Greetings! Welcome back to another installment of 'Unlikeliest of Victors'. This chapter is probably my favorite to write so far for a number of reasons.
Without further ado, please enjoy.
10
I sleep fitfully that night. My dreams are filled with twisted images of Julia again, of the dam exploding, of President Snow all conglomerated together and rotating, never fully leaving the scene.
When Friday morning dawns brighter and pockmarked by whispy clouds, I'm less rested than I would prefer and not happy to have the sun poking its head through the window.
My mother and the kitchen staff are busy preparing a meal which I rush downstairs to hurriedly eat before heading upstairs. Cinna is waiting for me outside the bathroom where he gives me my completed dress. After I'm showered, dried, and in my dress, Flavius appears and helps put my hair in order for the day. Cinna gives instructions on how to make the double buns on my head and Flavius - to his credit - makes a near flawless replication on the first attempt. Octavia and Venia show up and my nails are painted a deep green that matches my dress. We're running short on time at this point so they apply some a minimal amount of eyeliner. The rest of the (hopefully limited) makeup will be applied when we get to the Justice Building.
I see my siblings reappear smartly dressed in black suits and slacks while Persephone is wearing a pale blue dress that compliments her hair and eyes equally as good as mine does.
If only she could see how good she looks. I lament.
My mother appears wearing a rich and vibrant scarlet dress while my father escorts her in full tuxedo complete with a bowtie. Together we are possibly the best dressed family in District 5. 11:30 arrives and after grabbing a few things for the day, we pile in two cars and leave for town. As we make the descent I notice that the blackened streak on the bridge across the Sweetwater has been mostly removed with only a faint trace left of what had been. The bridge is not likely to forget what transpired so soon.
As we descend further we are joined by Peacekeeper escort and we slow down to push through the enormous crowds swelling the streets. Some people recognize us and attempt to move closer for a better look, but a motorcade of armored vehicles joins our procession. All I can see on other side is armored car with hovercraft above. I've seen Hovercraft before, but never this many. The most I've ever seen is three flying in a V towards the base. There's close to ten making a wide circle in the sky keeping their distance from the town. They must be monitoring things from the air to make sure no more Insurgent groups make a surprise appearance. It doesn't bother the Prep Team but everyone else except Persephone has their eyes trained skywards in security intensifies as we approach closer and closer to downtown. Between gaps in the armored cars, there are barricades set on either side of the street creating paths for pedestrians to file towards the public square with dozens of Peacekeepers standing guard. Some people filing towards the square stop to smile and wave at our vehicle before we pass them by.
I imagine that all non-essential personnel will be in the square, most likely under order of the Peacekeepers.
The people and security presence intensify even further until we are moving through at a crawl. We pass through a couple security checkpoints and eventually we come to the public square, an immense space on Voltage street directly north of my home eight blocks designed to hold the population on Reaping Day. In it's earliest days, District 5 could do this with no problem, now the square only has capacity for the children and some adults. The other streets leading up to the square will have screens set up so that they too have the opportunity to watch.
Our motorcade breaks off and our convoy turns behind the Justice Building. I take notice of cameras and camera crews mounted on every available roof. The thought of that many people watching me makes me weak. We are let out on the back steps and my father takes the rest of my family and leads them through. There are a couple cameras on the back that film us as we get out. Cinna and the others direct me to a waiting room next to the Mayor's office where they do my final touches in minutes including lipstick, eye shadow, and a light touch of other unknown substances.
"Any more?" I ask.
"Nope. We're all done." Cinna says putting down his brush. He gives me a quick glance and pronounces me perfect.
Outside I hear my Grandfather speaking to the crowd but what he's saying I have no idea, the building's muffling most of his words.
Cinna turns me around to have me face a mirror and, if I'm honest, I look even better than yesterday. I didn't think it was possible to showcase beauty and intelligence at the same time but Cinna has pulled off this feat.
"Smile for me please."
