Fire.
Explosions.
"Daddy!"
"Daddy!"
Agonizing cries.
Death.
Fawn Ivory wakes up with a loud gasp, her body bolting up as cold sweat trickles all over her pale skin. Vivid images of her father's death run through her mind, haunting her, taunting her.
Fawn's dad died in the mining accident in district 12 just like Katniss' and Gale's fathers. It's how the three met and with the passing of the years they became close friends, finding that they all hunted, still hunt, in the woods for their respective families. Thinking about Katniss and Gale calms Fawn enough to catch her breath. Her raven hair is damp and matted from the sweat and all the tossing and turning she had done during her sleep. Her silver eyes fluttered shut as she hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them as she takes deep breaths, her heatbeat slowing down eventually.
Once she was calm, Fawn glanced out her small bedroom window – the sun is starting to rise and a feeling of foreboding creeps up on the eighteen year old's mind. Today is Reaping Day and also the last year that Fawn, Katniss and Gale can be reaped for the horrific Hunger Games.
Not feeling sleepy at all and not wanting to confront bad memories again, Fawn crawls off the small bed and with light, graceful steps, makes her way to the kitchen – she only lives with her mother, now, since she's an only child. Fawn suspects that her mother didn't want to subject another child to the possibility of being reaped for the games. Once she arrives at the kitchen, Fawn notices that her mother, Terra, is already up and cooking a small but substancial breakfast, with the small birds she caught the day before and a bit of bread – something to last through at least half the day without eating another meal.
"Good morning." The also raiven haired woman turns around with a surprised expression, probably not expecting her daughter to be up so soon. "Nightmare." Fawn answers the unspoken question and starts helping her mother with the cooking, a faint smile on the forty-year old woman's lips.
"I prepared a nice dress for you to wear today. Since it's your last year." Her mother declares almost excitedly, her blue eyes slightly shimmering with the rising sun's rays. Almost. Even if it is the last year, there's always the dreadful probability that one might get reaped.
"Thank you, mom." Fawn's own lips tug in a gentle smile.
When breakfast is ready, both woman eat in a comfortable silence. Fawn and her mother have always had a good relationship – though she was more attached to her father. When all the food is gone (which didn't take long, since there wasn't a lot to eat), Fawn's mother takes her to her own bedroom, where a beautiful navy blue, vintage-like dress lays neatly on the bed. Fawn recognizes it as one of her mother's old dresses though it's well taken cared of.
"It's the dress I was wearing when I met your father." Her mother murmurs. This was a rare moment – Fawn's mother rarely talks about her father. There are days that she won't even look at Fawn – she has her father's eyes and her mother is afraid to break down if she stares at the bright pair. Fawn hesitates before whispering.
"Thanks, mom." There's a delicate smile on Fawn's lips as she soothingly caresses her mother's forearm. "If I..." She starts, voice suddenly becoming hoarse. Fawn clears her throat and continues. "If I get reaped and don't make it... please don't let my death destroy your life. I know you're strong, mom." She awkwardly adds – Fawn has never been good with words, something her and Katniss share, which helped their friendship to blossom. Both enjoy silences much more.
"Don't say nonsense, young woman." Her mother scolds promptly, though there's no heat to it, only sadness and fear. "I know you can survive. You take after your mother, after all." This elicits a soft chuckle from the eighteen year old.
"I'll do my best if it comes to it." Terra nods and makes to leave, a warm smile on her thin lips.
"Put on the dress and call me when you're ready." With that said, her mother leaves the room to clean the dishes from their breakfast.
Fawn heaves a deep sigh, silver eyes glancing at the lovely dress. Walking over to it, she quickly undresses from the old shirt she's wearing and the worn-out pants, her usual sleeping attire, and puts on the dress, turning around to face a mirror that's leaning against the wall. Fawn brushes her fingertips along the soft fabric, amazed at the quality of the simple piece of clothing. The hem of the dress has white lace sewn in intricate designs, reaching her mid-thigh and the collar is white lace as well. The sleeves are long and are made of a gorgeous blue lace. The raven haired girl wonders how her mother afforded to buy the dress or if she made it herself – either way, it looks like it cost quite a bit. At least by district twelve's standards.
Without her noticing, ten minutes have already gone by and when she glances at the small clock on her mother's bedside table, Fawn makes her way to the door to call her mother but the latter beats her to it, appearing on the bedroom – Terra lets out a quiet gasp. The eighteen year old blushes a soft hue of pink, feeling self-conscious.
