Chapter IX: Will our Tomorrow be Kinder?
We are walking to the Command room. Needless to say, I'm shaking and freaking out because if I thought I had reached the point of no return before, I was wrong. This is the point of no return. I'm about to make a commitment to these people who trust me enough to follow my plan. I realize I'm holding Liam's hand too tightly so instead of entirely crushing it, I let go.
"No. Don't let go." He says and takes my hand again. If he does not want to use his right hand again, that's his problem. But he has come to the right place to disable it.
We walk into the room. Liam greets everyone in a very friendly way. The two women looked beautiful, they wore make-up of course, Mrs. Vetus even had a flower tattoo on her cheek She's holding hands with her husband .She looked lovely. I shake hands with everyone but Commander Cantus who pulls me in for a hug and she tells me to call her Melody.
I sit on a chair next to Liam and he introduces me to everyone. Mr. Vetus, Mrs. Vetus, Commander Dean, Commander Cantus and another man Liam didn't tell me about before, Commander Latens are here.
Mr. Vetus is the one who speaks first, after the hellos and introductions.
"Well, we thought your ideas were marvellous and we understand your motives, they are too strong to be tampered with so I know you would never give up."
Oh. So that's why they're choosing me for the leader, they know I would never give up on this cause. I should probably be angry but I'm not. I don't care why anymore, or who. I get to have people doing whatever I want, protecting Liam and Taylor for me and that's all I care about for now.
"You've got that right. I am not giving up, no matter what."
"We're very sorry for your loss of course, it must have been very hard." Mrs. Vetus says sweetly.
"Thank you." I manage.
"So now let's get to the important, shall we?" Commander Dean offers.
"Well there it is. You are going to be the mind of this rebellion. With our help of course, you're going to plan this. As long as you're alive, we know our cause is very much safe, that's why we need to protect you at all costs" Mayor Vetus explained what I already knew.
"Liam too" I say simply.
"What?" Commander Latens asks in disbelief.
"These... duties the mayor has just listed, they won't only be mine. Liam and I are going to share them." I repeat.
"Impossible. Why would we do that? It's you we want. Since when does being a revolutionary require a consort?" Says Commander Latens.
"And besides that, I need my brother Taylor to be safe." I figure it's now or never. I have a list of demands, after all Liam said it was my revolution, that they couldn't do it without me. Besides I have nothing to lose anyway.
"You think we can't do this without you? you're just another rebel, another person. Do you have any idea how insignificant you are!" Commander Latens screams at me and I don't hold anything back.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT ME WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. I'M CRUCIAL FOR THIS REBELLION AND YOU KNOW IT. SO I WILL HAVE WHAT I REQUESTED OR YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN." They all looked at me in awe. I couldn't even believe it myself. No one but Liam recovers but he doesn't speak and I his eyes urge me to go on, and when I decide to, I see Commander Dean clap his hands, Commander Cantus joins him and then they are joined by everyone else. After the applause, Commander Dean says "That's exactly what we wanted, what we were looking for. Not only will you be the leader of the revolution, but you will be its face."
He looks around the room, for confirmation or something and then adds "Yes, Liam can share your responsibilities and everything in our power will be done to keep your brother safe and happy."
"Good." I say "Now that we have reached an agreement. What's the plan?"
Everyone eyed me, ready to laugh at me or yell at me -I can't really tell- until Commander Cantus tells me, with a raised eyebrow and the ghost of a smile. "You tell me. "
I blush, realizing this is what I have just agreed to do.
"Well for now, nothing. I'm aware that we can't just make a revolution out of nothing. We have to get more people on our side" I open my mouth to add something and then think a little before speaking. Sacrifices are needed. My mind is made up.
"We need every person we can get so tell the rebels volunteering for the kids of the Capitol not to."
"Done." Liam surprises me.
"What?"
"They couldn't volunteer anyway. The kids have already been chosen, from Snow' entourage, their names are going to be called tonight."
"Nobody tells me anything!" I start to complain but Liam interrupts me by squeezing my hand and saying with a smile "I told you Capitol kids were easy to beat."
"There's no way around the Reaping here? You can't make a list?"
"No" the mayor says "It's different here, the names will be drawn from the ball so thirteen can get a taste of what the districts went through, we couldn't do anything but you're safe of course."
"Why would I be safe?" I ask
"You're name isn't in the ball silly!" Mrs. Vetus says.
"Why?"
Liam gives me a look that says are you really asking that question?
I shrug and say "Liam's safe too then?"
All of their faces become grim and realization downs on me. The answer is no. They're going to take him away from me just like that. Surely something can be done! I put my face in my hands for a minute, trying to put myself together. I stand up so I can force myself to stay strong.
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?"
Mrs. Vetus walks to me, to us. She makes me sit down and looks at us both.
"We didn't want to tell you until it was final but Liam's on the list at the Capitol. There is nothing we could do. We played every card we could but they refused. His parents were ministers for Snow, his mother's brother was married to Snow's daughter. Others with less connections to Snow's family had their children on the list."
"IT'S NOT FAIR. HE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM. HE GREW UP IN 4 FOR GOD'S SAKES!"
"It makes no difference to them. They don't care about who I am, they care about who I'm related to, even though I never even really knew them." He says darkly, shock still clear in his voice.
I run a hand through my hair "There's nothing we can do?"
