Chapter 1
Losing the Battle
Life was a long and hard fought battle. In the end, there were no heroes and no mercy was ever given. No one genuinely cares; they just like to make you believe they care. When you're numb with pain and heartbroken, they'll stab you in the back and betray your trust. They manipulate your emotions and play on your beliefs. At least that's what I am forced to believe.
It has been almost a decade since my misery started. It has been nearly ten years since winning my Hunger Games. I won the 66th Hunger Games and was the youngest Victor ever at the age of twelve years old.
Now I was just about to turn twenty-two. I have blond pretty hair; it's probably my best physical feature. And I have green eyes, which everyone finds pretty. But I don't see it. I think they're awkward on my face. I was pale porcelain skin and a tall-ish, slim body.
Someone knocked on my door and I went to go answer it. It was Haymitch Abernathy and Plutarch Heavensbee.
"Hello, Ariadne Stone." Haymitch said as I rolled my eyes.
"Call me Aria, Haymitch." I said.
"Alright, may we come in for a minute?" Haymitch asked as I reluctantly let them in. They were an odd pair. I wouldn't expect them to be knocking on my door in the District Two Victor's Village. Of course, the houses were all full, so they could just be in the neighborhood.
Plutarch helped himself to the couch and let out a sigh. My couch is among the best things of moving into my new house. In the Victor's Village, everything was plush and lavish to my heart's content. Sometimes, I liked to think that it was too fancy, though. I, personally, wasn't one for extravagant things, but this was over the top.
"What can I do for you, gentlemen?" I asked quietly. I never really liked talking to people that much. It just isn't my forte. I'm too shy and let them dictate the conversation too much.
"We need your help Aria." Plutarch said.
"With what?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"In the Quarter Quell, an inside source told me that tributes will be reaped from the pool of existing Victors." Plutarch said. This didn't sound good for me. It was one thing to mentor, but it was a completely different thing to be going back in.
"And?" I asked, unsure where they were going with this. Whatever it was couldn't be good.
"We need you to volunteer and be part of the rebellion." Haymitch said.
"Why?" I asked.
"To watch out for my tributes. We need to keep Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark alive. I need you to keep the Career tributes away from them. You're a Career; you could drive a wedge between their confrontations!" Haymitch said.
"Why should I? What have they ever done for me? Why should I risk my life, knowing they wouldn't do the same? Everdeen wants me dead. I don't care how you phrase it, but if I go in, she's going to want me dead." I asked.
"Ariadne, it's rude to assume such things." Plutarch said.
"Don't give me a lesson on rudeness, Heavensbee. What's rude is sending an innocent and youthful twelve-year old into the Games and ruining her life!" I snapped, turning my anger on him. I know he didn't pick me to go in, but why should I pretend he didn't have a say in what happened?
"Aria, we need you. Please! Mellark has a synthetic leg and Everdeen is the head of the rebellion. Let's face it; you were the wood that prepped everyone for the fire! People are still talking about your Games. You're a career tribute whether you like it or not. You proved that in your Games!" Haymitch said.
"Is that supposed to make me feel bad for them? Oh no- Everdeen is an unstable Head of a rebellion who can't take care of herself. I'm so sorry." I said, sarcastically.
"Aria, please. Just do us this favor!" Plutarch said.
"And what happens when the Careers try to kill me? They will get bored, I can guarantee it!" I said. It was practically unavoidable. And I trained them to do this every year! I trained every tribute since my Games to turn their backs on their allies and kill them in their sleep. It was my most used advice for pulling out Victors! And besides, it's not like they're paying me for the sake of their mentality.
After the Games, if my tributes still like me, then we work on their Post Traumatic Stress Disorders and the emotional baggage that comes along with winning.
"Find a way to prevent it. And I can promise you, when it happens, I can make sure all of Panem sees the vain and cruelty of your death." Plutarch said. Something about this offer was surprisingly interesting. I'm a Career tribute, but the whole country will see how I wasn't just another Career.
I studied both of their faces. They seemed desperate, really desperate. They know I don't particularly agree with what is going on either. But I was angry and wanted revenge. Even a blind man could see that much.
"Fine, but you both owe me. This is not something that will be forgotten, understood?" I asked as they nodded.
"I will risk my life with the Careers for this damned rebellion. But you cannot ask me for anything else." I said.
