A/N Some people have stated that they doubted whether these games would ever happen because they were so sure that Peeta would talk Katniss out of this. However, Katniss killed President Coin. Neither she nor Peeta are in any position to make any changes. ;^^ sorry, just had to get that out there. Enjoy! :)
Sabina was rarely scared. Why should she be when she was a citizen of the illustrious Capitol? She had never been deprived of anything like so many of the outlying districts. She had been catered to her whole life, offered any bodily modification the Capitol had to offer. The only modification, though, that she chose to make was her hair color. Once a soft blonde, her hair was now light blue in color. Her hair now matched her eyes which were a startling baby blue. By Capitol standards, she was plain, choosing not to make huge, dramatic changes like the vast majority of the population. But she was beautiful. Her eyes, so unlike any others, spoke legions be themselves, and they sparkled as though they had microscopic diamond fragments embedded in them. She was the most gorgeous girl in the Capitol by many opinions. She was plain. She was beautiful. She was a paradox of the most simple nature. And she was rarely scared. Until the end of the Quarter Quell last year.
She had watched the Hunger Games every year along with every other citizen of Panem excepting the 24 tributes in the Games themselves. And, like every other citizen of the Capitol, it was the high-light of the year for her. She remembered feeling sad during the 74th Games when the two tributes from District 12 were in love. It had added to the excitement though. She remembered feeling thrilled when both tributes survived the Games. She remembered feeling devastated when they went back in the next year and horrified to hear that the girl was pregnant. She knew now that it was a plot. The girl, Katniss Everdeen, was the Mockingjay, the symbol of the pin she wore and the symbol of the rebellion of the districts.
The Quarter Quell had been horrifying. It had started like any other Games and the action was amazing. She had cheered for her favorites and placed bets like the other citizens. And just at the climax, when District 3's Beetee was setting an electrical trap for the careers, the screen went blank.
Hours past. Finally, President Snow came an air explaining about the rebellion and the escape of the Mockingjay and several other tributes. He then told of the capture of the Mockingjay's lover Peeta. He concluded by saying the rebellion would be crushed swiftly and to just be patient. That was when the fear began gnawing at Sabina.
The fear had been a constant ever since then. It was there every time she saw coverage of the rebellion in the districts. It was there when the thought to be lost District 13 invaded the Capitol to recover their comrades. It was there when the citizens were forced from their homes to seek refuge closer to the Capitol's center. It was there when so many of the young Capitol children were killed by the rebellion's bombs. It was there when the Capitol fell. In the course of one year, Sabina went from being rarely scared to constantly terrified. But all that fear combined was still no match for the fear she felt at the reaping.
In order to teach the Capitol a lesson, the new government, headed by a woman named Coin, had decided that a final Hunger Games should commence with the tributes being Capitol children. Along with the fear, hatred grew in Sabina's heart. And regret. She hated the rebellion and the new government for putting such fear in her, though, finally, she was able to see how hideous the Games had seemed to the districts, and she was sorry for idealizing them so much. She was also a little bit smug. She was sure that the precious Mackingjay had lost her mind when she killed the new president Coin instead of Snow at the public execution that she, along with everyone else, had been required to attend. There was much petty ire in Sabina's heart. The Mockingjay had gone insane and the new president was dead. Of course, there was an emergency election. A woman by the name of Paylor won control of Panem. Even though the Games were to continue, Sabina still felt smug. Two major influences for the rebellion were out of commission. But the smug feeling, along with the regret and the hatred, were immensely overshadowed by the fear.
Since all the possible tributes were in a single place, all had to be called at the same time, instead of just two at a time. They decided to stagger the reaping in a boy girl fashion. One girl followed by a boy, then a girl, then a boy, so that there was an illusion of district representation. The first girl and boy called would be "District 1" and so on.
President Paylor was acting as escort. She stepped up to the microphone. "Happy Hunger Games," she said mockingly. "And may the odds be ever in your favor." She fished out the first girl's name. Kanritch Denai. All the girls let out their breath except for 13-year-old Kanritch. With tears in her eyes, the small girl with orange skin walked to the stage to accept her destiny. A boy was called. Then another girl. Names and faces began to mean nothing to Sabina. The only thing that meant anything was that it was not hers.