I give him an honest smile and the prep team screams in adoration.
"Are you ready?" Cinna asks.
"No." I bite my lip in worry.
"Don't worry about it. Just smile and act naturally. You don't have to do any speaking. Just smile, wave, and be gracious. Can you do that?"
"Sure."
We hear a low roar descending closer and closer. I risk a glance out a window and I see a sleek looking Hovercraft descending towards a space in the square that the Peacekeepers have cleared away.
President Snow has arrived.
"Time to move." Cinna says and he escorts me downstairs.
I hear my Grandfather give an introduction and there's a respectful amount of applause with some cheering. The President and by extension the Capitol is not openly loved here like it is in Districts One and Two but it's respected (or feared, take your pick) enough that the Citizens put their hands together with some enthusiasm.
We take up positions inside the polarized glass doors on the other side of the exterior wooden double doors and I catch a glimpse of the President himself shaking hands with everyone on stage.
My nervousness drowns out everything else as I see the winking lights of camera crews and the hundreds of faces that have crowded the square with more people in the streets beyond.
How many people are going to see me today?
The Anthem of Panem blares grandiosely over dozens of speakers strategically placed around the square snapping my attention back to reality. I hear the President begin with a few words of thanks, praise for our industry, praise for its magnificent facilities, how they provide an invaluable service to the Capitol and the Districts around, and how District 5 is a shining example of Panem's progress, peace, and happiness at work. His statements are broken up by smatterings of applause. Each word the President speaks is done moderately slow, the tempo accentuated by quiet precision that brings a certain pathos to his speech. He is as charismatic as television shows him to be.
It's only when a pair of Peacekeepers emerge from behind and position themselves between the interior and exterior doors that I pay attention.
"This system, one that has withstood the test of time for decades, was recently threatened by those who would seek to destabilize a government that has brought peace to the land. Today is a day to remember those who lost their lives, Peacekeeper and Citizen alike, to a short-lived Rebellion that sought to destroy what binds us all together. It is a testament to the bravery and sacrifice of District Five and its Peacekeepers that, far from succeeding, the rebels utterly failed to accomplish their task of bombing a dam and killing indiscriminately thousands of men, women, and children."
I notice he didn't explicitly mention the impact this would have on the Capitol.
"Today, on behalf of the other 11 Districts and the Capitol, we thank you."
More applause.
"There were many individuals that deserve credit for keeping your industry and people alive and well, but there is one individual who discovered this plot to murder and to destroy and went beyond the call of duty by risking her life repeatedly and, I'm told, even deactivated and changed the codes to the explosives that would have caused needless death and destruction. Her bravery, courage, and intelligence is of great comfort to me and it reassures me that Panem has among its rising generation, those who will undoubtedly go on to do a great number of things."
The interior doors were opened by two Peacekeepers.
"Let's go." One of them said.
I nodded and straightened my dress and took a deep breath.
"Good luck." Cinna whispered and my prep team offered their own best wishes.
"It is my pleasure to welcome Miss Katherine Emerson to the stage."
The doors opened letting bright sunlight in temporarily blinding me for a second. A shorter musical theme was played and I took a deep breath and stepped outside.
A roar of cheering and applause went up from the crowd that blew away the reception Snow had received earlier. I wondered whether this was the District's way of snubbing the Capitol. There was a red carpet leading from the front entrance to the right where a podium stood with the President standing there. The Carpet passed by my family who stood respectfully applauding me.
I began to walk down the steps and onto the carpet, the Peacekeepers flanking me from behind. I held my head high, put on a small smile and proceeded to the podium squeezing Persephone's hand as I passed. The music ended as I stopped short of the podium, the President held up a hand to silence the crowd.
President Coriolanus Snow was only a few inches taller than me but I felt smaller and smaller in his presence. He wore a crisp black suit with a single white rose in his lapel pocket but the most notable thing about him was his eyes. His blue-gray eyes had a cold, calculating look about them and they had a similar effect to Mrs. Gerrik where I felt like the President could read my every thought. I met his gaze equally and tried to keep myself as emotionless as possible.
