Chapter 33: Iris Fisher
A/N: Three in a row for District Four, who are really making a huge mark in the history of the Hunger Games! Iris has appeared in two chapters before this, and so far, we've only seen her as an insecure but beautiful and maybe a little crafty little girl. How will she fare in the arena, though, where the stakes are high and even the toughest face eternal trauma? Will she fight it off, or succumb to the pain like Shocker, Sapphire and so many others? Read on to find out more! Hope you enjoy and cheers:)
P.S.: I received some arena ideas like an escape room and an amusement park, I'll do those sometime later so stay tuned!
Katniss wrinkled her nose. "She looks like a younger, prettier version of Glimmer."
Peeta looked closer, before nodding in agreement. "Yeah. Glimmer's a ghost now, real or not real?"
"I can't really answer that," Katniss said thoughtfully. "But I hope the answer's not real."
Peeta smiled weakly. "Phew."
"I saw Iris's tape. She was pretty insecure about herself, wasn't she?" Katniss recalled.
"Yeah, she thought she wasn't beautiful enough and all," Peeta remembered, tapping his chin.
Katniss shook her head. "I hope she finally realised she is beautiful. Being a Victor, she doesn't need an extra dose of anxiety."
Iris Fisher
District 4
Aged 14
4 Kills
Iris hated herself. She just wasn't pretty enough! Every day, before she headed off to school, she would stare sadly at the mirror, hoping for a complete makeover of some sorts. The popular clique girls in her school, Baiji, Moray and Lorelei, would corner her in the bathroom every day, sneering as they loomed over the terrified little girl huddling in a small ball beneath them, cackling relentlessly.
"You look like a barnacle!" Baiji taunted.
"Ew, your makeup sucks! Like, no wonder all the boys stare at you! They're disgusted by your ugliness!" Moray jeered.
"Hey, guys, I heard she kissed her own teacher just to get good grades!" Lorelei sneered.
"N-no I didn't!" Iris exclaimed, tears brimming in her eyes as Baiji grabbed her ponytail. She screamed in pain, but no one could hear her. The bathroom door was soundproof. Kiss her teacher? She'd rather jump into a pool of jellyfish! She got good grades because she was smart, why couldn't anybody ever understand that? She never had to rely on her nonexistent beauty to get anything!
Lorelei scoffed, grabbing a pair of scissors. Iris's eyes widened. She didn't like where this was going. She cried and pleaded as Lorelei snipped her hair, making it an awful mess of uneven waves and odd cuts. "Here's what you get for looking like a donkey, bitch," Lorelei snarled, spitting in her face. It was gross, but Iris was powerless to stop it. She was the weakling of a girl, the ugly duckling. Nothing she did could stop it. Lorelei pushed her in front of a mirror. When Iris saw what she had done, she nearly lost her head. Moray took off a dirty, smelly sock and stuffed it into her mouth. Iris gagged. Disgusting! It was horrible and she could feel an icky, gross drop of body sweat dripping into her throat. Vomit began to churn up her neck. Her life was slowly becoming a nightmare. And who could she possibly talk to? Jolien she could occasionally communicate with, but ever since her victory, she had never been the same. Same went with Timmy. The arena had changed them ever so drastically, in ways Iris could not possibly comprehend. Rafael was her only option, and he was a boy, not a girl, and one year younger. Baiji, Moray and Lorelei would burst into laughter if he tried to defend her. Besides, he was always busy with some sporting competition. This week was the District's annual surfing contest. He was busy surfing pretty much ninety percent of the time. Not much time to spend with her. Next week would be soccer week, which was even more hectic. Iris barely communicated with her siblings these days. So there was nobody to confide in, nobody to share the pain with. She was left alone in that awful bathroom, her underwear and shoes snatched away by those awful, beastly, Career-like girls, drowning in her seemingly eternal misery.
That night, she sat in her room, crying as usual as she unsuccessfully tried to finish her History of Panem homework. "The first President of Panem, was uhh," she tried desperately to recall, but the name 'Romario Washington' failed to appear in her short-circuited brain. "This is impossible!" she bawled, slamming her head against the table in a fit of frustration. Just then, the door burst open and she could hear frantic shouts and screams. Quickly drying her eyes and straightening her hair, she hurried downstairs to the living room, only to find Jolien tending to Rafael's leg as Timmy, Dive and Rafael's surfer friend, Nile, watched anxiously. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice dripping with concern.
"Ack, sprained hamstring!" Rafael groaned.
"Hamstrings," Timmy muttered. "Plural."
"Yeah, thanks for the reminder! So encouraging!" Rafael growled.
Iris turned to Dive and Nile, still wet and covered in towels after their night out surfing. "How did he injure himself?"
"Big wave," Nile muttered. "Nasty one. He fell off his board awkwardly and slammed into the ocean floor. It's a miracle there's no fracture."
"Can't tell for sure," Jolien muttered. "Need an x-ray."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Dive exclaimed. "Get him to the hospital ASAP!" Being Timmy's girlfriend, Dive has struck up a sisterly friendship with Rafael, and she was often there for him when needed. In some ways, Iris was jealous of Rafael for having friends. She had none of her own. It was ironic, because Rafael was jealous of Iris's charm and influence over boys. But that's his story. This one's about Iris.
"Iris, get ready," Jolien instructed. "Get dressed and we'll head over to the hospital."
"Get dressed?" Iris's eyes widened. She looked down at her plain shirt and shorts. She was far from dressed! The fact that she was wearing such simple clothing was, in itself, embarrassing! "Okay, give me ten minutes!"
