Lonely; that's how Sybil fells now. It's funny, actually, she's in an arena with many other people trying to kill her, and with thousands of cameras capturing every move that she makes but right now Sybil Crawley fells oddly alone.
In fact, that is exactly what she feels ever since she volunteered to get into this damn bloody arena and to fight in this year's Hunger Games. Well volunteered is kind of wrong, she was more like forced to do it.
Her parents were rather pleased, as well as her sisters, since it's her last year and so far the only other winner in the family was her father, Robert Crawley, victor of the 32th Hunger Games. They all say she will win without a doubt.
Even Sybil herself thought that for one moment. She wouldn't have to kill anyone -Oh dear, just the thought of that makes her want to give up- just hide until she was the last one standing. But this proves to be the hardest thing she could do -when she is like this, alone in a dark cave with no one to talk to or to help her get any sort of food- especially when she can hear the screams of the last person killed as well as the cannon. It was the girl from eight, a nice girl whose name is Daisy, if Sybil remembers correctly. She always hated this part, when you die what shows up is your districts not your name. They reduce you to where you came from as if who you were never really mattered to anyone. She is just a girl from one in their book as well as Daisy is a girl from eight.
Sybil ponders if the girl's killer is close and if she is in sight. But she hears nothing else and crawls out to see someone walking in the opposite direction from the newest body.
This is stupid Sybil ponders as she sees that whoever walked away did not take the girl's supplies. But it's my only chance.
As Sybil climbs down her cave and gets near to the body, she sees how the poor Daisy died. She was stabbed multiple times and is still clutching the tiny daggers she was lucky enough to get.
She tries to put the thought away when she gets the backpack from the girl but cannot help herself as if to make a moment of silence in honor of her. She knows that daisy will most likely not hear her or care about it anymore, but Sybil still whispers a 'Thank you' as she walks out.
The Crawley girl is so lost in her thoughts she doesn't even acknowledge that there are two people near her.
But she can be oblivious to what is around her for so long when a knife crosses to the air and nearly hits her. Sybil tries to get her belt knife but isn't fast enough because a spear flies too. Only that this one goes to the person who tried to kill her, and as Sybil looks back, she can only see a man with dirty blonde hair that walks past her to get his spear back -that Sybil takes a moment to notice just how right it hit on the now dead man. She recognizes the body from the men as Larry, the carrier from district two. She teamed up with him, her district partner and the girl from two but Larry killed them all in the first night; Sybil only survived because she wasn't sleeping on his watch. She watched them die but managed to escape.
It would be no surprise to know that he was after her now. They were the only careers left anyway. Well now she is the only career left. Meaning there are still six people in the arena.
"I am sorry." The man says to the dead man's body as he removes his spear, after a minute of silence when the man seemed to murmur something that sounded like a prayer the mysterious man looks at Sybil and simply asks: "Are you alright."
"Alright? Wonder how that is possible." Sybil mutters but recall her manners "Thank you."
"He killed my district partner, I swore to her I'd get him, sorry you got in the middle of the fight." The man says and Sybil notices just how good looking he is. His eyes are blue and he looks like he is genuinely sorry for her nearly getting hurt. She also notices her has a cut in his arm and some blood on his temple.
"I'm Sybil." She says "What is your name? Want me to help you with that?" She finishes motioning to his arm.
He looks uneasy at her for a moment but nods. "I know your name, district one, huh?"
"And correct me if I am wrong but you are Tom from district six." She states firmly. The man nods at her and laughs at little, perhaps to mask the pain he surely feels.
"Aye, but let's get out of here, shall we?"
"I have no objections about that." Sybil answers smiling for maybe the first time in that month. The district one career leads the district six men to the cave where she was hidden; but no one can mistake her kindness for stupidity, she will help him and let him go on his way.
It's not that Sybil doesn't trust him, it's just that he is different from anyone she ever met and she is still not sure if she can trust him. In fact Sybil is not sure of anything lately.