"Miss Emerson, on behalf of the Capitol and all of the Districts, it is my honor to present you with this medal for your exceptional character, bravery, and courage. May these attributes bless your District as well as all the others. He turned to my grandfather who was standing next to him holding an ebony case in his hand. The President opened it and inside a plush red interior lay a golden medal suspended on a shimmering red ribbon. He gestured me forward and he removed it before slowly placing it around me, the ribbon changed to silver as he did so.
He leaned close and the smell of the rose mingled with something else, was that blood I smelled? I felt suddenly nauseous and just held myself in place. I wanted to shy away from his hands but I kept myself there. The medal was placed around me and I felt the heavy weight press against me. The ribbon changed from silver to a beautiful green that complimented my dress. He gestured to the crowd and they began applauding again. I turned and faced them and tried to look as small as inconspicuous as possible while standing next to President.
I tried to find Cassandra and the others in the crowd but there were just too many people in the square for me to tell. Snow gave a small gesture with his hand and I stepped back filling in an opening my family had created.
All eyes focused on me and I stared ahead largely ignoring his closing remarks that went on for another few minutes. All my efforts were diverted to staring down a solar-powered lamp and trying to keep a neutral face. Eventually he closed, the Capitol Anthem blared again, and the town of Edison applauded the President as he took his leave of us shaking each of our hands before he walked in the doors of the Justice Building. My grandfather made a few remarks reminding the town about the President's recommissioning of the Dam and the banquet later on tonight and after another round of applause, the crowd began to disperse.
"Let's say we see where they want us now." My dad suggested next to me.
We all started walking towards the doors of the Justice Building.
"Finch!"
I turned with the rest of my family and I saw what looked like Cassandra bounding up to me from the crowd pushing her way past the Peacekeepers who allowed her in after a wave from the Mayor.
"Cassie?" I asked.
"Finch!" she said repeated again definitely confirming it was Cassie. She was wearing a navy blue dress and she seized me in an enormous hug. "Oh my gosh you look gorgeous!" she said stepping back and admiring my dress.
"Thank you." I said slightly red-faced breathing much easier now. "Oh my gosh I'm so ready to be done with crowds." I sighed giving her another hug.
Cassandra laughed.
"The worst of it is over right?"
"I think so." I grinned. "Where's Ben and Henry?"
"They didn't make it into the square in time. I think they're in the streets with their families."
I felt a tap on my shoulder and I looked to see a Peacekeeper staring at me.
"Ma'am? The President would like to have a word with you."
I felt my gut simultaneously sink and twist itself in knots.
"With me?" I asked already knowing the answer.
"With you." He repeated.
I looked at Cassandra and she smiled.
"Go on, do your thing. We'll find you tonight and then we can talk." She said with a wave.
Relieved that she wasn't going to be offended, I nodded to the Peacekeeper who began escorting me. My father gave me a smile and a thumbs-up and I stepped back inside the Justice Building.
"You looked fabulous!" Octavia squealed as I entered through the door. "Just look at this medal!"
The Peacekeeper halted slightly annoyed and waited off to the side while the prep team all gathered and oohed and awed.
Cinna emerged from behind them and I seized him in another hug.
"Thank you."
"My pleasure. I've got to prep things at your house to leave so unfortunately I'm going to leave. I'll see you one more time tonight okay?"
"That's fine. Thanks for all your help though."
"Don't worry about it. I'll see you and your family tonight Finch."
The Peacekeeper huffed anxiously.
"Take a deep breath. Don't worry." Cinna reassured me as he nodded towards the Peacekeeper.
The Peacekeeper gestured me up the staircase and I suspected we were heading to my Grandfather's office. Sure enough we came to a door marked District Official flanked by two other Peacekeepers and they let me inside before closing the door.
"Ah! I was wondering when you would come." I heard Snow's voice. I peered around the corner past a small reception room before I saw him sitting beyond my grandfather's desk in the small lounge. Snow was sitting in the armchair in the back left corner that I always occupied when I was in Grandfather's office. A table sat between an open armchair, obviously intended for me. The curtains were drawn and the room wasn't lit all the way allowing for some shadows to creep around the edges.
"Please," he gestured to the other armchair. "Take a seat."
I walked over silently and sat down in the chair smoothing out my dress as I did so.
"It's a pleasure to meet you in person." He smiled.
"We're honored you would come all the way out here President." I said looking down at the floor before looking at his face again.
"The honor is mine. Few people realize how dull and monotonous it can be to stay confined to the Capitol. It's been quite enlightening."
His speech was slow and methodical like it was outside, but this time it seemed much more precise and planned out.
"Your dress is exquisite." He remarked and without meaning too, I blushed a little.
"Thank you sir." I said looking down at the floor.
His hand went to his chin.
"I was a little intrigued when Cinna, our newest addition to the circle of Hunger Games stylists volunteered to go out of all the others. He convinced me that he would be able to reflect you better than the rest. I'm glad I let him. I see that his work is of a different sort of standard than the fare back at home. It will be interesting to see where he goes this year during his first games. Did you know he volunteered for District 12?"
"Yes. He mentioned that."
He sat back and picked up a glass of water before sipping, returning the cup, and sitting back with his hands clasped together.
"It's rare that someone surprises me." Snow smiled. "Yet here I am in District 5 with not one, but two people in the same town that have managed to surprise me. Can you guess who that is?"
"Myself." I answer. I decide playing games with the President is not the wisest decision.
"That is correct Miss Emerson. You've surprised me in more ways than one."
I sit in silence, not sure how to react.
"When I talked with your grandfather the mayor," Snow started again while he examined a gloved hand. "he mentioned you like to go by your shortened middle name Finch. Why is that?"
It takes me a second to formulate a response that answers his questions while simultaneously skirting about going into more detail.
"President, you have to understand that I'm not a very social person. I don't have many people that I call friends. As such, my first name is reserved for those that I can trust with it. Everyone else can just use Finch."
"Yet finches are incredibly vocal birds are they not? Aren't they always flocking about in large groups?"
"I'm sorry to disappoint."
"There is no reason to apologize." He smiles again. "What interests me is that despite this 'lack of friends' you claim to have, after you escaped the rebels, you chose to forsake the safety that was offered you. Not only that, but you chose instead to break into the dam at great personal risk to try and save the lives of others. Why?"
Snow's voice was still warm and pleasant but I found myself picking up a cold calculation buried deep beneath the surface much like his eyes. It unnerved me to the core and I wished I was anywhere else.
"Sir, why are you asking me this?" I ask, slightly confused by the question. "I'm glad to have been able to receive a medal, really, I'm honored that you would come all the way from the Capitol. I'm glad I was able to save lives, but, with respect President, there was a problem at hand and I thought I had a better solution than the one currently being enacted. I'm not a hero nor do I feel like I should be solely recognized."
Snow sat back in the chair and sipped some more water.
"And that, Miss Emerson is, precisely why you've surprised me."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"That depends on what it is we're talking about." Snow chuckles and I barely stifle shivers.
"You look like you have a question on your tongue." He observes.
I nod and he gestures.
"So why are we having this interview?" I ask. The question sounds bold, but I'm not willing to beat around the bush. I want out. Now.
He chuckles again. "Straight to the point aren't you. I'm here to award you a medal am I not? I think you and I both know that I'm here for more than that; otherwise I wouldn't have called for this meeting."
He leans forward and looks at me intently. "Miss Emerson, I'm here to offer you an opportunity."
He takes another sip and his tongue flickers out for a moment to catch the beads of water still on his lips. In an instant, I'm reminded of a snake.
