Bang. Her thumping heart pulled her out of a dream.
The waking world was bleak, just as her dream. Reality didn't feel real, though it clogged her senses. It was the present, time creeping into the future, but it was just as bad as the past. The world was changing, yet nothing had changed. The Capitol's fingers had spread over a blazing world, and fueled the fire. Jews were no longer the problem, everyone was.
Faint sunlight crept into her dark space, stopping before it reached her. Another day. The game had begun again. Liesel clambered to her feet, blinking the sleep away. The uneven ground rose and met the soles of her feet as they led her to the outside world.
Curiously it looked like a bomb had hit. But that couldn't be right. Her mouth twitched. Ash drifted in the air, gleaming with sunlight. Dust blanketed the world, enveloping it, carrying it into the beyond.
Perhaps a tribute had died.
Liesel made sure her arrows were still slung across her back.
If the Capitol's intentions were to get rid of humanity, they were well on their way. She had no more words to comfort and guide her. Her power had left her. Instead she was left with weapons. A different kind of power, but not as fulfilling.
A twig snapped, sending Liesel behind a tree. A boy passed by, carrying a long sword. Digging her foot into the flaking bark of the tree, she prepared to climb.
"Liesel!" The voice was a shout, and another eager boy came into sight, with eyes only for her.
Arschloch!
She flipped him off, and the other tribute laughed at the pair of them. He was young and cocky, expecting two easy kills. As usual, Rudy was clumsy but ready to intervene. Placing himself in front of her, he pulled out a small knife. Deft, Liesel sidestepped him, and pulled an arrow out. She fitted it into her bow, ready to save her best friend.
The other tribute didn't even bother with his sword, his cloudy eyes pierced Liesel's. Pausing, she knew she had seen him before.
"Trying to save your whore?" He smiled, and grabbed Rudy by the neck. Shaking her distracted thoughts aside, Liesel took aim and made to fire.
Rudy beat her to the punch. The tribute let Rudy drop away from him. Coughing, Rudy watched impassively as the other boy stepped back, a darkening stain widening across his chest. The hilt of Rudy's blade stuck out starkly. The other tribute fell to his knees, and with caution, Liesel lowered her bow and arrow. She stared at the back of Rudy.
"How about a kiss, Saumensch?" Rudy turned, grinning at her like the fool he was.
"Don't be stupid." She muttered, turning away not wanting him to see her disturbance at his act.
"Look at what I found." His grin spread even wider across his face, if that was even possible. Reluctantly, Liesel twisted back around to see a book appear in Rudy's hand.
"Where did you get this?" It felt like years that she had possessed a book. She had eyes only for the grey-covered book. The pages inside were yellowing. It was The Whistler. Confused, she looked back up at the boy before her. "Where did you get this?" The question was repeated.
"I…uh…" Rudy's face contorted, puzzled. Liesel reached up to grab his shoulders, wanting to shake it out of him. She buried her face into his chest, feeling a strange disconnect.
"Too late. Too late." He moaned. Dark spots were spreading across his face. Eating his very skin. The Whistler fell to the ground with a soft thump.
"Stop" Her fingers were in her hair, digging into her scalp. She knew what was going to happen next. Her life was forever one giant cycle, always repeating itself. Her fingertips wavered, but tried to reach out to her decomposing friend.
Her eyes flew open, and she was awake with a jolt. Looking down at herself, Liesel saw the dress that was given to her. Yellow and fresh, it was pretty. Unlike her skin that still bathed in a layer of filth and dirt. Liesel Meminger tipped her head back to look at the sky that had begun to darken while she slept.
The game had begun.
