Carlton Vars,35,Master of Ceremonies
I take a sip of my ginger mint tea while the train rocks slightly with numerous trees beginning to come Into view. It's that time again, to interview the families of the our finalists, it felt just like yesterday when I was doing the same thing last year, but then again, that's how it's been for a while. Our first stop will be at district 2, a district I frequent during these interviews and we'll be interviewing the family of Hyperion Corvinus. Apparently he lives with his two parents and brother, seems to be a fairly normal life The only odd thing is there seems to be no records of his place of birth.
Hyperion Corvinus pulled off quite the shocker yesterday when he turned on his ally Caspian, by stabbing him through the torso, this has received almost universal negative reception from the viewers and he's quite possibly the most hated tribute in the arena now considering Caspian is such a fan favorite. There are no rules in the hunger games though and there isn't much that can be done. Hyperion is hanging in there despite his numerous injuries and with Amos still on his tail, the odds are still quite stacked against him. District 2 is a career district, but it's definitely not as "fancy" looking as the other career districts. Most families here are still getting by but when I see Hyperion's house, I see his family is clearly doing much better than most of the other residents here. The house itself is made of polished marble which easily stands out from the others and after taking a deep breath, I knock on the door. I expect his mother or father to answer the door but I'm a little surprised to see a young man around Hyperion's age answer the door instead.
"Oh hey! Carlton Vars right!?" He greets me.
"The one and only!" I smirk.
"Such an honor to meet you Carlton! My names Adonis, Hyperion's brother! Come in please!" Adonis welcomes me into his home and I do exactly that. I can immediately hear chatter upstairs between a man and a woman, which I assume are their parents but it's quickly becoming clear they want no part of this interview, most likely from the comments Hyperion made during the pre-game interviews.
We both sit the dining room table which is also made of marble and theres a large bowl of fresh looking fruit in the center of it.
"Can I help you to anything Carlton? Anything to drink or eat?" he offers.
"I'll just take a glass of water, thank you!" I smile.
"Coming right up!" he dashes to his kitchen and moments later, he comes out with a large pitcher of water with a glass cup full of ice and sits in on the table where he pours me a glass.
"Thank you very much Adonis!" I smile and sip the water.
"Anytime Carlton!" he smirks.
Once my camera crew is situated I think it's time to begin this interview.
"What do you do for a living Adonis?" I begin.
"Well im still in school right now but I plan on starting my own masonry business once I graduate." He explains.
"That's sound quite amazing indeed, now how would you describe Hyperion?" I ask and it seems to catch him off guard a little but he quickly fortifies his posture.
"Well Hyperion, he's very reserved, somewhat quiet. He's always analyzing something and man, he is always so determined. When he sets his eyes on a task, he will fulfill it, and he's willing to do anything to make it a reality." Adonis explains and I nod, I look over at the television and see Hyperion is taking shelter trying to tend to his wounds as best as he can. Amos is quickly closing in on his area but doesn't seem to know exactly where he is. Reyena is also not very far from their location.
"He is a very determined individual for sure, What are your thoughts on him making it this far?" I ask.
"Well, I'm not surprised honestly, I wish he was in better shape but he's hanging in there and i believe in my brother, it's his will, his determination, no matter how much you hurt him, he will keep fighting, no one has as much heart as my brother does." He states and I can see he's getting pretty emotional as he starts wiping his eyes.
"That makes me believe that you're confident of his chances of returning." I calmly respond.
"Of course I am, he's not the strongest but he's the most cunning and brains always wins over brains any day, my brother will be back and love him or hate him, you'll have no choice but to accept him as your victor!" he clenches his fists and I calmly nod.
"Thank you so much for your time Adonis." I extend my hand to him and he quickly shakes it.
"Thank you as well Carlton, I look forward to seeing you again when you come to visit after my brother wins!" Adonis confidently states and give him a welcoming smile before we take our leave. Hyperion, he isn't the strongest but he always seems to have a trick up his sleeve and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty to accomplish something, he'll absolutely be one to watch out for.
The next district that's up is district 3 and it's been a very long time since district 3 had two finalists in a row, it's no secret that the tributes from here tend to die very early in the games but two years in a row we get two females in the finals, two very cruel and viscious ones at that. It seems like once I start getting very comfortable on the train, that's when we're arriving at district 3 and the smell of technology begins filling my nostrils. Emmerane definitely isn't your typical district 3 female, infact from the files I read she was originally from district 2 and was quite the menace there, easily overwhelming the most skilled trainees there, I'm not sure who's left in the arena that can stop her, most of her biggest threats there Hunter and Caspian are heavily wounded but there's still Reyena and Verbena. After a bit of a walk, I'm not surprised to see her rather nice looking home due to her father's wealth but with how absolutely cruel she's been in the arena, I almost expected a repeat of last year visiting an old creepy home on the outskirts of the village.
I do a quick stretch, knock on the door and almost immediately does the door open to a muscular silver bearded man gazing at me, they're very cold and rather unwelcoming…
"Hello Carlton Vars, I'm Romano, Emmerane's father, come in." he welcomes me inside before I have a chance to say anything and I do exactly that. The house smells very pleasant, like lunch was just made and he leads me to the dining table where his wife and two younger females are and on the table are various different finger sandwiches with a large pitcher of lemonade next to them.