"Well, sweetheart, we have one more favor. We need you to get romantically linked with Finnick Odair." Haymitch said. I almost barfed! Finnick Odair was the most conceited human being I have ever met! I can't even describe him without feeling bile rise up in my throat. My vision clouded up and I stood there, gaping like a fish out of water- literally, in Odair's case.
"Odair is almost as unstable as Everdeen!" I said, swallowing gruffly.
"We know, but imagine what the Capitol would see. Their favorite wild stallion would be tamed." Plutarch said.
"You can ask me to keep the Careers at bay. But you can't ask me to work with Odair." I said shaking my head.
"Why not?" Haymitch asked, clearly disappointed. If he wanted to get along better, he'd better learn to mask his emotions better. In the end, your emotions give away everything. And that's one thing Everdeen- as unstable as she is- already knows. She's guarded.
"Because I hate him and he hates me, for one. Two, he's disgusting. Three, he has Annie Cresta and I will not do that to her." I said shaking my head.
"Didn't you watch the recent news update? It happened this morning! President Snow sent Annie away. He sent her to some mental institution in the Capitol and forced her and Odair to break up." Plutarch said.
"Okay, but I will not force someone to get over their past romantic interest in practically a day!" I said stomping my foot. My voice went slightly shrill.
"Aria, please. He needs your help." Haymitch said.
I studied both of their faces.
"I'm serious. You can ask me to keep the Careers away, but I can't do it." I said shaking my head.
"Think about it, please. You know what Finnick Odair does to keep people safe, don't you?" Plutarch asked.
"He sells his body! Everyone knows that, Plutarch. He could easily stop anytime he wants to. He would just have to face the consequences that I did." I said.
"They asked you?" Haymitch asked, in shock. Plutarch nodded once. Haymitch seemed oddly surprised. Was I not pretty enough to be like that? Was Haymitch implying something about my appearance?
"Snow told me that I should be more appreciative and repay my sponsors. He said they admired my regal and elegant stature." I said, thinking back. It was sickening to ask someone to sell their body, but everyone has a choice.
"Snow threw a fit when Aria said no. He killed twenty Capitol citizens." Plutarch said.
"Good. Imagine the fit he'd throw if Odair said no." I said shrugging my shoulders.
"Snow knows too much about Finnick. He knows he can punish him through other people. With you, he was kind of taking a guess." Plutarch said.
I sat down on the couch with a sigh. I couldn't do it. Not when I gave up so much just to remain pure and innocent.
"So what do you say?" Plutarch asked grabbing my wrist. I instantly pulled away.
"I can keep the Careers away for as long as they let me, but I can't get in a relationship with Odair. I can't let myself." I said shaking my head.
"Why not?" Haymitch asked.
"I don't have to explain my reasoning to anyone." I said instantly putting the walls up.
"Please, just think about it." Plutarch said, pleadingly. I groaned and ran a hand through my hair.
"Fine, I will think about it. Just give me space. I will do my part at the reaping tomorrow, but I will tell you if I chose to do anything else." I said. They both nodded their heads and turned to walk out.
I instantly closed my eyes and let my tears fall. What was I getting myself into? When I stopped crying, a woman stood in front of me. How did she even get in here? Haymitch and Plutarch closed the door behind them!
This woman had blond wavy hair that went to her hips and gray eyes. She grinned at me and reached for my hand.
She began mouthing something, but I didn't understand her. All I knew is that some stranger was in my house and was trying to come into contact with me. My mind instantly went a million miles per hour.
"No!" I screamed, falling to my knees. I nervously ran my hands through my hair and continuing to sob.
My mother- who was dead, long dead- stood before me. I can't afford to be crazy; they'll send me away like they did to Annie!
I instantly ran up to my room and collapsed on my bed.
Mom walked through the door and I let out a scream. I tried to calm myself down and I took a few deep breaths. I was probably just seeing things! Who am I kidding? I am seeing a dead person! That is not normal.
I ran downstairs to my phone that hung on the wall and dialed a number that was installed into it. It was Plutarch's number.
"Plutarch," I gasped, "I'll do it."
"Great-." He said about to keep talking. I slammed the phone on the receptor and hung up. I started sobbing and I slid down the wall. I cried myself to sleep and woke up when the sun shone through some blinds.
"Happy Reaping day, Aria. You'll be going into the 75th Annual Hunger Games." I said picking myself up. My back really hurt, though. Probably something about sleeping on the floor, sitting up against a wall.
**Edited December 18th, 2014. And there will be more new chapters coming soon! Sorry about the extremely long wait! -GirlonFire