"We don't have-" Timmy began, but Iris didn't let him finish. She was off to wear her best clothes so she wouldn't make a fool of herself in front of those judgemental doctors! As she searched her wardrobe for a nice dress she could wear, something clicked into her head. Her hair was still a mess! She couldn't possibly just saunter in there looking like that. Frantically, she scuffed through her drawers for a hat, eventually pulling out a large, floppy green one and donning it. "It'll have to work," she sighed.
When Iris made it back downstairs after ten whole minutes of trying to make her ugly self look as pretty as possible, she was met with long stares and a groan from Timmy. "A hat," he said dryly. "You need a hat."
Iris blinked back tears. "My hair..."
"It was, ack, Lorelei, wasn't it?" Rafael guessed, groaning as he tried to manage the pain with an ice pack.
Iris nodded. "They, gosh, I, uhh..."
Rafael gave her a pained smile. "Just wear the hat, if that makes you feel better, 'Ris. And tomorrow, assuming I don't need surgery or anything, I'll give Lorelei a smack in the head."
Iris managed to chuckle at the thought. "She would beat you up."
Rafael shook his head. "I don't think so."
The Reaping came just a month later. This time, Iris was desperate for Rafael's name to not be picked. The doctors had discovered a torn ligament, which would take quite some time to heal. Despite that, he was still forced to stand up for the entirety of the Reaping, never allowed to sit on a wheelchair. His soccer teammate Colin and Nile had to help him stand up, carrying him by the arms throughout the process. He wouldn't last a single day in the arena. Considering their family's horrible streak in the Reaping, she hoped this wasn't this year. It couldn't be that sketchy, could it? Iris smoothed her dress. Being related to a Victor, she had access to a fine assortment of dresses and clothing apparel. It was perfect, especially for someone like her. Her hair had grown back and frequent trips to the barbershop had allowed it to look decent today. She only wished the Capitol would open up more than one barbershop in the entire District, because everyone there was staring at her like she was some exotic animal at an aquarium! Totally embarrassing. On the way back she had to take the long route that went around the smelly dockyard and through the dumping ground behind the smelly fish markets, just so that no one would come notice her, especially not Lorelei, who now had a black eye after being punched by Rafael, who in turn got himself a broken nose, another reason why Iris didn't want him in the arena this year. Any other year and she would be somewhat confident he could win. But not this year.
The escort read out the names of the two unlucky tributes. Rafael wasn't Reaped, thank goodness. Just a shame Iris and Lorelei's frighteningly menacing big brother Kai were.
Despite his obvious injuries, Rafael managed to push part the Peacekeepers and burst into her room in the Justice Building. He had a wild, maddening look in his eyes, and he was shouting frantically, his hair in a horrible mess. People often confused them for twins. They sure did look similar, but Iris was just a year older. Rafael gripped her shoulders as Iris fought the urge to cry. "'Ris, don' t worry about how you look, okay?" he implored. "Just focus on surviving the Games."
Iris snivelled. Try not to worry about how she looked? Impossible! Not after Lorelei and Moray shouted out, "She looks like a slut!" the minute she went up on stage. Great. What a fantastic first impression.
"I don't think I can do this," Iris murmured, dabbing her eyes with her sleeve. "What if my stylist dresses me up as a crab.
" Then be the prettiest crab in history! " Rafael encouraged. "Come on, 'Ris, I can't lose you too..."
Iris found it hard to believe that he was the same energetic, lively boy from just three years ago. He looked, and sounded so different. The Games had taken their toll on both of them, imprinting a hopeless sense of sadness in their hearts. But Rafael wasn't giving up just yet. Iris, however, found giving up the much easier option. "Will it end?" she mused. "Will the pain end if I just died?"
"No," Rafael said sharply. "You'll just pass it on to someone else. Me." The Peacekeepers came in to drag him out but he wasn't done yet. He swatted their arms away like they were flies. "Iris, please, just try to keep calm, okay?"
Before she could respond, he was gone. The door slammed shut behind her. A tear slipped down her cheek. "I'll try my best. But I can't promise anything."
Thankfully, Marlinia murdering the boy from Two last year hadn't destroyed the Career alliance between the Career Districts and District Four. Apparently, some grovelling on Timmy part had done the trick. It was sick, but that was Draco. Iris had learnt to resent that tyrannical Snow doll of a Victor. She wished she could smother him with makeup. Alas, she could not. Not if she cared about Rafael and District Four as a whole, at least. Her allies this year were Crown and Diadem from One, Stryker and Cyrene from Two and of course, Kai, who never stopped reminding her she was an ugly weakling throughout the whole train ride. Crown clearly had fewer brain cells than a rock, he even bragged about eating a rock on his way to the Capitol, no idea why, though. Stryker was brutal, but a little clumsy at times. And Kai, was Kai. Enough said. Diadem and Cyrene were pretty and Iris could feel the jealousy rising up her throat as they chatted nonstop about cosmetics and all the latest fashion. They looked so beautiful, so elegant, why couldn't she be like them? Jolien snapped her fingers. "Don't think about it too much," she advised. "You are way more beautiful than them. You just have to believe it yourself." Believing in herself. The one thing Iris could never do. She could never believe that she was beautiful. How could she, when Diadem and Cyrene planned on flaunting their beauty to the shallow-minded Capitolians? What was she in comparison? An ugly, sad, little troll. Even that girl from Eleven was far prettier than her! Iris sighed as she dragged her feet to the Makeover Centre, silently hoping her stylist could transform her.
