Chapter One: And a Victor Is Born...
District Three only had one chance to win. The female tribute, or Wiress, was our last hope to have another victor after a decade of going without. All of the careers where gone, she was only pitted against a District Twelve boy. It just dawned that we could have a victor this year. Sponsors have been few, it has been a wonder how she has gone this far. They have moved the two of them towards the Cornucopia, and they both were about to meet up; both hungry, only Wiress with a weapon. Once they meet in the middle and just stand there, probably devising a plan.
"Only one of us can go home," Wiress whispered, clutching the knife in her hand tighter.
"Of course I know that," the District Twelve boy replied, "and you have the weapon. Anyways, you have a family to return to. I have nobody else to love. I remember seeing your mother and father and baby brother when you got reaped and they panned onto their faces. They seem to love you, a lot. Please, just kill me now and the world will not lose another daughter." The boy's words were wise, and he was inviting her to kill him. Eventually she shakily was lifting the knife and ran over to the boy, digging the tip into his neck, cutting off his air supply.
Wiress had walked away from the boy, waiting for the canon to announce that he was dead. She laid down, in fetal position, singing a children's song about a mouse running up the clock. It seems to be the only thing that comforts her and keeps away the tears. Finally, there is the sound of the canon; the boy was officially dead.
Trumpets played, and Claudius Templesmith came over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen let me introduce your Victor, Wiress Avery of District Three!"
It seems like seconds, or maybe minutes before I register that she had won. Even my former Mentor and Wiress' current mentor Circuit seemed to be the same way. Once it seems that she has gotten on the hovercraft we both had cheered. People around us were congratulating us, patting us on the back. Wiress had only two sponsors, who seemed to be pleased that they made the right decision on the right tribute.
I peer up at the couple that sponsored her, "thank you so much."
"Beetee, it was no problem at all, we saw between that five score. We also thought she was a sweet girl, during the interviews," they smiled, peering up at the betting board as it turns into the picture of Wiress with the title Victor written in white at the bottom, "well we must get going, see you both tonight for dinner." They were gone, leaving Circuit and me alone on the couch.
"We should go meet them up on the roof, " Circuit whispered, pulling herself up and adjusting her skirt and sweater vest.
"Are we allowed to?" I ask her, not knowing that we were able to. I get up and get the wrinkles out of my pants and peer over at her.
"I did that for you. They did not tell me to get the heck away. We are fine, just make sure you do not make a fool of yourself," she replied, extending her hand out to me. I grab onto it and let her pull me towards the door. Before we could get any further, two peacekeepers stop us in our tracks and force us to head back to our floor in the training center.
In the elevator, we are just quiet, no conversation about what we are going to do next. When we are off onto our floor, Circuit takes a seat at our dining table, and picks up a book. I decide to head to my room.
"Well I guess I will head to my room, see you later Circuit," I give a small flick of a hand to say goodbye before heading into my room, slamming the door behind me and falling face first on the bed. I do not leave this place for the rest of the day, exhausted about what has happened.
Replays of this year's Hunger Games were even more gruesome than before. The Career Pack seemed to have every type of murder weapon out there to destroy the rest of their competitors. When a team of District Twelves and District Sixs take them out, it seems to be the turning point in the games. It eventually leaves the District Twelve Boy and Wiress. Once it replays that she had won, she seems to unmoved, squeezing on what looks like a stuff dog. It was her token, and it seems to always keep her calm.
In her final interviews, an issues arises with Wiress, it seems that she can not complete her sentences. Not many could understand her, so Caesar cuts the interview short, talking to Circuit and me about what we need to do about that. I just nod my head, pretending to listen to every word that he was saying. I just stare at Wiress, who is wearing a silver sparkle dress, hugging her district token, trying to speak to her stylist.
I just walk over to her, and kneel down next to her chair, "you okay, sweetheart?"
She shakes her head, I could see the tears that run down her eyes as she tries to formulate sentences, but can not do it. "I know you can do it, try harder," her stylist encourages her, his voice in different.
"They told me..." she just stares down at the dog, tears continue to run down her face.
Judging how she was reacting, I try to see what she is saying, "they told you that something may have happened to your brain."
Wiress springs up, eyes wide, she did not understand how I knew what she were saying. She seemed to be like a young child at the candy store, mesmerized by what I just said. "You..." she had a smile on her face.
"Understood. Yes, I understand that. Wiress, you are going to be okay, come on lets go, you too Jason," I help Wiress up, and pull myself up. Jason gets up and leads the three of us towards the car waiting to take us to the train station.
"See you soon, Wiress," Caesar shouted behind us, "I hope you feel better." She turns back and smiles before taking a seat in the black car. The rest of us follow behind, me and Circuit taking a seat next to her. She seems to be shy and does not talk to any of us, but plays with her stuffed dog like a child. I just watch her as she makes it walk around, and barks silently. Eventually Circuit watches her as well, along with Jason.
"How old is she?" Jason asks, turning to Circuit and me. He seems to be very annoyed with the fact that she was playing with a toy, "she is supposed to be more mature than this?"