"You do not have to do this, miss." Tom says siting on the dark cave's cold floor "but thank you a lot."
Sybil smiled at the blue-eyed man kindness as she started to help clean his arm. The cut was big but luckily mildly deep, not hitting any important vein or artery. Sybil cleans the wounds with ease, not even bothering by the blood.
"You're very good at it." Tom says, not ever bothering by the fact she is stitching his wound with a needle now. It hurts but it is that kind of good pain; the one that you know will do you good. "You should have gone with this path."
Sybil understands what Tom means by those words; even she had considered it, studying medicine, or maybe even becoming a nurse or a healer. She could help other people, make a change for better in this twisted mad world they live in and not just be the victor's child. A lady as some people says always referring to the victor's children as if they were better than everyone else. It didn't help that some of them act that way.
But Sybil's life was far from what she hoped for. Her parents never allowed her to peruse her dreams, simply stating that she could never do that. She knows understands why. The world and few persons who rule it are too cruel to allow any type of help to the needed. "Not really. I wouldn't do much help."
"I can assure you that are not true." Tom speaks softly, his eyes focusing on her blue ones. "Trust me, when you win, you should help people out."
"Trust me that is the plan." Sybil replies "I only volunteered because if I do win then I can use what I have to help those who truly need it out there."
"I work with transports, Sybil." Tom begins "I by the little I saw of the other districts I k-"
"Other districts?" Sybil interrupts him, surprised that this man was able to meet other districts besides his own.
"As I said I work with transportation, fixing broken transports is a bit more accurate, actually." Tom explains "I was escorted but peacekeepers" he makes an angry face at the name, she knows what he means. The name was never fitting for these men. "And not able to see much, but I do know that people out there need as much help as they can get."
"I am sure they could use your help too." Sybil muses finishing the bandage in Tom's arm.
"You surely have more chances than I do." Tom speaks turning to look at her this time "You help ´people when you get out of here, okay?"
Sybil simply couldn't understand Tom's words; surely he has hope of going home as well, doesn't he? She thought to herself as he suddenly got up.
"I'm quite certain you will wish for me to leave, but do not worry, I won't come near your spot." He speaks truthfully and Sybil is sure that Tom won't hurt her. It is mostly because of the soft look in his eyes; they show strength of a man that doesn't give up but also show the kindness of one that would not hurt one that was kind towards him.
"You know, Tom." Sybil begins as she stands up as well. "I may need company, and you may not make it very far with this kind of injury in your arm."
The man in question smiles at Sybil; it is a small but genuine smile. He does seem to ponder on this idea tough, which makes Sybil a little apprehensive.
"Alright." Tom states simply "But on the final three we slip, okay?"
"Couldn't be better." She says. It does well to her knowing she will have company for now, but it also does incredibly good to know that she will most likely not watch him die. Somehow the thought of seeing this man die makes her heart ache.
They stay in the cave for nearly two days, just talking about what is going on now. But they mostly talk about how they are feeling and Sybil even gets Tom to talk about his own home; which quite frankly she finds way more fascinating than her fancy one.
"Well, we are the transport district, I grew up with all these type of things." he laughs. "But I actually want to write."
"Really? That's interesting." Sybil answers, taking a bite of the little food they have; just some dry meat she had and a bit of cheese that Tom gave her. "That is a good aspiration."
"Aye, as well as being a doctor." Tom replies and Sybil feels a smile creep up in her face. She knew, of course, that this is a mistake. If there is one thing she learned during all her career training is that no one can get too personally attached to your allies; because in the end that can and will only because you pain and suffering.
"We can try following our dreams when we get out of this cage." She knew saying this would cause her trouble with the capitol; but quite honestly Sybil did not even cared anymore.
"This is simply twisted." Tom says taking a sip of the little water they have after they hear three cannons meaning that now they were only three of them in the arena and that Tom and Sybil have to part ways now. But their talk is moving so well they do not wish to stop it.