"No." says Mrs. Vetus "Officers have been looking for him back in 4, asking around in the Capitol. They found out he's here."
Liam, sitting next to me, doesn't move. His face remains expressionless, like he isn't here anymore. Already, I'm starting to lose him and there is nothing I can do about it.
"When are they going to take him?" I ask. Everyone understood though that I really mean how much time do I have left because he was as good as dead.
"The will probably arrest him and put him in the hovercraft with the other tributes after the reaping tonight."
This can't be happening. They're stealing him away from me so soon. Please, let this be a nightmare. We were just starting, blossoming, growing, falling for each other. Why? Why him? Why me? And in that moment deep down, I know that I will never forgive them for this. I will never stop until this Coin's government falls, until I kill her. I can't give up until I avenge my parent's death, Taylor's misery and Liam. You've just dug your own grave Coin. You've just made yourself a dreadful enemy. She should have learned from Snow's mistakes but it's her loss if she's too arrogant, too power-hungry to learn.
I need to get out of here, I need to be with Liam as much as I can. I start the countdown. The reaping is at 7 and they were probably going to take him around 8 or something. It was now 5:30 so I had a couple of hours with him. So much I want to say to him, so many things I want to do with him that I don't know where to start.
"I can spend any amount of time planning with you tomorrow, but I would like to go now, please" I say. They all nod, I hear an "of course" here and an "I understand" there before taking Liam's hand and going out the door. We walk silently to his compartment. I suggested that since Taylor would be in mine.
We get to the room he opens the door, without a word and we both sit on the floor next to each other. I rest my head on his shoulder.
"Do we have to go to dinner?" I ask
"I don't think so."
I wrap my hands around his torso.
"Then I'm not leaving until they come for you"
"Thank you."
He wraps his arms around me, holding me close and resting his head on mine.
"You're really gonna go, huh?"
"It seems."
He's giving me short answers. Gone already is the cheerful, happy, carefree Liam.
"Why are you so worried, so cold?" I ask, even though I couldn't exactly expect him to be happy in such a situation.
"I'm thinking of my strategy at the Games. I don't want to be killed but I don't want to kill either. There won't even be carriers, only innocent, terrified children who never thought they would be put in such a situation." He lifts my head up to look me in they eye and adds "I don't think I can kill them, Lily."
"Liam, sacrifices are needed, like you said. You're not killing them because you're a piece in Coin's games, not because you're a bad cruel person. You're doing whatever it takes so you can come back to me. So we can make a better Panem together like you promised."
He kisses my forehead. We'll never get past foreheads it seems.
"Lily don't think about me, don't worry about me while I'm in there, okay?"
"I can't."
"Yes, you can and you will."
"No, just listen to me. We can still do this, we can still plan together. You can give me hints, the games are broadcast live, you know I'll understand what you're trying to say and I can communicate with you through the sponsor gifts. We'll figure something out."
He just looks at me. I wonder if it's a good or a bad idea until he finally says "Lily, you're a genius!"
"Really? You liked the idea?"
"Yeah. We can still communicate, you can sort of keep me company, that ought to remind me to fight."
I giggle. He reminded me of a childhood memory. He asks why I'm laughing and I answer
"Your reaction reminded me when I sang in front of someone for the first time. I always thought I couldn't sing. Once, I thought I was alone in my house and sang and when I saw my family they gave me the look you just did, I wondered if it was a good or a bad thing until they spoke. Like you, just now."
After a moment of silence, he asks me if I can sing to him. I warn him that my voice isn't really that good but he insists so I sing him a song I used to hear my mother hum around the house.
Black clouds are behind me
I now can see ahead
Often I wonder why I try
Hoping for an end
Sorrow weighs my shoulders down
And trouble haunts my mind
But I know the present will not last
And tomorrow will be kinder
Tomorrow will be kinder
It's true, I've seen it before
A brighter day is coming my way
Yes, tomorrow will be kinder
Today I've cried many tears
And pain is in my heart
Around me lies a sombre scene
I don't know where to start
But I feel warmth on my skin
The stars have all aligned
The wind has blown but now I know
That tomorrow will be kinder
I know I've seen it before
A brighter day is coming my way
Yes, tomorrow will be kinder
A brighter day is coming my way
Yes, tomorrow will be kinder
I notice that his eyes are closed. I think he's asleep but he's not. He opens his eyes in moments and says "Lily that was beautiful. That song is amazing."
"You really liked it?
"Yeah."
I hear the voice announce that everyone is to head for the Reaping in an assembly hall and I tell Liam that we should go so Taylor won't worry about me. I convince myself that we'll have some more time after the Reaping and then more time after the hunger games, and then more time after the revolution. I tell myself that there will be another time. And it must be that hopeful song full of promise because I fall for my own lies again, I believe the lie I made up and I find myself impatiently waiting for the Games to begin for the sooner they start, the sooner they end and the sooner I can get my Liam back.
A/N
My chapters will come less often but they will be longer and better I guess. I'm sure you all know the song, it was perfect for my chapter. I love music so much and I base a lot of my events on things from songs so I will be using lyrics a lot. I like to name some of my characters according to their traits. So have fun trying to figure the personalities of this chapter's new characters according to their names. Hope you liked this but can I just say that it's very frustrating that I work so hard on this then I find that almost no one bothers to read!