"What is it to you? Many of the teenagers in Three have something that always makes them feel secure. If hers is the stuff dog, it is the stuffed dog," I stood up for Wiress, who seems to be unfazed by our conversation.
"It seems to calm her down, anyways. That is what our district tokens are usually about. It reminds also that we come from District Three, where everybody cares about you. Were the atmosphere is always peaceful and calm, where anybody is kind and makes sure that everybody is safe and sound," Circuit adds, pushing up her glasses, "really I admire that she still plays with it. I know our citizens will be proud that she still has an imagination in this hellish and cruel world."
Jason opens his mouth to speak, but eventually just mumbles to himself quietly. Circuit peers over at me and smiles, pointing over at Jason, saying, "He is just jealous that he does not have a stuff dog to play with."
"Yeah, he wishes he could be childlike again," I smile back.
"Finally, the train ride, I can not wait to get home to see my husband and children," Circuit whispers to me, "you want to help Ms. Avery and her family adjusting to her new home?"
"Yeah, sure, but how about her family does come with her. Like mine did?" I whisper, as we head towards the dining cart. Wiress was walking behind, before one of the Avoxes take her away and get her dressed in some more casual clothing.
"Well then, you two can keep each other company," Circuit nudged me, "maybe Mr. Elliot will also find a little girlfriend."
"Circuit, she is ten years younger than me. You do not think that I should find someone my own age?" I raise an eyebrow, taking a seat at the table and peer over at her.
"You are twenty-five, Beetee, I am pretty sure you two will get together. You know my feelings are always correct," Circuit smiles, hitting a button and arises a three-course meal.
I grab a plate of mash potatoes and a piece of white meat chicken, "you are always correct. We will see, Circuit. If you are right then I will marry her right on the spot, because if she loves me, I will eventually love her. "
She grabs the same thing, along with a little of coffee, "it will not be right away, dear. It will happen over time and you two will get married and have a son or daughter. Really do not let the age difference ever stop you in your tracks. Look at me and Icarus, we have been married for fifteen years, and we met when I was twenty five and him forty."
I roll my eyes and grab a spoon and start picking at my mashed potatoes; I take little bites, letting the spices in the potatoes run over my taste buds. The chicken is exactly the same way, along with being juicy and tender. Eventually Wiress joins us, dressed in a black sweater vest, white long sleeve top, and gray skirt. She also has a pair of black boots on, to keep her feet warm. She sits in the seat next to me and grabs so food and starts stuffing it in her mouth.
"Wiress, please do slow down sweetheart," Circuit peers up at her, "I know you are hungry, and well you do not want to get sick, do you?"
Wiress peers up at her, frowns for a second, and starts to eat slower. "Hey, at least when you get home, no more really bad Tessare food. You get to eat like this everyday," I mention to her, "Really, all it does is get better from here." I try to conceive a lie for her to feel better; she seems to be preoccupied lately. Wiress reaches for seconds and lays her stuff dog on top of the table, ignoring what I said before.
"Well are your parents and siblings are going to live with you?" I ask her.
She shakes her head, "my dad is an…"
"Inventor? So they already have a nice home? Leave you on your own?" I spring a group of questions on her, knowing that she would not be able to answer a single one of them completely.
"Yes. Yes. Yes, my dad really…" Wiress trails off, but this time finishes her sentence, "really like me."
I peer up at Circuit, who is laughing under her breath. She was always right, and never underestimate her ability to predict what is going to happen. "Now, I will let you two get to know each other once we get home to Victor's Village. Wiress, I will be honored if you come over the next night once we get home to my house. My husband and children will love to meet you," Circuit explains, "now if you excuse me I am going to grab my things, Beetee I will get yours as well. Remember you two, kind smiles, lets show the country how kind District Three actually is!" She is gone into the other cart before we know it. I could feel the train come to a slow stop and out the window I could see that little snow flurries were falling outside.
Wiress grabs her stuff dog, and pulls over a jacket, and heads towards the train entrance. I find my coat on the coat rack next to the door, and pull mine over my shoulders and button it. I push up my black, thick rimmed, glasses before following Wiress.
When the doors open, Circuit joins us, and we all watch as the cameras take pictures as we step off of the train. However, once the flashing is gone, behind the crowd of photographers are all of District Three's citizens gathered around. We all were smiling and they all start to cheer. The welcome party was just about to begin.
Later that day, Wiress had met the mayor, and was talking the owners of all the factories. Circuit and me went home for an hour to unpack and then rejoined Wiress. She was standing, quietly, playing with her toy dog near the baker's store when we meet back up with her. We both lead her to Justice Building, eating with the mayor and his family. They tried to have a conversation with her, but I had to finish all of her sentences.
During the evening everybody was in the square, under the blanket of the dark night. The snow had stopped falling, but accumulated around the edges of the cobble stone streets. Wiress and me were sitting at the park, in the grass, on top of a wooly blanket that I brought from my own home. The first firework had gone off, along with a string of more. This show was in Wiress' honor for becoming the fifty-fourth victor. Even one of the fireworks shot up with the number fifty-four.
Almost at the end, Wiress was looking over at me, stuff dog in her lap. She smiled and put her hand over mine and said, "thank you."
I smiled back, "you know, you did it yourself."