"Carlton Vars! We've been waiting for you!" one of the females jump up and hugs me and it catches me quite off guard.
"Really now? Well that's very assuring to hear!" I laugh awkwardly hugging her back.
"Ahmelie, atleast introduce yourself before you start hugging people!" the other female who bears a striking resemblance to Emmerane scolds her.
"Oh I'm so sorry Carlton! My name is Ahmelie, Emmerane's bestfriend!" Ahmelie introduces herself.
"I'm Ellody, her sister…" she extends her hand which I shake.
"And I'm Adira, her mother! Please have a set and make yourself comfortable Mr.Vars!" her mother introduces herself to me.
"It is so nice to meet all of you, and thank you Mrs. Vestrat! It'll be a pleasure!" I sit down with the family and I notice Ahmelie scoots her chair over to me so she can be closer but I see an uncomfortable look on the face of Ellody.
"Would you like anything Carlton? Some lemonade or some sandwiches? We worked really hard to make this food for you so please do help yourself!" Ahmelie offers me, I ate before I got here but I don't want to disappoint them so I'll accept their offer.
"Thank you so much, a glass of lemonade will be great!" I respond and Ahmelie quickly pours me a glass of lemonade and politely hands it to me, with the way Emmerane is acting in the arena, its actually pretty surprising to see she comes from a relatively normal family.
"Thank you so much!" I thank them before taking a sip of the lemonade and it's delicious! My camera crew gets sorted and that's when I can begin the interview.
"So guys, how exactly will you describe Emmerane?" I begin.
"She's ambitious and like so creative, it's pretty amazing the kind of things she can come up with!" Ahmelie comments.
"She's very uhmm independent, she's quiet and usually doesn't say much but she's also very talented and she worked very hard to get where she is, she trained non stop, molding her style and patched up most of her weaknesses so, she's a nightmare to go up against. She can be very cruel as I'm sure you already saw in the arena, but shes my sister and I'll always accept her for who she is." Ellody admits.
"She's a quiet girl, she mostly prefers to be alone but she loves her family and…we love her as well." Her mother mumbles.
"She's my daughter, nothing more needs to be said…" Romano coldly answers and I give them all an assuring nod.
"I see, she does appear to be a very talented girl, what are your thoughts on her volunteering?" I ask.
"Well uhmm, she did it to save me, I wouldn't have stood a chance in the arena so…she did it to save me. I appreciate it but…I still feel bad, not for me or even for her but for everyone that's in the arena with her, like yes, she vicious but she's also doing what she needs to do to get back home to us, and that's all that really matters in the end." Ahmelie stirs her straw in her glass of lemonade.
"She did it to save her bestfriend, if there's anyone from this district who can walk out of that arena alive, then it's her by a longshot, she's strong, she's confident, talented and she has what it takes." Ellody comments.
"I was very upset at first, I don't want any of my children or family in that arena, but my daughter, she's a very strong young woman and I believe in her…that's all a parent needs to do, to believe in their children and they'll find a way back to them…" her mother sniffs and Ellody starts rubbing her mother's back to comfort her and it's a touching moment.
"She did what she wanted to do, and she'll be back soon enough…" Romano crosses his arms and glares me like he wants to wrap this interview up, I look at the television screen and I see Emmerane is casually sitting at her tea table eating the sweet pastries and treats she was sponsored and she's also having a conversation with "Spectra" asking her who she wants to invite to her "tea party" next.
"I see, all of you seem very confident of her returning." I comment.
"Absolutely! Emmerane, is a hell of a fighter and she's barley sustained any injuries, the rest of the tributes there who can give her trouble are already wounded pretty badly so that gives her an even bigger edge." Ahmelie confidently states.
"Emmerane… there's just no outsmarting her, she reads your movements, your thoughts , she always has a back up plan and she will always find a way to get you to expose your openings and that is what makes her such a difficult fighter to go up against, she'll always get the drop on you and no matter how much resistance you give her, almost all of your attacks will miss and she'll always overwhelm you in the end, she'll win…and honestly she'll make it look easy. Who's really left there that can give her any trouble?" Ellody asks and that is a good point.
Caspian,Hunter, Reyena and Verbena are the only ones left that can possibly take her, Caspian and Hunter are severely wounded though and Verbena, well she's clearly not in the right state of mind anymore and Reyena just seems like everything she can do, Emmerane does better.
"My daughter will be back, I know she will…no one can prepare themselves for her style and, she will be the victor, I know it." Her mother confidently states while dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
"She'll clearly win." Her father bluntly says.
"I see, thank you all so much for your time!" I wrap up the interview.
"Thank you so much Carlton but this won't be our last time seeing each other, you'll be back when Emmerane is the victor!" Ahmelie states.
"I look forward to it!" I grin and leave after once again saying my farewells. I board the train afterwards and put my feet up as we prepare to head to district 4. Emmerane is easily the biggest threat in the arena right now, she's also in the best shape having taken almost no significant damage, Caspian was likely the only one who can match her in terms of technique but he's severely wounded right now and is not nearly at his best. With most of her biggest threats in the arena hampered with injuries or insanity, it's hard to see these games going any other way, but after the "strongest" tribute was somehow defeated in dozens of games before this, I never count out anyone, anything can happen and this is still anyone's fight.
