Hello readers, welcome back to the final installment of Part One of 'Unlikeliest of Victors'. In this chapter we will conclude with the Reaping of Foxface (that's not a spoiler, right?) and end where the books and movies begin. However, one question has to be answered before we close.

Please enjoy this chapter.

12

A day passes without a decision. One day turns into two and I quickly realize that thinking I was going to have a decision on Snow's offer so soon was overly optimistic. There's nothing to do but agonize over the choice I have to make soon. I want to tell my parents, but I don't know how they would react. It's not safe to do so under any roof that my Grandfather lives in.

The replacement uniform is still forthcoming and the deadline for Snow's decision is approaching so it's with some reluctance I return to my education. Every town in District Five has at least one building used for educating children ages 5-18. Some of the smaller towns are small enough to combine everyone under one roof. Others like Edison have multiple buildings, similar to how most of the world centuries ago used to do schooling. Our buildings are located on the southeastern corner of Edison near rows and rows of two story housing units.

On my first day back, I have a brief run-in with Electra as we were walking through the front doors. Evidently she was running slightly late as well because we both ended up almost colliding with each other at the front doors. I took several steps back, expecting a sharp or snide comment, but none came. To the contrary, her face turned slightly red and she hurried off to her class without another word or eye-contact with me.

As it turns out, nobody knows how to react to my integration back into Edison. My peers, most of whom have part-time jobs afterwards (instead of "full-time" jobs like me) are initially surprised to see me back because it's not my week to be back here, but they all either avoid eye contact, wear uncomfortable expressions, or outright keep silent. 'Applications of Electrical Physics', which I share with Electra, her friends, and most of the people who teased me, is utterly silent. None of them make eye contact, even as we're paired off by the professor to work out complicated equations.

The silence, while initially a blessing, turns into a double edged sword. With nobody to distract me, my brain turns most of itself to Snow's offer. My partner huffs in frustration when I fail to produce a single line of equation after a minute and snatches away the packet with our physics problems and completes most of it by himself. I mutter a quick apology but he sighs once, realizing he acted out of temper, and gives me what I think is a nod of understanding before moving the packet between us and turning his chair so that it appears we're discussing heavily. Does he think I'm so shaken by the incident I can't concentrate?

The problem gets worse with my history classes. During an epidemiology class the Professor, an aging man with a hardened face and temperament to match it, has to pull me back to reality.

"Hello? Miss Emerson? Are you still here with us? I don't tolerate slackers, hero or otherwise, in my class." he snarls after I zone out for at least ten minutes.

My head, which had been pointed towards my desk, snaps up and I blurt out a quick apology before making sure my note-taking for the day more than makes up for it.

At the end of the day though, I know what answer I need to give, but it doesn't make it any less frightening. My heart and head are so diametrically opposed to what I've decided that it leaves me feeling sick for the rest of the day. In the end, my answer depends on the likelihood that Katherine Emerson is pulled out of a glass bowl of thousands of other names. It's a number so ridiculously small that when I calculated it, I have to double, then triple check my math to confirm I did it right.

With nothing else to do but take a leap of faith and call the President, my brain starts attempting to answer the other question that lingers in my mind - one that Snow posed when we were talking face to face.

Why did I run back to that dam?

I don't know. Of all the words in the English language that I know, there isn't a single combination that explains it. There were friends and family stuck inside. Scarlet Sun was going to blow up a Dam, cripple my District, and kill thousands. I thought the Peacekeepers would only escalate the situation. But, I had every reason to run away and hide, divulge what information I had gathered and given it to the Peacekeepers, and hope for the best. There were also those who teased me inside. I'm no hero, not brave or courageous, I'm a coward. Never would I dream of running into the face of danger. None of the reasons I could have gone back would have been enough, even if taken together, to get me to go back. There's a missing part.

I can't put a finger on anything but I'm positive President Snow has answers, and I know I'll never get one from him. This alone gives me fear that he has another point of leverage to use against me should he ever extend another offer of some sort to me again.

