The waves splashed against my little boat as I hauled the net on board, fish flopped onto the deck and I measured all of them, throwing the small ones back. I whistled as the sun shone onto my freckled, bronzed shoulders. Something knocked the bottom of the boat and I shouted in surprised as Raphael And I stabled it. "What was that?!" I barked at him. and we looked over the edge, cautious.
"Is it a shark?" He asked, his voice curious as he countered my weight as I leaned over the edge to check. This far out a shark could tip our small boat and eat us. Thats happened a few times over the years. I look and ask for some chum, usually a weak fish that died when it was pulled aboard in the nets. I cut it in half through its scales and punctured the heart where blood spilled out into the water with a small pocket knife that I stole. No shark surfaced in the clear salt water. I threw the fish and a dolphin came up to it and took it before disappearing. We sighed in relief before pulling the nets back up. It was heavy and I needed help. I undid its slip knot where over a dozen good sized fish flopped out, its silver scales flashing in the sun. We laughed at our luck. Hopefully it carried into the reapings that were going on later today. I frowned at the sudden thought. Someone was going to be entered into games today. Someone was going to die. Someone was going to kill kids. I blinked back tears when I thought of Lucifer, Raphael's youngest brother. I watched that kid so many times I stopped keeping track. I was close to Raphael's family after they kept me alive during a certain nasty case of pneumonia. I stayed on my own after that mostly, fading into the shadows of the tree line that surrounded the community. I wiped at my eyes when Raphael called my name.
"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay." I shrugged under his scrutiny and threw the net back. I stared at the water some more and frowned. I looked at His squinted eyes and strong jaw and suddenly doubled over, breath hitched painfully in my chest. My chest hurt. He was on me before I knew it.
"This is why we don't think too hard about the future, Lily." He grabbed some water and threw it in my face and I nodded. For a 15 year old he sure had a way better knowledge of how to keep feelings locked away than I did. I nodded.
"We need to get back. This is more than we need anyway." I threw my ponytail over my shoulder and grabbed the oars as he pulled the net into the water, throwing back the fish for another day. "Help me." I hand the paddle to him and we row back to the sandy shore. I hop out and we push the boat into a bush and cover it before he sends me back to get ready since my nice clothes are at his families house. After I got sick, they offered to be a home away from home because the one I was living in wasn't very liveable. 5 other siblings, my parents, my grandmothers and my grandfathers didn't make it so that there was much room and I was often ignored and didn't eat just so there was food for others. I usually lived in the jungle-ish treeline closest to the shore where we were stashing the boat now.
"Go back and get ready. I am going to check the traps." He smiled sympathetically to me and I blinked my blue-green eyes back before sprinting off, flip flops in hand. It wasn't long before I reached their niceish house where their youngest sibling, Sarah, sitting in the front yard. She ran up to me, her bright brown eyes sparkling as she called my name.
"L! Lookit my dress! Mama gave it to me! She said it used to be hers! Ain't it pretty?" She bounced and motioned for me to pick her up. For 8 years old she was very small and seemed to be taking after her Mother. I smiled and swung her around.
"That looks so cute Sarah. Now can you go tell your Mama I am here?" I smiled and gently let her down before she ran inside. I sighed and started to pick up all of her toys so that I could put them away and help her out around the house. She came out, sandy blond hair done up in a tight bun.
"Hello, Lily! Aw, thanks for picking up Sarah's toys!" She turned and called behind her. "Sarah! Go help Lily!" The little girl barreled out and started gathering up her little dolls and smaller items while I took care of the bigger things that I knew one of her brothers helped bring out here. "Now, I know the reaping is today so I wont make you do too much," She held the door inside while I followed Sarah into the house, picking up whatever she dropped behind her. I thanked her and she continued to talk. "I still expect you to sweep and dust as well as get some yard work done. I will let you know when you can stop working and then I will help you get ready. Okay, dear?"
I nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Costi. Will do. I assume you want me to dust first?" I asked and put the toys into Sarah's toy chest. They sure did spoil the little girl. She told me to sweep first. The pale turquoise walls of the house seemed to offer an odd color to my skin as the light bounced off. I grabbed the broom and started to sweep any sand or dust that might have collected on the wood floors. The broom brushed any dust into a pile where it clumped into an ashen pile. This task was completed quickly. I put the broom back and dusted all shelves. I heard footsteps behind me before Michael's familiar voice greeted me.