After a long ride we finally arrive in district 4 and this is rather interesting, two of the finalists from the same district although it's not too uncommon for careers, but interesting none the less. I can basically choose who's family to interview first and since Reyena lives closer, I'll visit hers first. I still have to take in the lovely smell of the fresh sea though. I'm even tempted to stop and get some fish fry, that'll have to wait however.
I reach the home of Reyena and it looks like the typical two story home you'll find in the district, her family is getting by but nothing to write home about. I gently knock on their door and moments later the door opens to a girl who looks like a slightly taller but younger version of Reyena open the door and her eyes immediately widen in shock upon seeing me.
"Carlton? Goodnight! I-I mean good morning- no I mean, I mean good noon! No!!!" She has a literal meltdown and I'm also at a loss of words as she's now cursing to herself under her breath and another girl who is literally identical to Reyena minus the hair and height comes to the door.
"Are you being a weirdo again Heidi, go away please!" she practically shoves Heidi out of the way and I can hear Heidi squeak.
"Anyways Carlton I'm Scarlett, we're the sisters of Reyena and I assume you're here to interview us about her, so let's just get this over with please." She welcomes me inside with a clear attitude, maybe she's just not in a good mood today…
The smell of fresh fried seafood begins filling up my nostrils and It smells amazing, I won't mind at all if they offered me some, I pass by various portraits on their wall of all of them together, Scarlett and Reyena are clearly identical twins from the pictures I see when they were younger but it appears Reyena was always notably smaller than Scarlett, they looked so happy in these pictures together, wonder why she seems so unhappy about me interviewing about her.
I'm lead to the dining table where a middle aged woman with a resemblance to her daughters sitting fried fish down on the table and when she sees me, she seems delighted.
"Carlton Vars! We've been expecting you! I'm Miami, Reyena's mother!" she happily extends her hand and I happily shake it.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Miami!" I happily greet her and I see a middle aged man exit the kitchen and is drying off his hands but while he's doing that, he's analyzing me, like his eyes are burning into me.
"Carlton vars, welcome. I'm Ethan, Reyena's father." He shakes my hand.
"It is an absolute pleasure to meet you Ethan!" I happily greet Ethan.
"Please have a seat Carlton! Make yourself at home! Can we help you to anything, a glass of water, fish and chips?" Miami offers and I'm glad she did cause I've been craving some fish fry!
"Both will be great, thank you so much Miami!" I happily thank her and she quickly puts together a dish for me with a glass of water and we begin a small lunch but I see Scarlett is continuously giving me unfriendly looks like she just wants me out of here as quickly as possible. My camera crew are sorted out by now so we can get the ball rolling!
"Alright guys, now how would you describe Reyena?" I begin.
"Wells shes very fiery, passionate and determined and she's also my bestfriend, I love picking her up and throwing her into the water when she's not aware!" Heidi giggles and her parents does the same. Heidi is younger but she's still noticeably taller than Reyena.
"We do everything together though, welll I don't like to train as much cause i get all sweaty and start smelling haha but everything else! We braid each other's hair, we watch movies together, go out and get ice cream together, she's like…my twin and…I just, I really miss her." Heidi sighs and it looks like she's starting to get emotional and her parents begin comforting her but it's Scarlett who seems to be the most affected as she now has a scowl across her face and is clenching her fists, why is she so upset?
"She's a very bright and independent girl, she's always finding ways to improve herself so she trains vigorously but she still always finds time to be with her family." Her father Ethan explains while still rubbing Heidi's back.
"She's a strong woman and also very observant, she's always paying attention to everything, every little detail, even when she knows she isn't great at something like baking…she still tries, she learns and she eventually adjusts, that's what makes my baby so special, she's always so determined to improve and try new things and eventually she'll become comfortable and learn." Her mother Miami explains and I look over at Scarlett who's glaring me and it looks like she wants to say something.
"She's just an arrogant and selfish idiot, what more is there to say?" she states and there's an awkward silence as her family is only giving her a shocked expression.
"Excuse me, you will not talk about your sister that way at my table, do you understand?" Ethan scolds her.
"Yeah whatever, can we continue this pointless interview please?" she dismisses Ethan.
"Do you need to excuse yourself Scarlett?" Her mother Miami chimes in.
"I excuse myself when I'm ready to, now ask another stupid question please Carlton!" she snaps her fingers at me and all her parents and Heidi can do is glare her.
"Yes, well…what are your thoughts on her volunteering?"
"Well uhmm, as a parent, we're always going to be worried for our children, but as a parent, it's also our commitment to believe in our children, we have to believe in Reyena and she'll return to us." Miami states and also seems to be getting emotional but Heidi and Ethan comforts her.
"I honestly never really wanted her to volunteer , I know she's strong enough to win but, she really has nothing to prove and I mean we're not wealthy by any means but we're still getting by but…Reyena is my sister and whatever she does, I'll support her and be there by her side!" Heidi's voice cracks and I look on the television screen to see Reyena is drinking a canteen of water that was sponsored to her, it's still a little worrying that Hyperion is not far off from her location but she's also in much better condition than him, as long as he doesn't get the drop on her, she should be able to take him.