At this point, the stress of everything is taking its toll on both body and psyche. The rest of the week I barely slept more than four hours and I started becoming more and more irritable as my indecision grows worse and worse. Cinna. Snow. Games. Reapings. Taunts. Escape. Sight. Roses. Checkerboards. Each one adds a new crack in a structure that has become so shot-through that I fear blow will grind me into powder.

It isn't until Friday, the day of the deadline, until it reaches the point where I can't handle it any more. Anymore of this and I might go mad. My mother allows me to stay home while she goes to the market. The moment she's gone, in an almost frantic panic, I locate the card with a set of numbers and punch them into the phone at our house. A woman on the other end asks my name and purpose. My name barely rolls of my tongue before the call is immediately transferred. The President is soon on the other end and greets me before asking whether I've made my decision.

I steel myself and take a breath. I close my eyes before telling him with all the humility and thankfulness that I can muster, that after a lot of thought and consideration, I am rejecting his offer.

The President gives no hint to his reaction and I do my best not to give mine. He doesn't ask for any reasons and reminds me that he had no hard feelings either way my choice fell. He closes by bidding me the best of luck in my endeavors. The call disconnects, I hang up the phone, and a wave of nausea rolls over me.

Part of me is relieved that it's over, the other thinks that I'm crazy, that I just threw away a logical way to get eradicate one of my worst fears. I know I've made the right decision, but I'm so rattled that when I see Persephone stub her toe minutes later, I burst into tears and run down to my room past her before shutting myself inside. I can't look at Persephone, not without feeling that I've tossed away a chance at a better life for her.

A knock on the door follows shortly.

"Katie?"

It's Persephone.

"Katie? I know you're in there, are you okay?"

The door is pushed open Persephone's footfalls approach my bed. I throw myself underneath the covers and hide. The footfalls persist and the bed creaks slightly as she sits down on it.

"Katie, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry." is all I manage to croak out.

"Sorry? For what? You didn't stub my toe, that stupid baseboard did. I always forget about it."

"No, Persephone... I'm sorry." I repeat as I attempt to reel myself back in.

"Katie, what are you sorry for?"

"Please don't tell our parents about this."

"What?" Persephone asks slightly alarmed. "Katie, what's going on?"

I clear my throat, get out from underneath the covers, and sit at the edge of the bed. Persephone finds me a moment later and sidles up next to me, a hand finds my arm and rests on it concerned.

"Persephone, President Snow wanted to talk with me after the ceremony yesterday... he made me an offer."

"An offer?"

"Do you remember how the guy who came up with a more efficient way for the Marius Three plant to produce electricity was given an offer to leave for the Capitol?"

"Vaguely. I remember lots of people were excited about it."

"Well," I took a deep breath and braced myself. "The President extended a similar offer to me."

"He did?" she asked quietly.

"He did. He also extended that offer to all of us, told me that he could cure you of your blindness, that we would never have to live in fear of being reaped again!"

"What? You mean, I wouldn't be blind anymore?"

"And you, Thomas, Hugo, everyone, we wouldn't be reaped."

"Katie, that's...that's..." Persephone's face underwent several changes in expression as she struggled to find words that could summarize how she felt.

"It's huge." I replied mournfully, answering for her.

"Wait, what did you say to him? Did you say anything to him?" she asked.

"I...Persephone, I'm sorry. I told him that I wouldn't take him up on it."

"Oh."

Her face fell and she became silent. I couldn't look at her.

"I'm sorry Persephone!" I choke out as a fresh wave of tears is buoyed up. "It sounded so good on paper but I couldn't bring myself to say yes! You have every right, every right, to hate me-"

"I don't hate you."

I stopped and looked at Persephone, wondering whether I had heard right.

"I know you probably feel pretty bad about your decision." Persephone starts timidly, "but if it will help I want to tell you a couple things."

"What's that?" I ask through a couple shuddery breaths.

"Well it is a pain sometimes, not being able to see." Persephone says. "Sometimes, physically, sometimes emotionally. The students at my school don't mean it in harm but they always laugh and joke about me kinda like how some people behave towards you; but I don't mind being blind."

