Blood covers my face, so much blood that I had to use my hands to wipe it off my face.
I climb off the corpse and look at the girl to be sure I wasn't too late, then it hits me. This is the girl whose father I arrested for morphling use during my second week here.
By now the other six peacekeepers have come to check on me. None of them ask why I came down here, and since I didn't turn around to see them, I assume they picked up on what almost happened. The girl still looks scared, she shakes fearfully.
I must pick my words carefully. "Did they hurt you?"
My voice has calmed down, so she shakes less. "No, they didn't ..."
She tried to finish the sentence, but the necessary words escaped her. " I'm sorry you had to see that."
I try to run my hands through my blond hair to clean out some more blood, its gotten everywhere.
"N-no, I'm glad you came here."
She really doesn't recognize me. Why should she, I was wearing my helmet and it obstructed her view of my face. Still, she would't be glad I came to district 8 if she knew I arrested her father.
I extend my hand to help her up, at first hesitant, she reaches out with a shaking arm. I grabbed her hand, pulled her to her feet, and wiped the tears from her face. Pontus, a tall man with dark skin, gestures for us to get going.
She seems to notice them for the first time. "Who are they?"
I'm smart enough to know that giving away our position is a bad idea, so I lie. "These are my neighbors, we're heading west to one of the other districts."
This is only a partial lie, as we are leaving district 8 through the west. She asks a question. "Can I come?"
If what we said was true, I would have let her come. "Sorry, the trip will be too dangerous, plus we don't have enough spare supplies. anyway, why would you even want to leave?"
She was persistent. "I don't have anything keeping me here. I want a fresh start, just like you."
I'm about to tell her she can't come, but she cut me short. " Can I at least walk with you to the edge of the district? I owe you that much if nothing else."
There are some benefits to this, it it will make our group appear less suspicious, and give me a chance to learn more about her. "Well, okey. I'll let you come with us as far as the district edge, but only if you tell me your name." This was a fair trade off.
"My name is Annona. If you know my name, I should at least know what to call you." I could afford to tell the truth now. "My name is Lysander Hardley, you can call me Lyes."
While walking down the winding alleyways, Annona, tells us about herself. Her story is a sad one, and it hurts the six of us to hear it. Her father has always had a crippling addiction to morphling, often spending all their money on the morphers nectar. He was unable to hold a job, and forced Annona to take tesserae up to her neck just to survive.
After Annona's father tried pimping out her mother to the morphling brewer, she left him. He often beat the two of them and survival was a constant struggle. The teachers at the school must have noticed her black eyes and twisted arms, because a few months ago four peacekeepers came into her tenant room and arrested him. Even though her father scared her, she still was upset that he was taken away.
When Annona's mother heard what happened, she came back and took care of her for a few months. It would be Annona's turn to take care of her when she succumbed to the pox and died, just a few days before the revolt.
Then I asked. "And what did you think of the revolt?"
Her response isn't what I expected. I expected her to fully support the revolt. " They're just gonna cause more problems then they solve. When this is over, the Capitol is probably going to do something crueler than the hunger games ever were."
Then in a hushed tone, " I don't think we should talk about this, anyone deemed a counter revolutionary is lynched." I feel that she has reason enough to disapprove of the revolt, seeing as what two Rebs would have done to her.
Our progress down the street is blocked by angry mob of about eighty, which surrounds someone. Some of them have guns, so there isn't anything that can be done for the unfortunate victim, we must find our way around. While doing so, screams and shouts can be heard from within, silenced only by the blood-curdling sound of a skull being crushed. Despite feeling a hellish combination of anger and sickness, I must keep moving. We sneak past the crowd and, after distancing ourselves from them, run until they're out of sight. We round three corners just to be sure.
It is getting dark now. The sun dropped low, floating halfway above the skyline. Annona speaks now. "It's getting dark, we'll have to find somewhere to rest soon."
Apollo was in agreement. "We don't want to be out here come nightfall."
To myself, I worry for how much time we have until the reinforcing peacekeepers come, but I internally conclude that we have a few more days. We head to an unused house in the victors village. After talking with some people, it's safe to conclude that the Rebs murdered all the Victors who weren't as radical as them. A makeshift gallows with seven hung Victors, as well as a self-appointed crier ranting to huddled onlookers of how the hung deserved their fate for being counter revolutionaries, supports this theory.
The fanatic standing in front of hanging victors is shouting to anyone who will listen, "This is the fate of all who stand in the way of Uprising! We shall rain fire down upon the Capitol! Together, we shall annihilate every Capitolite man, woman, and child! Anyone who stands against us shall suffer worse, and if you aren't with us you're against us. Long live the uprising, long live the Mockingjay!"
While we try to sneak past the rabble rouser, the crown of listeners repeat the last line in loud chants.
"Long live the Mockingjay! Long live the Mockingjay!"
We put distance between us, walking past smoldering Victors mansions and corpses of dead victors or their families. Each dead child only heightens the anger and severity of the situation. Some are mutilated is grotesque ways, some clearly suffered worse fates than death in addition to it. We must get out of this District, and fast.
We head to the westernmost mansion, a whitewashed marble monstrosity, which I doubt has ever been used since its construction. Its floor is covered with white carpet and some type of hardwood, its walls of marble construct. I reach for the light switch, but the lights don't turn on. Someone must have cut the wrong wire during the fighting. I guess we'll have to use the fireplace, if this building has one.
We huddle around the fire place as a small flame attempts to lick the platinum bars surrounding it. Helena takes the watch for the first half of the night, and Pontus agrees to take the second. We lay our backpacks aside, against the wall. Annona smiles at me as I drift off into sleep. Her dark blue eyes looking into my light green ones. The stress on her face from when I first met her isn't present. She whispers one word before I fall asleep.
"Thank-you."
