The 83rd Hunger Games: District 4; Chapter 25

Oh my gosh I hate school! It sucks! I barely have ANY time to write! Ugh! Well here, the 2nd to last chapter. Gasp! Oh and this interview scene was so fun to write, I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games that is Suzanne Collins. Just Elyce's story came from my mind.

Previously in Chapter 24 of the 83rd Hunger Games:

Blake showed Elyce her terrible slut dress and spent most of the day comforting her.

Chapter 25

I am about to step onto the stage when Finnick grabs my arm. "Act drunk," he hisses in my ear.

"Why?"

"Because you didn't go to the Victor's dinner last night." Ohhh. "Just pretend you were there but no one saw you because you were 'in a back room with some boy' so to speak."

I roll my eyes. "Why is everyone so dead set on me being a whore?!" I whisper-shout.

"Listen; you now know what I had to do. I didn't want to do it but they would have killed the ones I love if I didn't. Now you have to be the bigger person and do the same."

"I know," I interrupt. "Blake told me."

"And I know that. I told him to tell you. I figured you take it better coming from him rather than me. And Annie couldn't bring herself to tell you." Poor Annie. She must feel horrible. Finnick must too. His winning tribute is fated to be a whore like he was forced to be and his sweet innocent wife is literally going crazy over it.

"So act drunk?" I confirm.

"Yep. Now get out there." I turn and purposely stumble, well…drunkenly into the seating room in my way-to-tall stiletto high heels. Caesar stands and reaches out to shake my hand but I give him a sloppy hug instead. Really I just fall on him and he has to support all my weight.

"Whoa Elyce. Are you okay?" he asks, looking genuinely concerned.

"Nevvverr beeeen bettterrr," I slur, collapsing into the chair adjacent to his.

"We're on the air in 5, 4, 3," starts a cameraman.

"2, 1, zeeerrrooooooo!" I finish, sticking my hands in the air and waving them all around. I giggle, making sure the counting part gets on camera.

"I'm here today with the newest victor, Elyce Annya of District 4!" announces Caesar.

"That's me!" I say, bringing my hands up to my cheeks and opening my mouth in shock. I turn my head to look offstage. "Finnick, that's me! I'm the winner of the 38th-no, no, 83rd Hunger Games!"

Finnick smiles and shakes his head. He points back to Caesar. "I'm so prooouuuudd of myself!" I say with a huge smile.

"We're all proud of you Elyce. So how are you enjoying your time back here in the Capitol?" Caesar asks, trying to get the interview back on track.

"Oh it's wooooooonnddeerrrrrrfulllll. And so are the drinks!" I give him and the cameras an exaggerated wink. Then I swivel around in the chair. "Weeee!" I say, spinning around again. "Hey, hey Ffffffinnick can I get a beer over here?"

"Elyce?" says Caesar.

"Ooooooh, yeah, what?"

"There's been some questioning about where you were yesterday at the victor's dinner. Care to elaborate?"

"Wellllll I was at the party. And there was a reeaalllllly cute boy." I let out a wolf whistle before continuing with my fake story. "So we got some drinkssssssss and went upstairsssss and had-…fuuunnnnnnn." I wink again.

He seems a little flabbergasted after that answer. "So, um… before she died, Larkin claimed that you weren't really a Career and you were faking. Is that true?"

'A Careeeeeeeerr? My careeeeer is being a mer-mer-mermaid. I have a redddd tail. 'Cause redddd is the sexiest colllllooor."

And that's pretty much how the rest of the interview goes. At the end I give Caesar the rose from the V in my dress and stumble away. But not before I fall on the ground and laugh at myself, making sure that gets on the camera too.

I raise my eyebrows at Finnick when I reach him. "Well? How did I do?"

"Purrrrrfecctttt," he says, mocking my fake drunk slur.

"All your idea. I'm not surprised they didn't ask me about Zack."

"It's for the same reason they wouldn't let you wear that pearl he gave you." I roll my eyes, opening my mouth to say something derogatory about the Captiol but Finnick shakes his head. "Not here."

Of course, this place is crawling with Peacekeepers and cameramen. Any slip-up could mean serious consequences.

I walk to the elevator with Finnick. "We're going home tomorrow," he says suddenly. District 4. Words cannot describe how much I long to return. I haven't seen the beautiful oceans or beaches in over a month. "And you'll be moving into the Victors Village."

"Oh yeah." I'll be all on my own with no one else to keep away the nightmares and to help me cope with them and talk about them. Maybe I could invite Chase to be roommates with me. But wait, I guess I'll be sleeping a lot in the Captiol now won't I? Or not sleeping so much really.

"But I was told all the houses are full so you'll be moving in with Kai Hatheson. You know the 81st victor?"

"Yeah I know him, we went to school together."

"Good, good. You'll be there for probably a month." We reach the 4th floor. "Now come on, I need to get Annie something to eat."

"I'll come with you," I say.

"You really want to see this?" asks Finnick, furrowing his brow.

I roll my eyes at him again. "Need I remind you that I just got out of the Hunger Games? I've seen pretty much everything."

"I could also argue the opposite and say you've seen too much but whatever," Finnick says with a shrug. I follow him down a hall and we stop in front of his and Annie's bedroom door. "Just act normal," he whispers. Carefully he turns the knob, pushes open the door and sticks his head inside.

"Hey darling," says Finnick in a nice, soft tone he reserves only for Annie. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," calls her quiet voice.

"Elyce is here to visit. Do you want her to come in?"

"Of course." Finnick opens the door all the way and I walk in. "I'm going to get our lunch, honey. Be back in a few minutes." He walks back out the door.

"Hello Annie," I say. She looks perfectly okay, not crazy at all. Well maybe a little distant but she's just sitting calmly on her bed with her shoulder length auburn hair a little messy. I can't see much else in the dim room.

"Hello Elyce. Tomorrow we get to go back."

"I know; Finnick and I were just talking about that. I'm so excited. And a bit nervous too."

"Why?" she asks innocently. Sometimes it's hard to believe that this is a girl who survived the Hunger Games.

"Well…I don't want everyone to see me as…the monster I've become."

"You're not a monster Elyce. You did what you had to do to survive. I understand. I felt the same way. But life goes on, no matter how hard it gets.

"Thank you Annie."

Suddenly her green eyes widen, filling with terror. I whirl around to look behind me. There's nothing there. "What is it?" I ask, a sense of dread creeping over me. Then she screams at the top of her lungs, making me jump in surprise.

"You! You killed Lane! You're a murderer! You killed innocent people!"

Her screams alert Finnick, who appears in the doorway a few seconds later. I have my hand over my mouth, sobbing as I slowly back out of the room and crash into Blake.

"She doesn't mean it Elyce," he whispers in my ear. "Let's go somewhere else." I want to move but I am frozen in shock. Mine and Annie's hysterical crying and screaming fill the room. Because she's right.

Ohhh! Poor everyone! But didn't I tell you to remember Kai? That's why. Well part of it anyway. And you may be thinking, how are you gonna fit in a huge Kai scene with only 1 chapter left? You'll see, you'll see. Hope you liked it, please review!