My only response is to ask "What?" between sniffles.

"Yeah, being blind is a huge disadvantage but…I don't know, it's just so much a part of who I am that I'm not sure what I would do if I could see." Persephone says. "I know you probably feel like you're throwing away an opportunity but," she starts sniffling. "It doesn't matter that I won't see the sunsets that you tell me about or your hair or colors or a thunderstorm or anything. Because what makes me happy is seeing when other people are happy. I can't see necessarily like you can…but there are other ways I can tell." She starts crying now too which sets me off again.

"But, this decision was based upon your…your happiness and I want you to know that as long as you're happy, I'm happy too." She sniffs heavily. "And I want you to know that if I were the older sister, I'd—I'd gladly trade my eyesight to make you happy."

It's the final break in my emotional dam wall and the two of us are crying and hugging each other. It feels ridiculous to describe it in words but being there, with my sister hugging me, I can feel reassured that I made the right choice.

It takes another ten minutes for me to get out all of my tears and reign in my emotions again. Persephone gives me one more hug and picks her way out of the room leaving me alone with my thoughts. Eventually sleep overtakes me for the rest of the afternoon.

Grandfather doesn't come for dinner that night. I suspect it's because Reaping Day is tomorrow, Friday the 7th. My Grandfather will be trying to organize last minute touches, My father does come, but only for a little bit. Tomorrow he'll have his responsibilities as Director of Power Operations. He'll be in the Administration Center tomorrow coordinating with a skeleton crew of people how to effectively deliver enough power to Panem. After dinner he gives me a quick hug wishing me best of luck. He'll be there watching on screen with all the rest of Panem.

He may not show it visibly but he's just as nervous as I am about the events of tomorrow. He has not one but two daughters at stake tomorrow. It's impossible to get sleep after today's nap. I only manage to fall asleep on and off all that night watching the night slowly tick by. What little sleep I do get is pocked with dreams of Persephone and Julia.

Reaping Day dawns hot and cloudless and Edison is eerily silent just like it is every year. Today families will be spending one final day together before today rips away two children from the District. Two families will be torn apart tonight.

Sleep is pointless by now and I wearily get up and go through my morning routine. When I step out of the shower my mother has laid out a lavender dress on my bed. I don't recognize but it looks as if it was brand new. Whoever made it obviously has skill. There's only one person who could have made a dress like this and he's—

I stop there. Cinna's last gift to me is a dress that looks completely normal without any of the concessions to the Capitol. I put it on eagerly and it's almost like a comfort object to me. I can feel Cinna's reassuring hand on a shoulder telling me that it's going to be okay. Wearing this I feel like today just might be okay after all. Blinking back tears left over from yesterday, I send out a silent thank-you to Cinna.

I don't have the desire to do much else so after applying minimal amounts of makeup and adding a simple set of earrings, my mother comes in and does my hair putting it in the twin buns that I wore last week.

Breakfast is consumed silently with the rest of my family. There's a lot that's said non-verbally said in simple gestures like passing the toast. Thomas and Hugo are subdued. They both recognize the significance of this day, even if they're not totally aware of everything else.

At 10:00 our mother makes final preparations and we step out into the heat.

We follow Voltage street north until we come to the Public Square which is filled with people. More news and camera crews from the Capitol are testing their equipment. Right now District 2 is doing their reaping ceremony to our East. The ceremony is only 15 minutes long and is strictly regimented to so that the Capitol can enjoy uninterrupted coverage throughout the day. Today it started at 9:00 this morning in District 1 and it'll go on across Panem. Tonight I'll see the recap of all the reapings and predict to myself who the winner will be.

"You know what to do." My mother says when we finally approach the square and walk up to a row of Peacekeepers. Ahead of me children ages 12-18 are signing in. They're pricking their fingers and pressing them against a sheet of paper with our name and details of our record. I lead them to a man who's taking care of all last names D through F. I help Persephone with her finger prick and then I do my own before stepping through.

I catch sight of my mother waving and I wave back before we are ushered through.

