I'm back baby! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
I wake up but keep my eyes closed, lying on my back. I vaguely hear a rasping on my door and assume it's Leefa, come to get me ready for breakfast.
"I'll be right there."
It doesn't stop so I sit up and say:
"Alright, alright! I'm up already." Alfee whines at me from the door, which is covered in scratches from his claws.
"Ugh, Alfee! What'd you do that for? We're not in twelve anymore. What are you so excited about?"
He sits, tail wagging, looking expectantly at me. Since I just stare back, he yips, and when that doesn't work, barks twice.
"Fine, just let me get dressed."
I throw on some garments and step out the door, Alfee on my heels.
In the dining room, only Flint seems to have gotten up. After a glance at the clock, I'm not surprised the others aren't up. It's a little past six.
"You're up awful early."
He looks up at me, holding a cup of coffee in his right hand, and smirks before replying.
"Look who's talking. Your hair's a mess and you got black eyes."
My hand goes to my head and Flint lets out a loud laugh. My cheeks heat up a bit so I fold my arms across my chest and hold my chin up high. He motions for me to sit and starts to pile food in my plate. Since I stay standing, he sighs and adds:
"You look fine. Now sit and eat; you'll need your strength today, in training."
I sit. And eat an enormous amount of food. I'm drinking the last of a glass of juice when Flint speaks again.
"So, have you thought about who you'll ally with?"
I swallow slowly letting the words seep into my head before speaking them.
"Yes, I have."
"Good."
And with that, he wipes his mouth on a napkin and leaves the table. I'm glad he doesn't ask more. I don't know how to tell him I want to ally with the girl tribute from his district. I gobble up what's left on my plate and get a large serving for Alfee as well.
Training only starts at ten o'clock, in about three hours so I go back to my room and decide to train Alfee a bit. I'm trying to teach him how to recognize if I'm injured or not, so he can defend me or even try to hide me in leaves and branches, when he puts an end to it by sitting down. Alfee's smart and he learns fast, but he also has a mind of his own. To him we're just playing, and if he doesn't like my game he just stops paying attention.
"Alright Alfee, that's enough for now. I'll see you after training."
I pass my fingers through his fur and walk out the door. Leefa and Deanen have woken up and are finishing up their breakfast. When I don't go to the table they look confused.
"Aren't you gonna eat?" Asks Deanen.
"Got up early." Says Flint, sipping his coffee. The way he says this, suggests that I'm looking forward to today, getting ready as soon as I can. It's not true but it might make me look tougher than I really am. And it's not entirely false. So I nod and follow Leefa and Deanen to the elevator. My second day of training awaits me twelve levels below.
At the fire station, I've coaxed the dry grass and lichen into a small flame when a pair of hands covers my eyes. Only this time I'm not so surprized. The girl from seven crouches on the floor next to me and smiles. And when my stomach growls loudly, she says:
"Lookin' forward to lunch?" She says teasingly.
"Yeah, I'm starving. Do you still want to eat with me?"
"Course I do." I should be more aware about that smug look on her face.
Lidia rings the bell and we all head to the canteen. My tray is heavy from the food I've piled on it. Me and the girl chose a table in a corner, under a window. I like sitting in the corner 'cause I can see everything in front of me, by back to the wall. And the girl loves to see the sky, or so she tells me. I try to start some chitchat while we eat but she speaks first.
"We haven't been properly introduced, have we? Oh where are my manners!" she says with mock-drama. "I'm Abbye Geiger, from seven. And I now you're from twelve. What's your name?"
"It's Chicory. Chicory Docks."
"Well Chicory Docks," she says, grabbing my hand and giving it a good shake, "it's a pleasure to meet you."
We both laugh and I dig into my onion soup. We talk until the bell rings again and Lidia comes to get us all. I get up to give my tray to an avoxe. Before I can get to one though, my tray is flying to my face, the plate and utensils falling on my sides. I bend to pick it all up, wondering what's just happened when I hear a deep voice speak.
"Oops! Sorry."
It's one of the careers, the boy from one I think. He doesn't sorry at all. Actually, he seems amused. A fire starts in my chest and it takes everything I've got, and Abbye holding my arm, not to wipe that smirk of his face.
Remember, I say to myself, no fighting with each other.
I take a deep breath, keep my chin high and give my platter to an avoxe who's rushed over to clean up the broken plate and bowl. Then I walk strait past the boy, but not before giving him a good shove to the shoulder. Abbye follows me closely and even spits an insult or two at the boy. When we get to another station she picked at random, she talks to me calmly.
"Are you alright? That was so uncalled for. Let's go to the hand-to-hand combat station to beat out the heat, okay?"
"That sounds good. I swear I could punch him right now!"
While I hack off a dummy's head, Abbye swings her sword up and down. When she sees me staring at her, she says "Like chopping wood. It's comforting." I lower my sword and think for a long moment. Then, I speak.
"I want you as an ally." Abbye's sword stops abruptly, and she turns to me with a big, smug smile.
"I thought you'd never ask." She juts out her right hand and shakes my hand. "Allies," She adds.
Soon enough, it's time to go back to our quarters. I stand next to Deanen in the elevator. He's still his silent self, but he courteously salutes me with a basic 'hello'. To which, I reply 'hello'. And that's all the conversation we'll get this evening.
Tonight, after supper, a televised announcement from the President encourages us and cheers on for us, wishing the odds be in our favour.
My hair is dirty and I stink. I walk under the flowing hot water, and it rinses off all my impurities. I go to bed feeling cleansed and Alfee snuggles into my shoulder. I stroke his soft fur, his beautiful gray and red fur, and go to sleep wondering how anything can be so soft.
The wind blows cold and mercilessly. I feel as hollow as an empty pot. Mother and father are out trying to trade for food and get some extra work for some money. I lie on the floor, in a blanket, near the small fire, hoping for some warmth. The back door swings open, letting a gust of snowy wind into the room. My sister walks in, carrying a dead rabbit.
"Where d'you get that?,"I ask her in disbelief.
"Never you mind, Chic" She goes into the kitchen, skins the rabbit, cuts it up and makes a small pot of stew or soup. She brings me a bowl and I eat slowly. My parents have countless times warned me of eating too quickly after being this hungry. When I'm done, I lay my head on my sister's lap and wait expectantly. She sings and I rest in peace, hearing her songbird voice.
The door swings open again, but it looks wrong, like it shouldn't be opening. My sister screams and pleads. Delphi falls to the ground, bloody and torn. Tym burns alive and Zev stabs himself until his arm can't rise the knife anymore. I turn away from the gore, turn to my sister.
"Asterae, why? Why?" She stands holding a bloody knife holding Mother's and Nate's heads by the hair. She wears Alfee's pelt as a coat and smiles cruelly before spilling my guts onto the floor.
A sharp pain runs on my arm until I wake up struggling with myself and breathing like a mad-man. My arm is bleeding, but not much, from the marks Alfee's teeth have left on my arm. He looks at me with his worried eyes. He woke me up. I hug him so tightly, but he doesn't protest. I find sleep again, somehow, with Alfee licking my wound.
I hope you liked it! I'm sorry for the delay, I've been struggling to get up (it's sooooo Hot!) :P Next chapter soon!
