I've always wondered about the quote:
"They can't hurt me, I'm not like the rest of you. There's no one left I love," -Johanna Mason
And so I shall write about it.
I walk along the dusty path that I, and many more before me, have walked thousands of times. I can't help feeling self-concious about the stares stabbing me like daggers from every angle, and I can only imagine what is going through their thick heads. "How on earth did Johanna Mason win?", "Why doesn't she get all the money all the other ones get?", "Why is she working?", "Where's that boy she was always with?" and "Why is she so sullen and mean all of a sudden?" are the thoughts running through their brainwashed heads. except they aren't actually brainwashed, just fed thousands of lies by the powerhouse of our Country. One of the ways they show their power is by the annual slaughtering more commonly known as the Hunger Games. A sadistic ritual involving the 12 Districts, and two children from each. And of course we can't forget the fight to the death, right? That's it. A fight between 24 kids. And I had the misfortune to be 'reaped'. Your name gets chosen out of a glass ball, and you go to the Capitol, and you train, and you kill or be killed. It's horible. I turn off the path, and reach my destination, the Victors Village. I walk to the outside of my house, and look inside. Everything is how I left it this morning. TV off, house tidy, vase of flowers full... Wait... I've never had a vase of flowers before. There's only one other person who knows the code, and that was because we were incredibly close until I found out the consequences of my actions in the arena. And out of it. I think nothing of the gesture, probably just Garric fooling around.
I pull the well-used pack of cards that used to entertain me and my younger brother in the years before I got reaped off of the bench, and sit at my table. The cards help me take my mind off things, they have become much more than they were before my life got destroyed by President Snow. Just the mention of his name in my mind causes my hand to nearly crush the 2 of hearts in my hand that I was trying to place on the table so I could play a simple game of solotaire. "I'll give you a game?" The voice shocks me so much, I stand up quickly, and the chair falls behind me, and crashes to the wooden floor, and I drop the cards still in my hand. "When the hell did you get here?" I scream at the tresspasser, wishing I had my axe nearby. Then I see who he is. Garric. "Damn you!" I tell him, a bit calmer now, that I see who is here, and why. I drop to the floor, and start picking up the cards, returning them to some sort of order. Garric helps me, and as I return the cards to their piles, he picks up the chair, and takes a seat in the chair opposite me, supposedly going to play the game of cards he had to scare me into playing. I start dealing the cards evenly when he says, "I brought you some flowers,"
"I know. Thanks,"
"No problem."
"There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while."
He stops, and looks at me while I finish dealing the cards in front of him. He devilishly smiles at me, letting me know his hand isn't a bad one.
"Look, Garric, you probably shouldn't be friends with me any more. I kind of denied Snow's request to sell my body, and he didn't tell me what he would do if I denied him."
"Snow wanted to prostitute you? That son of a bitch!" I smile at Garric's familiar profianities. I've known him for a long time, we went to the same school when we were kids, and were put in the same group for cutting down trees when we turned eighteen. I have to admit, not that I would admit this to anybody, that Garric is quite good looking. With his shaggy blonde hair, his gorgeous haxel eyes... I need to stop. Before I start falling for him. The last time I fell for someone, he got killed by Snow. "Yeah. I hate him so much. And he killed my family because of it." I answer Garric's previous comment. "So... You're saying that if I continue to be friends with you, I will be killed?" Garric smirks at me as I slam my hand on the table. "Damnit Garric! This is serious!" I yell, probably disturbing all the other victors. "Garric," I start, my voice shaking, "You should probably go now." He does. And I know I probably won't see him again. "Wait," I walk over to where Garric stands at the door. "I hope we can be friends next year, when Snow has forgotten about me." At that, he presses his lips to mine. I've officially fallen for Garric Roxen. Although I enjoy that kiss, I am Johanna Mason, so I have to slap him, right? And he smirks at me as I do, expecting it. "I'm changing the lock code on my door." I tell him. When I close the door after him, I lean against the door and slide down it until my butt is on the floor. I kissed Garric Roxen. I kissed Garric Roxen! Wait... How do I know Snow's not watching me now?! I rush to the window next to my door, and look for the cameras I know are there. But that's no use, the cameras will be hidden. I sink back down, sitting where I was before I had that sudden frenzy. I sit at the door, and start weeping, for a good hour or so. I can't afford to be like this. I just can't let my emotions show while Snow is still breathing down my neck. I decide to go and talk to the only person I think will help, Blight. My mentor for the games.
I rush to his house, and bang on the door. "Blight! Get your butt over here!" I yell to my slack mentor. "What the hell do you want?" He asks me. "I'm not sure. Let me in?"
"Yeah whatever," he grumbles as I walk into the dusty, dark, smelly house. I guess not all victors enjoy having a tidy house. "Look, Blight, I kinda denied P. Snow, and now he wants to kill everyone I associate with," I begin. "Same thing happened to me," He sighs and swallows yet another mouthful of his probably alcoholic drink. I snatch it out of his hand, and he looks at me in alarm. He's long given up trying to get his drink off of me when I steal it. His expression changes to a tired, slightly resigned one, and his brown eyes are bloodshot, either with the drink, or lack of sleep or it could be anything. "Blight, I need you to help me, please?" I ask. I never say please, and Blight knows that. "What's up with you suddenly being nice to me?" He asks, with a sneer. That's it. "Damn you, Blight. I'm out." I storm out of the room, smashing the bottle that I stole on the ground outside. "What the hell, Johanna!?" I slam his door. That's one person that I thought could help.
I wander around the District for a long time, wondering who I can talk to, and somehow wind up at Garric's house. Because he isn't a Victor, he lives in the normal part of District 7, the place I live. Each District specialises in a different industry. District 7's is lumber. Or, more commonly known as 'trees'. I'll show them that trees are important. Wait till those measly Capitol dipshits have to go without wood for a week. We'll see how unimportant lumber is then! As I walk up the familiar path towards the front door, I wonder exactly what it is I want. I pause before knocking, but quickly realise I need to apoligise. I knock once, twice, three times, and Garric is at the door. "Johanna?" He asks with surprise. "Yes, it is me. I'm sorry about before." He must be a little baffled, because I made myself quite clear when he left my house before. "No, it's ok, I kissed you... Oh Johanna, I'm sorry, please forgive me. I- " I cut him off with another kiss. I really need to stop that. "You've forgiven me?" He asks. "I was never mad at you," I smile "I actually came to apoligise. And I did. Forgive me, Garric Roxen?" He laughs. "I was never mad at you." I laugh at his comment. "Good. I'm in debt to nobody then." I walk away, pausing at the wooden door. "Garric, stay away from me. I can't resist you." I walk into the night air, having to restrain myself from dancing my way home. That isn'tlike Johanna Mason, to be wanting to skip and sing merry songs. I have a reputation to live up to.