"How... How do I look?"
"Wonderful. Oh, sweetie, you look gorgeous." Her mother suddenly starts crying silently and Fawn rushes to her side, a worried expression etched on her delicate features.
"What's wrong, mom?"
"Oh, honey – I'm so afraid you'll get taken away from me... I don't want my beautiful baby to be gone." Terra weeps on Fawn's shoulder. The latter bites her lip, trying to hold back her own tears as she squeezes her mom gently, though a single one manages to escape and slide down her smooth cheek.
"It'll be okay, mom... Don't worry." She nibbles on her already red lip, even herself finding it hard to believe her own words. After a couple minutes, Terra composes herself, dabbing her cheeks and eyes with a soft piece of fabric. Fawn's mother smiles ever so faintly and cups her daughter's cheeks tenderly, caressing them with her calloused thumbs.
"My sweet rose... A rose in a field of daisies." The raven haired girl smiles timidly at Terra's words, her long eyelashes fluttering quickly. "Now, let me do your hair. Katniss and Gale must be arriving soon." Fawn nods and sits on the edge of the bed, pushing all her swart, long ringlets to her back. Her mother promptly starts brushing her hair, untangling all the knots and smoothing down her natural waves and curls. Terra then works on an intrincate braid that resembles a fish tail, pushing it over Fawn's shoulder.
When it's ready, Fawn stands up and faces the mirror once more. It's a different look from what she normally wears, having a preference for more comfortable clothes on a daily basis. She looks pretty. Like a rose in a field of daisies. Her daze is broken when both woman hear voices approaching the house, familiar voices that bring a smile to Fawn's lips. Terra ushers her daughter to go open the door with a knowing smile and with a wide grin, something only reserved to her loved ones, the eighteen year old opens the door before her friends can even knock.
"Hey, Fawn. Happy hunger games." Katniss mocks, imitating the snobby Capitolian accent, causing Gale to snort and Fawn to laugh quietly.
"And may the odds be ever in your favor, Katniss." Fawn quips with an overly cheerful tone. The three friends laugh even though they are fearful of what might happen. "Hey, Gale." Fawn's rosy lips curl in a soft smile as the muscular boy wraps his arms around her lean figure in a gentle hug – both hers and Katniss' body are lean – whereas the majority of the people in district twelve are too skinny – all thanks to their habit of hunting for food.
"Hey, midget." Gale smiles mischievously and the raven haired girl pouts, huffing playfully.
"Five foot four is nowhere near midget size!" She declares in a mock indignant tone, eliciting a small, guttural chuckle from the taller male.
"Whatever tickles your fancy, Fawn."
The eighteen year old rolls her eyes and glances at Katniss, the latter's eyes fixated on the direction of the square. Fawn presses her lips together in a thin line. It's almost noon and everyone knows what that means.
"Already?"
"Yeah... We should go." Katniss says with a heavy sigh. With a curt nod, Fawn glances back at her mother and she sees the fleeting terror on the forty year old's eyes but it disappears just as fast as she notices her daughter looking at her, a faint smile quickly replacing the frown that had been ocupying her lips.
They all leave the house, Fawn's mother promptly locking the door before making their way to the district's square – there, there are already lines of kids waiting for the peacekeepers to prick their finger as others stride to their respective age group. Terra hugs her daughter briefly though tightly and squeezes her shoulders with a reassuring smile before striding towards the rest of the adults that are scattered throughout the square. The three friends go to stand in line, waiting for their turn. Fawn glances around the square in a slight daze, her jaw clenching at the terrified look on the younger kids' faces.
She spots Prim, Katniss' sister and almost her own, among the twelve year old group, and the small girl notices her as well – she waves a bit with a nervous smile and Fawn does her best not to worry too much about the girl that holds a special place in her heart. Prim is the little sister she never had. Fawn waves back with a comforting smile, hoping it will appease the younger girl before continuing to gaze around the large square once again.
A peacekeeper nudges her as it is already her turn, slightly hurting her in the process. Fawn holds back a hiss and discreetly glares at the man, jaw clenching once more as her finger is pricked. Katniss and Gale glance at her with concern but she shakes her head with a soft smile and walks over to them. Gale soon separates himself from the two girls, going to the boy's group as Katniss and Fawn make their way to the girl's group, but not before casting a fleeting glance at them both.