Her stylist was a woman named Tigris, who by that point, had styled pretty much every District in Panem. This was her first year with Four, so iris saw her talking a lot with Jolien and Timmy about her and Kai. Iris felt that she took her name was too seriously. Tigris looked like a human tiger. At least Iris didn't make herself look like a rainbow. That would be awful! Tigris eyed her carefully in the Makeover Centre, scrutinizing her every detail. Iris blushed. She was dressed in nothing more than a thin robe after her prep team tore every bit of hair and dirt off her body like a pack of vultures, "Hmm, you are very pretty. Your skin is almost flawless, and your hair is like District One's tributes'. You should have no problem impressing the Capitol.
Iris's eyes widened, her cheeks flushing redder. Pretty? Her? Not a chance. She was the ugliest girl in the District. Baiji had drilled it into her head ever since she was eight. "M-me?" she stammered. "But I'm not pretty. I'm the ugliest female tribute this year, and I-" Shoot. She started crying! No! her mind screamed. She was crying in front of her stylist! What a terrible way to start the Games! "S-sorry..."
"It's okay," Tigris told her, her voice surprisingly gentle. She moved closer and Iris could see her cat-like pupils enlarging ever so widely. It was frightening but the gentleness of her tone just didn't match her eyes. "Who said you're not beautiful? A clique of older girls?"
Iris nodded. "Something like that, yes. Baiji, Moray and Lorelei." Choking back a sob, Iris began to spill out everything, all the rotten truths the girls told her, all the bullying incidents, all the depression and anxiety culminated over the years, everything. Could she trust Tigris? Probably not. But telling her about her troubles with the bullies, it just felt right at that moment.
"Ah, I see. Iris, they're jealous of you," Tigris told her firmly.
Iris blinked. Jealous? Of her? "What?" Why would they be jealous of her? She was two years younger, and she was a weakling! "That can't be right."
Tigris shook her head. "Iris, it happened to me too. It happened to a lot of girls. They're just jealous of you. Jolien told me you're the best student in class. And all the boys have a crush on you. See? They're jealous because you are so much better than them!"
Iris gaped at her. It took a while to process all of this. thinking through it, it all made sense. But why couldn't she truly, truly believe it herself? She had spent so many years wallowing up in her distress, she couldn't quite break out of the soul-shattering thoughts that she'd come to believe. She was trapped! "I, uh, I-"
"Look, I'm here to make you look beautiful, and tonight, that's exactly what you'll be. But if you don't think you're beautiful, you'll never be beautiful. It takes time to heal from all that, but you can do this, Iris," Tigris implored, her eyes glinting with confidence.
Iris nodded, although she didn't quite believe in herself just yet. Tigris went out of the room, leaving Iris alone to ponder her thoughts. Well, if she died, she might as well die knowing she was beautiful. "Deep breaths, Iris," she told herself. "You're beautiful, and you know it. Those girls were jealous of you. Just snap out of it!"
Tigris soon came back with a dress and told Iris to put it on. She obliged, even though she didn't know what it would look like. The fabric was a creamy-brownish colour, just like the seashells from back home in District Four, and there were a lot of accessories. Once she had put it on, Tigris pulled out a mirror and told her to look at herself. "Remember," she told her. "You will never look beautiful unless you think you're beautiful."
Iris nodded and took another deep breath before she dared to gaze into the mirror. She gasped. She was wearing a sleeveless beige dress that had creases which made it look like the lines on seashells snd the top of the dress, the part covering her chest, was shaped like a cockle. She wore red, coral-like shoes and a tiara and bracelet, both made of pearls. Tigris came up behind her to tie her hair in a neat braid. "It's-it's stunning," Iris breathed, stunned by her new appearance. She looked nothing like her ugly, old self. For once, she began to believe that she truly was beautiful.
Unfortunately, Kai was waiting at their chariot to berate her again. He snickered when he saw her. "What's with that skirt?" he sneered. "You look like a pile of shit! You're weak, Iris. You're ugly, horrible, and no one will ever think otherwise. You deserve to die in the arena."
Iris gritted her teeth, gripping the hem of her skirt tightly. Tigris stood beside her, glaring at Kai, arms crossed, a deadly, tiger-like look in her eyes. "Watch it, Kai."
Kai seemed a little put off by her appearance, because he quickly shut up. But he never stopped shooting dirty looks at Iris. Which didn't matter, because the crowd loved Iris. They were screaming, cheering her on as she passed by, waving a little shyly as her chariot passed by. For a minute, she could immerse herself in their warm welcome. Finally, some people who actually loved her! Then she remembered that they were cheering for her blood and the mood kind of soured. But at least they noticed her. The Twelves and Elevens were almost completely ignored by everyone except the truly hardcore fans of these Districts. She could take heart that some of them thought she had a shot. But not President Snow.
"You were amazing out there, 'Ris!" Timmy chuckled, patting her shoulder as they ate dinner.
Iris gave him a weak smile, her head still spinning from the Parade. "Thanks, Timmy."
Kai snorted. "Anyone remembers me? The one who actually has a chance to win?"
"Eh, no," Mags said dismissively, waving her hand.
Before Kai could launch into a long rant about his supposed 'awesomeness', the elevator door opened and someone walked through the door into their floor. Draco Hadley. Iris gasped. The beastly Victor had gained weight over the years, but he looked no less menacing than he did all those years ago during his time in the arena. His snarling teeth, his murderous eyes, his slick hair, it reminded Iris of those sea spirits the fishermen at the harbour always spoke about. "Draco!" Jolien growled. "What are you doing here? This is District Four's floor!"
