Hey readers! I'm so sorry about the long wait. Its school "coughcoughprisoncough" time and I don't have much free time on my hands. Then I had writers' block on this chapter the whole last week and "Long story short chapter 2 took forever to write."
Oh yea, I'm not sure if anyone noticed before, the same situation happened in "Take a Chance" where sometimes this infinity symbol (∞) would show up at random moments. Thats my stanza breaker. It also appears by the chapter marks as you can see below. FanFiction likes to screw around with that. So, for now on, if I can catch it, I'll put FanFiction-type stanza breakers.
But enough of me chatting "finally", here's Chapter Two!
Chapter Two - Goodbye Wade∞
I liked my new house in the victor's village. It was was two-level house built with white bricks and dark green shutters. A wooden porch painted white is on the back, with a view of the District and some woods. The wild woods outside District 5, not my Woods. There's quite a few windows and the inside feels cozy. The first level has a TV room, a fancy dinning room, a sitting/living room, two bathrooms, and an empty room that my family could be creative about. There's a bathroom and four already marked bedrooms upstairs: one for my parents, one for me, one for Amy, and another empty room.
There, I've set up all of Aaron's things. Amy helped me, but still wouldn't look nor talk to me. My Dad helped too, and tried getting Amy to speak a word to me. She didn't. Once we were finished, she locked herself in her new room.
After all the spectators, gatherers, and cameras left, my family was left in peace. I sat in Aaron's room and stared at his necklace hanging by a nail on the wall. I walked over to feel the glassy surface even though it was really plastic. I've always said Aaron's necklace was made of glass however my family could've never afforded one then.
"Aaron," I whispered "I… I…"
I looked out the window. It was turning dusk. I would be late and I shouldn't, not to Wade.
I went to my room and stared at my closet of new clothes. It was all my size, some Capitol-like and others more average. They were all a silky light green and oily black, strangely the same kind for my last two dresses in the Capitol. I wondered if Rivers, my stylist, have set this type of fashion line for me. I don't mind it, yet I've added all my old and fitting clothes into the closet too. The old ones I planned to give away and the Capitol ones might be able to unsew but thats not my focus right now.
I don't put on a dress. Instead I put on black sandals, a green shirt, and black pants. In the bathroom, I use a hair iron and flatten out my hair. It never works curly anymore since its gone shorter thanks to the arena.
The arena. The Hunger Games. How the tribute has died. No one has ever brought it up at the funeral. And I won't. I'll be respectful. In District 5, bringing up how the person has died at his or her funeral is one of the most rude and unkind things you could ever do. You talk about good times and try to avoid tears, even though it always happens. I cried my eyes out at Aaron's funeral and only stopped to say goodbye.
I knock on my parents' bedroom door and ask if they're coming.
"No thanks, Alanna," I can hear Dad say, his voice a bit shaky "You grab Amy and go."
I head to Amy's room, which is the farthest room from mine. I pound on her door and yell, "Are you coming?"
No answer. I try getting in but the knob is locked. I yell, "Amy Hope you better come with me!"
No answer. Again. Instead, I sigh deeply and say, "I'm going without you then, all alone."
No answer. I'm beginning to fume but I shook my head. Then I run out my new home and literally stumble over my feet down the porch steps. I'm about to move on when the door opens. Amy flies out in a new and simple black dress with a white hem. She had black boots and her hair is curly and long, longer than mine. She actually looks beautiful like that. If only she'd stop glaring at the ground.
"Let's go," I say and motion her to walk up. Instead, she stays a few feet behind me. Sighing, I walk ahead, constantly checking to see if Amy is with me. She still keeps her distance, avoiding my gaze, but following me.
I hope this doesn't last long.
"Please Wade, stay with me."
I stop in my tracks. Its been long walk, maybe a quarter mile from the funeral home. I'm stuck looking at the street in front of me.
I jolted awake to a scream. Wade and Bonnie had heard it. I looked down and saw Audry being towered over a girl with a red knife.
"Audry!" I cried.
Suddenly the girl was tackled. Jackie got her. The two of them wrestled on the ground. Ethan and Hugo joined them, and the three of them took the intruder down. I watched as Ethan jabbed her with his spear, Jackie using her axe, and Hugo punching her. Eventually a cannon fired.
I'm beginning to scream again. I start backing up as if something were coming to me. People burst out their buildings trying to aid me like yesterday.
