Chapter 15
I wake up to a blaring light above my head, which forces my eyes into a squint and gives me a headache. I look around to see where I am, and see that I am in what looks like a hospital room. There is some sort of tube in my arm, and I am in a plain white hospital gown. My attention then turns to the injuries on my ribs, face, and stomach, which seemed to have been patched up. I also note a bruise on my chin and collarbone, trying not to think too much about how I got them.
A nurse walks in and looks at me in surprise. "You're up! You've been asleep a while, dear" she tells me.
"H-how long have I been asleep?" I ask, my voice hoarse.
"About two days! Everyone has been dying to see you after your victory in the arena! In fact, your mentor is waiting outside. Did you want me to bring him in?" Mulvain. I think fondly back to our hug just before I departed for the arena.
"Um, yes please" I respond, and she leaves the room with a nod of her head. Not even a minute later, Mulvain comes bustling into the room followed by the nurse.
"What'd I tell you, kiddo! I knew you could do it!" he says with a laugh, and scoops me up in a hug while the nurse warns him to be careful. I eventually have to pull away as he has started squeezing the injuries on my ribs and stomach.
"How do you feel?" he asks me as he pulls a chair next to my bed.
"Physically I feel fine. There's just a lot going on up here" I say as I gesture to my head.
"I know. I felt the same way after my Games. What happens in that arena never truly leaves you, I'm afraid" he says, and lays a comforting hand on my shoulder. It all of a sudden becomes too much for me, and I can't help but let the tears fall.
I look Mulvain in the eye and try my best to keep my voice from shaking. "I killed them, Mulvain. Jeweliana, Conway, the ones from 2, Wyatt, Cleo, Ezra, Farley." The mention of Farley's name is enough to break me, and I erupt into a chorus of sobs. Mulvain takes me in his arms and rubs soothing circles on my back.
"I know, sweet girl. Just know that none of those deaths are your fault. I know it doesn't take away the guilt, but it was either you or them. You were just doing what you had to do to survive. Remember who is really to blame for all of this" he says, and buries his face into my hair. I cry until I have no tears left, and drift into a dreamless sleep in Mulvain's arms…
After I am discharged from the hospital, I am taken back to the Tribute's Center where I am reunited with Alaster, Eviana, and my prep team. Alaster pulls me into a giant bear hug when he sees me, and cries into my shoulder telling me how happy he is that I made it back. Demitrius, Grenadine, Konstantine, and Pristina then push Alaster out of the way, and start ambushing me with kisses. Mulvain just sits back and laughs as all of the chaos unfolds in front of him.
As Alaster and my prep team fuss over me, my eyes land on Eviana standing behind them, staring at me with a fond expression. I break away from the others and run towards her, and I am met with a warm embrace.
"What a fighter you are, Katerina. I never took my eyes off of the screen for a second" she says into my shoulder. Her wavering voice indicates that she's started crying, which then sets me off as well.
"I didn't think I would ever see you again" I say, and I bury my face further into the crook of her neck.
When we pull away, Eviana places a delicate kiss ontop of my head and takes my hands in hers. "I didn't doubt it for a second. I love you, sweet childl."
"I love you too" I respond, and we embrace once more.
Before I return home to District 9, I must have one final interview with Caesar Flickerman, and receive the Victor's Crown from President Snow. Both events will be live in front of an audience, so I must once again channel the lovable facade I had successfully put on for the interview before the Games.
For my final interview and crowning, Eviana has dressed me up in a strapless dress with a sparkly silver top that fades into matte gold, leaving an elegant trail of sparkles on the skirt. My hair is up in a bun, with ringlets falling down either side of my face. I'm wearing minimal makeup except for lipgloss, mascara, and the alarming amount of foundation that was used to try and cover the scars on my face. My locket goes beautifully with my ensemble, the charm resting perfectly in the middle of my chest.
I am currently backstage waiting for Caesar to introduce me for our interview. I twiddle with my thumbs nervously as I think of possible questions he might ask me. Will he mention Farley? My fight with the District 2 girl? The final fight with Wyatt? To be honest, I'm really not ready to open up about what I endured in that arena, and I don't think I ever will be.