Draco laughed and from behind him, a figure that Iris hadn't seen emerged. Her eyes widened and she nearly fainted. "President Snow?"
Indeed, the President stood right there, not too far away from her, next to Draco with his cold, snake-like green eyes staring right into hers, penetrating through her very being. His smile was even colder, colder than death, colder than the winter freeze, colder than anything. It was as if Iris was looking straight at the ghost of a murderer. "Hello, Iris." His voice, the strong tone in it, just the way he said her name sounded so horribly wrong. Even Kai looked uneasy, darting his eyes back and forth as if looking for an escape tunnel. There was none. "I saw you at the Tribute Parade. You looked awful."
"She looked beautiful," Timmy hissed quietly, forcing himself to stay put. It was hard, resisting those two, horrific monsters.
"I'm inclined to disagree," Snow told him. "And before you speak again, Timmy, remember the deal."
Iris shot a look at Timmy, desperately trying to look to him for help. Deal? What deal? Was there something she'd never been told? But Timmy shut up, backing away a little. Jolien did too, although her glare never left Snow and Draco.
" She looked desperate for attention," Draco sneered. "Like an ugly little girl who just wanted someone to actually like her." Iris gaped at him. Why was he attacking her? What were they doing? She didn't understand any of it.
"I agree, Draco. In fact," Snow leaned closer, slowly making his way towards her, all the way until his nose was touching hers. She could smell his breath. It smelt awful, the stench was like blood mixed dizzily with the sickening smell of roses. Jolien tried desperately to make a move but Draco restrained her, putting his hands on her hips, smiling sadistically. Snow glared directly into her eyes. "You are weak, Iris. You are cannon fodder. You are supposed to die. You are a disgrace to Panem. Your face is so ugly, I might carve it out after you die in the Bloodbath and paste it on the walls here to remind Jolien of your eternal ugliness! You are a barnacle-faced, ugly, miserable, moaning little wannabe princess of a girl." He turned to Kai. " Kai, my dear boy, what is she like at home? "
Kai chuckled nervously." She's a slut. She tried to seduce all her teachers and all her friends after class. Why do you think she comes home late every day? "
All eyes turned to state at her sharply. Iris wilted into a ball, tears welling up in her eyes. It wasn't true, none of it was!" I come home late because I study in the library! " she squeaked.
" You have no witnesses, " Kai told her." I, on the other hand, have Colin."
"Colin? I was only helping him with his homework! Nothing more!"
"He begs to differ." Iris gaped at everyone, now openly crying. Colin, that stupid liar! She had tried to help him, and he'd spread rumours about her!
"It's not true... I..." Without warning, she dashed straight into the elevator, and before anyone could stop her, sent the elevator flying towards the rooftop. She wanted to be alone, wanted to cry without Snow, Draco and Kai leering over her, wanted to bloody die in that stupid arena! "No one will ever love me," she moaned, slamming her fist against the ground weakly. "No one will ever care." Oh, how wrong she was.
Iris lost track of the time. It must've been at least an hour. Didn't matter. Surely no one would come looking for her. Jolien and Timmy probably couldn't, considering there was some sort of a 'deal' with those two devils Snow and Draco. She sat on the ground, tearing at her skin, tearing at her hair, tearing at her face, tearing at everything around her. Because what else could she do? "I'm just a nobody."
"Are you sure about that?"
Iris spun her head around. When she saw Gwendolyn, the Victor from Nine, she backed against the wall. "Gwen? What are you doing here?"
Gwen shrugged. "My tributes went to bed early. Figured I would come up here looking for you. Timmy said you needed me."
Iris frowned, wiping a tear. "Needed you? Why? Aren't your tributes my enemies?"
"Well, yes, but I'm the only Victor who knows psychology. And besides, Timmy's a nice lad. He asked nicely, so I agreed." Gwen told her. She sat beside her, her back against the wall. "Timmy told me what happened. That rotten, slimy, son of a bitch Snow, huh?"
Iris nodded. "I'm weak! I'm ugly! I'm-"
"Beautiful?" Gwen suggested. "You know, I have anorexia. I thought I was ugly too. In fact, I starved myself to look better. But did it help? No. Because only you can cure yourself. You need to believe in yourself, Iris. Every time someone tells you that you look ugly, just remember, you're much more beautiful, at least on the inside."
Iris stared at her, her thoughts in a jumbled up mess, her appearance in an even bigger mess.
" I-I need to sleep, " was all she managed. Not even a thank you. She couldn't bring out the words. Gwen didn't seem to mind. She just smiled and told her to keep her mind off of Snow and Draco. They weren't worth thinking about.