Jackie whipped around and punched Wade in the face. Wade fell over and the clothes launched in the air and fell to the ground. "Wade! WADE!" I scream.
I can feel hands tightly on my arms and legs, straining me to the ground with one person looking at me in a face full of tears.
Marie.
"Be yourself, Alanna," Marie said "Everyday, I know you are trying to survive, doing the best to survive. I can already see you being lucky in the arena with so many people praying for your return home back in District Five."
The thought calms me down as I gaze into my mentor's- Marie's- kind eyes.
"Its okay everyone," Marie says, looking around al the crowd. I can feel the hands and pressure off me. Marie helped me off the ground with a reassuring smile as the crowd departs.
"I haven't seen you since yesterday," Marie says.
"I haven't seen you since yesterday," I said "What have you been up to?"
"We just last saw each other yesterday, Alanna. Are you feeling all right?"
"Ye- maybe."
Marie's attention draws to my sister. I turn to face Amy, who then stares at the ground.
"This is the youngest member of the McLee family, I presume," Marie says as she walks towards Amy.
Amy glares up at her, then at me, before scowling at the ground again. Her lips move as if she were talking, but no sounds escape her lips.
"Hello," Marie says.
Amy doesn't respond.
Marie looks at me with question.
"She's been like this since I came home," I said "Not talking, not really looking at me, not being kind."
Amy glared at me so intensely that it made me feel guilty.
"So, where are you two going?" Marie asked.
I got stuck. I looked back at Amy and saw her looking towards the sky, moving her thumbs as if she was lost in thought. Suddenly, I couldn't bring myself to say anything.
"Are you…" Marie began and looked at me intensely.
I nodded.
"I really don't think you should go," she said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because your not… lets say… mentally stable."
I should've guessed that already. Not saying anything, I turned back to Amy, who was glaring at me.
Two Peacekeepers are ready to lead me over to the stage. As I make my way, I'm forcing in tears. This is being televised live and once people see my tears, I'll be noted as a weakling, an easy target, an easy kill.
Halfway to the stage, I hear screams. Screams I recognize. "ALANNA! ALANNA!"
"Amy, don't do it," I said without realizing.
Amy looked at me with an annoying bewilderment.
"See what I mean, Alanna?" Marie asked "The flashbacks. Good or bad, I don't think you can control them yet. Being at Wade's funeral could only trigger some more bad images. And worse, you can't brace yourself with them and you freak out."
"But what if I can control them there," I said, facing Marie.
"Don't start this, Alanna. I heard about what happened yesterday on the street. I think that you should keep a low profile for a while. Get with family, stay calm. I did that."
Maybe I should. Look at Marie, who saw the horrific explosion death of her District Partner in front of her eyes in her Hunger Games. The entire District was told not to talk about it for fear that it'll only be more cruelty on her. Actually in District 5, we usually try to avoid talking about the Games period. But look at Marie now, 14 years later, calm.
"I guess…"
Before Marie could respond, a swish of red hair passed right by me. Amy was speeding ahead of me down the cobblestone road.
"Amy!" I called and chased after her.
"Alanna!" Marie called behind me.
"I'm sorry," I yelled back "We'll talk later!"
I couldn't hear her words. I chased after Amy for a while before she stopped to catch her breath. Then I grabbed her arm and said, "Look Amy, listen to me."
She looked up at me with bored emerald eyes.
"Whatever made you like this, just tell me. We an talk whenever, okay? Whether I died or not in the Games, I'm still your sister. Like Aaron is still our brother. We can talk like we usually did. Please, Amy, please…"
I could see her lips trembling and tears ready to fall out her eyes. I loosened my grip on my sister's arm and she pulled away. Amy looked to the ground and walked on.
I followed her, feeling defeated in a battle I don't know the cause of.
Me and Amy just entered the funeral home. It was cold, very. I grabbed Amy's hand and lead her to one of the back pews. The only vacant one. Though it was crowded, it was oddly silent except for a murmur here and there and a constant small cry coming from the front. I craned to see who but I couldn't.
I kept holding onto Wade's hand, even after I was the only one holding on. The last minute was like an hour as his lips turned icy cold. I lifted myself up and looked at Wade, who was smiling now. His gray eyes were no longer focused at me but there was looking at me. Then they closed so suddenly. Then the cannon.
Suddenly I was shaking. My hands felt clammy as I realized I couldn't do this. Its not healthy for me being here. Marie was right.
