Blood splatters from the girl's body, landing on Rhinestone and even me. Rhinestone looks at me, horror his only emotion. "What the hell did they do to that girl? That's worse than the Mutts. I don't even think you could call her a mutt."

I stand and pull my knife from the girl's chest. "Come on," I say. Pain erupts throughout my jaw as I speak. A hand instinctively goes to it, but as I touch it, more pain comes. Rhinestone looks at me with concern filled eyes.

"I can already see the bruise," he says, "and it's pretty big."

"Let's just keep moving before they send another four after us."

"I doubt they will. It was probably just my punishment for saying - "

"Rhinestone," I warn.

"Sorry." Rhinestone takes my hand and we begin to walk again. Images of the girl flash through my mind. Her seizing body; her disgusting, tortured, morphed form; her running and attacking me without a head.

"That was Peridot." I mumble. "The girl who screamed at the Reaping. The girl who screamed 'Down with the Districts, down with the Mockingjay.'. I wondered why they didn't do anything to her when she shouted that. Now I know why; they already had something planned. They planned for her to run early. She probably didn't even try to run; they just shocked her. Then they stole her body and turned her into a monster." Rhinestone is speechless. I'm guessing he already knows who I'm talking about. He continues to walk. As we walk, I remember being in the Capitol building after the Reaping. That horrible hour spent with my mother and sister. Everything was falling to pieces right before my eyes. My life, my family, my friendship with Rhinestone. Everything was burning, and all I could do was watch.

The twenty-four tributes stood there on the steps in front of all of Panem. There were no applauds from any of the Capitol citizens, nothing. Everyone was silent, already in the process of mourning. But then the Rebels began to clap, and uproar of noise. Every Capitol citizen remained quiet. Soon after, the Peace Keepers came onto the steps. They took each child to their own room in the Capitol building. I was taken upstairs. As I was being shoved forward, Rhinestone called my name. He was already being taken into his own room, struggling against the Peace Keeper to keep his head out of the doorway. I looked back at him. "You and me," he mouthed. I nodded, accepting the alliance.

The Peace Keeper, a strong man with dark beady eyes and ratty hair, threw me into a large room. He glared at me, laughed, then slammed the door. I stood, brushed off my clothes, then looked at my surroundings. The furniture was luxurious and reminded me of my grandfather's mansion. There was a loveseat with red velvet, soft and smooth. And warm. Warm and welcoming. There were a few chairs, all made from fancy fabrics in beautiful patterns. There was a cherry oak vanity in the corner of the room. I slowly walked to the vanity, sobs still choking me, threatening to kill me if I didn't let them go, let them be free.

No tears, I warned myself. Not until Mother and Amethyst have gone.

I sat on the chair and pulled it close to the vanity. There was no makeup on the vanity. No jewelry or anything, which is an odd sight for me. I stared into the mirror, at myself, and realized that fear had morphed my face. I closed my eyes and shook my head. I stilled myself, then opened my eyes. A hand flew to my mouth, stifling the scream that surely would have come had I not bit my tongue. I didn't see myself in the mirror, the red curls, the red lips, the gray blue eyes. Instead I saw him. I saw my grandfather. "They think they're so much better than us," he said. "So much better than me. Ha! The nerve. Treat my granddaughter with such . . . distaste. Those Rebels are scum, filth, disgusting mongrels who are far worse than the rulers before them. I know you think the same, Amorose." I nodded. Fear was creeping up on me, cold fingers with sharp claws that dug into my skin. The sight of my grandfather scared me. The sight of my grandfather alive terrified me. I thought I had been riddened of him, never having to ever worry about what he might do to me ever again. I thought his death would cause the scars to heal, the trauma to disappear. No. It never will. How could I have been so naive?

"I'm scared, Grandfather." I said, not sure if I meant about the games or the sight of him instead of me in the mirror.

"Don't be. You should be proud to be in the games! Even if they are as poorly constructed at a kindergartener's sentence. Be proud, child. This is what you've always wanted, remember? You've always wanted a chance to be in the games, right?" I nodded, though I knew he couldn't hurt me. I didn't want to be in the games, I still don't, no matter how much he wants me to.