"I agree with both my wife and daughter, I respect Reyena's decision and I always will, she's my daughter." Ethan states
I see Scarlett is still giving me a scowl and to try and prevent her from saying something horrific I begin to ask to next question.
"What so you're just going to skip over me now? Not even going to ask what my thoughts are? Well my thoughts are…good, I'm glad she volunteered. She took everything from me, leeched off of me like a parasite and she's finally out of the pic-" she continues but the sound of a massive slap causes me to jump as the living room falls silent afterwards and its Scarlett, who is clutching the side of her face as she's only giving Heidi a shocked expression and Heidi is grasping her hand that just smacked Scarlett across the face.
"I'm not going to allow you to say another bad thing about OUR sister…she loves you, she is fighting for you and all you can do is sit here and talk bad about her!? How could you…How could you!" Heidi raises her voice at Scarlett and Scarletts gazes at her for a moment and her lips quivers before she runs off upstairs and that's when Heidi begins breaking down.
"I'm sorry Carlton, I am…I just want my sister to come back, that's all I want. I know how strong she is, I know how determined she is but, that's not always enough. So many strong people have fell in the arena and I just don't want her to be another one of them." She cries as her mother and father comforts.
"You having nothing to apologize for Heidi…I understand, your mother said it best, all you can do is support her, believe in her and hopefully that will be enough for her to return home to you all." I say as gently as possible.
"Thank you Carlton…" Heidi sniffs.
"Thank you so much for your time everyone." I begin to take my leave and Miami and Ethan makes sure to escort me to the door, I need to catch a breather for a moment. Reyena has sustained some injuries but she's still fine for the most part, she has what it takes to win but there's several more clear threats in the arena with her that needs to be dealt with. Do I think she'll win? I can't say for certain but what I can say, is that she's not going down without the fight of her life.
Caspian is next and begin making my over to his place but I can't help but remember condition he's in, he's not doing very well and it's mostly thanks to Hyperion. He went from being a massive fan favorite to win these games to becoming another likely casualty, but I'm not counting him out, Caspian has a strong resolve, he's not done yet…
I reach his place which seems to be a rather high end looking home. I did read that his family runs a very successful business however so this isn't too surprising. I take a deep breath before knocking on the door and moments later a kind looking middle aged woman opens the door.
"Oh! Welcome Carlton Vars, I'm Mavis Delamar, Caspian's mother!" she introduces herself to me but even through the smiling, I can see how much pain she's in over her son.
"It is such a pleasure to meet you Mavis!" I happily greet her back shaking her hand.
"Please come inside and make yourself comfortable Calrton!" she politely invites me inside.
"I'll be more than happy to!" I smile entering her lovely looking home and I hear some fast paced footsteps coming towards us that makes me a bit uneasy but i see it's a teen boy who somewhat resembles Caspian and I assume it's his brother as his eyes widens in excitement.
"Whoa it's Carlton! Carlton Vars! Carlton Vars in our home! How awesome is that!" He runs up to me and I'm pretty sure I look like a deer stuck in the headlights as he gives me a rather rough hug.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well!"I struggle to get out as he practically has me in a bear hug.
"Cove, relax yourself! Make our guests feel welcome here, how about you pour a cold glass of water for Carlton?" Mavis suggests.
"Huh? Oh yeah sure! Coming right up!" He blitzes into the kitchen.
"Sorry Carlton, he's my younger son, Cove. As you can see he's nothing like his brother." Mavis laughs.
"Oh its fine, he seems like a pleasant boy!" I laugh as well and I'm lead to the living room area and see two teens a male and female sitting at the dining table.They seem to be pretty worried though as they look at the screen showing Caspian. He was sponsored some medical supplies but he's still in pretty bad shape, Hyperion made sure to hit in an area that will be next to impossible to fully recover from without professional medical attention. Right now he's sitting against the wall breathing heavily as he clutches his deep wound, whenever he puts a new bandage on it, it's immediately soaked in blood, he can't get the bleeding to fully stop and its taking a toll on him…
When the two teens see me however, they immediately stand up to greet me.
"Carlton vars, I'm Riley…one of Caspian's friends." Riley greets me as we shake each other's hand.
"it's very nice to meet you Riley." I greet him back.
"I'm Marina, also one of Caspian's friends, it's so nice to meet you Carlton, just wish it was under better circumstances…" she worriedly states.
Before I can reply however Cove comes sprinting out of the kitchen with a glass of water that looks half full, probably from spilling some of it on the floor during his sprint.
"Here's your glass of water Carlton, here have a seat! Let's all get comfortable, we're going to have a victor here soon afterall, let's try and have some better energy here guys!" Cove pulls out several chairs for us and Marina and Riley are only giving him an uncomfortable look, is he the only one here that doesn't realize the serious condition his brother is in, or is it something else?
We all take a seat however and there's a small silence as Marina and Riley gazes at the table in concern.
"Alright Carlton, so what you want you wanna talk about? Go ahead ask us anything!" Cove pipes.
"Yes, so what do you all do for a living?" I begin.
"Well I'm still in school right now but I'm graduating soon and when I do, I'll be running our business with Caspian by my side! The two of us together man, the meals we're going to put together is just going to be off the charts!" Cove happily explains.
"Well I used to train in the academy but I started becoming invested in different opportunities, right now I'm a florist and part time student…" Marina explains.
