from me.
I fell out of the Angelo's arms and onto the wet dirty ground. Angelo backed away while the Vito and Frank attacked me at once.
Frank picked me up off the ground, and I slapped him. Frank touched his redden cheek while Vito punched me on the right side of my face. The punch left the right side of my face throbbing, and it felt as if one side of my skull had been cracked.
I cried out in pain. I laid my body on the ground, with my head still throbbing. Frank pulled a switch blade out of his pocket, and I began to scream for help.
"Someone help me!" I screamed forgetting about my pride.
"Shut up!" Angelo said.
"Go ahead," He instructed to Frank.
"No," I said fighting against Frank as he held the blade over my abdomen.
"Someone help me!" I screamed again as I held onto the blade that was only inches away from puncturing me. I kicked him in his genitals, and Frank still stabbed me in the area where my gallbladder was located. He pulled the knife out of my abdomen.
I yelped in pain once again, and then I heard the sounds of guns shots firing. Frank fell on top of me staining my clothes with his blood and increasing the burning pain in my abdomen.
My vision was foggy, and I could barely focus. I felt like I was slipping in and out of consciousness, but I heard the grunting noises for two different voices. I figured it must have been between Angelo and a stranger since the other two had been shot and killed.
I moved Frank off of my body, and the stinging pain in my said made me want to vomit. I felt something thick and bitter tasting threatening to escape my throat, and I knew it must have been blood.
I slowly lifted my upper body off the ground and I strained my eyes to see Zander fighting against the large mob associate. I could hear Zander struggling until the man knocked him on the ground and pulled a gun out on him. I placed one hand across my stab wound, and I snatched the knife from the dead man's stiff hand.
I stood on my two feet and limped behind Angelo. He did not sense me walking behind him, and Zander did not see from Angelo's obese body.
I lunged the knife into Angelo's back hoping that I stabbed him in the spinal cord. Angelo shrieked from pain or shock.
I stabbed him repeatedly in the back, and Angelo dropped the gun on the ground.
I took all of my pain and anger out on Angelo by stabbing all over his back and side. I stabbed Angelo until his body fell onto the ground beside Zander with a low thump.
I still had a tight grip of the blade, and I stared at Zander like a mad woman. Zander stared at me with a wide eyed, shocked expression. Then he glared at the hemorrhaging stab wound on the right side of my abdomen.
"Your bleeding," was all Zander said.
Then he stood off the ground and reached for the knife in my hands.
"It's ok you can trust me." He said trying to take the knife.
I pointed the knife at him. "I don't trust anyone." I said ready to kill him if he made one wrong movement.
Then the sound of police siren's sounded. Zander backed away from me picked up his gun.
"We have got to get out of here." Zander said and I could almost see the panic in his eyes.
"I'm not going anywhere with you." I replied still wanting to attack him. This was partially his fault.
"Listen if you don't come with me then we'll both go to jail." Zander replied frantically.
"It was self- defense." I defended.
"Not if you kill a man from behind. Trust me, I know about law enforcement." Zander added, and I knew he was lying.
The sirens noises grew louder. "Come with me, you can trust me." He said practically repeating himself.
"Fine," I replied sticking the knife in my skirt.
"But this doesn't mean I trust you." I said.
"Fair enough." Zander replied.
Zander grabbed my hand and pulled me through the alley.
I ran behind him gasping in pain along the way. Zander and I ran down a back street on the opposite side of the apartment building we were passing, and I felt like my head was spinning.
The police sirens seemed to grow louder, and I could barely focus on my surroundings especially in the dark. Then all of a sudden everything went black, and I felt my body hit the ground.
I had lived in Brooklyn for twenty one years, and I never imagined I would become a fugitive.
AN: Well, well, well. I never thought I would write a Hunger Games AU especially for the Mafia. I don't know anything about the Mafia or mob so yeah. All I can say is I tried.
School has been pretty difficult for me emotionally. I accidentally split paint on one of my classmates in my Drama Production's class and I have a feeling I'll be judged for it.
It would make me feel better if I got at least one review, fav, or follow. You can even PM me. It will give me some motivation to update. I will update my 112th Hunger Game story soon as well.
If you haven't read my story 111th Hunger Games: Shadow or the sequel 112th Hunger Games: Reflections check it out! This is an AU based off of those stories.
THIS IS TECHNICALLY A ONE SHOT. I MAY ADD SOME CHANGES LATER….
Thanks for reading.
The title was inspired by the song Gods and Monsters by Lana Del Rey.