The nameless, faceless tributes walked forward, one right after the other. Boy. Girl. Boy. Girl. Even the genders started to run together. Boygirlboygirlboygirl. The reaping was almost finished when one name penetrated Sabina's ears. Her own. Sabina Eeven. She froze. One the inside she was crying and screaming. On the outside she was calm. The most beautiful and plain tribute in the Games. She made her way to the stage and stood by Kanritch; the only name she caught. She missed the names of the last three tributes while trying to keep her face calm when her mind was telling her to run.
She followed the 23 other tributes into a large hotel with 12 floors. She was the second to last girl called so she would be staying on the 11th floor with the second to last boy. They were considered "District 11". The next days were a blur. The training was hard and pointless. The Capitol children were not fighters, but they soon would have to be. Fighters and killers, or else dead. Sabina did not want to kill. She did not want to die. A paradox much more complex than her controversial looks.
She was under the arena with her stylist. She did not remember his name. Why bother learning it? Only one name mattered. Sabina Eeven. She had to think of herself as just a name. It was easier than facing the chance of her dying. The very real chance.
She was on her platform with nothing in her mind but her name. She played it over and over in her head, like a broken record. Sabina Eeven. Sabina Eeven. Sabina Eeven. Nothing more than a name. A name to bet on. Were people betting on her; the girl with the diamond eyes? The beautifully plan tribute? The platform started to rise.
The first thing her mind registered was that it was snowing. Then the sharp wind bit into her skin and she almost fell off the platform. She caught herself at the last second before she could take that deadly stumble. A couple of the other tributes weren't so lucky. She heard three mines go off. She wondered if people in the districts were laughing at them. To them, it must seem as though the Capitol was getting what it deserved. Justice.
Sabina was scared. With the sound of the detonating mines, she lost the ability to think of herself as a name. She was a person. A person who was going to die more likely than not. For a second she contemplated stepping off the platform and getting it over with. Surely that would be better. Quick. Easy. Then the Games officially began and she lost her chance at a quick end.
Most of the tributes were dumbfounded and didn't more immediately. Sabina made sure she was not one of these. She ran to the Cornucopia with the sharp wind and freezing snow slapping her in the face. Her blue hair blew out behind her as she ran. She tripped over an object buried in the snow. Wiping the snow from her face, she got onto her knees and unearthed a box. She opened it quickly and found an assortment of throwing knives. By now the other tributes had started to move, some seeking weapons, some running into the blizzard where nothing was visible beyond.
Sabina closed the box, got to her feet, and started running. She couldn't see anything but an endless flurry of white in every direction, but still she ran. As suddenly as the three tributes falling off their platforms, the snow and wind stopped. Sabina stopped along with it. She was five feet from running over the edge of a cliff. Two tributes, one on her left the other on her right, that she didn't even know were running so close didn't stop in time. They tumbled almost head first over the ledge.
Finally the cannons fired. One, two, three for the tributes who fell off the platforms. Four, Five for the two that fell off the cliff. Six, Seven, Eight, Nine for the tributes killed in the blood bath at the beginning.
Sabina was terrified. These two tributes, whose names she didn't know, had been the first deaths she had actually witnessed in person, with no screen and no blizzard separating her from the deaths. The Games were more real in that moment that ever before to her. She was scared and, somewhere safe and warm, people were laughing at her, betting for or against her, and finding enjoyment in her fear. Had she ever been that heartless? The answer came quickly. Yes, she had. The Hunger Games had been her favorite part of the year. She had looked forward to the slaughter. Now the roles were reversed. She hated herself. She deserved to die.
Almost as if in answer to her thoughts, Sabina heard quick footsteps coming toward her. She turned to see little Kanritch, sword raised awkwardly, running directly at her.
Sabina knew she would have enough time to get a knife and defend herself; knew it, but didn't act on it. After all, she wasn't anything more than a name to anyone except herself. She was just a name to bet on. And the people who bet on her were about to lose. It didn't matter that she was beautifully plain. It didn't matter that her eyes sparkled like diamonds, diamonds that were now magnified by the tears she shed. It didn't matter because the odds were never in her favor.
Sabina closed her eyes, secretly hoping Kanritch won. She was the only one who's name Sabina knew, and she was determined that Kanritch Denai be more than a name.
"May the odds be ever in your favor, Kanritch," Sabina whispered. She wondered how much it would hurt.