Disclaimer: No I don't own The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins does
Authoer's Note: Thanks go to my reviewers KL10X, Arrow and Quinn
Chapter 25
Flashbacks Can't Hurt
The launch happens really early but Brutus gets me around ten in the morning. He went to a coffee shop and got me chocolate milk and a sandwich. Hellen had barked at him to make me eat and he doesn't allow me to leave the hotel until I have finished my breakfast. I will have to tell Hellen I don't need all the victors looking out for me. I already have her, Tracker and Raul. We arrive in victor's hall an hour later to see the gong go off.
I regret ever coming because of this moment. I wish I hadn't eaten, my stomach churns unpleasantly, and I feel weak. Brutus notices this before Hellen and Tracker do and has me sit with my head between my legs.
"Easy just breath" he says calmly, Finnick comes over followed by Hellen
"I forgot" Hellen says taking over, "just…don't think about it okay look away" she says she looks at Finnick who shrugs then he gets an idea and Wiress and Seeder take me outside.
Seeder sits beside me on the park bench outside the hall while Wiress hums soothingly.
"'m sorry" I mumble
"Flashback can't hurt can they?" Wiress looks a bit dreamy like she's asking the air or a ghost for the answer
"Of course not" seeder replies, "just jarring, Finnick had a full blown panic attack remember Wiress?"
"Not me! Not me! Not me!" she says mimicking someone sitting in the fetal position rocking back and forth
"And what did we say?" she says
"Games are a monster" Wiress seems to be a born again actor because she gets up and pantomimes someone sword fighting, "we have to do things we don't normally do to survive!" she thrust her imaginary sword into and imaginary foe and pulls it out liking the imaginary blood off the blade
The gong goes off but we don't go in.
Beetee comes out about ten minutes later. "time to go Wiress" he says
That fast? It happened that fast? I look shocked.
"You gonna be okay Ariana?" he asks as Seeder has started a freedom braid in my hair
"Yeah I think so" I get up and I go and hug Wiress, "thanks Wiress"
"Angel" she hugs back, "gonna fly now" and Beetee steers her away by the shoulder for the next train home.
Seeder and I get up and head inside.
"Ms Seeder?" I ask
"Yes dear?" she looks at me her dark brown eyes caring and calm
"Why is Wiress like that? Is it because of the games?" I ask, I like Wiress but she seems out of place with her surroundings half the time. Beetee seems to be her constant companion unless Seeder is watching her.
"She was very shy in her games" Seeder explains, "after she won it made her more withdrawn but Beetee helps her; unfortunately he says she hasn't improved much"
"Will she get worse?" I worry for her, even if she is older than me Wiress seems more childlike than I am sometimes clinging to Beetee in strange situations. Beetee never minds.
"Beetee isn't hopeful, though he is willing to stay with her" Seeder says sadly, "off you go Ari, I have to keep track of my tributes now" she sends me off to sit with Tracker and Hellen who welcome me back
"Feeling better?" Tracker asks, "sorry we couldn't be with you but we both wanted to keep an eye on Logan and Gwenn?"
"How are they doing?" I ask
"Still alive but neither grabbed a weapon, we will have to see" Hellen says, she point to the screen, they are in a dense forest this year. Wood will be in abundance but water might not, unless there is a stream
"What's the terrain?" I ask
Tracker looks at me quizzically, "why?"
"They need water" I say, "so unless there is a large water source we have to assume they put a stream or something somewhere"
Hellen nods, "come with me" she takes me by the hand and leads me to a table where the other victors are looking at, it has a topographical representation of the arena and this is huge! There are blinking lights and if you touch one it give you the district name. One thru twelve. On one edge it has the districts, district three six and eight are blacked out.
"Okay water source" Hellen mutters looking at the map, "stream that leads north to south, and at the far end it opens up a bit more, but apart from that not much"
I nod, "do we know what Gwenn and Logan have as supplies?"
"No they won't show unless there isn't much going on" Hellen says, "you've perked up a good bit"
We hear a cannon and I start. She leads me back and I sit sipping water, my mouth has gone dry. I really have to get a handle on this! It's silly to think we are in the games still.
I try and stay calm and when it gets too much I head outside to sit in the open air. Its not so bad some residents recognize me and we chat until they remember they were going to get supper, they always have this apologetic face when they have to go. I don't like being famous, especially for the games to have made me so, but it makes them happy so I guess it's not that bad in some cases.
I keep this up for the week, for two kids from my district to last a whole week is something interesting. I start to wonder why until it dawns on me. The arena has them spread out so much it would be easy for them to stay safe.