This year was different in terms of interviews. With the death of Neptune Bellmark due to his cancer, the Capitol had to find a replacement. President Snow had done the training scores, he certainly could not do the interviews too. It was a shame that Neptune passed away. He always seemed pretty nice to the tributes. Iris didn't hate him at all. He never looked down on their District, unlike Bartomeus, who sometimes told the Fours that the only possible outcome for them was a slow, torturous death at the hands of the Careers from Two, as usual. Compared to him, Neptune was definitely a huge upgrade. Iris fiddled with her dress nervously. It was a beautiful one, a blue dress that had lines and creases that resembled the calm, ocean waves. The top of the dress was bright, sparkly blue, like the surface of the sea, but towards the bottom, it began to darken, just like the colour of ocean water. She wore a twine necklace with seashells, a pretty common piece of accessory back home in District Four. With jewellery being so expensive, most girls usually crafted their own necklace with seashells from the beach and some loose pieces of twine or hair. The dress was absolutely perfect. "You look beautiful," Tigris told her firmly. "Now believe it yourself!" But she wasn't nervous about her appearance. No, this year, she was nervous about Neptune's replacement. The interviewer had to be someone who would seriously hype her up and make her interview as natural as possible. Bartomeus towards his decline into permanent life in a mental hospital had been awful at both. Plus, if those rumours about what he did to Switch were true, well, Iris didn't want to be his next doll. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to get a good look above the other Careers and the bobbing heads of the audience. The interviewer hadn't shown up yet. And neither had Kai. Iris hoped Kai wouldn't show up, just so that he would get far fewer sponsors. In the Career pack, Diadem and Cyrene had been very nice with her, as the girls chatted on about their lives back home and fashion in general. The boys were a lot harsher, considering what Kai told them about her, but they relented when she got a nine, something Iris herself had been shocked about. All she had done was show them her skills with knives and spears. Maybe those skills were good enough? Just then, the crowd began cheering and a youthful voice chirped over the crowd. Instantly, all the tributes froze, stunned by the voice. Iris did so too, her eyes widening.
"It can't be-"
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your new host, me, Caesar Flickermann!"
Caesar was thirteen, only a year younger than Iris. He was short, with violet hair and a wide, playful grin on his face. But how could he be the interviewer? He was younger than all but two of the tributes, both of whom were exactly his age. Iris knew this was going to be a disaster. For the millionth time in her life, she was proven wrong. It was his confidence, his aura of excitement that radiated all around the room, that blissful smile as he interviewed Diadem, playfully asking her about her crush back home. He talked with her naturally, laughing along with her and cracking a few jokes that made Diadem smirk. They talked about their lives so naturally and confidently, it didn't seem like an interview. It seemed like a chat between two old friends. By the time the buzzer rang, Diadem looked like she wanted more time and frowned when she was told to leave the stage. Caesar's time with Crown was just as brilliant, if not better. They joked, laughed, shared several highs and lows in their lives, almost forgetting that they were being broadcast live to their entire nation. Next came Cyrene, then Stryker, and the pair from Three. All of them almost seemed to strike a wonderful friendship with Caesar, who even managed to calm down the snivelling boy from Three and make him smile for the first time since his arrival in the Capitol. Then it was Iris's turn. "Break a leg," Kai sneered. "Literally."
Iris shot him a dirty look before marching up on stage. The applause was deafening. She had to squint her eyes a little. The floodlights were simply blinding. Caesar greeted her on stage, taking her hand and kissing it, which only made the audience cheer even louder. He hadn't done this with Diadem, Cyrene or the girl from Three, only Iris had her hand kissed. She couldn't figure out why. She sat down next to Caesar, smiling way too awkwardly, but Caesar didn't seem to mind. "Welcome to the Capitol, Iris!" he chirped, giving her a wide, cheeky grin. "How's the food?
"It's been brilliant," she told him. "Although, I kind of miss the seafood back home in Four. They didn't serve us much fish here."
"Ah, well, that's for next year's organisers to take note of. Have more fish, and maybe even one of those lobsters! I have to admit, I gained a few extra pounds the other week. I simply couldn't control myself around those damn lobsters!" Iris cracked a smile at this. The boy was so innocent, so childish, but would he end up like Bartomeus? Time would tell. "Hey, Iris, I've got a question for you," Caesar said, leaning closer. "What beauty products do you use? I'm sure everyone here would know! You're by far the most beautiful tribute I've ever seen!"
Iris's cheeks blushed hot red as the audience cheered, demanding her answer. Caesar's words rang in her head like a giant bell. The most beautiful tribute he'd ever seen. That was huge. He must've watched all the Hunger Games at school, must've seen the likes of Crystal, Sapphire, Jill and Sterling. Yet he claimed she was the best-looking one out of all of them. It took her a while to realise the audience were still expecting a response. "Uh, I use a little bit of Victor's, but there isn't exactly much lotion or moisturiser up for sale in Four. Most of it's natural."
"I sure find it hard to believe!" Caesar chuckled, grinning broadly.
At that moment, Iris plucked up the courage to make one, witty remark. One that would make her stand out a little. It would be embarrassing, but certainly worth it. "Caesar," she asked him, a playful smile on her face. "Do you have a crush on me?"
The audience went 'ooh!' and 'aah!' like monkeys. Caesar himself blushed, but maintained his energy. "Well, who wouldn't?"
"A lot of people, actually," Iris pointed out. "I get bullied quite a lot back home in Four." She tried to hide the bitterness in her voice as she said it. "There are these girls, Baiji, Moray and Lorelei, they would gag me in the bathroom and scream insults while trimming my hair."
The audience gasped. Caesar shook his head sadly. "Well, 'Ris, they're just jealous. Like pretty much all the girls I know of!" Did he just call her 'Ris? Iris was stunned. No one outside her closest family, except maybe Dive, ever called her that. But he said it so nonchalantly, so calmly, it was as if they'd known each other for so long. "How about sports? I hear your little brother is brilliant at it. Well compared to me at least. How about you?"
"No, I prefer studying, and maybe designing some fashion garments," Iris admitted.
"So you must be top of your class, then?" Caesar guessed.
Iris nodded. "Record holder for best average grades in the District's history," she revealed.
