Disclaimer: This is an interpretation of copyrighted original material, with the understanding that such material is 'not for-profit' therefore, constitutes fair use. Suzanne Collins owns the original characters of The Hunger Games. All rights for the Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins.
Madge couldn't remember the last time she was so nervous. She could feel all her usual signs; sweaty palms, shaky knee, knuckle cracking, butterflies in her stomach. She was on her way to the Capitol for her annual mayor's children's code of conduct examination and she was not prepared one bit. Between school, training Gale and her mother's deteriorating health she hadn't had time to go over the rules she should know. Although the majority of the rules are about posture, politeness or public conduct she forgot the fact that when the Capitol say "a few simple questions," they mean they want detailed, technical and practical examples as answers.
Madge had never failed the test once, except the very first time she took it when she was six. Her mother, whose health hadn't affect her to the point of being bed bound, didn't want her six year old daughter going to the Capitol with the District drunk to take a test to determine if she was a good enough mayor's daughter. She remembered she could hear her parents arguing in the kitchen while she was up in her bedroom trying to block out the shouting with her quilt, her nanny stroking her hair. In the end she went on the trip and it was the only time she had seen Haymitch sober…well as sober as Haymitch could get. Madge failed the test and that was when she lost her faith in humanity, and is still haunted by the experience. When Madge said to Gail that when you fail the test they punish you she meant that literally. When she first didn't pass the test the Capitol kept her an extra week in a small cell in an unknown area of the training building. Since that week she has forgotten about the experience, except when she is sleeping. The nightmares of the torture and humiliation she experienced haunts her dreams and almost every night she wakes up in a puddle of her own sweat screaming for help but never gets it. Never from her father. Never from her mother. Never from the maid or the butler. Since the age of ten Madge has been afraid to sleep and had severe insomnia but no one had noticed anything.
The humming of the train and the ice rattling in a bucket on the coffee table drives Madge up the walls. She is trying to concentrate on the three-inch book on her lap, full of rules only God knows who made them up. A drunk Haymitch sits in the armchair across from her. He groans and complains about a splitting headache every few minutes making Madge give him a glare more death driven than the previous.
"Haymitch will you please shut up," Madge had reached her tolerance limit. Ever since the 'Torture Week', Haymitch has blamed himself for Madge's failure and promised himself to never drink between the time they get off at the Capitol and to when they get on the train at the Capitol and he milks the train's alcohol for all it's got.
Haymitch groans one final time before leaving the car and going to him room.
A few hours later Madge slammed the thick book shut and threw it in the armchair next to her. She knew she couldn't get any more studying done. She glanced at the nuts in a silver plate on the coffee table before grabbing a handful and shoving them in her mouth, hardly chewing before swallowing. Haymitch came back into the car looking more refreshed and thankfully with no drink in hand. He had dressed himself in his nicest suit with a vomit coloured tie, which Madge would never directly tell him looked horrible.
"Madge, you ready?" Haymitch's gruff voice came from behind her. Madge glares at him.
"What do you think?"
"You aren't going to fail Madge. I won't let that happen."
"Get real Mitch both you and I know I'm not going to pass and you can't do anything about it."
Haymitch sighed loudly. He knew Madge had been so busy lately that she couldn't study; he knew that she wasn't going to pass and he didn't know what to do.
"The first two parts of the test are practical. You've done the practical aspect countless times and helping Gale will have helped you. Tomorrow afternoon and evening you can continue studying for the theory part of the test, which will happen the day after tomorrow."
Madge hesitantly nodded. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the tall white buildings as they crossed the dam that separates the city from the rest of the country.
As they approached she could already see the central station was full of brightly dressed inhabitants. Since she can remember Madge had always been afraid of the Capitol residents, the colours, clothes, makeup, hair, personalities, morals all made her afraid and at sixteen she still had the same fear she had from when she was six years old.
Madge took a deep breath and looked towards Haymitch. They both knew it was time to leave but all Madge wanted to do was to bury herself in her bed sheets and hide. Madge and Haymitch stepped off the train and onto the busy platform. Fortunately they weren't swarmed like tributes and they tried to leave as quietly as possible.
Madge was pacing in her room a half hour before the practical exam. She had never been so nervous and when Haymitch came to get her she wanted to kick and scream and beg him to not take her but she knew better.
"Let's go Madge," Haymitch motioned to the elevator and they made their way to the testing room, in the training center.
"I'm going to leave you to it, remember as much as you can," Haymitch kissed her forehead before leaving her standing in the entry way to the testing room. She could already see the other children and became nervous. The test isn't a competition and everyone knows it. The test was difficult and the Capitol always liked to throw in one too many trick questions, which would trip someone up and make then stay in the Capitol that extra week.
Each test was different every year because of the change in style and culture the Capitol undergoes every few months. However every year the test had practical and theoretical components. Madge hated both with a passion and found the whole thing to be ridiculous.