I raise my eyebrows, sit back and examine my own glass of water.
"It's not poisoned." He says reading my mind. I nearly start in my chair, shocked that he's read me so clearly.
He seems to be amused at this thought. "Miss Emerson, why on Earth would I poison your glass? This day is yours to celebrate. If, for whatever reason, I did, I wouldn't have taken the liberty of flying all the way out here to do it in person. Why should I kill the person who saved a District and helped maintain the structure and order of Panem? Let's agree here and now that we shouldn't lie to each other. Understood?"
I nod but put the glass down regardless.
"What opportunity?"
"I have spoken to some of your teachers. They all have nothing but praise to say about you and your academic performance which is flawless. To pull off what you did last Saturday required a keen mind and a sharpened wit. You've been blessed with many talents Katherine." He says using my first name which sounds like a strange and unnatural hiss from his mouth. "And there are still many more that I foresee you developing. Let me remind you that at the Capitol we are always looking to recruit new talent."
What he says is true. Occasionally the Capitol recruits the brightest minds from the District and bring them to the Capitol where they have access to everything that will help propel their field forward. For example, the guy who came up with the idea of adding steam power to the Marius 3 plant moved to the Capitol to continue his studies. Eventually they have the choice to return if they want but so far nobody in my memory has chosen to do so in 73 years.
"You want me to leave." It was a statement, not a question.
"That decision of course is up to you. You'll do great things for us wherever you go. You could be as much a force for progress and prosperity here as you could be in the Capitol."
"What would I do?"
"Miss Emerson, that is entirely up to you what you do." Snow smiles. "You've shown that you have an aptitude for learning in general. You could become a doctor like you've been studying in school, or you could develop your taste for botany like myself. I've heard from your grandfather what you turned that greenhouse into at the manor. Did you know a lot of those plants came from directly from my own greenhouse?"
"No sir. I didn't realize that."
"There's a lot you can do with a talent like that. For instance, you could serve in any capacity from my personal landscape architect to a Gamemaker if you wanted."
"A Gamemaker?"
"Not only that but you wouldn't have to live in fear of being reaped."
This catches my attention and I perk up.
"I wouldn't be…reaped…sir?" I ask unsure of I really heard that correctly.
"You would not."
"How can you guarantee that?" I ask slowly, suspicion bunching up in the corners of my thoughts.
"If you will recall, as a citizen of the Capitol you would not be subject to the Hunger Games as I recall your sister was several years back."
The fact that he's able to remember Julia is somewhat of a slap to my face.
"You remember her?"
"Miss Emerson, I remember all of the tributes. They are a reminder that we should never again repeat the mistakes of the past. You've seen the film enough times to know that now."
"So you're offering a way out."
"I am. I could even extend that invitation to your brothers and sister. Your younger sister, she's blind is she not?"
I nod.
"Such a frail thing." He sighs. "What a pity it is that her life is limited to the confines of familiar space."
Hearing Snow talk about my sister sends more shivers down my spine. It feels wrong to hear sympathy from him.
"You could cure your sister of her blindness. You could restore her sight and live safe in the knowledge that they would not have to live in fear of being reaped."
As Snow is speaking images and memories are flowing back to me.
How many times have I dreamed of myself and my siblings being reaped in the games? How many times have I waken up in a cold sweat from one of these dreams? How many times have I seen something on the scale from the microscopic to the enormous and simply wanted Persephone to see? How many times have I given up on explaining something to her because there's only so much that I can say without her incorporating a visual element?
Another image forms. What President Snow is offering me materializes in my mind. It's beyond anything I could hope for in my District 5 life. My only response is to slump back in my chair overwhelmed.
"No." I say. No, no this is too much sir. There's something in return you want."
