Welcome to the Victory Tour! I hope you enjoy reading as Terra tours the districts. As always, take care and stay safe.
Chapter 60- Terra Coppersmith
My bones ache with the cold that's come alongside winter. It's been several months now since the Games ended, and now all of Panem will be reminded of what happened, because the Victory Tour starts today.
I hate the snow, hate every snowflake that falls down, and I hate the heaps of snow that pile up outside my door, making it hard to get around. I remember when I loved the snow, celebrated the first snow of every year with Iry. Now I just try to stay out of it as much as I can.
The Capitol doctors sent my crutches several months ago, so I got to get used to walking with those, and now I can walk without them quite well. I still stumble sometimes, but I don't get as tired as I did. I'm sleeping a little more now, but not by much. Every time I close my eyes some flashback plays and I have to open them again.
"How long are you going to be gone, again?" Iry asks, running in with her cat in her arms. Shuttle found some kittens three months ago, and we took one in. She's a grey tabby, who Iry named Ribbons. She keeps me company during the day when Iry is at school.
"A few weeks. Don't worry; Deecey and her mother are going to look after you while I'm gone, just like before," I say.
"And you'll come home, right?"
"Of course. I'll be home before you know it," I say, petting Ribbons on the head. Iry grins. She's happier than I've ever known her, now that her life is secure. Mine is somewhat secure, but being a victor is never normal. The district is slowly starting to forget about me a little, or at least they were. I can at least walk through town without every eye on me. I hope the Victory Tour won't change things again.
"They'll be here soon, you know that, don't you?" Shuttle says, walking in to the living room. She's holding a cup of tea that she made in the kitchen. She's here, and Woven is supposed to come over later, along with District 8's only male victor who I don't know very well, Woof.
"I know." I wish I didn't have to do the tour; I wish I could just forget about the Hunger Games and everything that happened in them, but the Capitol has made it impossible. In another half a year I'll be expected to go as a mentor to the Capitol for the next Games. Besides, I'm reminded of my time in the arena every time I look at my own hands.
"I'm going to go for a walk before they get here. Okay?" I ask, and Shuttle nods.
"Go ahead."
I bundle up in my fur coat from the Capitol, adding mittens and my fur lined boots to keep warm. I prefer mittens to gloves now, because you can't notice my missing fingers in them. I tromp out of the house, crunching snow under my boots and fighting back the flashbacks with every step.
I can't be out in the snow for too long, because I'm more susceptible to frostbite now that I've had it once. It's not an experience I want to have twice, so I typically try to stay warm inside my wrappings for a few minutes at a time, then go inside again.
I walk through the quiet town; most everyone is at work or in school. Iry got to take the day off to see me go on the train. I walk right through, straight to the iron fence surrounding the cemetery on the far side of town. I push the gate open and walk through, closing it behind me with a clang.
Even in this cold weather there are fresh graves. I know a few people who've died in the past few weeks; a couple of old age, some of disease, a factory accident like my father had. Someone was executed for something; I'm not even sure what it was. I walk past them all, straight to the grave with the wreath of red roses on it.
"Hey, Fletcher. I'm about to go on the Victory Tour, and I just want to say I wish you were going with me," I say to the cold stone tombstone. Most of the other graves have simple wooden crosses, but the Capitol provides marble ones for the dead tributes. Fletcher's headstone says only his name, his age, and what he was.
Fletcher Wellrock
Age 17
Tribute, Son, Friend.
"I miss you, and I wish things could have been different," I continue, hugging my arms to myself to conserve heat. The snow falls around me, and I want to run inside, but I force myself to stay a little longer.
"I won't be back for a few weeks, so don't miss me too much. I don't know if you can even hear me, but take care of yourself. I'll tour the districts for both of us, okay?" I blow a kiss to the headstone. "Love you," I whisper, then turn around to trudge back to Victor's Village. The cold is biting through my clothes and it's getting harder to keep the flashbacks away. The snow and cold remind me of the arena, of the blizzard at the very end. I can't handle it for long.
I've been finding myself here at the cemetery more often, ever since I found out from Fletcher's mother where his grave was. She's a nice lady, but torn apart by grief. I didn't know her before the Games, but I visited her a month after I got back and we both cried in her kitchen. Now I visit Fletcher's grave on the regular, often stopping in to say a quick hello to my mother and father. I miss them both so much too.
I've lost too many people.
"There she is!" someone calls from up ahead, and I've barely entered into Victor's Village. When I get back to my house, my prep team is already there. Sappho is holding a makeup tote, but the other two, Tiffany and Lem, rush towards me in all their Capitol finery, genuinely happy to see me.
"Oh, you're looking well, Terra!" Tiffany gushes.
"How are your legs doing?" Lem asks.
"Much better. I can get around much better now," I say, then allow myself to be led inside my own house. Iry is delighted at meeting my team from the Capitol. And in return, my prep team adores my sister.
"Damius, can we give her little sister a makeover too?" Sappho pleads in her high-pitched accent.
"If you must, and if she wants to," Damius says. Sappho squeals and takes an eager Iry by the hand, leading her away with her makeup tote. Damius comes over and hugs me. "Good to see you again, Terra. How are you doing?"