Soon enough, the district's escort, Effie Trinket, strides onto the small stage, her hair a soft pink color that matches her bizarre dress. Approaching the mic, Effie clears her throat when the small film about the Hunger Games, that they show every year, ends.
"Good morning! It's that time of the year to select the very lucky tributes that will represent district twelve on the seventy fourth annual Hunger Games! And, as always, ladies first." Fawn frowns at the word 'lucky', hearing Katniss silently scoff as well. With a dramatic movement of her hand, Effie draws out a slip from the glass ball. With elegant strides, the woman returns to the center of the stage and opens the slip with a seemingly excited smile.
"Primrose Everdeen!" The raven haired's silver eyes widen as soon as the name leaves Effie's lips, a loud gasp escaping from her own pair. Katniss and her exchange glances, reflecting each other's dread and worry, and without a second thought, Fawn bolts out of her group, pushing people aside as little Prim is already fearfully making her way towards the stage. And with a loud, confident voice, Fawn shouts.
"I volunteer as tribute! I volunteer!" Fawn notices the look of pure surprise in Effie's face as she rushes to Prim, the latter crying softly in dismay as she wraps her slender arms around Fawn, muttering 'no, no, no' repeatedly. Before they have time to even talk, they are separated by peacekeepers and Fawn is tugged by them towards the stage.
"Twelve's very first volunteer!" Effie's voice sounds in the background.
The eighteen year old glances at Katniss and then Gale, their eyes portraying their uneasiness. Fawn gulps loudly and tries to smile before taking a deep breath and prying herself away from the peacekeepers. "I can walk on my own." She challenges with a blank stare before taking fearless, graceful steps up the stage. Fawn offers a tight smile to the pink haired woman and stands beside her.
"And what's your name, dear?"
"Fawn Ivory."
"I bet my hat you're related to that girl."
"No. Not at all. Though it's almost as if she is related to me." A bewildered look once again adorns Effie's features, surely at the lack of family connection to the young girl, before the older woman clears her throat once more.
"Well, a round of applause for district twelve's first volunteer, Fawn Ivory!" Effie announces with loud claps but she notices she's the only one doing so and it quickly dies down. Instead, the people on the square all join their thumb and pinky from their right hand and kiss the other three digits before holding them up in a quiet gesture of support and respect. Fawn recognizes the district's secret gesture, silently thanking the people from her district, her people, though her eyebrows are scrunched up in slight confusion, still quite in a haze from all that's happening.
Her thoughts are running wild in her mind, clashing with each other, wreaking havoc as she inwardly panics but Fawn does her best to maintain her usual calm demeanor and serene features. However, it all comes crumbling down a few moments later, when Effie, now collected from the previous events, draws out the slip from the other glass ball.
"Gale Hawthorne!" Fawn's silver eyes immediately search for the male, the pair as wide as saucers, a soft whimper escaping her rosy lips as her hands fly up to her mouth, covering it as she fights back the tears. She notices the look of relief on the other boys' faces. Fawn spots Katniss as well – the girl's face is scrunched up in horror and the eighteen year old knows that Katniss is at the verge of tears.
"No volunteers?" Effie pauses with an expectant look before pursing her lips and smiling sweetly as Gale starts making his way towards the stage with wary steps. "Well, come along then, sweetie. Come on." Peacekeepers escort him to the stage as he keeps a grimace on his handsome face, stepping up the stage's stairs once he gets there. Gale glances at Fawn and smiles sadly.
"Now, please shake hands, my dears." Fawn tries to keep a calm demeanor as she steps closer to Gale, though it's evident in her eyes the sorrow she feels. The raven haired girl holds out her hand but before she knows it, she's being pulled to Gale's muscular torso, his strong arms snaking around her lean figure in a tight hug. Effie gasps quietly in astonishment at the sudden gesture of affection and as the crowd starts to murmur loudly, peacekeepers pull them apart and usher them inside the Justice Building.
Fawn faintly hears Effie talking, as they step inside, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" before they're led to separate rooms – Fawn only has time to cast a fleeting, scared glance at Gale but the boy smiles reassuringly and nods once before disappearing behind a corner.
Once Fawn is inside a small room, she inhales shakily, keeping her tears at bay but the dam breaks easily once her mother steps inside with tears in her eyes – both woman rush towards each other and Terra quickly embraces her daughter in a tight hug as the younger buries her face on her mother's shoulder, crying quietly at her fate. Fawn is scared, anxious, sure of her death but her mother's soothing caresses to her back calm her slightly even though she knows that Terra is terrified as well.