"I dedicate all my time to the academy, Caspian proved to be better than me, but i'm not far behind….and I'm just going to keep training I guess." Riley explains.
"As for me, I help oversee our business, my husband is very ill, he's not even able to come downstairs to partake in this interview but it's now up to me and my sons to carry on this business and we will…" Mavis explains and I can hear her voice cracks slightly, this isn't going to get any easier…
"I see, now how would you describe Caspian?" I continue.
"Wow my brother he's amazing, always looks out for everyone, puts them before him and he can kick major ass! No one in this district can touch them and yeah that little punk Hyperion sneak attacked him but Caspian will recover and he'll absolutely destroy Hyperion!" Cove confidently states and I wish I was able to agree with him…
"He's a sweet boy, he's my son, he's so intelligent, so understanding and no matter how down you are, he'll always make you smile, he'll always uplift you..." Mavis explains and I can see she's starting to get emotional but Marina holds her hand tightly.
"Well me and Caspian…we were rivals more than we were friends, but the time I spent with him, I realized what a pleasant person he truly was, he uh…he just always means well, he always has your back and…no matter how tough things he, he'll fight and he…he'll find a way through it, but…" he suddenly stops as if he caught himself from saying something he was going to regret.
"Caspian is my best friend, he's strong, courageous, gentle and like Mavis said, no matter how horrible things are going for you, he'll find a way to lift you, he's very special to me, he's very special to all of us but…oh I just miss him." She begins breaking down but Riley puts his arm around her to comfort her.
"Well he'll be home soon!" Cove tries to assure her but everyone else seems to ignore him and I can see he's starting to get frustrated.
"What are your thoughts on him making it this far?" I continue after a moment.
"Well heh, it's not surprising at all, I mean my brother Is going to win after all, so yeah things are going just as expected, Caspian is going to be just fine and he's going to win!" Cove confidently states.
"I…I know Caspian has the potential to win, so uh it doesn't really come as a surprise to me but… he's no longer at his best so things are only to get more difficult from here, but I believe in Caspian." Riley responds.
"No…it doesn't surprise me. Caspian is the strongest person I know, so I, I knew he'll make it far, and even win…I just don't want him to let us down…" tears fall down Marina's eyes.
"As a mother I'll always be worried…but I believe in my son, I know how strong he is but with the way things are-" Mavis begins.
"That's enough!" Cove suddenly cuts her off getting all of our attention.
"All three you are just sitting here, weeping like he's already gone, like he's already dead, and Caspian will be so upset to see you all like this, counting him out, like his days are numbered!" Cove shouts.
"Cove, do you not see the condition your brother is in, I don't know what kind of fucking world your mind lives in, but he's not some superhero, he's human and…he's slowly dying, can't you see that dammit!" Riley argue back as they're both standing from the table, I catch a glimpse at the television though and I see Caspian slowly making his way back to his feet but he's still in obvious pain and has to lean against the wall to move effectively, I also noticed he's not too far off from Hunter who's also not in great shape himself but looks to atleast have more gas in the tank than Caspian…
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter how hurt he is, he's still fighting, he's still fighting for all of us and all you three can do is sit here and not give him any chance of returning, so I'll be the one, I'll be the one to stand by his side and root for him no matter the injuries or obstacles in the way. He's a Delamar and no matter how tough or impossible a task may seem, We DIVE DOWN DEEP and we find a way to win!" Cove's voice cracks and I can see several tears run down his eyes before he storms off.
"Cove wait!" Mavis cries to him but Cove storms upstairs and I can hear his room door slam. I look over at Riley and he seems to still be in shock over the outburst and Marina has her face in between her hands as she sobs, I really should start preparing to head out…
"I'm so sorry Carlton it's just..." Mavis cries.
"Its ok…I completely understand, thank you all for your time…" I thank the family and Mavis is still able to escort me to the door where I begin making my way towards the train, this never gets any easier though, Caspian was long considered the favorite to win these games, but with the condition he's currently in, almost anyone has a chance to taking him out, especially Hunter who's the nearest tribute to him at the moment.
I board the train and prepare for a long ride as I'm now heading towards district 8 to interview the family of Genevieve Altruzara. It'll be a long ride so I figure I should get a bit of rest on the way and freshen up. We eventually arrive in district 8 and it's not too often I come to this district as most of the tributes well…die early, but Genevieve is a fiery one for sure, she wont go down without a fight.
I begin walking towards her home and I'm not surprised to see the home when it comes into view. She's obviously doing better than that majority of the other residents here as her mother is a well renowned designer and even designs clothing for the capitol. There appears to be some kind of note on their front door though and I begin walking closer to the door to get a better look at it and it reads.
"We are unavailable for interviews so leave us alone and go away please, thank you!" the note reads and there's a lipstick kiss mark on the bottom of the paper and I only gaze at the paper for a moment. This honestly has never happened to me before so I'm pretty clueless on what to do, why doesn't her family want me to interview them? Maybe she just didn't get along with them? I knock on the door anyways and wait for an answer but I can hear voices inside.
"That's probably Carlton, let me talk to him please!" I hear a young boy, most likely her brother.
"Shut up, what did I say earlier, don't answer the door!" I hear a female hiss at him but it falls quiet again and moments later I hear the young boy crying.