"Hey, Lily." He drew out the 'e' on the 'hey' and I turned around and said hello back. His shaggy light brown hair had been slicked back and a pale grey dress shirt remained unbuttoned on his toned body. "How is it going?" I shrugged, and he smiled crookedly at me.
"Its going pretty well, I guess." I continued to work and he followed me around, holding conversation. He started to button up his shirt as we talked and I snuck looks at his face as he expressively talked. I smiled as he started fiddling with his tie. He made a small noise and I went to fix it for him. "You big baby." I grinned and then noticed that he had messed up on a button. I made a displeased noise and started unbuttoning his shirt. I dont want to get his shirt dirty so I go to put the duster away and I hear him yelling at someone in a friendly matter and a voices response. Not my business. I shrug and he is standing there with a stupid grin and immediately I know something is up. I roll my eyes and take a deep breath and start buttoning up his shirt.
"Let me answer the door I said!" I hear the familiar voice and I immediately lower my head and hide my face before resuming my task. The thudding of the steps stop and I turn just in time to see Gabriel at the steps. I blush and my face hardens and I can't stop my hands from trembling. I steady myself and speak clearly and cooly.
"Gabriel." The task is finished and I turn to him. I blink rapidly and stand up straighter. "See you still look like the messenger." I snap, reminding him of the origin of his name.
"And you still look like a orchid."
"Runt."
"Jailbait."
"Pedo."
"Says you."
"Im sure there are some bite marks that wanna testify."
"We agreed not to talk about that." He burned crimson and Michael scooted out of the room awkwardly.
"No we didn't."
"Yeah, we did." I shook my head and he raised his hands like a surrender.
"I'd hit you if you didn't have your uses." I closed the distance between us so that we were mere arms length between each other.
"Im waiting." He said and shrugged, his blue eyes shining and I shrugged.
"I know." Resigned. "Don't do that. We have Lucifer, Michael and Raphael to worry about right now." I hear more footsteps and step back.
"We have you too, Flower." He tilted his head and I winced. I have work to do. The sun filters through a window and a breeze rattled some shutters.
"No, we don't, Gabriel." The tone was sharper than I intended. "We don't."
He huffed and then threw up his hands in defeat. I shook my head to clear a headache and Mrs. Costi came in cheerily, humming a tune.
"Don't look so down, Dear! I will have you fixed up real soon! Let me go grab some things for you!"
I roll my eyes, flicking my simple braid behind me and hissing a cold response under my breath. Reaping is about to start and everyone is on edge. Even for a career district no one really likes to fight or even kill people and I'm on edge simply because there is a good chance that I might get chosen. At barely 16 I'm hoping for two more years of luck. Just two. Although more like one because my birthday falls during the games this year. I shake my head defiantly as they tell me that I can't possibly be chosen. I'm almost positive they don't really know about the tesserae. We all shuffle into our little age groups and I, for once, am dressed nice. A simple grey sweater with roses over a pale pink dress with some white flip flops are deviating from the norm in the usually warm weather. My dark hair is pushed back with a curl peeking out in front of my eyes. I look around and catch Michael's piercing blue eyes and he looks pleadingly at me. I know what he is asking even though I can't hear him. Where is Lucifer? I shrug and rise to the tips of my big toes and look for his youngest brother who just turned 12. My legs shake but I dont lower myself until I spot his sandy hair. Poor thing, looks like he is on the verge of crying as he looks around frantically for his family. He spots me and I offer an encouraging smile. He smiles back give him a thumbs up. He seems to calm down and I give the okay to Michael.
I rub my thumb on my pointer finger in anticipation as it starts. I catch Raphael entering the group next to mine and I stop him for a second. My long fingers tug on his shirt and we lean in close so others don't hear us.
"Did you hide the nets when you finished up?" I whispered, before he responded with a quiet yes. I grimaced and he looked sympathetically at me. "I have to teach you how to make your own nets." He pulled me into a tight hug and nodded against my hair and the smell of rosemary wafted into my nose.
"Just don't get chosen and we should be fine." He looked gravely at me. Raphael started taking tessera without his family knowing last year for sometime and with a family of 7, his name may have been entered two or three fold of mine. His family still didn't know though. I ruffled his curly brown hair and patted his shoulder. He had a good 7 or 8 inches on me now even though he was a year younger.