They pull away from the hug and rest each other's forehead on one another's – Terra whispers, cupping her daughter's cheeks.
"Don't show them weakness. Stay strong and survive like I know you can. Don't give them what they want, Fawn."
"I'll do my best, mom." She murmurs back as she stands straight, cleaning her cheeks with her fingers and putting on her best smile. "I'll survive. For you, for Katniss and Prim, for twelve." But she knows it's a lie. They both know it's a lie and that she'd never let Gale die instead of herself. Terra nods and glances at a peacekeeper as he announces her time is up and that there's more visitors.
"What you did was brave, dear. And I'm very proud of you." With a last kiss to Fawn's cheek and a faint smile, her mother reluctantly leaves and soon after she does, Katniss and Prim dash inside, their mother not far behind. The three girls promptly cling to each other, Prim sobbing loudly and muttering how unfair it all is. Katniss cries, something she rarely does, and Fawn can't contain her tears, either. A couple minutes later, they break apart and their mother approaches with a thankful, yet regretful smile.
"Thank you, Fawn... I don't know how to ever repay you for what you did."
"I... The only thing I ask for is to please look after my mother. I don't want her to live miserably." Fawn nibbles on her lip, afraid that she's asking too much – taking care of a mother who lost their daughter can be very stressful and taxing. But Katniss' mom assures her that she'll take good care of Terra, seeming to have awoken from her previous stupor-like life now that her daughter was saved from certain death. The raven haired girl quietly thanks her and turns to Prim as the small girl tugs on her arm.
"I want you to have this." She says as she presses a golden mockingjay pin to her hand, closing Fawn's digits around the beautiful piece. "As a token." Fawn smiles softly and tenderly hugs Prim as her silver eyes flutter shut, inhaling deeply.
"Thank you, Prim." She gives the girl a gentle squeeze before pulling away.
"Fawn—" Katniss starts but she cuts herself off as her voice breaks and wavers with the jumble of emotions coursing through her mind. Fawn hugs her as Prim and their mother silently leave the room to give them space. "I don't—what will I do without you? Or Gale?" Fawn grimaces at the mention of their friend and she sighs quietly, not knowing how to answer.
"You'll live. You'll move on and survive. Protect your family and mine. And Gale... I'll do my best for him to survive, I promise." The eighteen year old murmurs, pulling back to look at Katniss with a weak smile. "I promise."
"But—I don't want either of you to... to die." She manages to choke out, her eyebrows furrowed and lower lip slightly quivering. Before either of them can say anything else, peacekeepers pull them apart, stating that Fawn has to leave – Katniss screams for her, screams for her to be careful and simply – for her. Both struggle and try to escape the peacekeepers' grip but to no vail, tears streaming down their cheeks and the screams echoing throughout the building.
In no time, they're leading her to the train that'll take both her and Gale to the Capitol.
Once inside the train, she's escorted to a room where she'll be sleeping for the night before they arrive at the Capitol. With hesitant steps, she walks over to the bed and trails her fingertips along the blankets – they're soft, a big contrast between her scratchy blankets at home and these ones. Fawn sits down – the mattress molds to her body, it's soft and comfortable, it's strange – she's already used to her bed, the latter's mattress being hard and squeaky. Fawn stays there, laying down for a couple hours, the train in motion, and she eventually falls asleep from the strain of today's events. She ends up sleeping for the rest of the day and majority of the night, a dreamless sleep, something she hasn't been able to do for a while, with how much exhaustion she was feeling.
When she wakes up, a clock on a small bedside table indicates that it's currently six in the morning, the sun slowly rising up and illuminating the dark sky with bright rays of light. A small hope also rises in her heart. Fawn's stomach rumbles with hunger and she decides to get off the bed and freshen up on the bathroom before exploring the train for food – and to find Gale. She was so tired the day before that the minute her head hit the pillow, she forgot about everything else.
Fawn glances at her reflection – her hair is wild, strands of hair sticking up in different directions from all the fight she put up against the peacekeepers as they pulled her and Katniss apart and the friction of the pillow. Her usual bright, expressive eyes only have a dull shine to them and her clothes are all crinkled but it will have to do – she doesn't have anything to change into.