"Better, I think," I say. I am better, physically if not mentally. Deecey and I are back to normal now, with only some awkward moments. We don't ever mention the Hunger Games; we steer clear of that topic. I won't talk with anyone about the Hunger Games if I can help it, not even Shuttle or Woven. And I notice that neither of them talks about it either.
"Lem, Tiffany, I think Sappho is gone. Let's get Terra up and running so everyone in the districts thinks she's gorgeous," Damius says. "Not that you're not already," he adds.
To my great disappointment, the front door opens and in steps Postumius, still all in orange, looking around in wonder at the house. "Ah, so this is where you live! Such a small house," are the first words out of my idiotic escort's mouth.
"Good to see you too, Postumius," I say before I'm whisked away upstairs to begin my transformation.
Several hours later, I've been scrubbed, waxed, shampooed, and completely made over. I look Capitol pretty now, with my makeup on and my hair tamed. Damius walks into my room holding a pair of pants and a blue shirt.
"No dress today?" I ask. He shakes his head.
"That will come later. We want you to stay warm while we get you to the train." The shirt is silky and a deep blue that shimmers; the pants are black and semi loose, making the outfit really comfortable to move in.
"Thank you," I say to Damius. He smiles and nods. Iry bursts in then with a full face of makeup as well, and simply glowing with happiness.
"Look what Sappho did for me!" she says, bouncing up and down.
"You look beautiful!" I say, kissing her forehead. I personally think it's overkill for a nine year old, but she's happy so I'll let it go.
"Oh, and Deecey is here!" Iry says.
"Where is she?" I ask.
"Downstairs in the living room. She's talking to Sappho and a guy."
I'm steadier on the stairs now, but I still need to hold the railing to get down them. My team comes along behind me with their totes of stuff; they'll be coming along on the tour with me, which I don't really mind. It's Postumius coming that I mind.
And I really mind seeing all the childless parents who mourn their fallen tributes. I don't want to do that, don't want to give the speeches and look into their eyes. But I'm a victor and I'm expected to do these things.
Deecey's standing in the living room chatting away with Sappho, and next to them is a middle-aged man with dark hair and deep-set eyes. That will be Woof, the victor that I don't know as well. He didn't come to the Capitol after I was reaped, because I think he was sick or something. All I know about him is that he won almost twenty years ago and he lives three doors down from me.
"Hello, hello!" I say, giving Deecey a hug.
"Don't you look pretty," she says, returning it.
"I'd rather not go on this trip, if you know what I mean," I say, and she nods. "Thanks for being so nice to Iry," I say then, directed to Sappho.
"My pleasure! She's such a sweetheart!" she gushes. Then I turn to the man who's standing awkwardly in our midst.
"Woof, isn't it?" I say. He nods shortly.
"Our newest victor, Terra Coppersmith. Pleasure to make your acquaintance," he says, shaking my hand. I notice that he's missing a finger himself, the left pinky one. He notices me looking.
"I suppose we match, don't we?" he says with a wry smile, holding up his left hand. He's District 8's second victor, winning only a few years after Woven did.
"Are you coming along?" I ask, but he shakes his head.
"No, I avoid the Capitol when I can. I'll be there soon enough for the Games, and I see no reason to go sooner. Excuse me," he says and wanders off in search of someone else to talk to.
"He's bloody polite, isn't he?" Deecey says, watching him go.
"Keeps to himself, I've noticed. He's never once come over like Shuttle and Woven do," I say.
"The cameras are here!" Postumius cries, rushing into the room. "It's showtime!"
"That's the most escorting I've ever seen him do," I mutter to Deecey, and she laughs.
"What a moron."
"Everyone agrees with you," I say. I give her one last hug, then I join the rest of my team at the front of the house. I'm the happy victor, or so the Capitol believes. I need to give them the show they want. As I head for the door, Damius catches me and helps me put on a grey fur coat, blue mittens, and a decorative scarf.
"Say goodbye! I need a hug!" Iry calls from behind me, so I stall and hang back.
"Be good for Deecey and Mrs. Underfall, okay? You'll see me on the television every night," I say, hugging my little sister.
"Why can't I come with you?"
"Capitol rules, munchkin. Be good, I love you," I say, giving her one last squeeze.
"We're going live!" Postumius shouts.
"We know! Be quiet!" Woven says. I didn't notice her come in, but I'm glad she's here. She's dressed for the cold in Capitol clothing similar to mine.
The front door opens and I step out into the snow, taking a deep breath. I hate the cold, hate the snow.
"Welcome back Panem, to the start of the Victory Tour!" says an overly peppy man in green, holding a camera. I smile and wave. "And hello to Terra Coppersmith, our newest victor!"
"Hello!" I say brightly. The attention turns from me to my entourage, who wave as well as they step out my door. Shuttle gives a bright smile, Woven simply nods, but Woof does neither, giving only a short wave, then looking stern the rest of the time he's on camera. Postumius is bouncing all around, thrilled at being on live television again.
After a bit more back and forth between me and the cameras, they shut them off so I can get into a waiting black car. Shuttle and Woven climb in beside me; the rest of my team gets into a different car that pulls up as we close the doors.
I give a last wave to my family, then the car drives away, taking us to the train station.
The Tour has begun, and I'm already eager for it end.