A/N: I've got nothing to say today. Enjoy the chapter!
Teryn Gardner, District 9 Female
My fingers scrape the cold copper handle of the pitchfork as I dig the bulky tool into tattered leather "flesh," the prongs of the tool- weapon?- sending chunks of fluff flying. I let out a strangled huff of annoyance and push the prongs in further, aiming to cause deep wounds instead of light scrapes. The leather gives and I rip down as the pitchfork enters the softly stuffed insides. A chasm opens up in the dummy's stomach and I grin with pride, ignoring the stirring feeling of unease deep in my chest, a throbbing ache. I pull back, feeling the give and the tear and the resistance. It pops free and I nearly stumble backwards, catching myself just in time, arms windmilling.
The trainer chuckles. "All weapons do that when stuck in flesh. It's good practice for you." I frown. "I was hoping I would never have to practice." I say. Heavy implication hangs with my words, souring the air. The trainer frowns, his smile curdling like spoiled milk. He sighs heavily. I get the message, shooting him a cold glare before stomping away. I'm not going to keep my mouth shut. I need to speak. I'm going into the Hunger Games and I'm going to die anyways, so really, what harm can it do?
I stomp over to the camouflage station, my bones as heavy as lead. There is something they could do. They could hurt my family. My parents. My siblings. Millard. Everyone I love can and will be hurt by my words. But there's no way in hell I can shut up. How can I be quiet, when my words can deal potent damage to sneering Capitolites? But how can I be loud when my every sentence is a grenade chucked at the only people I love?
Speak up or be silent. Make noise or pipe down.
I aggressively dab at my arm with the brush, watching as forest colors unfold on my skin, fingers of earthy brown and dripping leaf green creeping up my tanned arm, creating a hopelessly messy pattern on my arm. I scowl. I'm not exactly an artist.
And then I hear the voice, heavy with unspoken promise.
"Finally, another person with a voice."
Heavenly Aquarius, District 7 Female
I don't know what inspires me to say it. I was planning on lying low after the morphling disaster. It wore off during lunch, and I had no time to eat thanks to the spasms. I felt their judgmental eyes boring into me, and after that I decided it was best to keep out of sight.
But this girl…
She intrigues me. Openly challenging a trainer about the Hunger Games? That takes guts, and I need those on my side. She has a magnetic quality that drags me to her side, and I know exactly what it is.
She acts just how I imagine I would if my soul wasn't scarred.
She whips around, eyes wide. I smile at her slyly, and make a quick decision. I'll ask her to ally. She probably won't say yes, anyways, so what's the harm?
"Want to ally?" I say coolly. She blinks and her eyes nearly bug out of her head. I scramble to explain, hoping she doesn't think my suggestion is ludicrous. "You're obviously against these insane games, and I am too, so I just thought…" My voice falters and peters out. I twitch, and whatever hope there was in my heart snuffs out. I'm a stammering mess, and I swear I can still feel morphling seeping in the cracks of my mind, whispering stunted promises, digging it's claws into the weakest parts of my brain. I've only had it once and yet I crave the drug deeper then I've craved anything in my life, other then for Autumn to live and for me rapist to die. The cravings hit me like a sledgehammer every so often, and all I want is the sickly sweet drug in my veins, blurring the edges of this sharp world and splashing color across a ashy gray landscape. If I had a vial of morphling and a syringe right now, I'm not sure I could stop myself from pumping the drug in my blood and flying off to la la land.
She puts a stop to my morphling musings when she asks, "What's your name?"
I blink. "Heavenly," I say calmly. The corner of her mouth quirks up a bit. "Interesting name." She laughs. "Sure you aren't from one?" "Positive." I snap. "I've told you my name, now you tell me yours." She dabs the brown brush on her arm, imitating bark. "Teryn." She says with a smile. I smile hesitantly back at her, glad she appears to be warming up to me. "I'll join your alliance." She says with a grin. "I'm curious about you. How did you come across a name like Heavenly?"
Alicia Marleen, District 12 Female
There are tears in my eyes, I think. I've never had so much food. My belly is swelling and my head is pounding for some reason. It's beautiful. All the food almost makes up for the fact that I'm going to die.
I don't know why it doesn't scare me. Maybe because I've lived my entire life under the threat of death. Whether by starvation or a stab wound in an alley, in twelve, most people die before they turn 30. I've always known I wouldn't beat the odds, and this doesn't make it feel any more "real." Honestly, I'm more worried about what's going to happen when I get in the Games and have to live off tree bark again.
An image of poppy seeds flash up on the huge screen in front of me, and I quickly slap my palm against the "edible" button. "While poppy seeds are edible, they act as a sedative, causing sleepiness, which means you would be unadvised to eat them. "The computer hums, moving on to the next question. I wince. I should have known that!
"Watcha doooing?" I hear a voice chirp behind me. I spin around to see a grinning Henry, brown eyes shining. The steady influx of good food has caused us both to swell- I'm more noticeable, but Henry's filled out as well. There isn't that much growing you can do in three days, but the bags under our eyes have faded and our bellies pooch out a little.
"Working on the edible plants test." I say with a smile. Henry grins. "Great!" He chirps. Then he blinks, and his expression grows strangely solemn. "Do you…" He stutters. "Do you wanna be my ally?"
I furrow my brow, surprised. "Aren't we allies already?" I ask. "Huh?" He says, confused. "Like, we talk all the time and eat together and spend nearly all our time together." I say, perplexed. Henry grins, waggling his eyebrows. "If we were still in school, people would say you liiiiike me." He laughs. I push him away jokingly. "You wish!" I giggle. "So, are we allied or not?" He asks patiently. "Of course!" I grin. He smirks at me, expression lighting up.
"Great, because I have something to show you!"
Henry Wade, District 12 Male
I grab Alicia's hand and dash across the room. We explode out the door, howling like hyenas, drunk on potential. I pull her down the hallway and we cram into the elevator, wheezing. Elevator music fills our ears as we rise and I tell her what we have planned. I hear a ding and the doors spring open like a freed trap. We burst through, dancing through crystal hallways. I smile, a hint of mischief in my grin at what I'm planning. I see a flash of rust-red and I run over to it.
The fire alarm.
"You ready to ride some rollercoasters?" I ask her with a smug smile.
She grins back at me, eyes twinkling. "I've never been more ready."