"Katie, I'm scared." Persephone says as we step through.

"Me too. But Persephone, you'll be okay. Let's find you a friend."

I find Benjamin with his sister Elizabeth with wavy hair that's a similar shade to his. I ask Elizabeth to help watch her and she agrees and engages Persephone in a conversation about something else to distract her. I give a her a grateful smile and Benjamin walks back with me a few paces

"Ready?"

"No. I turned down the President's offer." I confess

"I figured you did seeing as you're still here." He nodded. We stop at the section for 15 year olds.

"Well, good luck Finch." Ben says awkwardly before ducking into the crowd of males.

I turn the other way and merge into the crowd of girls. There's some recognition among the girls of Edison but there's almost none from the others who hail from different towns. Odd. I thought with my face plastered over television they would have broadcasted it to the other towns. Perhaps they don't recognize me.

I find Cassandra almost instantly. She's standing next to Electra and a few others who are looking somber. Today is no day for joking, not when your life is on the line. Electra looks at me and doesn't say a word.

"Why can't they do it a week early before the heat sets in?" Cassandra asked fanning herself. "Is it too much to ask?"

"Apparently."

"How many people are in that ball you think?" she asks gesturing to the stage of the Justice Building where the podium has been moved to the center with two glass bowls flanking it filled with tiny slips of paper.

"Too many."

Minutes pass and Cassandra is idly gabbling to contain her own nervousness.

Finally, it is time, my Grandfather stands up and takes the podium looking aged and unhappy as he reads aloud the Treaty of Treason before making a few remarks and wishing that the odds be ever in our favor. I see a woman with bright blue hair and an equally bright blue dress take the microphone.

"Welcome, welcome!" Aquilina Lockvale addresses the square in her trademark voice. She's absolutely thrilled to be up there and I try to ignore her the best I can.

"Happy Hunger Games! And as always, may the odds be ever in your favor. As always, we have a special film that the Capitol has provided to remind us of why we are here.

The screens showing Aquilina's face change to a movie with a dark soundtrack.

"War. Terrible War." Snow's voice says. Even though he is not nearby I shudder. That voice is something I don't want to hear for a while. I'm reminded of the answer I gave him yesterday.

I've memorized the speech and the visuals at this point and pick a spot that I can stare somewhere else.

Snow tells us of the history of Panem, the country that rose up out of the ashes that was once called North America that had been destroyed by natural disasters from droughts, to storms, to fires, and to the encroaching seas that swallowed up so much of the land. He talks about the brutal war for what little sustenance remained. The end result was Panem which brought peace and prosperity to its citizens. The peace was shattered with the uprising of the districts against the Capitol that had fed and nurtured them. Twelve were defeated, the thirteenth obliterated. To ensure that such an act was never repeated the Treaty of Treason gave us new laws to guarantee peace and, as our yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us the Hunger Games.

"…This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future." I hear. The music which changed to the Anthem a while ago swell and closes.

"What inspiring words!" Aquilina says when the cameras are back on her. "The time has come to select this year's tributes for the 74th Annual Hunger Games and, as always, we'll start with the ladies first!" She walks over to her right and digs about in the bowl for a minute.

She pulls it out and the crowd holds it breath. There are people who bet on who's going to be reaped. I wonder if this year they'll come away richer.

"Not Persephone Emerson. Not Persephone Emerson." I repeat over and over in my head.

"Finch Emerson." She reads.

I sigh. Persephone is safe. Then I hear the short intake of breath from Cassandra and see everyone taking a look at me. Why are they all looking at me? I feel bad for Finch Emerson, whoever that may be.

And then, in a thunderbolt from out of the blue it hits me.

Oh.

It takes a titanic effort to keep a straight face without reacting. I suddenly feel numb. Finch Emerson. Finch Emerson. That's…that's my name! The girls part around me and the cameras zoom in. That person up there can't be me…can it?

I'm not aware or conscious of it and my brain doesn't process it but I begin automatically walking forwards towards the stage. I feel swept away, like the dam only a couple miles away has suddenly broken and I'm drowning in a range of emotions from shock to terror.

I walk down the aisle and at once relive every scene from my nightmares.

This can't be happening.

I blink back furious tears and I keep my straight face. Neutral. Calm. I will not give the cameras the satisfaction of seeing me break down.

I take the stage where just days ago thousands of people cheered for me. I see on the faces of some of them expressions that mimic my own. I see some people that look absolutely furious. Everyone else looks relieved and I know why. Their own daughter hasn't been called. They've been called. I catch a glimpse of my grandfather's face and he looks wooden and stiff. He makes no reaction other to sit and stare straight ahead.

Sitting next to him are three people who I recognize as the surviving Victor's. Cynthia is looking at me with sympathy while Flint's face is hardened.

My other emotions are steadily pushed aside as I hear Aquilina's voice repeat my name welcoming me to the stage. Does Aquilina know how I prefer to go by Finch? Doubtful, The Capitol always goes with full names, right?

It's in that moment that I'm hit with a thought so hard that for a moment I struggle to breathe.

Someone wants me dead.

Someone, somewhere, somehow, messed with that bowl to make sure that a 15 year old girl was sent to her death.

Who wrote Finch Emerson on that slip? This new thought replaces everything that I've thought about over the past couple of days.

Was it Snow? A vengeance driven rebel?

It's all I can do to keep from vomiting on stage.

I take a deep breath and I pull myself together. Just like at the dam, this is not the time to fall apart and become emotional I remind myself. There will be time to cry and ponder the millions of questions racing through my head later. For now, I need to keep a clear head and put my game plan into place. This question will have to wait.

As I look over the audience again I realize that I am the only person I can see with red hair like mine. In this sea of people, I'm an anomaly and marked for death, there is no hiding amidst the others. I stand out, and I hate it.

"And now, for the boys." Aquilina says equally cheerful.

She heads over to the other side and fishes around for a few more seconds.

"Christopher Volt!"

I look and standing close to Benjamin is a boy only a couple inches shorter than me with a yellowing complexion and black hair. He looks like he comes from the eastern part of District 5.

I catch Benjamin's face for a moment and he looks at me. He's shocked like I am and his face is drained of color. Guess that makes two of us surprised at today's events.

Christopher walks toward me and there's nothing but a contempt and anger in his eyes. Perhaps this is for the cameras. Judging from a number of small scars on his hands and his muscled arms, I can tell he must work in one of the factories that make electrical components. He makes eye contact and I can tell that there's mistrust and bitterness between us. What did I ever do to him? I suppose it's because now I'm his enemy.

He climbs the stairs. I hear the call for volunteers and nobody steps forward. I must have missed my own call. I never expected anyone to run forward in my defense. I think everyone I know is still in shock.

I hear Aquilina asking us to shake hands and I turn to Christopher. He fixes me with his smoldering gaze. I put forward my hand and I it's suddenly in a vice grip. I will receive no love and friendship from him.

"Congratulations to this year's tributes! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

The ceremony's over. The Peacekeepers escort the two of us inside the Justice Building and lead us to two different room on opposite sides of the mayor's office. He shuts the door behind me. We're in the portion where I'm allowed visitors to come and say good-bye.

We're allowed five minutes to collect ourselves before visitors arrive and I take a deep breath and sit down. There's a water bottle I drink from to calm myself.

The door opens and I'm shocked to see Electra burst in the room.

"What are—"

"Shh!" she hisses fiercely. "I know I'm not supposed to be here yet." She says before I can ask the question.

She looks up and her eyes are watering.

"I know…that we're not the best of friends." She messes with her hair and looks down at the ground. "And I know I've teased you for a while. But…I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

For a moment all my feelings about being Reaped are gone.

"What?" I say taken off-guard.

"I know, it's going to sound weird but ever since…since…well, since the dam, I've been looking for a way to make it up." She pulls out something form her pocket.

She gestures out and I hold my both hands open. I feel a small weight drop out of it and she pulls it away. It's a beautiful wood carving of a fox sitting on its haunches with its head cocked to one side observing the world around it. For something so small, it's incredibly detailed.