"I want Genevieve to come back, I hate you, the both of you, you're so mean!" he cries.
"I'm going to tell you one last time to shut up before I give you a reason to cry, Genevieve isn't coming back, she's a weak, smelly piece of filth and she's going to get what's coming to her soon enough, hope that crazy bitch from 3 does her in!" I hear her sister I assume let out an evil cackle, well it's safe to say they clearly don't get along, but I knock on the door again.
"We're not answering the door so can you fuck off please!" I hear another female's voice and I only do a small sigh before walking off, poor kid though, it's almost like he's being held hostage but if they're refusing the interview, there's not much more I can do but to prepare to head to district 9 to interview the family of Elsie Pengrove. Genevieve Altruzara however, she's a wildcard. When it comes to pure skull, she's outclassed by almost every other tribute there but shes tough,fierce and resourceful, even for a skilled tribute, she won't be an easy kill.
After a fairly long ride, I arrive in district 9 and it seems fairly recently tributes have been doing well here. Winter came in 2nd place last year and despite being fatally impaled by a trident, her sheer will power still kept her alive for a little whilebefore she finally succumbed to her wounds, Oswine was only hanging by a thread and likely would've died minutes later. Anyways here we are again another young girl from district 9 making it to the finals, their home shows they're doing as well as pretty much all of other residents here, struggling but still getting by somehow. I knock on the door and I'm a bit traumatized by the cold shoulder I got back in district 8 but my worries are lifted when the door swings open moments later and I see a middle aged man and woman who look distraught but still manages to smile.
"Carlton Vars! Oh its so nice to meet you, I'm Henry, Elsie's father!" He gives me a firm handshake.
"It is such a pleasure to meet you Henry!" I shake his hand.
"I'm Eliza, Elsie's mother, please come in Carlton!" Eliza invites me inside.
"Thank you so much Eliza!" I thank her as I walk into their house and they lead me to the dining area where I see a teen girl sitting at the table who's wiping her very puffy eyes, she looks like an older version of Elsie so I'm assuming this must be her sister.
"I'm sorry, hi Carlton, it's so nice to meet you, I'm Cassidy, Elsie's sister." She wipes her eyes again but her hand is covered in tears so she doesn't even bother extending her hand to me.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Cassidy!" I give her an assuring nod and I can see so much pain in her face…
"Well…make yourself at home Carlton, we don't have much, but we can offer you a cold glass of water!" Henry offers me.
"That will he fantastic, thank you!" I accept his offer and only he's gives an assuring nod before pouring me a glass of water from the pitcher.
I take several sips of the water while my camera crew is getting sorted out and once they do, I feel I can begin the interview.
"So you three, what do you do for a living?" I begin.
"Well I work in the fields pretty often, doesn't pay a whole lot but my family still gets to eat and that's what matters most." He proclaims.
"Well I'm usually just here cleaning and cooking, me and my husband decided a long time ago that one of us will work while the other tends to the home with the children." Eliza pitches in.
"Well uhmm I'm just about done with school…I plan on moving into the medical field soon after, that's what I want for my career…" Cassidy tries to explain but she sniffs several times and dabs at her eyes with a tissue.
"That sounds great, now how will you three describe Elsie?" I continue.
"Well she's a very adventurous girl, she absolutely hates being cooped up in the house so she's usually outside with her friends, she's very creative too, can build a slingshot from scratch and can hit almost anything from any distance!" Henry explains and I look at the television screen and I see Elsie who's still with Genevieve and she now has a slingshot that t I assume she made fairly recently and her and Genevieve are looking at the map right now in the middle of the hall trying to decide where to go next. Elsie is talking about going to the bar but I don't think that's such a great idea as that's where Hunter currently is…
"She loves to have fun and playing pranks, she never means any harm though, she's just a fun loving sweet girl, oh I miss my little pumpkin." Eliza sighs but still keeps it together.
"She reminded me a lot of myself when I was her age, we have so much in common! Like going out to the wheat fields and getting lost in there, building slingshots and shooting bottles with it, doing each others hair, shes like my twin almost, younger twin but still a twin. She's a sweetheart, she may be cold and serious at first but give her time to warm up to you and you see just what a little teddy bear she is, I miss her so much…" Cassidy sniffs.
"She does seem like a very pleasant girl, what are your thoughts on her making it this far?" I continue.
"I'm just so happy, she's keeping out of trouble for the most part. I know trouble finds her every now and then, but she always finds a way out, this is what I want her to do, to just keep moving, avoiding the big threats and…and I know she'll come back to us." Henry explains and I nod.
"My little pumpkin, she's not the strongest but she's the fastest and the most cunning and that's what matters the most. I'm so proud of my pumpkin for making it this far and she just has to last for a little while longer before she can return home to us, I just want her to keep doing what she's doing…and it'll be enough…" Eliza dabs at her eye with a tissue and both Henry and Cassidy each hold her hand to comfort her.
"I always believed in my sister Elsie I knew she'll make it this far and I know she just has to fight a little more and it'll all be over, so I, I just want her to keep fighting, to keep staying alive…" Cassidy sniffs.
"Understandable, she does appear to be a very talented girl, with the games coming to a close soon…do you think she'll win?" I ask.
