Thanks so much for the reviews I have gotten so far! Sorry for the wait, my laptop was having some issues.
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(May's POV)
As I near the house I hear what sounds like someone having a mental breakdown. Realizing it has to be my mom, I run to the door and swing it open as fast as I can. It swings open pretty strong too, smashing against the wall sending a family picture crashing to the floor. Mom looks over at me and I cringe. She looks so broken and I am filled with guilt for sneaking out early to go to the house. I quickly run to the closet to get a broom and dust pan.. As I am sweeping up the broken glass I look around the house and am bewildered by the mess surrounding me. Chairs are knocked over, pillows are strewn about, even items of clothing. I look over at her as I stand up to dump out the glass and I get my first good look at her since I ran into the house. The dark hair that her and I share is tangled and looks like she was running her fingers through them stressfully, and I guess I don't blame her. Her gray eyes are clouded with confusion and fear, and of course tears. This morning as soon as Dad left to go to district 4 to see aunt Annie, I was out the door. I craved more knowledge on my parents history. I can tell from the house that my mom had been looking for me nearly all day.
I run upstairs unable to face my mom. I go to my closet and pull out everything in the way of my book. I hear my mom's light footsteps walking up the stairs ad I panic. I sigh and swing a rope made of bed sheets tied together I had made when I was younger. I have no idea if it will hold. I do another silent prayer and jump out of my window, holding on to the sheets.
First thing I realize is that I am NOT dead. Second thing is that I hear mom opening the door and I know I have to get out of sight. I run as fast as I can to get back to the home, and not be seen, and not be suspicious looking. I mange to get home with only a few quick stares, and a sweaty forehead. I hear Lars gasp and he runs toward me as I slam the door shut, probably to attack the strange intruder that is me. He stands in front of me and wraps his arms around me. I'm blushing so hard I'm sure I look like a tomato. He barely notices when he pulls away, as he is distracted by noise coming from the main room.
"Hey, it's fine Ali, it's fine, just don't think about it."Lars says to Ali, and I am left wondering what the head they are talking about. Ali sniffles trying to calm herself down, while Lars whispers comforting words in her ear. My cheeks burn with jealousy, but I can't help but picture them like this, boyfriend and girlfriend, while I become an unwanted third wheel. Then it hits me, all this time whenever Lars was around I have been pushing Ali to the sidelines in order to get noticed. What is wrong with me, what kind of friend am I?
I am thankfully brought back from my self loathing thoughts when Lars clears his throat. "May, while you were gone a while, we, uh kinda watch a bit." He says, looking at the splintering wood floor. At first, I am furious, how dare they watch something about my parents without me! But after a second or two I now understand why they are both teary. Whatever they saw on that tape, mustn't be good. I sigh and shake my head, signaling that it's okay.
"But you guys are going to have to have to suffer again because I need to watch the tapes too." I say this quietly, trying hard to tone down my natural snarky attitude. They nod in understanding and apology. My heart beating for what is to come, I press play on the tapes.
The tape starts with Caesar Flickerman prepping us for the apparent arrival of my parents and the other tributes. And the I see it. Slowly tube like structures rise out of small circular platforms in a valley. I am instantly relieved when I take in the surrounding area. I giggle crazy-like "It's the woods! Mom! She goes to the woods all the time, I- I, um, a.. I remember." I stop abruptly and notice the odd looks my friends give my. My words they confuse me but I know they are right. I remember following my mom on the way to the woods one day when I was a little girl. She didn't know I was there. For some reason I know that my mom knows how to handle the woods, but how and why.
The camera pans slowly around the circle of tributes, my eyes pinned on them. All of the tributes either look scared out of their wits, or waaaaaaaay to cocky. The attention is trained on to what they call the cornucopia. That thing is stuffed with an array of weapons, the value of the supplies slowly decreasing the farther away from the center you get. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... the sound of a loud horn fills my ears, and the tributes run, in all directions. My eyes snap away when I notice that my Dad is running away from the cornucopia, at first I get mad that he is acting like a wimp, when the bloodbath starts. Smart-ish move dad. Mom doesn't think like that, she looks very hesitant and confused, finally she goes to swoop up a bright orange bag, just a boy tribute gets there. Oh no. My worries are actually pretty ridiculous, I know both of them live, but it;s still very nerve racking to see them int this sort of situation, only a little older than me. Suddenly my moms face is splattered with red liqued and she makes a disgusted look. She looks up and I gasp as I see a girl equipped with a large amount of knifes start chasing after mom. The girl throws a knife at moms back which is covered my the backpack. THe knife lodges itself in the backpack as mom continues to run to the woods. By now I don't even notice that I am slightly shaking. Lars and Ali instinctively come over and wrap there arms around me. Here we are three best friends, watching innocent children get murdered on a screen. I sigh a sad sigh.
Then the camera moves and I am met with what looks like what comes out of a horror movie. Blood speckled children litter the valley. I have to wedge my head in between my knees, knowing this is not a movie, it's real. "This is the part where Ali broke down, you came in a few minutes later." Lars whispers in my ear. Frankly at the moment I don't blame Ali for breaking down, I'm very close to crying myself. Of course I had to come out of my man made shell eventually, but mostly because I needed to watch the tape.
We decided to spend the whole weekend in the home watching the tapes, and all of our parents think we are sleeping over at the others house, but we chose to spend the night at the house. I just hope I can actually make it through the night without having nightmares of what I just witnessed.