"Come on, Amy," I whispered and ushered her up.
Someone in the front row, all in black, stood and up and looked back. His face was streaked with tears coming from those blue eyes.
Josh.
He shook his head and nudged the person next to him, his older brother Keith. The two of them walked up to me and Amy.
"Its nice to see you two," Keith said and gave one of his warm smiles.
"Yes, it is," I said "I-"
"How are you… well…"
"Just because I'm alive doesn't mean- oh."
Josh took a deep breath. "Look, just go. Get out."
My eyes darted to Josh's. "W-why?"
"I…I- look Alanna McLee, if you want to mess with me, go ahead. Taunt me that my brother didn't survive."
"I would never do a thing!" I exclaimed "We're not in District One! And Wade was my friend!"
"Did you really let that Antonio jerk kill your friend?"
"Josh, stop," Keith hushed.
"I didn't see Antonio!" I yelled "There was fog! When I did see, it was too late!"
" 'Its all my fault,' " Josh quoted " 'Wade's dead because of me. I wasn't paying attention. I should've seen Antonio coming.' You should've!"
"Antonio deserves to die," I mumbled.
"What?"
"He has to die. He just has to!" I started screaming the words over and over.
"Shh, shh," Ethan said, putting his finger to my lips, silencing me.
"I want Wade back," I weeped.
"Its…" I started. My hands were shaking, then clenched into fists. "Look-"
Suddenly, Amy screamed bloody murder. She turned and ran out.
"Amy!" I cried, horrified.
"Get out!" Josh yelled "You are not welcomed here! No more! I don't want to see your pasty little face screaming victory over twenty-three innocent deaths!"
"Josh Tylis Loonson!" Keith yelled along with the Loonson parents in the front.
"Josh, you have no idea what I went through!" I yelled "I could've died in the arena, I could've! So could've Wade if I was dead! It could be that Antonio jerk who's alive right now! But he's not! I did what you asked, I avenged my brother, I avenged your brother! Josh Loonson, what in heck is wrong with you?!"
Crying, I ran out.
My slumber was nightmare after nightmare of the arena. Rehearsing my argument with Josh. Seeing Amy sullen and far away. I woke up screaming to Antonio throwing his spear into my head.
Sweat poured down my face. The door burst open and my parents ran in, hugging me, saying comforting words but it was obvious they were panicked.
I couldn't bring myself to say anything. Instead, I screamed over and over, "Goodbye Wade, goodbye Wade…"
To this day I don't know why I did. It maybe because I didn't get to say goodbye. Or maybe I was delirious. Or maybe I really woke up to Wade dying, his cold hand clenching mine for the last time.
After I had calmed down, my parents sat by my bedside, combing my hand with their fifteen fingers altogether, until I fell asleep. Or faked it. I did fake it, I didn't want to sleep. I wanted to be with my parents, or to be alone with myself.
But Mom and Dad didn't leave. Once they were satisfied I was back in dreamland or a place where heck broke loose, they began talking.
"It breaks my heart…" Mom whimpered.
"Its that boy from District One," Dad said angrily.
"Its the whole Hunger Games."
"Its mostly him and that whole District of darned Careers behind him."
"He got what he deserved-"
"No, he didn't. If he saw this suffering, he would regret it all. That whole District…"
"Shush-"
"I won't. I'm actually thinking of joined up with Kyro-"
"Its a stupid idea. Let all those other guys get themselves killed-"
"How could you-"
I didn't want to hear anymore. Pretending I woke from a nightmare, I screamed and thrashed. I felt my arm hit my Dad's nose and him yelling in pain over the tumult.
"ALANNA!" my Mom yelled.
I stopped and looked at her.
"We'll be with you all night…" Mom whispered.
"N…no," I muttered "Go to sleep. I'm okay."
I could see Mom's face paling in the dark. "O-okay."
I laid down and realized into my bed. I watched my Mom and Dad stand up and walk from the room, but hearing my Mom say, "Actually, Kyro's plan isn't such a bad idea now…"
Who's freaking Kyro, and whats his plan? Will Alanna and Josh make up? Or will Amy ever say a word in this story? I can't make any promises but I'll publish Chapter 3 ASAP! Keep reading and spread the word!
Also, I'd like people to check out "One's Survival Means the Other's Death." I recently had it publish. If you're into Minecraft YouTubers in Hunger Games, you may wanna check out this one-shot!