"Yes of course, of course my baby girl will win, all we have to do is believe in her, that's all. She knows, she knows what she's doing out there and we have to do is believe in her and she'll be back home!" Henry tries to sound confident but I can sense that's he's not completely assured.
"My husband said it best, all we have to do is believe in her, she's in an alliance right now and I'm not very comfortable with her being in an alliance so late into the games but her ally appears to be a nice girl and I know when the time is right, Elsie will make the right decision, I believe in my little pumpkin and she will be home soon!" Eliza states.
"Elsie will win, and when she returns, I'll wrap her in a warm blanket and bring her back home…" Cassidy sniffs and I nod.
"Thank you all so much for your time." I thank them and all of them escort me to the door as they're finally showing their emotions but they're still remaining strong. Elsie is the smallest and weakest tribute in the arena right now, but that doesn't determine anything, Oswine was small and weak too and he still somehow won so there's no counting her out. On paper her odds doesn't seem to good, but I know Elsie is full of surprises, we haven't seen everything she can offer just yet…
I board the train shortly afterwards and we begin making our way to district 11 to interview the family of Verbena Grayzer, our tough district 11 female. It is extremely rare to ever get a finalist interview from district 11. It's no secret that most of the tributes from this district are greatly malnourished and weak but Verbena is a different breed, she was born into a family that's tied to the security forces in the district so she's well fed and well trained, a rarity in this district but it also makes her a sizable threat to every remaining tribute in the arena.
I reach their home after a rather lengthy walk and it's easily one of the best looking places here, it sticks out like a sore thumb honestly but I reach her home and gently knock on the door awaiting an answer. I'm about to knock again but the door slowly opens and I see a tall commanding figure of a woman with a shaven head analyzing me with her stern eyes.
"Carlton Vars, hello. My name is Arnise, parent of Verbena. Let's make this quick I'm in the middle of some work." She impatiently "greets" me and from how she's standing at the door, it doesn't seem like she has any plans on inviting me inside.
"I see, I'm so sorry to interrupt you, I'll make this quick, what do you do for a living?" I begin.
"I work." She vaguely answers and I nod.
"How would you describe your daughter Verbena?" I continue.
"A hardworking young woman." She vaguely answers and I think of the last time I saw Verbena was on a television screen on the train. Verbena seems to be in a pretty dark place right now after brutally killing Paisley, she was sitting in a corner quietly reading a letter she had on her before crumbling it and letting it fall to the floor, she seems like a completely different person now, like darkness has completely taken over her, not to mention the confession that she killed her own brother, does her mother have anything more to say than this or does she just not care?
"I'm sorry Ms.Grayzer but may I ask you to elaborate, especially with the confession that she was responsible for her brother's death…" I work up the courage to ask and I see her lips move a little, she's obviously affected by this to some extent but she continuing to keep her stoic expression.
"She had her reasons." Is all she responds with.
"Are you surprised she made it this far." I ask.
"No." she sternly responds.
"Do you think she'll win?" I begin wrapping up the interview.
"No, and even if she does, I'll be the one dealing with her personally. Everyone must be held liable for their actions…even family." She sternly states before turning around, going back into her home and closing the door, that's wraps things up for district 11 though. Verbena is a very powerful girl both strong and intelligent but it seems like darkness has completely consumed her, physically she's probably more dangerous than she's ever been but she seems a bit unhinged, and that comes with its own consequences. Can she win? Absolutely and I think she has a pretty decent chance, will she though, well we'll just have to wait and see about that.
I board the train again as we start heading towards district 12, its been a while since a tribute from this district has done as well as Hunter. The only other tribute to perform as well was Caleb who was hailed as the strongest tribute in this district, from what I read in the files though, Caleb was tragically killed by Hunter in a brutal fight that took place in their dorm. It shows just what a monster Hunter truly is, it's almost impossible to stand up to him, even for a trained career and even though he's seriously wounded by the gunshot by Annabeth, he still has enough strength to defeat anyone in the arena. I look up at the television screen and see Hunter who's in the bar grimacing in pain occasionally but is eating a meal of mashed potatoes and steak that was recently sponsored to him. Hunter was initially hated at first but because of his brutality he's quickly gained a lot of loyal fans who kept him well supplied on food and items. He is literally eating like a king. The gunshot wound weakened him, but he still has a lot of strength left, partially in thanks to the large amount of food he has access to while the remaining tributes are struggling to find a decent meal to eat. After a lengthy ride, I arrive in the slums of district 12 as a smell of coal fills my nostrils and it appears Hunter has been on his own since he was a child. His parents died at a young age and he stayed at the orphanage for a period of time but left soon after, apparently he's made a few friends and they don't have a known stable home listed, but there's a park they apparently frequently visit so maybe there's someone there I can interview about him there.
I reach the park he apparently hangs out at frequently and I see a group of intimidating boys playing at the ball court and the few other kids that are here, are playing far away from this group. The shortest member of this group slams the ball through the hoop and let's out a wild roar as he flexes his muscles but he turns around for a moment and immediately spots me causing him to grin.
"Whoa, is that you Carlton!? Holy fuck!" he "greets" me and that gets the attention of the other two boys he's with that are significantly taller than him.