"I don't." was his cool response. "This is simply a gift." He says emphasizing the last word. "I should have you know that I'm a fan of rewarding individuals and Districts who do great services for Panem as a whole. Personally I think this is a chance for you to better you and your family's situation. Your peers are probably jealous of you which I have to say is rather unfortunate. If you were stuck in that dam and they were outside, would they help?"
I take a moment to think. My classmates? I know William, Cassandra, and Henry would make an attempt in some fashion. But everyone else? Electra with her cadre of girls? Those who call me Foxface?
"No." I hesitantly answer. Before I can get off a qualifying statement off, Snow pounces on the answer.
"Exactly. In the Capitol you'll have the chance to meet others that value knowledge and learning as important as you do."
We sit in silence. What Snow is offering me is enormous, the possibilities limitless. I could save my family from the pain of ever dealing with another Hunger Games, I could give Persephone the gift of sight, I could give myself a fresh slate free from people who call my Foxface or tease me or anything of the sort.
"I need time to think." I say after a second shaking my head in vain to clear my head. I want to retreat into my dress and shrink away. "A lot of time actually."
"I was thinking you would say that." He reaches into his suit pocket and pulls out a firm slip of paper with a series of numbers on it.
"Should you ever make your decision past when I return, I want you to call this number. I should warn you that I'm only offering this for a week. There are after all many other young men and women that are talented in other ways that would love this opportunity just as much as you." He says firmly.
I take the slip which smells heavily like roses and sit back down.
"What happens if I were to say no?" I proposed cautiously.
"Then you would remain in District Five where the chance remains that you can be reaped for another three years. Your name is only in there what…five times?"
I nod.
"Near to impossible odds but always the possibility…" he trails off. "If that is your choice I promise you no ill-will. I promise you that I'll respect your decision and continue on like we've never met. All I ask, whether you say yes or no, is that you continue to support the delicate balance of District and Capitol which I think you more than any of those living in your District would understand."
Those eyes are looking into me again piercing through my head and examining my thoughts and feelings.
"Is it that fragile President?"
He sits back and scrutinizes me for a moment. He leans forward at last and speaks very deliberately.
"Miss Emerson, after what transpired at that dam, I would think that you know the answer yourself. But, I suppose I could educate you on how I see things. Seeing how I just told you I wouldn't lie to you, I think you would appreciate a fuller measure of the truth." He sips from his glass again.
"Order, structure, stability, all of these things that keep our society intact, that most of us take for granted, rests upon a strong foundation. We can liken it to web, a web so intricate and complex that even I have trouble contemplating it on occasion. The Capitol of course is in the center, the Districts on the outside. When one thread begins to strain, when one group doesn't uphold its purpose and duty, when one District is crippled, the entire system risks falling…do you know what happens when it falls?"
"War. Terrible war." I say quietly.
He seems amused by my answer.
"I see someone has memorized the first part of that film, but, you are exactly right. Uprisings lead to revolts Miss Emerson, revolts lead to revolution, revolution leads to anarchy and war, and war leads to so much unnecessary destruction, violence, and chaos." He purses his lips together and glances at the clock.
"It would appear I do need to get moving. I have a dam to re-dedicate and a District to tour." He turns back to me and I feel his gaze fixated again.
"Do think about my offer."
"I'll think about it." I hear myself murmur.
"Do so and give me a call within a week." He smiles.
He stands and I stand a moment later. He puts forth his hand and we shake.
"It was a pleasure to meet you Miss Emerson. You have the thanks of Panem." Snow says before he turns and walks out of the Mayor's office. The door opens, closes, and I'm left in silence trying to comprehend the magnitude of what I've just been offered.
Just as suddenly as he leaves, I'm feeling faint and dizzy and I'm shaking all over. The scent of flowers still remains and looking back, I see that he's left his rose in my water glass.
Did you enjoy? If you have any constructive comments or comments of any sort, I'd love to hear them.
How does Foxface respond? How do you think she will respond? How does this tie in with her reaping? The answer is in upcoming chapters.
Yours in writing,
theotherpianist