Small fists knocked on the door. I looked to the door, then back at the mirror. It was me, my reflection. Amorose. I quickly stood, wanting to get as far away from the empty vanity as possible. I opened the door and smiled at the small eight-year-old that stood before me. It was Amethyst, my sister. She was staring at her feet, her black hair tucked behind her ears. Sometimes I'm glad Grandfather isn't alive because I know he'll never hurt Amethyst like he hurt me. He'll never tamper with her looks so that she can be a symbol of everything he is, like he did to me when I was only a year old, twenty years underage for a clinical operation.

I fell to my knees and pulled Amethyst into my arms. "Where's Mother?" I asked.

"They're only letting us in one at a time. Styles, Crimson, and Julius were fighting over who got to see Rhinestone first." Styles, Crimson, and Julius were Rhinestone s three little brothers. Styles, like Amethyst, was eight. Crimson was ten. Julius was fifteen. "They all decided to let Jewel in first."
Jewel was Rhinestone's mother. His mother and mine were close friends, like Styles and Amethyst were. I wondered what their pain was like. If it was any different from the pain I felt, or at least would feel.

Amethyst and I didn't talk much when she visited. I made as much an effort to avoid it as possible. I couldn't guarantee I would come home, and I wasn't going to fill her with false hope, promises that would most definitely be broken. Instead, we sat on the loveseat. She sat in my lap and I sang her the Capitol Song, the song our mother always sung to us.

Bring me the love, the love that you hide;
Bring me the love, the love you denied;
I am scared, I am weak;
You never think of me.

Bring me the love, the love that died;
Bring me the love, the love that sufficed;
I was scared, I was weak;
You never thought of me.

I told Amethyst I loved her, that I always would. She cried into my chest and I stroked her hair, rocking her back and forth in a calming motion. Amethyst had already begun to hyperventilate when the Peace Keeper came and ripped her from me. She screamed my name, kicked and clawed against the Peace Keeper. I told her I loved her once more as her small fingers slipped through mine.

After I waited for five minutes, my mother came through the door. She rushed to my side and pulled me into a frantic hug. She stroked my hair and squeezed me tightly. "Oh my darling," she said quietly. "My darling you must fight." She hesitated before she delivered the next sentence. "You must kill Rhinestone." I quickly pushed my mother away.

"How could you say something like that?" I asked her, disgusted with her. "How dare you. When the Rebels bombed the Capitol, Rhinestone and his family helped us, welcomed us with open arms! Jewel is your best friend. I bet she didn't tell Rhinestone to kill me. I bet Rhinestone was telling her how he will have to protect me, and I bet she didn't argue or disagree. And you have the nerve to tell me that I should kill my best friend?"

"Darling, I'm sorry. But I can't let the Rebels take someone else from me. They killed your father in cold blood. He was a good man, just like you're a good girl, and he didn't deserve to die. Please. Amethyst and I need you. You must win. You have to win. If you can't kill Rhinestone, let someone else. Please, I'm begging you."

"Mother . . . I can't . . . "

"You can, and you have to."

"No. I won't."

"Promise me."

"No . . . . " I shook my head, narrowed my eyes, and looked at her in disgust. "No. I won't kill Rhinestone. I refuse." I had never defied my mother, had never spoken to her in such a tone.

"Amorose, please. she looked at me for a long while, studying my face, my eyes, my expression. She knew I wouldn't budge, so she didn't press. My mother is smart in that way. Fine, don't kill Rhinestone. But promise me you'll win."

"I can't." Mother took a deep breath, then cupped her hands around my face. She smiles at me, her magical smile that could make the world better within a matter of seconds. Tears blurred her eyes; she sniffled loudly. I had never seen my mother so broken down, not even when my father died. But then again, she didn't have to watch him suffer, watch him struggle. She didn't have to watch him die.

Herro(: Sorry if it's short. Just another story with memories. But we all love those right? Please review this. You all are lucky Santa has already come because you would be getting coal for not reviewing(: *le gasp* Haha. Just kidding. But seriously *the first straight face i've ever used in my life* DO IT.(: