Here it is! I finally got the second chapter out! I'll try really hard to maintain a consistent upload schedule (I'm thinking about updating every friday), but if I won't post it's mostly because of school since the semester is finishing up... Anyways, enjoy :D
*Attention* some crude language is present in this chapter! Just a heads up
I knew it, I knew it'll be me. I could've felt it with every ounce of my being, I was so sure of it I almost wanted to smile when I heard my name, but my mouth was paralyzed and my whole body was numb. I couldn't say anything, I could only feel my hands shaking so I dug my nails into my palms to stop it. I don't want to show those bastards that I'm scared.
The Peace Keepers close in on me and escort me to the stage. I normally don't feel comfortable around a Peace Keeper and in this situation it was even worse. While on stage I look into the crowd and spot Willow, crying into a friend's shoulder, I think she knows everything is over, that I won't come back. I also manage to spot Dominic in a sea of thriteen year olds, he's on the brink of crying, his lower lip trembling and his shoulders shaking. From fury? Because they took his brother away? Or from sadness? Because he knows I won't come back...
Ariana then asks if there are any volunteers and the crowd goes silent, if you'd listen closely maybe you could even hear the grass growing. After that I shake hands with the other tributes and they take us inside the town hall. They escort me to a room where I'll get to say goodbye to my loved ones and friends, for, probably, the last time. I sink down into an armchair I have available and start rethinking my whole life. There is no way I'm coming home alive. Outliving twenty-three tributes is hard, but how about fourty-seven? That's nearly impossible for an underfed, scared and clueless kid like me. "But maybe I have a clue, maybe I know what to do" I thought "I just need to survive". That little thought became my only clue. I was so busy thinking thinking that I didn't observe that my hands, my whole body, was shaking like a leaf. Was I that scared? Or was shaking because of fury? Furious for making my brother cry, furious at those Capitol shitheads that let this happen, furious that my family will have an only son.
A little bit later my parents and Dominic come in. The first thing I did was hug them for as long as I could, purely because those were my last moments with them before I'll be sent to be slaughtered like a pig. After what seemed too short of a time we broke the hug and I started telling them to be safe, for dad to be careful with what he was doing and for mom and Dominic to take care of the garden and exchange the plants in the Hob. I still forbade Dominic to try and sign up for tessera and to try and not neglect school only to watch my deadly adventures. Just before the Peace Keepers came to take them, Dominic searched his pockets until he found a crumpled up piece of paper and said:
'Open it up when you'll be ready'
His voice was still strained after all the crying, but his eyes wouldn't give away any more tears. I didn't know what to say so I opened my arms to hug him. His thin arms were crushing me but it was a pleasant pain. I wanted to give him something too, so I took off an old rope bracelet that I still had since I was ten and gave it to him.
'Remember me, okay?' I said, tears building up in my eyes.
'Okay, but don't cry. You'll find a way out of that Hell, Haymitch' he replied giving me an unsure smile.
I was so unworthy of such a caring brother for the simple fact that I'll let him down and die a horrible death. I hugged all of them once again and the Peace Keepers took them. Maybe I'll see them again, or maybe they'll see my wooden casket on their doorstep with their mutilated son and brother inside, resting in peace. I waited for the Peace Keepers to take me to my carriage, but nobody came. "What if Willow will come to say a proper goodbye?" I asked myself. But my guests were totally different, Leevy and the healer's daughter, Diana, came into the room. I understood why Leevy came, but why her? I barely even knew her at all. Before I could even say hello she said:
'You need to take care of her, of Maysilee'
She said that so seriously that I didn't understand if it's a joke or not. Leevy was looking at her confused, probably not being able to distinguish if it's a serious statement or a joke either.
'I'm sorry, but, what? How am I supposed to take care of her in a place where I have to kill to survive?'
'You...' she seemed lost.
'You should ally with her and at the right time break up the alliance so you won't have to kill her...' said Leevy helping her out.
'That isn't as bad of an idea as I tought' she said smiling.
I felt cheated on. Leevy wants me to die or what? Why should I ally with her or with anyone? In my opinion, the key to survival is being alone.
'No way' I said 'No goddamn way. I am sorry, but if that's what you came here for you can leave'
Diana looked at me disappointed and left, but Leevy stayed. Maybe he doesn't want me dead after all. I didn't know what to do so I hugged him rather awkwardly.
'I'll look after your brother' he said after breaking the hug.
'Thank you' I said feeling a sens of relief after I heard those words.
