Chapter 4- The Madness really begins
I spent the next few hours in the old lady's house, I looked through her meagre amount of belongings and found a very empty room off to the side of the main room that looked like her bedroom, it was extremely small and I would've compared it to a box room but it was where I presumed this 'Taina' slept. I felt really tired and didn't think I could cope with this situation without getting some rest in, I found that time travel or whatever the hell this was wore you out. I decided to settle on the battle chair in the main room so that Taina would know where to find me, even though she scared the heck out of me. I settled down into the musty scent that the chair produced and let the thoughts the smell brought wash over me until I feel asleep thinking about coal fires and the woods.
It wasn't until much later that I awoke, I knew that time had passed as it was now thoroughly dark outside. I couldn't put my finger on what had woken me from my dream about pencils until I heard shuffling at the front door. I closed my eyes again and calmed my breathing to make it appear I was still sleeping. "So now you know all about why you're here, you had better meet the girl tribute who will be going to the arena with you" that must've been Taina speaking then, but who was she speaking to? My brain clicked into gear and I realised it must've been the boy from my time. I continued to pretend I was asleep and relaxed my stiffening shoulders. I heard the door creak open followed by the footsteps of two people, one was shuffling a lot more than the other. I felt eyes land on me and I made sure to breathe slowly and at a constant pace. "Brook" I heard Taina say and I acted as if I had been woken from sleep "mmm" I grumbled and stretched until I opened my eyes. To land on the best looking human I'd ever encountered.
My eyes couldn't take enough of him in. He had huge green eyes that were surrounded in thick lashes. He had lightly tanned skin, curly brown hair that curled around his ear and pouty lips, he was looking at me as if he'd never seen a girl before, but for all I knew he hadn't, and he gave me a flash of a reassuring smile showing his straight white teeth. "Brook this is Jack" I looked at Taina and said "I've decided I don't want to be called Brook, or Brooklyn for that matter, I'd like to choose a new name" Taina looked amused and also surprised so I continued "And I think I should be called... Thalia" she paused then asked "Why Thalia?" I thought about it, glanced at Jack for good measure so I could just look at him some more (I noticed he had a beauty spot between his nose and lips, it looked very attractive indeed) "I don't know really, it just came to me then, it seems more appropriate than Brook. I've never really liked my name anyway, I might as well get rid of it while I can" Taina looked pleased, probably because Thalia was quite similar to her own name but that wasn't the reason for it's choice. "Well that's fine, just don't forget your new name" Taina replied before wandering to where the fire would be kept and began coughing all over the place. "It's a pleasure to meet you Thalia" Jack announced and I blushed. I didn't think much of my looks or personality so I don't know why he was acting so gentlemanly. "Same to you Jack" I looked up at him from the chair "Do you have a last name?"He sat down on the chair opposite me and settled down before giving me an answer "Young, What about you?" He then spoke again before I could make up anything "You're real name, not the one you are currently in the process of making up"
"Brooklyn Harrison, that was my name, I don't know what it's going to be now though" Taina had finally stopped coughing and looked at us, I'm going to be choosing your last names as otherwise people won't know who you are or where you've come from. And although they won't, we need a plausible story. So Thalia you shall be a Fairwater and Jack you shall be an Oakson"
"Thalia Fairwater" I whispered to hear the words together, she sounded interesting and spiritual while I felt dull in comparison "Jack Oakson" Jack muttered and smiled slightly at the sound of it. I think it suited him perfectly. "Well Jack Oakson, I guess we'll be seeing a lot of eachother but if you don't mind I'm going to go back to sleep" He nodded and smiled
"Thinking of it I think I could do with a sleep too" He started to settle into a more comfortable position then said "Thalia I'm going to want to know your story " I had already closed my eyes so I reopened them to say "Likewise" Before I shut my eyes again and went to sleep to the sound of a fire beguinning to crackle behind me.