"Same for you, fish." He smiled at he childhood nickname that he earned from some kind of rash on his arms that looked like fish scales. It looked like he was about to say something else when a peace keeper yanked him away and shoved him into his group. The long intro started on big screens and I zoned out.
It ended and out came our bubbly escort. She was an unnatural shade of a pale, ashen pink and wore an odd gold dress that was very tight and then poufed out like the frosting of an cupcake and I really couldnt describe the ridiculous mess that was her beehives nest hair and makeup.
"Hello, hello," She started in her mellow voice that quivered when she spoke. "Welcome to the 64th Hunger Games." She bowed with an over dramatic flourish and then headed to a glass bowl covered in sea shells, the simple white ones that mussels usually lived in. "Dol-fems, first!" She chuckles at the un-funny joke and I shake my head. She Reaches her strangely manicured hands into the bowl and pulls out a slip of a pale green color. It has a name written on it. She parts her bee-sting lips and I can hear a pin drop as she says it. Its my name. I stumble back into the crowd and Amanda shouts my name, causing me to run to her. People stare and I hug my friends. They all look at me desperately and I'm scared but the peace keepers lead me up to the stage. I cant breathe. The stares of the people penetrate my skin like gravel. Oh god, who is going to help around the house. What about my siblings? My family? No matter. The Costis. Oh, god.
I don't realize she is saying my name until I hear Raphael calling it. I see them moving to the front, individually and I can't help but want to run.
"Lilian Elleborum, How are you feeling?" She clapped me on the back and I stood rigid. "That was quite a reaction!"
"A little baffled." I say quietly into the mike, and bite my lip. Don't let them see you cry. Dont. "I-" never wanted this. "am content in participating in these games." It wasn't loud and it was no where near convincing but she most definitely fell for it, hook, line, sinker and then some.
"Now!" Her voice squeaked and I flinched. I didn't know what to do. I looked to Gabriel and he folded his hands flat against each other before sliding one of them way from himself and then to the right. I knew that sign. Meet me right after. A nod. "For the Gentlemen!" I closed my eyes shut for who ever she called, hoping it was some one weak, someone I didn't know just incase. Some one I had no ties to. "Levi Bennet! Oh, how lucky are we to have such a fantastic looking pair of tributes!" I looked over at Levi and I wanted to scream. No, he was a friend. No. No. NO!
He strode up to the stage but in his hand I could see that he was still holding onto his littlest sisters bracelets and those very same hands were trembling much like my own. We locked eyes for an intense moment and regarded each other with a curt nod. She asked him the same questions with the same kind of answers. The ceremony finished and we were escorted into some kind of room, completely alone. One for him, one for me. I put my head into my hands and growled. Now what? I didn't know how to do anything. I couldn't fight and I couldn't strategize. I wasn't charming and I wasn't deadly. Not scary. I groaned.
I took in the room and decided it was very nice but too pastel. The pale vanilla on the carpet complimented the sky blue of the walls and ceiling. The couches were black and made of some kind of fuzzy leather. I didn't know. The tables were covered in an ash grey table cloth and the chairs were cushy and padded. White china with blue trimmings were set out I picked up a tea cup and after contemplating it for a moment, threw it against a wall where it shattered and fractured everywhere.
"Is that how you deal with your anger?" I heard Katie's voice call sarcastically from the door. I ran to her and Amanda , embracing them both in a huge hug. I took them in for a second while they paused before I started to cry.
"No, beebee," Amanda whispered while she hugged me. I pressed into her squishy frame before taking in Katie's. "Do not cry."
I laughed. Wiping my tears we glomped on the closest couch. Apparently we were ahead schedule. "Where is Kelly?" It would be asked eventually.
"She said she didn't need to come because you would be coming back anyways." Katie shrugged. "Lazy ass." An agreement.
"I will kill her when I come back-dead or alive." I answered and we lounged for a second before they were forced to leave. "I love you guys." They left before I heard Gabriels low rumble of a voice saying my name.
I hugged him, for once glad that he was significantly taller than I. "I will be back."
"I don't doubt that."
"Alive." I answered tartly before breathing in his scent. "I will return alive."
"I don't want to think of what that means. Don't say it."
"I won't but-"
"You won't be the same Lily as before." Raphael cut in before giving me a bone crushing hug, his chin resting on mine. "We know." He grasped my face in his hands and I started to tremble, tears leaking out of my eyes. "but you have promises to keep Liliana. To us all."