"That's wonderful! Oh, darn, it seems we only have a few seconds left..." Caesar looked at his watch, frowning sadly. "But one last request, Iris. Do you mind giving me a kiss on the cheek?"
Oh gosh. Iris paled a little. A kiss? On national television? Did she really have to? But Caesar's eager grin, the chance to push high above the other tributes' interviews, she couldn't simply refuse. She leaned in, lips puckered, intending to give him a quick peck on the cheek, but at the last second, he turned his head and Iris found herself kissing Caesar on the lips as the cameras snapped photos excitedly. She pulled away, blushing like mad, as the buzzer rang. She smacked Caesar's arm playfully as he laughed, leaving her in a whirlwind of anger, embarrassment, amazement, disgust, and fascination. The whirl, the spirals of emotions continued raging in her head as she walked off the stage, giving a very bashful smile to the audience.
"Ladies and gentlemen, that was Iris Fisher, the golden fisher girl from District Four!" Caesar announced, his eyes still glimmering excitedly.
This year's arena was in a luxury hotel. A luxury hotel! Iris was dressed in a fancy blue dress that fell at her knees, and Tigris had assured her that she looked stunning in it. Looking around the Cornucopia, placed in the hotel lobby, she could see that Diadem and Cyrene looked just as dazzling in their respective dresses. The boys, on the other hand, looked frustrated at being forced to wear tuxedos. Iris didn't care. She had struck up a deal with Diadem and Cyrene, and she was going to stick to it. The gong rang and she raced forward, grabbing a knife and throwing it straight at an unsuspecting Crown's chest. He was busy grabbing a spear to notice until the knife had pierced his heart and he was dead. Kai let out a growl of rage and charged at her, but Cyrene slammed his head with a spiked mace, killing him almost instantly. Iris whirled around, searching for Stryker. The final male Career. He had slashed the boy from Three and was fighting the boy from Ten. He didn't get a chance to claim his second kill, though, as Diadem killed them both with her crossbow. "Spread out!" she shouted. "Kill as many as you can!" Iris sprinted to the girl from Eight, who was fumbling with a backpack. Swoosh! His life was over, brought to a halt by her knife. She grimaced as blood spewed out, but she was a Career. She had to remain calm in the sight of blood, just like Jolien and Timmy did in their Games.
"How many did we get?" Cyrene asked, finishing off the girl from Three with a quick stab. "I killed three."
"I've got two," Diadem said, collecting her arrows. "Iris?"
"Two, same as you," Iris replied, trying her very best to ignore the sick feeling in her gut. "Did anyone else die?"
"Stryker killed one more, and I think the girl from Seven killed the pair from Twelve, so nine dead altogether," Cyrene answered, looking around and counting the bodies.
"Nine? That's awfully low," Diadem remarked.
"We did kill the boys," Iris pointed out, a shadow casting itself over her eyes as she thought about killing Crown, her knife sinking into his chest with his final gasp. He had looked her in the eye for a split second, the betrayal was deadlier than the knife. I thought I trusted you! Just like Colin had betrayed her trust, she had betrayed the boys'. And despite Kai's cruelty towards her, it just didn't feel right, looking at him right there, dead and soon to be buried.
"True," Diadem mused, scratching her chin. "But for now, I'm dying to get a good look at this hotel! I bet the rooms are filled with beautiful dresses!"
"And traps," Iris muttered.
"Aw, don't be a party pooper, Iris," Cyrene whined. "Besides, we can hunt for tributes while we're at it."
With a sigh, Iris followed the two, older, giggling girls around the hotel, tagging along like a lost dog and occasionally chiming in to give her input.
"So, we've been to the gym, killed someone there, and we're going to the rooms, right?" Iris checked, glancing around warily.
"Yep!" Diadem squealed, swinging her now blood-soaked crossbow around. A flashback to the boy from Eleven being killed as he was strapped to a moving treadmill while Diadem fired arrows at random parts of his body flooded Iris's mind. She shook it away, desperate to forget that horrible kill. "I can't wait to see all the stuff they have there!"
"And don't forget the boutique on the fifth floor! I think that's going to be even better!" Cyrene told her.
They entered a corridor and began trying the doors to the rooms. Most of them were locked, but eventually, Iris found one that was slightly ajar. Inside was the grandest room Iris had ever seen. The room had a strong, pleasing aroma of fresh flowers from a field, a rarity in District Four except in the lake areas. The wallpapers and carpet were a cool, classy shade of indigo, decorated with swirling patterns and wavy lines. The bed was a king-sized one, with soft pillows, not too hard, not too plush, and a pristine mattress. Dangling from the ceiling was a sparkling chandelier, and on it was the girl from Ten. Iris yelped as she leapt from her hiding place with a knife in hand, but Iris quickly dodged, sending the girl crashing to the ground with a hard groan. Cyrene struck her with her mace and the cannon boomed. "Stupid girl," she spat. "What was she thinking? Of course Iris would dodge that!"
"Cattle ranchers," Diadem muttered. "They've developed cattle brains, you know?"
Iris didn't say a word. She had headed straight to the bathroom there would take her mind off things. Inside was the grandest bathroom she had ever lain her eyes on. A transparent pipe circled around the interior, filled with colourful fish swimming around in their schools. A jacuzzi sat in a corner, and with the flick of a switch, the light would go out and the ceiling directly above the jacuzzi would light up in a constellation of stars set on a dazzling circle of ceiling resembling the night sky. And the bathtub! So many taps, so many bars of soap, so many bottles of shampoo, body lotion and conditioner, it was like heaven! Diadem and Cyrene followed her in, gasping as they did. "Quick, girls!" Diadem exclaimed. "Time for a jacuzzi!"