"Well I'll be dammed, it is Carlton, get your ass in here dude, you're here to interview us about our brother Hunter huh?" the tallest boy here greets me and I can't help but do a nervous laugh as I enter the park and walk towards them. I finally reach them and even compared to the smallest one here I look like a mere twig.
"Man Carlton, it really is you, I mean it's not surprising since Hunter is out there kicking everyone's ass, but I'm Wyatt, Hunter's first brother!" He roughly shakes my hand.
"I'm James, Hunter's other brother!" James shakes my hand.
"And I'm Jack, Hunter's brother!" The tallest one here shakes my hand.
"Its such a pleasure to meet all of you!" I happily greet them.
"Of course, of course man, why don't we go sit on that bench over there, we were about to take a break anyways!" Wyatt points to a set of empty benches for us all to sit at and I oblige. The weather out here seems pleasant though as the sun is shining brightly and I can hear small birds in the trees above us chirping..
"So Carlton, bet its not very often you come visit this district huh? I mean other than that punk Caleb, when was the last time we had someone even remotely as strong as Hunter!?" Wyatt snickers as he opens a large bag and begins handing bottles of water out to his brothers and me.
"He truly is something special, there's no denying that, now what do you three do for a living?" I ask.
"Well to put it bluntly we beat the shit out of people and play ball, some day were all gonna make it big in the league!" Jack pumps his chest and I raise an eyebrow, so that's why none of the kids are anywhere near them.
"I see…so is there a leader among this group?" I ask.
"Hey this is not a group, we're all brothers. We stick together no matter what, but if you mean who's the strongest, we'll that's obviously Hunter, no one can touch him, he destroyed anyone here who ever stood up to him and he's destroying everyone who stands up to him in the arena, there's nothing or no one out there that can stop him!" James explains and I nod.
"It's becoming more and more clear that, that is the case. How else would you describe Hunter though?" I ask.
"Well my brother takes no shit from anyone, if he wants to beat your ass, then he's going to beat your ass regardless, but it's up to you how badly you want it beat. You can obey his every demand and get a small spanking or you know, you can try to act like a fucking superhero and get stomped into the ground. That's one thing he hates, wanna be superheroes, and he will for a fact make you regret acting like one." Wyatt states.
"All of that is true! But Hunter is also extremely loyal to his family which is us! He'll do anything for us, just like we'll do anything for him, that's why we're all brothers!" James chimes in.
"That's all there is too it, our brother is powerful, menacing but also extremely loyal to the few that he loves which is us!" Jack states and I nod.
"I see, what are your thoughts on him making this far?" I question.
"Are you serious Carlton? I mean it's not surprising whatsoever that he made it this far, I mean there's nothing or no one out there that can stop him so yeah, everything is going as expected" Wyatt confidently states.
"I mean that was a pretty dumb question bro, like Hunter is unbeatable, unstoppable, even after getting shot by that little bitch whose brains he stomped in, he's still going strong and still has enough strength to destroy anyone in the arena easily!" Jack proclaims.
"Everything's playing out exactly like we thought it would, Hunter has been on nothing but a rampage, laying waste to anyone in his way and that'll continue until there's no one left!" James states.
"I see, he indeed does have a great chance of returning home but do you think there's any tributes left in the arena that can potentially give him any trouble?" I begin wrapping up the interview.
"Hell no, I'll say Caspian prior to his wound would've been a little annoying just cause he's so slippery of a target but no worries there since his own ally literally stabbed him in the back and now he's dying hahahaha!" Wyatt laughs.
"There's no one there who can stand up to Hunter, C'mon Carlton, even you know that buddy!" James laughs.
"If Hercules was real, then that'll be Hunter, he really is like a demigod and he will win Carlton, make our words. Strength isn't everything I know but he has so much more than that, his determination, his will to win, and the bloodbath will continue Carlton. It will continue until he's the last one left, Huhter is not quite done showing you all he's capable of, so sit back on that comfy little ride back home and enjoy the show, cause it's not going to last much longer!" Jack confidently states and I nod once more.
"I certainly will, thank you all so much for your time!" I thank them and we give each other a fist bump before I start heading back towards the train.
Hunter hmm, he is indeed a special tribute and its easy to list him as a potential victor dorm his sheer power and size alone but there's still a few threats remaining the in the arena that can put a stop to that, do I think he'll win? I don't know but it'll for sure be a safe bet to place…
Here we are with the final 8 interviews! The end is so close guys and I'm pretty excited! Now with the interviews out of the way, we'll be back in the arena in the next chapter and brace yourselves guys cause it is going to be an action packed one! We are now in the final act of the story and a victor will be crowned soon! As always I want to thank you all for your support and amazing reviews, now heres a few questions for you guys!
How much do you think Caspian's wound will affect him and will he be able to reunite with Reyena?
Will Amos be able to track down Hyperion?
Any new predictions on who you think the victor will be after these interviews, and why?
That'll be it for now, I'll see you guys soon with the next chapter, till next time!
FINALISTS :
D2M-Hyperion Corvinus(0)
D4F-Reyena Shore(1)
D4M-Caspian Delamar(1)
D3F-Emmerane Vestrat(3)
D11F-Verbena Grazyer(1)
D12M-Hunter Skype(5)
D9F-Elsie Pengrove(0)
D8F-Genevieve Altruzara(0)