Fawn washes her face, refreshing herself with the cold water, and takes in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she leans her forehead on the mirror over the sink. The eighteen year old pulls herself together as best as she can and takes a towel from the rack near the sink, drying her face and delicate hands. When she walks back into the bedroom, she notices the avox standing on the corner of her room with his head held down. Fawn frowns and chews on her lower, plush lip, a habit she's had ever since she was a small child. She wishes she could do something for them but she knows that if she tries anything, it could only make it worse for them.
Instead, she decides to leave the bedroom right away, her stomach once again complaining at the lack of food in it. After walking down a corridor, the first thing she encounters is, thankfully, a the dining car and, to her delight, Gale is already inside – Fawn quickly rushes towards him with a cry of his name as she once more realizes that one of them, or maybe even both, will not go back home.
"Gale!" She throws her arms around him, falling onto his lap as she buries her face on his neck, completely ignoring anything besides the taller male. "Oh, Gale—" She chokes out a sob as the boy wraps his arms around her waist, sighing heavily as his lips gently brush over Fawn's temple.
"It's alright, Fawn... I'll make sure you'll survive." Her eyes widen and she pulls away, shaking her head frantically as a few tears slip down her pale cheeks.
"No, no—I can't let you die—" Her speech, however, is interrupted when someone clears their throat – Fawn glances back and finally notices Haymitch Abernathy – recognizing him for his drunken behaviors on previous games – on the other side of the table, pouring himself what looks like tea, and Effie on a mahogany chair, a bit farther away from them. The raven haired girl promptly wipes her tears away and slides off Gale's lap with a faint blush, embarrassed as she mournfully thinks to herself that not only are they sentenced to death but their mentor is a victor that resorts to drinking heavily on a daily basis. She inwardly cringes at the smell of alcohol coming from him.
"Oh, um—I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there."
"Story of my life when it comes to women, 'pparently." The middle-aged man bitterly chuckles as he takes a moment to glance at her. He seems to grimace at her frail appearance and that annoys her – she's no weakling. Didn't he learn to never judge a book by its cover?
Fawn takes a seat beside Gale with a frown, her slender arms crossed over her chest.
"I take it you two already know each other?" Gale and Fawn glance at each other before murmuring a quiet 'yes'.
"... Great." Haymitch mutters with a soft sigh and her brows knit up in confusion but then it hits her once more – one of them had to die – and a sudden tension hangs in the air.
"We were talking about surviving skills." Gale decides to break the awkward silence that settled on the small room, a faint smile on his lips, as Fawn grabs an apple and slowly eats it, savoring the rich flavor. Fawn returns it with one of her own gentle ones and nods a bit, glancing at Haymitch expectantly. After a couple seconds of silence, she scowls.
"Well? Let's hear it."
"Sweetheart, you probably won't last a day, so why bother?" He answers with a snort. Fawn sneers and curls her fingers on her dress as she tries to maintain her composure.
"Tell. Me."
"Pass me the butter, please." He ignores her nonchalantly and with that, she's had enough – she slams her fist on the table, even surprising Gale, the latter's hand resting comfortingly on her knee. "Tell me!"
"Hey, that's mahogany! Careful!" Effie cries out from where she's sitting, a frown marring her features. Haymitch looks at Fawn curiously, studying her and she straightens up, almost as if challenging him. Haymitch smirks.
"Well, glad to see you have some fight in you." She huffs and Gale gently squeezes her knee, a worried look on his face. "You wanna know how you can survive in the arena? Get people to like you. Skills don't mean shit if you don't get any support from the Capitol people. You can have all the skills you want, but you can't fight when you're starving or thirsty." He says sternly.
She's stunned – for a drunken man that was quite eloquent – before his words sink in. She'd have to play nice for the kind of people she hated the most. How delightful, she thinks with yet another scowl. Her reverie is broken when they start hearing faint cheering and clapping – Gale and Fawn both glance out the window and get up from their seats, astonished at the amount of people that apparently are here just to take a closer look.
They wave with awkward smiles and the crowd cheers even louder, their screams almost deafening. For a moment, those screams remind her of her father's cries, of the mine worker's agony – and her smile falters.
"Don't show them weakness. Stay strong and survive like I know you can. Don't give them what they want, Fawn."
Fawn takes a deep breath-
inhale,
exhale-
and puts on the brightest smile she can muster, waving excitedly. Gale glances at her with a confused and curious gaze. She merely shrugs, smiles and waves.
Just smile and wave. Smile and wave.