"And now, I am pleased to introduce the Victor of the 72nd Annual Hunger Games! You watched her fight oh so valiantly in the arena, and now here she is! Ladies and Gentleman, The Capitol's golden child! miss Katerina Ottoman!" I make my way onto the stage while giving the audience a nice wave and smile. I walk over to Caesar, who takes my hand and places a kiss on my knuckles, just as he had done during my first interview.
Caesar gawks at my outfit as we take our seats. "Oh my! Katerina, my dear, you look stunning!" he exclaims, and the audience cheers in agreement.
"Thank you, Caesar. My stylist thought that since I've grown a lot in these past few weeks, we should go with something a little more mature" I say, and look over at Eviana in the audience. She gives me bright smile in response.
"Well your stylist was right! Now I must point out that every time you have been on here, and even during the Tribute's Parade, you've always been wearing gold. We've even nicknamed you for it!" Caesar exclaims, which earns a collective chuckle from the audience.
"All jokes aside, does the colour have any significance?" Caesar asks. I actually hadn't noticed that before. I remember Eviana telling me she used the colour to accent the grain pattern on my dress for the Tribute's Parade, seeing as your outfit had to pay homage to your district's industry.
"Well, I always associated the colour gold with all of the grain crops we grow back home, as I grew up on farmland. Being dressed in gold is sort of like me having a piece of home with me" I respond.
"Well I am sure your district is watching you with pride, my dear. Now, Katerina, how does it feel knowing that you have just become the youngest Victor in Hunger Games history?" Caesar asks.
"Am I?" To be honest, I didn't even think about that. I was sort of too busy trying to make it out alive.
"Well yes! You beat the Victor of the 65th Hunger Games, Finnick Odair, by about a year!" The mention of Finnick's name is enough to make the audience go wild. I remember him. He was the guy who received a trident as a gift from a sponsor, the one who Conway reminded me so much of. If I remember correctly, Finnick became some what of a heart throb after his Games.
"Wow! I'm honoured!" I lie, and give a charming little laugh to make it believable. I don't take any pride in that title, as I just had to kill and watch other kids die to earn it.
"Don't be so humble, my girl, be proud! You've earned it! Hasn't she folks?" The audience then erupts in cheers, and I do my best to swallow my pride and smile.
"Now lets talk about the events that led up to this point. You had teamed up with a couple others, and had planned to ambush another alliance, but ended up getting ambushed yourselves. Tell me, what was going through your head when you saw that other team surprise you like that?" Caesar asks. Now this is something I definitely do not want to talk about, as there's too many painful memories associated with it.
"Um, it was definitely a surprise. We hadn't been able to carry out what we had planned, so we had to just wing it and hope for the best" I answer, trying to keep my response as brief as possible.
"Now this obviously ended up backfiring, yes? We were especially moved when you took Farley in your arms, and stayed with him until the end, weren't we folks?" The audience gives a solemn nod as Caesar addresses them, and my heart gets caught in my throat when Farley's name is mentioned. That is quite possibly the one thing I cannot bear to think about. "Were you two friends back home?"
"No, we didn't know each other back home. We had met on the train to the Capitol" I answer, willing for him to change the subject.
Caesar doesn't, however, and goes on to say something that absolutely destroys me. "Now, I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that there was something special in the way he looked at you in that moment. Did you two end up developing feelings toward one another?" To be honest, I don't even know the answer to that question.
I was always very confused when it came to Farley. Did I just like him as a friend? Or did I like him as more than a friend? I liked getting to know him through our nightly talks before the Games began, and enjoyed teaming up with him inside the arena. I thought I knew for certain how I felt about him, but somewhere between his confession and his death, that line began to blur. He was always there for me, even though he really didn't need to be, and made me feel safe and relaxed. Holding him in my arms as he took his final breath is something I know will stick with me for the rest of my life, and something I will never quite recover from.
The look he gave me as he moved my hair out of my face before he died is forever etched into my brain, as it was certain that he loved me a great deal. Hell, he even made a point in telling me so. What kills me inside is the guilt of not knowing if I truly reciprocated the love that he felt for me. It makes me feel incredibly selfish, which is not helped by the fact that he had actually died protecting me. I blame myself entirely for Farley's death. I wish I had never let him into my room to comfort me on the train. I wish I had just kept him at arm's length, as then maybe I wouldn't have all of this sadness and regret whenever I think of him.
"I'm not sure what we were, to be honest with you, Caesar. One thing I know for certain is that we cared for each other a lot, and had become very close in our time together. He saved my life, and I would not be sitting here if it weren't for him." I don't want to say anymore, as I'm afraid I will break down again if I do. I hear some sniffling coming from the audience, and turn to see a number of people in tears at my statement.
Caesar gives a pained look to the audience, and turns back to look at me with sad eyes. "Well, something I know for sure is that you will never forget Farley Blackwell, will you?" he asks, and I shake my head in response. It is impossible to forget the boy who gave his life to save mine.
Caesar then thankfully moves on to something else. "Now I must say, when that avalanche started coming down, my heart stopped. To make things worse, you ended up in a battle right in the middle of it! What was going through your head in that moment?" he asks.
"All I was really thinking about was adjusting to the situation at hand. Yes, the avalanche and the fight were unexpected, but that is what should be expected in this game. Total uncertainty. You have to be prepared for anything" I say, and the audience hums thoughtfully.
"Very well said! After you knocked Larissa off the rock and into the avalanche, it seemed to have been over. But, an unexpected second wave of snow ended up sweeping you away! How did you manage to pull through?" Caesar asks, and as he does the screen behind us starts playing footage of me getting buried in the avalanche. So the District 2 girl's name was Larissa. The memory of me pushing her bloodied body into the avalanche flashes back to me, her terrified green eyes piercing their way into my soul.
"I actually don't know how I managed that! One minute I'm being swept away by a pile of snow, next thing I know I'm on the ground making snow angels!" I joke, and the audience erupts in laughter. I leave out the part about the disturbing dream I had before I woke up, not looking to relive it.
"Well, good thing you did or we wouldn't get to be here to chat to you now! Now, Katerina, let's move onto that final battle for the crown with Wyatt." I feel my stomach turn at the mention of Wyatt's name. "That was quite the grueling battle, especially against a boy who is much older and bigger than you. Was there any doubt going into that fight?" Caesar asks me.
"I think all of the fear was replaced by determination. In that moment, I was determined to get to the other side, which I channeled in that battle" I say. There's a lot more I want to say about these topics, but choose to play it safe as I have no idea who could be listening to this interview.
"Yes, and I think we could all feel your determination watching you in there! You had us hooked for every moment, my dear. What did you think, folks?" Caesar turns to the audience, and they all cheer in response.
"Now I have immensely enjoyed our time together, but I am afraid we are going to have to wrap this up soon. I have one last question to ask you. You had mentioned having a very close relationship with your father the last time you were here. Are you excited to go home and see him?" Caesar asks. Thinking about seeing my father again is enough to make me break out in a wide grin.
"Yes, I'm so happy I get to see him and hug him again" I say, and the audience gives a big "aw" in response.
"Well I shouldn't keep you from him any longer! Ladies and gentleman, the Victor of the 72nd Annual Hunger Games, our golden child, Katerina Ottoman!" Caesar then presents me to the crowd one last time and directs me backstage, where I am then ushered to the Avenue of Tributes to be crowned by President Snow.
I am currently on the President's balcony, overlooking the Avenue of Tributes beneath me. A lot of people have turned up to my crowning, as thousands of spectators now line the street. My mind flashes back to when I had rode down this road in a chariot just a couple of weeks ago, anticipation and fear rampant in my mind. So much has happened since then, yet being back here looking down on the street, it almost feels as if nothing has changed at all.
It doesn't take long for President Snow to make his appearance, carrying a golden crown in his hands. He is just as menacing as I remember, and I feel just as uneasy in his presence as I did during the Tribute Parade.
He takes some time to wave to the crowd before turning his attention to me. I stand up as he comes to meet me, and he delicately places the crown on my head. The audience erupts in cheers as I am officially crowned as Victor.
"Congratulations" he says in his monotone voice. His face is unchanging from its neutral expression, which creates more unease inside of me.
"Thank you" I respond, trying my best to be as polite as possible. He then makes his exit with one last wave to the audience, and I am ushered in the other direction by his subjects…
I am now on the train home from the Capitol with Mulvain. He pours himself a glass of whiskey while I look out the window on the other side of the car. My mind is swirling with possibilities of what will happen once I go home. Will everything just go back to the way it was? Will it be like nothing ever happened? How will everyone react to me coming back? How will they react to the fact that I won the Hunger Games? That I am now a Victor?
"What're you thinking about, kid?" Mulvain asks as he comes and sits down beside me.
"Just about how things are going to be from now on. How things are going to change" I answer, never once taking my eyes off of the blur of trees we ride past.
"Well, things will be quite different, I'll tell you that much. First, we have to move you into Victor's Village, then there's the tour of the districts you have to do next year, as well as eventually having to mentor the Games once Hestia's decided it's time for retirement. You're going to be dragged out every year, forced to do press, interviews, the whole nine yards" Mulvain responds. The thought of being put on display like this every year is enough to make me want to tear my hair out. Keeping a smile on for the cameras is exhausting.
"Why do you have that thing on again? Didn't you get a fresh change of clothes before we left?" Mulvain asks as he gestures to what I'm wearing. Right before we left the Capitol, Eviana gave me back my mother's green dress that I wore to the Reaping. I decided to put it on rather than the plain grey top and pants that were left for me on the train. The fabric still smells like home. It still smells like her.
"Yea, but I like this better" I simply respond, and Mulvain drops it with a puzzled shake of his head.
The train comes to a soft stop as it finally pulls into the District 9 train station. As soon as Mulvain and I exit the car, the scent of dirt and mulch fills my nostrils, letting me know I'm finally home. Once we walk outside, we are confronted with almost the whole district, who have been waiting outside to welcome me home. The people cheer loudly when they see us, and rush over to meet me as I walk. I get countless pats on the back, words of congratulation, and jeers of celebration. Being surrounded by the people I grew up with again is enough to put a genuine smile on my face.
Bil and Cress have elbowed their way up to the front and tackle me in one of the biggest hugs I've ever received. I hug them back with just as much enthusiasm, if not more, conveying just how much I've missed them.
When we pull away, Bil is the first to speak. "Oh my fucking god! You fucking did it!" he says as he wipes tears from his eyes. It doesn't take long to notice that I've started crying too.
"We had our eyes glued to the screen the entire time! You kicked some serious ass!" Cress excitedly adds, and he pulls Bil and I in for a second group hug. I bury my face into Bil's chest while Cress rests his head on my shoulder.
"Welcome home, Rina" says Bil, and the warm feeling of home floods my heart once more.
"It's good to be back. I missed you guys like crazy" I confess, and give them both a loving kiss on the head.
After we pull away, Bil starts pointing to something, and I stand on my toes to try and see what it is. Behind the crowd stands my family, desperately looking for me among the giant mob of people. I start walking towards them, and luckily everyone clears a path so I can get through. My father is the first one to spot me, and holds his arms open for me to run into. I do just that, and when we collide he picks me up and swings me lovingly in his arms. I wrap my legs around his torso and nuzzle my face into the crook of his neck as tears of happiness fall from my eyes once more.
"I'm home" I say into his ear, and he squeezes me even tighter in response.
"Welcome home, baby" he says, and we stay in each other's arms for what seems like hours. Before I know it, I am lulled to sleep by the familiar scent of pine off of his shirt…
The Golden Child: A Hunger Games Story
To Be Continued...
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hello! i just wanted to say thank you to anyone and everyone who read this story! this is the first story that i have ever finished, so i'm quite proud of it! even so, if anyone has any advice for me as far as writing tips, things i could have done better, etc. leave me a review and i'll be sure to read it! this is also the first time i've ever published a story onto a website like this, so i hope you guys liked it! thank you so much ^-^
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