Peeta Mellark (District 12) Victor of the 74th Annual Hunger Games
Peeta took another swill of the mysterious clear "beverage", he couldn't even remember the name of it. Haymitch had mentioned it started with a v or some other. "Guess it no longer matters now" Peeta thought. The terrible sensation and horrible taste always made him cringe, no matter how fond he had grown of liquor. No matter how much he had forgotten the names of those horrendous drinks he consumed.
Peeta stole another hard glance at the transparent liquid before sneering at it in disgust. He hated it, yet begrudgingly loved it. Those two statements sounded antithetical, yet they were the truth. When he first returned to 12, Peeta had sworn he would never become another Haymtich. Then, the nightmares started. The visions of Katniss' beautiful face mangled by Clove's brutality. The huge boy named Thresh saving him despite his protests. In these moments, he understood. The liquor that he hated, became his only solace. Peeta's only way to escape and forget the pain of the past.
His alcoholism had only intensified in the coming years. When Gale first appeared at his home in the Victor's Village, blaming Peeta for allowing Katniss to die. Peeta discovered whiskey. When Peeta refused to allow his body to be used by the Capitol and Snow punished him by reaping Rory Hawthorne for the 78th Games. Peeta discovered Gin. When Rory won the 78th Games against all odds and Peeta was forced to watch as the innocent, yet brave, young soul was blackened by violence and sexual exploitation. Peeta discovered Tequila. When Gale blamed Peeta for his emotionally distant brother. Peeta discovered Rum. When Coriolanus Snow passed away, Peeta felt a sense of relief and even optimism, if only for a moment. When Coriolanus Snow was replaced by the equally brutal Justinian Smyth, Peeta truly discovered the appeal of those bitter drinks.
Twenty-five, long, years had passed since then, and it was now the night before the reaping of the 99th Annual Hunger Games, yet Peeta Mellark found no rest. He found only small comfort in this bitter taste and warm belly. "Another two young souls were about to be extinguished", he assumed. "Or wish they had been extinguished". As more visions flooded Peeta's mind, he mused once again "Guess it no longer matters now".