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What Came to Be Panem
Chapter 3:
The streets of District 13 that morning were in complete silence. With the exception of the Peacekeepers, who were already out in their positions to take the citizen's luggage, every single person was trying to pack up as much as they could inside old suitcases or improvised bags.
Scarlet looked out the living room window, she only saw people inside the houses going from one side to another, arguing with other people just by the look on their faces and she decided to simply pack up her stuff before it was too late.
Tobias was gathering his wife's stuff first. Her clothes, pictures and accessories fit in one old suitcase. She also had a giant Chinese vase and a delicate armchair full of red roses. The rest were his clothes, his studies, pictures of places around the world that would probably be destroyed by now, and some of Scarlet's clothes and accessories that didn't fit in her 3 item limit.
Grandpa Wylden told them to leave some stuff with him so he would still feel their presence and that, if in the future President Ethel allows, they could always come and visit him.
Demetrius packed two bags with his stuff and had one with food from District 13. What if he never came back here?
They stopped for lunch. Everybody at the table was silent, with the exception of Demetrius's grandfather who was insisting on telling them to always come back to District 13 if anything happened. They just nodded. Right when they all were ready, the Peacekeepers had just arrived at their door.
They went to the mayor's mansion which was at least 5 times bigger than their old house, which was not so big. Scarlet had a feeling that her grandfather needed their stuff there just to give him hope. Only hope was more powerful than the fear of losing them forever. What would he do with 5 bedrooms, an enormous living room, a kitchen, a pool, 4 bathrooms and a home office?
"Go on, choose your rooms and throw some of your stuff there." Grandpa Wylden said with a suffering smile and with his eyes all watery.
Scarlet got one of her suit cases with her favorite clothes and some of her stuffed animals and left them in the orange room. Demetrius left his favorite jacket and some of his clothes, almost emptying one of his suit cases, and left them in the green room. Tobias just left some photos of him and his dead wife in the red room. The fourth room was the yellow master room which was Grandpa Wylden's, and the fifth room was white and empty.
It was already 10:30 pm. Demetrius realized that Dandy's train would depart at 11pm. The time the Peacekeepers would come and bring their stuff to the train station.
"I'm already going to the station. Give my stuff to the Peacekeepers, and tell them I'm already there. Grandpa, take care of yourself." Demetrius said giving him a hug. "Don't worry; we'll talk as soon as we get there."
Demetrius ran as fast as he could to the train station. It wasn't so far from the mayor's house. When he got there, families were in three lines. Demetrius found the Cruz family as soon as he saw a familiar face looking around searching for something. When she found it, she left the line and came running to him.
"Even far away I'll think of you every day. Who knows, maybe someday…" Dandy said as soon as she hugged him.
"Dandy, I hate goodbyes. You know we'll probably never see each other again. I'll think of you every day as well. And the worst part is that I know the love of my life is slipping away and I can't do anything about it." Demetrius said sobbing.
Dandy kissed him.
"Dandelion Juanita de la Cruz come back right now we need to get on board!" – Mrs. Cruz voice was loud with a hint of pity for her daughter.
Peacekeepers were coming in their direction.
"Demetri, I'll run away from District 11. I'll find you. I promise. We'll be together again," She whispered in his ears.
Dandy kissed Demetrius one last time and turned her back to him. The Peacekeepers were a few steps from them.
"It's ok guys, I was just saying good bye. I grew up with him! I'm sorry if I have to abandon almost everything I have just because of these new laws."
She entered the train and waved goodbye to him. And just like that she was gone.
They had their own cabin in the train – most of the families had to share. Tobias was laying down drinking his third bottle of wine that day, the only way he could find to sleep. Scarlet couldn't sleep as well but she didn't want to and so did Demetrius.
"Demetri, maybe it's the last time we'll be here in this train. Wanna explore?"
"Eh…"
"Please…" She did her cute face.
"Okay then…"
They were the only ones walking in the corridors. They went toward the front of the train and passed through a bar. The lights were all out. There was no barman. However, there was a person who sat at a table. Lucy Cruz was drinking peach tequila.
"Lucy! You're here!" Scarlet said it loud.
"Scarlet! Shush!" Demetrius put his hand on her mouth.
"Oh… hey."
"What are you doing here?" Scarlet whispered taking Demetrius hands off her mouth.
"This was the last train to the Capitol. I'm scared. I don't know what will happen. I just know I'll never see my family again. I made a terrible choice."
"Look at the bright side, Lucy! You'll be rich. You'll have everything you want." Scarlet tried to cheer her up.
"Your parents will eventually die, and you would have to live and work on those plantations for the rest of your life if you went with them." Demetrius added.
"So Scarlet, if everything is so wonderful, why didn't you accept your offer?" Lucy said turning the tequila down her throat.
"Because my dad always says that I'm just like my mother, I wouldn't let him lose my mom twice and I just can't leave Demetrius alone."
"Scarlet, you are exactly like mom, well, just your…"
"My eyes, yeah I know." She completed.
"Oh well, I can't change what's done." Lucy stood up and got up from the table a bit tipsy. "Wanna see something cool?" She pulled Scarlet's arm and went walking towards the beginning of the train. Demetrius went after them.
They went into a dark room where there were about twenty men sleeping. Lucy went half dancing and half almost falling in the direction of an enormous wardrobe and opened it up.
"Isn't it cool? Maybe I'll try one." Lucy said getting one of the outfits and placing it right in front of her.
"Are those…?" Scarlet started asking.
"Yes." Lucy giggled.
"Are these…?" Demetrius looked around.
"Yes." Lucy giggled a bit more. "Take one." She threw one Peacekeeper's uniform to Scarlet and another to Demetrius and closed the wardrobe.
"Are you crazy?" Demetrius whispered.
"Just a tiny little bit." She did a gesture with her fingers, and threw her head back and started laughing and walking towards them.
"Shhh! Lucy be quiet! You'll wake them up!" Scarlet whispered.
"Oh… I'm okay with that."
There were at least six men moving in their beds suggesting they would wake up at anytime.
"Let's go now!" Demetrius said opening the door back to the hallways.
Scarlet pulled Lucy by her arms, and they started going faster. As soon as Demetrius closed the door behind him, the lights were turned on in that room.
"They woke up!" He warned Scarlet.
"Come on Lucy!"
"I don't wanna go! I want to see their faces! I will laugh so hard at them…"
"Lucy, if they catch you – if they catch us – we'll be screwed, understand?" Demetrius tried to rationalize but it was worthless.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever…"
"Scarlet, we need to leave her at the bar where we found her, we don't know her room."
Scarlet nodded and just then, they realized they were still carrying those Peacekeepers' uniforms.
"Damn it! The uniforms!" they said together, but still speed walking.
Soon they got to the bar and left Lucy sat down at the same table with the tequila bottle half full. Right when she sat there, her hands went sliding across the table, her head bumped into the table and she fell imediately to sleep.
Before Demetrius and Scarlet continued on their way, they heard footsteps coming from the beginning of the train.
"They're coming." Demetrius whispered.
They started running and got back into their cabin. Tobias was already sleeping. Demetrius checked the corridors before closing the door. It seemed like Lucy had been quite a distraction for them.
"What will we do with these? We can't just give them back!" Scarlet pointed to the uniforms. Her heart was beating really fast.
"You know what?" He got his suit case, which was half empty after he left some stuff at his grandfather's house, and threw those uniforms in it. "There, we're gonna take them."
They heard footsteps in the corridors.
"They're here. Lay down and fake sleeping."
Five minutes later they heard the door of their cabin open.
"Cleared." A man's voice could be heard.