Iris raised an eyebrow. "Err, we don't have swimsuits."
"Hey, sponsors! Three swimsuits, please!" Diadem shouted towards the sky. A hatch opened and three bikinis spewed out, each with a number on it. Iris took the one labelled '4'. It was a sea-blue one, and thankfully not a revealing one either. "Look away, please!" Diadem shouted again, motioning for the cameras to temporarily look away. Whether they did would remain unknown to Iris, as no replays showed much of the jacuzzi scene, but she hoped that they did. She stripped down, and put on her swimsuit. Cyrene and Diadem did so too, giggling as they did. "Iris, you look really cute in that!"
Iris blushed a little. "Thanks." She wasn't comfortable with changing in front of them, but she had to keep her place in the pack. Besides, they seemed friendly enough, until the killings began, that is. The girls stepped into the jacuzzi. The warm, soothing water instantly quashed all of Iris's fears and worries, drowning her in a sense of safety. She made a mental note to install one in her house in the Victors' Village once she won, if she won, she remembered with a shudder.
Just then, the door creaked open and Iris heard a boy mutter, "Ooh, la la." She grabbed her knife and flung it into the drugged boy from Six's knee. He went crashing to the ground, rolling and numbing unintelligible. Diadem and Cyrene shrieked, grabbing their own weapons and taking turns hitting it out on the poor, unconscious boy, until the cannon boomed.
Diadem sighed. "Great. Now we have to get a move on. Okay, cameras, look away again, please." Iris didn't want to get out of the jacuzzi. In the midst of such an alarming place, she enjoyed the peace and tranquillity. Unfortunately, the claw would soon burst through the wall and take away the boy's body. They had to move on. She changed back into her dress, a suspicious feeling that the cameras were secretly still rolling, manned by paedophiles a.k.a. Capitolian males. She had always been self-conscious, and being in public view didn't exactly help her. The girls moved away from the room, and towards that boutique Cyrene had mentioned. Iris hadn't told anyone, but her bikini had come with a note from Timmy. Killing opportunity in the boutique.
On their way to the boutique, Iris heard two cannons boom, one for the boy from Seven, who died after sniffing poisonous orchids in the hotel garden, and one for the girl from Eleven, who'd slipped and fallen into the grand indoor swimming pool, filled with triflic acid which burnt her so badly, all that was left was a skeleton. Since the claw couldn't pick her out without sizzling itself, the pool had to be drained and her body carefully extracted after the Games. Meanwhile, while visiting the hotel bar, Iris found the boy from Nine crouching behind the bar table, passed out from drinking too much beer. What happened next sentenced Iris to a permanent fit of nightmares. Diadem, drunk after having one too many shots of beer herself, being the only tribute alive besides the wheat farmer boy who was of legal age to drink, ravaged the unsuspecting boy, tearing him to pieces with her fingernails and teeth sp brutally, hardly anything more than rough pieces of flesh splattered on bone was left. She eventually sobered up, but Iris and Cyrene had to knock her out for a couple of hours first. They didn't want to end up like Flash's victims after all, torn apart in a drunken rampage. Finally, on the fourth day, they found the boutique. It was a lovely little store, with a jaw-dropping collection of clothing Iris could only dream of back home in Four. Everything she could ever think of was strategically placed there, just waiting for her to take it and try it on. But Timmy had said there would be a killing opportunity. She had to be aware of what that would mean. In the distance, another cannon boomed for the boy from Three who had his throat slit by the girl from Seven. "Just a few more left to go and one of us will be the Victor!" Diadem squealed excitedly, grabbing a gold dress and rushing into one of three fitting rooms. "Alright guys, I'll call you in when I'm done, okay?"
"Same here!" Cyrene exclaimed, getting her hands on a red, silk gown and rushing into the other fitting room. "Iris, you stay guard-whoa!" She backed away as an arrow flew at her. She grabbed her mace and flung it into the air. The cannon boomed. Iris raced up to her, unsure of what just happened. The boy from Eight, with his bow and an empty quiver in hand, lay dead on the ground, a spiked mace in his head. She winced. The sight was revolting. He had been pretty chill during training, he didn't deserve to go down like that. Sadly, this was the Hunger Games. There was never justice.
Once Cyrene had disappeared behind the door of the third fitting room, a trapdoor in the wall opened, and a container with a '4' on it slipped out. Iris stared at it for a moment before picking it up. The container was reflective and she could see her ugly, messed up reflection on it. She couldn't help but cringe. So much for believing she was beautiful. Iris opened the container and found a blue hairbrush, a vial of perfume and two notes. The first said 'Hairbrush for Cyrene, spiky death' and the second said 'Deadly sniff for Diadem'. Iris grimaced. She was about to kill her own allies, the pretty girls who had treated her rather nicely. Her second betrayal in the arena.
Cyrene called her in first. She looked gorgeous in her gown, grinning broadly as she adjusted her hair. "You look good," Iris told her. "I've got this hairbrush. Need it?"
Cyrene nodded, snatching the hairbrush from her. "Yeah, I haven't found a hairbrush anywhere here. I need to do my hair! How did Tigris do yours during the interview? That style was beautiful!"