"Would you please take this as your token?" Electra asks. "I know this can't make up for years and years of…being nasty but you are a Fox. You're…you're clever, you're wise, and you're just way more intelligent than the rest of us." She sniffles loudly. "On behalf of everyone I would just like to…to—" she can't get the words out because she's crying so hard.

I look at Electra and years of bitterness melt away and retreat to the dark corners of the room.

"Thank you." I said closing my hand around it and seizing her in a hug. A few tears of my own fall despite my attempts to withhold them.

"You can win." She whispers as if her life depended on it. Through her teary eyes there's a fierce glint. "I know you can because…well…you're Foxface."

Before I can respond, I hear steps coming toward us and I motion for Electra to hide behind the door. She stifles her emotions and hides just as my Dad bursts through the door.

From the looks of it he must have dropped what he was doing when my name was called, taken the train back, and run.

Tears are streaming freely from his face and he seizes me in a hug.

"Dad, it's okay." I choke out.

"First Julia and now they take my Katie!" he wails ignoring me.

The door opens and the rest of my family joins the room.

"Julian," my mother gets out.

"That was rigged!" My grandpa spits throwing the door open. I've never seen him this furious in my life.

"Quiet Nicholas!" My mother hisses worriedly using my Grandfather's first name. "They might have cameras—"

"Disabled them." My grandfather says silencing my mother. "At least for now."

My father breaks off from my hug.

"Now you listen here Katherine!" My Grandfather says agitated, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Someone rigged your ballot. Each ballot always contains the full name of each eligible child and never nicknames. Someone must have added you more times than normal."

"What?" I hear Electra gasp and my family turns to her.

"Ignore her, she's fine." I say before anyone can comment on your presence.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this." My grandfather says ignoring Electra. "In the meantime, I know what you can do with botany. You can use that to your advantage."

"You can run as well." Persephone says desperately, as if that virtue alone is somehow going to change everything.

"I can." I affirm moving over and squeezing her hands. "I'm fast and I'm clever."

"And you know how to hide." Hugo says hopefully. Both he and Thomas look dazed as if they're trying to comprehend the fact that I've been reaped. "We could never find you when we played Hunger Games at home."

I nod and look towards my mother who is on the verge of tears.

"No. Please don't." I plead. "I'm going to save my tears for later when nobody can see. If they think I can hold my head high, then perhaps they won't target me first.

She nods and we just hug. Thomas and Hugo join and grip me tightly.

"Marissa, please take them home." My father says in anguish turning towards her.

She nods. "I love you." She whispers.

"I love you too." I whisper back. I turn to Electra again. "Thank you." I repeat showing her the tiny fox.

"Come on, let's get you out of here before they realize you were in here prematurely." my mother says.

Electra nods and I give a sad smile at her before the door closes on her. My mother grabs a now crying Thomas and Hugo out of the room.

"Good luck." is all she says before the doors close on her.

"There's gotta be a way to get you out." My grandfather says desperately, now pacing the length of the room.

"Perhaps there is. If I find it, I'll take it. Please be careful Grandfather! I don't want you in trouble because of me."

He nods but his agitation still remains.

"Grandfather, please. Our District needs you."

"You're...you're right." he says looking down. "I better go look after your mother. Persephone, we should go."

Persephone protests and I give her one more hug. She wails all the way out the door and the sound almost brings me to tears.

"Katherine? When you see your mentor Flint, tell him… tell him that he needs to make good on his promise." he says standing at the threshold of the door.

I barely have time to acknowledge him before he's out the door with Persephone.

"Katherine, if you don't…" my father says after a moment.

"I'll find a way. I'm a lot more prepared for this than Julia was."

He shakily nods.

"You got this Katie." He tries to smile.

I give him one more hug and the door closes on him with an echo.

I wait for another minute before the door opens and Henry steps in. He can't bring himself to say anything but just hugs and leaves.

Cassandra follows and she's besides herself as well.

"Cassie, please don't." I plead like I did with my mother.

She too can't control of herself.