"I know, I know." I whimpered before the small frame of Lucifer crashed into me and I hugged him tight. "Hey, Lucy." I whispered to him.
"I will miss you, Lily!" He looked up at me with those big eyes and freckled nose. "Why do you have to go?" I stilled before enfolding him into a hug.
"They said I have to. And everyone is so confidant that I can do it that no one volunteered. Now I can't just let them down now can I?" I babied him and it was more for myself but no matter. I patted his head as Michael came in and gave me another hug.
"Dont do anything stupid. I will offer as much help out here as I can." He patted me head and shoved his necktie into my back pocket in the process of a hug.
"I am already so done with the games." My voice was weak and Mrs. Costis was sobbing and Sarah was too. It seemed to hurt people more than me.
"They need to leave now." A peacekeeper repeated softly and I looked pleadingly at him. "Dont do this the hard way." I hung my head and nodded sadly.
"Messenger," I paused for a second and he turned and pressed his lips to mine for maybe the last time.
"Come back for next spring, flower." He whispered and left. I plopped down onto the black chair and wailed. Hot tears flowed down my cheeks and the train
"My, My, My." I looked up and saw our escort there with some guy that I recognized as my mentor. I shut up and stopped sniffling immediately. "Sweetie, it's okay!" She came over and helped me up. "Let me escort you around." She showed me around and chattered aimlessly. Levi came in, led by someone who appeared to be a mentor. For once I decided to take him in appearance wise.
An angular face that held a good amount of scruff and a long, straight nose in between two diamond shaped brown eyes. Tall, a little lanky. He was wearing what looked like a sweater and some nice jeans and flip flops.
"So this is our female tribute." He walked around me and shoved me to where I stood my ground and hissed at him, baring my teeth to where Levi backed up a bit. "Oh, you bite?"
"Careful Johannes." Levi's voice called out, a deep voice that was like a fox's growl. "Bitch has given some guys scars." I turned to him where he smirked at me.
"The hell did you call me?" I hissed between clenched teeth.
"You heard me."
"The hell I did!" I shouted before pouncing and digging my nails into his shoulders while he floundered. I drew my fist back to hit him while he banged onto the floor. Right before I was about to let into his face I was dragged back into another couch and Johannes was standing right in front of me.
"I asked you a question." He turned around to Levi, "And you need to keep your damn mouth shut!" He rubbed his temples and held out his forearm in front of my face. The skin was a pale bronze and it looked like The Capitol removed all the hair from it. "Bite me as hard as you can."
"Wha-"
"Just do it. I'm trying to figure something out." he snapped at me and looked away as I took it gingerly in my hands.
"You might want to sit down for this," I instructed and brought it to my lips before baring my teeth and biting down on his flesh. Teeth grinded back and forth as I could hear him groan and curse. I bit down harder as my jaw started to ache and the small scent of blood was recognized. I let up a bit and sucked in air before biting down again and this time blood trickled into my mouth. I bit down harder and harder as I heard my mentors cries in pain and i could tell that maybe I was going to far. Someone shouted and I could feel a warm trickle start down from the corner of my mouth. I groaned into his arm as I tore into the flesh and curled my nails into it. The blood kept coming and only intensified when I bit past what I think was the final skin layer and into muscle.
"Son of a bitch, Lily!" I heard Levi's cry as I was pulled from the couch. Johannes was smiling down at me as I gazed at him in shock and apologized to him profusely. "What the hell was that?" The ground was unsteady under my feet. What had I done?
"That was fantastic, Lily." He patted me on the shoulder and I looked at him as he fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and wipe at my face. I apologized still. "Don't apologize to me."
"That was awful though!" I cried out and shook my head, braid swaying quickly behind me.
"In case you haven't noticed," he suddenly became angry. "You're in the games now!" And he held up his bleeding arm. "There is only room for awful things! You need to do things like this to win! If you wanna come out alive, you have to be awful!" I nodded and he calmed down. "Now sit down and eat something, you look like you're about to starve." I nodded again and sat down. Some chicken and potatoes were served to me and I ate until my food was gone. I drank some milk and ate sweets before taking a sedative that would wake me up when we got there. I went to my room and kicked off my shoes and didn't even bothering to climb under the covers before I fell asleep to the sound of rain hitting the widow.