"They throw us in here and they make us see the people we grew to know and care die, and worse they want us to kill them" Sybil goes on, anger in every word but sadness filling her eyes.
They both didn't care about the consequences of their words anymore. Even knowing that in this world every little thing has a consequence.
And the fact that two tributes apologized after seeing a dead body and are saying things that could spark the fire of revolution is definitely one thing that will have very serious consequences.
"But you don't mind burning the bridges?" Tom asks referring at their small rebellious conversation.
"Mind? Fetch me the matches." She laughs a little "All I want is for people to-"
"Live a better life." Tom interrupts "I just hope for one day when I won't see kids running for a tesserae, or kids forced to train for this."
But although they did not cared about their words anymore, knowing that the chances of either of them being able to make it home were fairly small, they knew that people would hear them. For one side that was a very good thing, people on the districts would know that this isn't a silly game but a very cruel thing. And for the other? The other side made them fear their future, for the capitol and most specifically the president, would not let them go just so easily.
But of course people in the capitol were rooting for the victor's daughter, with her family being the only one who could say that had both father and daughter as victors, making everyone very much interested in her. And when the capitol citizens root for someone, they better have a chance; it's not a big one though.
But the two newly formed allies and friends new what future waited them as they felt the earth move beneath their feet, and a strong smell of dust and ashes filled their noses and lungs.
"What is going on?!" Tom exclaims as the cave's only opening gets closed by falling rocks that threaten to hit their heads, and would have if Tom hadn't pulled Sybil aside and out of the direction of the rocks.
But Tom himself hadn't been fast enough to save himself when one of the bigger rocks fell on top of him covering him whole except of his face and upper torso.
The one thing that made Sybil suspicious about this was the fact that once Tom was hit, the whole earthquake and dust stopped. Surely this is the capitol's work Sybil thought.
"Y-you have t-to leave." Tom whispers when Sybil rushes over to his side, cradling his head in her lap.
"I'm not going anywhere, Tom." Sybil says, feeling tears brimming the corner of her eyes and some of them fall freely over her face. "You're not dying."
"I am, we agreed to slip, right?" Tom asks but doesn't wait for an answer "Leave this hole, okay? Win and make a change in this mad house."
But even with Tom's desperate requests Sybil never leave his side, she stay with him when they hear the final two canon warning and this time Tom is the one with tears in his eyes as he whispers words that make Sybil sad and know that her father was right when he told her after she volunteered: she will never forget this.
"Kill me." He whispers weakly, and Sybil can see more blood dripping out of his wound.
Not even Sybil herself knows why she does what she is doing but she kisses him. It's not just a peck but it isn't like those movie kisses either. It is soft and gentle; like a promise and the warm tears coat both their faces.
"I cannot do that." She says after they part; but she knows she won't have to kill him, he is close to his end and Sybil knows it just as much as he does.
"I'm dying a happy man, then." He smirks and coughs some blood.
Sybil Crawley stays with him until his last breath and when Tom expires she finally allows herself to sob. Until that point she was trying to remain strong for him and only allowed some tears to fall but now she can finally cry that kind of tears and sobs that can clean your should and apparently make everything better.
Only apparently, because Sybil can barely make it through her interview without crying. She gets even angrier at the capitol when they imply refer to him as the boy from district six. It makes her stomach crawl and makes her want to scream.
"His name was TOM!" She says before leaving.
She only learns his full name in her victory tour when she finally meets the mayor's family who kindly allowed her to know his full name.
"Tom Branson." She whispers, running her finger trough the page. "It suits him."
As they leave the district six public offices Sybil manages to sneak a picture from the records in her pockets. It's fairly small and old but it's Tom and she is happy enough that she can look at him before going to bed at night. It helps her face her nightmares.
But she never forgot her promise. She will make a change in this mad world. Even if it's the last thing Sybil Crawley does in her life.