He gave me a nod and left the room leaving me with the armchair and hot air. I sank deeper than before into the armchair and waited for the Peace Keepers to come for me. After what seemed too long of a wait they came in for me and took me to a carriage that would take me to the train. Waiting for me in the carriage was Maysilee looking way worse than at the reaping. Her hair looked messy and her face was slightly blotchy with red from crying. The trip to the train was silent, long and awkward, as I only managed to share glances with the girl I should "protect", something no way in Hell I'll be doing.
When we got to the train, Ariana took us in, showing us all the carts and where we can find out compartments. Then she invited us to habe a little talk at the table in the restaurant-cart. She called for some food, which Dorothy and William started devouring and, in turn, making Ariana scold their poor manners. Even if I was from the Seam I learned how to eat properly even when the hunger would get the best of me, but I kinda felt sorry for them since they probably never had such a consistent meal in their life.
'As you can see' started Ariana 'your only victor is deceased'
'And that means no sponsors and no mentor' I completed.
'Indeed' said Ariana bitterly.
'But if we don't have sponsors we don't have gifts' said Dorothy disappointed.
'We're going to die and you gotta embrace that idea. As for sponsors, District 12 kids aren't the most appealing, y'know, all the malnourishment and stuff...'
'Wow, you sure are a downer, Haymitch' said Maysilee smiling.
'I am just embracing the idea of imminent death' I respond.
'I hope you'll change this negative attitude when we get to the Capitol, young man' sighed Ariana.
"I hope you'll change that negative attitude when we get to the Capitol, young man", that sentence reverberated in my head. It made me furious, very furious. She thinks that I shouldn't be negative about the fact that I'll probably die, because in the twisted minds of the Capitol people, being chosen to participate is an honour. Being sent in an arena to die is not an honour, being sent to die in an arena is disgraceful.
'I am not a man, I am a kid!' I shouted releasing my pent up fury. 'We all are! And don't think that being sent to be decapitated by fucking maniacal, trained, killing machines makes us an honourable person. Much less an adult!'
'Language!' shrieked Ariana.
I shouted more obscenities as loud as I could before leaving the cart and heading to my compartment. I threw myself onto the bed, pulling the blanket over my head. I always used to do that when I was angry as a little kid, but that habit rinsed off me a long time ago and now it seems that it came back. I shouldn't have acted that way, maybe, because I'm such an asshole they'll want to see me dead faster. I sat under the blankets for a long time contemplating my outburst until somebody came, knocked on the door, and said:
'Haymitch, I think you should come and see the filmings from the other reapings'
It was Maysilee. Even if I don't want to protect her, she seems like the only person I could talk to and get along with, and I don't want to ruin that small chance.
'Coming!' I shouted, jumping out of bed.
She greeted me with a smile and I managed to smile back, something I rarely do to other people than Dominic. Dominic! I searched around my pockets and found the crumpled up piece of paper. "Open it when you'll be ready", his words came to mind. One thing I am certain of is that I'm not ready to read what's on the paper.
We walked in silence, but before we entered the cart Maysilee asked:
'Are you going to apologize?'
'Yeah, I kinda acted out' I assure her, picking at my skin nervously.
One thing that I hate doing is apologizing. Because I've cemented my reputation of major asshole I don't really like apologizing for offensive things I've said that I'll feel bad for later. I've accumulated a lot of bad feels from my years of not apologizing.
'I would've done the same thing' she responds, giving me a cheeky smile.
We entered the cart and occupied our own places. I excused myself for acting out and Ariana happily accepted my apologies. The filmings started and I analyzed all of my opponents carefully, the ones that stood out the most were the alpha males from District 1 and 2: Jasper, Satin, Alexander and Cornelius; a boy from District 3 with a long scar on the left side of his face, going from his forehead down to his chin; a small twelve or thriteen year old girl from 6 that looked like an even smaller version of Maysilee; the unfortunate sisters from 9, Ambrosia and Penelope and of all people, me. It seemed that I stood out in the Capitol's eyes, Claudius Templesmith even calling me a "handsome young lad". It was strange, that me, of all people, was the most "handsome". I never tought of myself as exceptionally handsome, but if the Capitol likes me why shouldn't I profit off of it? That thought stayed with me in my dreams, saving me of the terrible nightmares that I would've been prone to otherwise.
I know that this chapter is a tad bit shorther but I went trough some writer's block to get it out :P
Also, I want to thank Mystical-Pine-Forest and their helpful guide to naming tributes 3 (helped me get trough the pain of trying to invent names)
Excuse any errors that I might've made and until next time, toodles!