"This isn't fair!" she wails. "You were j-just given a freaking medal!"

"I know."

"What if you don't come back?" she moans fearfully.

"I will come back. Alive." I insist for her sake. "I'll find a way. Be strong Cassie. Please." I force her to look into my eyes. She nods and takes a shaky breath.

"Benjamin's outside…good luck Katherine."

Our hug is not nearly long enough before it's over all too soon.

The door opens again and Benjamin walks in.

"Guess I should have taken that offer up." I sigh as he walks in.

"No. This seems rigged, forget that though, the Capitol is going to do their best to change you but please, promise me this?"

"What?"

"I know it's a long-shot, but, just… just try not to kill anybody. Take the moral high ground, send a message, do something! Don't just be a piece that they can manipulate."

"I'm not planning on killing anybody." I laugh bitterly. "I already killed a man on a bridge and it still bothers me. Maybe I might in self-defense."

"Why did Snow do this?" he asks bitterly.

"I don't know, I don't know whether it was Snow or someone else. You can argue that with the mayor."

"You have a plan?" Benjamin asks.

"I always have a plan." I say trying to put a little fire into my voice like I did back at the dam.

"Good. Play to your strengths Finch, and you'll be okay."

"I know. Don't expect a lot of excitement from me these games."

He manages to laugh.

"Alright Katherine." He says reluctantly. Please, please take care of yourself." He puts his hands on my shoulders. "Please come home alive?"

"I will."

A Peacekeeper enters.

"Let's go."

Has it been five minutes already?

"We're cheering for you Foxface." Benjamin's says with a determined glint in his eye as the Peacekeeper shoves him out of the room.

Moments later another Peacekeeper walked in and escorted me down the stairs. The hallways have been cleared and there's an enormous crowd pressing on the Peacekeepers outside that mostly consists of people from Edison. They all see me and dozens of different voices all call out wishing me best of luck. There's anger in some faces and I instantly know that there are people who stand behind me, angry that I have been chosen.

"You've drawn quite a crowd." Christopher says sardonically as he joins me.

"I'm not sure it's all about me. You're a tribute too."

"No, it is all about you. It's why they're all aren't they?"

I look at the people. Perhaps they're for both of us but I see the people of Edison swarming the Peacekeepers while they keep pushing back.

"That's just the people from here. They know my face pretty well."

"Because you're the mayor's girl."

He says that with such contempt that I look at him concerned for a second and move away from him.

"Is there a problem?" I ask.

"Yeah. Never lived a day without food, never had to work 18 hours a day, you've had a family you've lived with, wake up Finch, that's your name right? You're going from soft a life to the Games."

"Excuse me?" I say slightly offended.

"I'm not interested in what you have to say. All you townies are arrogant prats."

I backup away from him another pace unsure of how to respond.

"Smart idea. Maybe you all are smarter than I thought. In fact, I'll make you a deal. Don't talk to me and I won't cut you down when the countdown ends."

I'm fuming more than I am sad or scared. What is this kid's problem?

A car pulls up and Aquilina appears now.

"Alright you two! Time to head for our train!"

The doors open and she sits shotgun while the two of us sit far away as possible from each other.

Aquilina makes some comments about our District which I pointedly ignore. The car moves along through a road barricaded on both sides by Peacekeepers. I analyze my District Partner critically while not looking at him directly. It's a good thing my plan doesn't involve making friends. I've never been good at doing that anyways. Even if I wanted to? He has a hatred streak a mile-wide for "townies".

"What are you looking at freak?" he asks as he catches me sizing him up.

"Now now, none of that this instant." Aquilina tuts. "You'll have plenty of time to fight in the arena. I know this may be a hard day for some of you, but really there's no need for this."

He turns away and looks out the window in disgust.

I hastily look away out my own window. I bet Christopher is already planning a hit-list and, from the looks of it, I'm sure to be near the top.

And so it begins...

This concludes part one. If you have feedback for this chapter (or even this whole fiction until now) I would encourage you to do so. Thank you for sticking with me to this point.

Yours in writing,
theotherpianist