Iris smiled weakly, forcing herself to look on as Cyrene began to brush her hair tenderly. Spiky death? What was that supposed to- Iris let out a small scream as spikes burst through the hairbrush, piercing through Cyrene's head and immediately killing her The cannon boomed. Iris dashed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Cyrene's head, spikes protruding ominously out of it, haunted her mind. And she would have to do something similar with Diadem, who was now calling her in. She took a deep breath as she entered the gates of Diadem's final resting place, only stopping when she heard another cannon for the girl from Six, dead after being crushed by a falling piano in the ballroom. The traps were starting to come to life, quickly snapping up the tributes' lives one by one. Diadem stood in her room, braiding her hair. It didn't make too much sense to Iris, why dressing up for death was anything useful, but hey, who was she to complain? She had the perfect chance to narrow the tributes down.
"Hey, Diadem," she called out. "I found this bottle of perfume. What is it?" She held up the vial, handing it to a curious-looking Diadem, who examined the label carefully.
"Ooh, this is a nice one!" she exclaimed. "It's pretty popular back home in District One, you know? It's got this wonderful smell, here, let me show you." She opened the lid and Iris quickly covered her nose. Diadem frowned, sniffing the vial suspiciously, then began to choke. Iris dashed out of the room as Diadem began to scream, "CYRENE! IRIS IS A BLOODY TRAITOR!" That scream would certainly remain firmly attached to her mind for a very, very long time.
The Games were over. Iris sat quietly, looking over the balcony of a quiet bar in the Capitol. She hadn't had to kill anyone else, thank goodness. The girl from Seven had killed the boy from Five after an intense fistfight while the lumberjill herself was mauled by room service mutts, basically mummy mutts but dressed in housekeeping uniform. But four kills, four damn kills to her name, it felt utterly despicable. And how could she believe she was beautiful, when deep inside, she was a hideous murderer? She gazed out towards the Capitol, all buzzing with nightlife, happy with her victory while the Victor girl herself, already receiving numerous plaudits for her looks and trickiness in the arena, was feeling more hollow than ever. Footsteps came up behind her. Instinctively, Iris turned her head sharply and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Caesar. He gave her a wry smile. "How's the Victor girl doing?" he asked, his childish peppiness still intact.
Iris returned his smile, although hers was downright sad. "Hey, Caesar. Uh, I don't feel so good."
Caesar sat down next to her. "What's wrong, huh?"
"It's just," Iris blinked back a tear. "I'm the ugliest person on the planet right now. Not on the outside, but on the inside. Lorelei's right. I am an ugly duckling."
Caesar put an arm around her. Iris flinched, but she didn't try to resist. "You know, Iris, I never did believe that the Victors were all happy. After all, Switch is my mother."
Now Iris moved away, wide-eyed and gaping like a fish. "Wait, what?"
Caesar chuckled sadly. "Yeah, Dad treated her horribly. I know everything about the VPR. Switch gave birth to me but she was still a teenager then, so Bartomeus took custody of me."
Iris shook her head. "That's horrible! Switch was only sixteen! And what if," the tears began to flow. "What if that happens to me?"
Caesar's arm was back on her shoulder. "I've got an idea, but it may not be one you might be fine with."
Iris shrugged. "Fire away."
Caesar's hands became clammy. His eyes darted around nervously. "Um, well, Iris, I was wondering, err, well, you see, if a Victor is in a relationship, then they won't be put in the VPR, so, err, will you go out with me?" His ears turned beet red with embarrassment.
Iris laughed, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and smiling sweetly. "I would love to."
Katniss and Peeta had a minute of silence for Iris, but there was not much else to be said. "I think she dated Caesar, you know," Peeta said. "They might have even married."
"Well, that's interesting," Katniss remarked. "It was never seen on TV."
"Capitolian-District relationships are never shown," Peeta told her, flipping the page as he did. Then he frowned. "Hang on, there's got to be a mistake."
Katniss raised an eyebrow and looked over. On the next page was nothing, no picture, no stats, just a name untidily scribbled in ink. "Rafael Fisher."
VICTORS
District 1-Sapphire Huntington(4), Onyx Hibonite(9), Franc Montgomery(14), Crystal Montgomery(21), Sterling Jones(25)
District 2-Ragnar Sveinsson(5), Reyna Boudicca(6), Draco Hadley(10), Scipio MacAllister(17), Freya Carson(22), Hercules Nichols(28)
District 3-Nikola Johnson(13), Gadget Schroeder(24)
District 4-Marina Bluebell(1), Mags Flanagan(11), Jolien Fisher(31), Timmy Fisher(32), Iris Fisher(33)
District 5-Shocker Crimson(8), Switch Kim(19), Flash Morrison(27)
District 6-Ford Hamilton(20)
District 7-Hassan Greenwood(2), Jill Wilson(15), Olive Sanchez(26)
District 8-Woof Casino(16)
District 9-Gwendolyn Whitfield(18), Laurel Flamsteel(29)
District 10-Ringo Alvarez(7), John Gatwick(23)
District 11-Orchid Bloom(12), Seeder Crue(30)
District 12-Axel Millar(3)
A/N: Hey guys, hope you enjoyed Iris's chapter! So, there was a review about why I didn't upload for a few days. Well, sorry about that! There are a few reasons:
1. Schoolwork. There's been a lot lately, so yeah, don't really have much time to upload.
2. There's been a few issues in my life and I'm not quite in the right mood to write, or do anything for that matter at times. I've been feeling really anxious and stressful lately, which you can see in characters like Laurel, Iris and Rafael. That negativity is reflective of mine, so writing sometimes makes me a little sad.
Again, sorry about that but I hope you enjoyed this and stay tuned for Rafael's chapter! Cheers:)