A woman dressed in a black and red formal uniform turned to the children. "Good afternoon. My name us Aurora and I will be your examiner for the next two days," The fifteen people in the room stood in a straight line like every other year and listened to the instruction. "For the next four hours you will go through a series of practical activities which will show me and President Snow, how cooperative and knowledgeable you all are. Tomorrow morning this will continue on for another two hours before lunch. Tomorrow afternoon you will have off before the theory exam will take place the following morning and afternoon. Remember those of you who don't pass will be staying an extra week." Aurora grinned and there was a communal shudder.
"Is everyone ready?" No one said anything "Good. Let's get going,"
As soon as Madge had finished she knew she had failed the first part. She forgot what the how to properly set a casual lunch and dinner table. She didn't stand straight enough, her non-verbal skills weren't up to standard and she couldn't seem to focus on the tasks hand getting her into trouble more than once.
"Madge," Haymitch grabbed Madge's shoulders, shocking the girl out of her trance before she burst into tears, Haymitch thankful they were alone in the elevator pulled Madge to him
"Oh Madge" He soothed his Goddaughter stroking the back of her head as she sobbed into his chest.
Haymitch couldn't help but think of déja-vu from more than ten years prior. The same elevator, the same failures, the same sobbing and the same girl. Haymitch could remember the first time she failed the test. Madge had been cradled in his arms as he tried to comfort her as best as possible whilst she sobbed her heart out.
"I want to go home. I want to see Ma," Madge squeaked as she buried her face into Haymitch's shoulder.
As they arrived at the penthouse Haymitch swept up the still sobbing girl and went to place her in bed. As he pulled the covers over her, she sighed and mumbled some incoherent words.
"What was that sweetheart?" He murmured at the almost asleep Madge.
"Stay with me Mitchy," She sighed louder this time and stuck out her hand for Haymitch to hold. Haymitch quickly grabbed a chair from the corner of the room and sat holding her hand. Haymitch thought of the last time Madge had called him Mitchy, it was a nickname she had used when she was younger as they had been closer then than they were now. Haymitch looked at their hands rubbing his free hand over his face in frustration. Madge had been so strong up until today; he needn't have to hold her hand since she was eleven. The first time he held her hand to sleep was during her first testing and failure, he would pull up the same chair every night of the test's duration each year and sit and hold her hand until she had stopped crying and was fully asleep. This tradition continues up until she was eleven when Madge ultimately decided she was old enough to think it was embarrassing to drift of to sleep clutching someone's hand, and much to Haymitch's heart break she would send him out of the room and unbeknownst to him, cry all night and didn't sleep because of the insomnia.
The next morning when Madge looked in the mirror she felt like an embarrassing un-hot mess. Her cheeks were red as well as puffy, her eyes were crusty and she felt like she had been run over by a train. She wasn't happy and as soon as Haymitch saw her he knew it too. Breakfast was silent and it soon came the time for Madge to descend to the testing room, her stomach churning with her breakfast. She only had three hours sleep and when she had awoken the warmth Haymitch provided had left.
The other children seemed to be in the same position as Madge, most with heavy droops under their eyes.
Day two and three of the testing was gruelling to say the lease. During the theory test Madge was tested on the current trends in the Capitol, what foods which Capitol celebrities are allergic to and most importantly general knowledge facts about the president himself to name a few. She got everything wrong and Madge was about to find out her results. All the children were standing in a line and waiting for hopefully not their name to be called out. Everyone's fingers were crossed, everyone's senses on high alert.
"I have a list of the names of those who will be staying this extra week," Aurora scrutinised everyone and Madge thought that her eyes stopped on her for the briefest of seconds. "Whose ever name is called please step forward," Madge could feel her heart palpitating and not in a good way, she felt like she was going to faint.
"Undersee, Madge," Madge's head snapped up and she stared a few moments at Aurora. She was the last to be called and she took three shaky steps forward.
"Thank you to everyone who participated. Congratulations to those who passed, your trains depart tomorrow morning, we will see you next year," Aurora dismissed and her attention turned back to the three children who had stepped forward.
"All three of you will be escorted to the arranged living quarters for the following week. Your mentors will be going back to the districts while you all stay here," Madge looked at the other children and they looked back at her with panic stricken eyes.
"Your mentors and parents will be notified of your extra long…stay," She continued. Before Madge could say anything her arms were being held by two peacekeepers and she was being dragged away from the testing room. Hands were digging into to her flesh and she could already feel the bruises coming through. Her heart was racing and her head was pounding, her brain couldn't think, it was blank. She turned her head and came face to face with a peacekeeper's helmet, she could see her reflection in the dark visor and at that point she knew she there was no point in fighting against them. She had lost.
Hi everyone. I feel horrible for not updating, I was having a bit of a hard time, it's a long story and I'm not going to get into the details. I hope people are still out there. I'm going to try my best update more frequently (key word try) however I've just started my last year of school recently and I'm swamped with assignments, assignments and more assignments. I've tried my best to find all the errors in this but I probably left so many. Also this isn't my best writing but bare with me hopefully it will get better.
Thanks eveyone for reading. Comment (I would love to know what you think) follow, favourite you all know the deal.