*Mazie's POV*
I smiled with Nich, marveling at how clever she was being. I turned slightly to Nin, who headed sponsoring in the Games.
"There's a festering wound?" she asked, looking personally insulted.
"I suppose she means the rebellion," I said easily, smiling at Nin to make her relax "Anyway, about sponsoring . . ."
Nin turned away from the television and smiled. "Ah, yes. The years you've chosen to . . ." she chucked "were quite the Games indeed! Your father grants you quite the budget, eh?"
I only smiled, inclining my head slightly. The budget that the President gave his children was enough to feed my district for months.
"So," Nin smiled "Who's the lucky tribute you wish to sponsor?"
"Mazie Skiprose," I answered immediately. How odd it felt to address Nich by my name! "she seems strong enough to win, eh? And leader of a huge alliance, too." I smiled happily, and Nin smiled back.
"A good choice," she said "I've had most people going for Carrie and Armondo Rippet, but now they'll be more competition!" she winked "all right, here's the code for the room for Mazie's sponsers. Anytime you want to send something, just enter that code in the room with Mazie's name by it, and you can go send something."
I smiled at her gracefully. "Thank you." I intended to spend as much of the President's money sponsoring Nich before I killed him.
Walking into the Capitol streets, I still marveled slightly at the immense size of everything. What a waste. Billboards all around the buildings showed live clips from the Games, so I couldn't miss a single minute. I stared up at them, which, at the moment, was showing Elvatorix Fox gaping at her bombed district. I smirked slightly. I had never liked her.
When I got to my room, I made sure everything was in place. The assassination was (as Nich and I had planned) to take place in four days, at noon exactly when the President was getting ready to speak to the press. Even though that was so long away, I didn't want to be caught, and I was being extra careful.
*Lystra's POV*
Our group moved silently through the trees, away from burnt District 12. My mind was swirling with images of the bombed and burned districts. A great sense of foreboding rushed through me. I knew what district was next.
I instinctively walked close to Tanner again, fingering the bandage wrapped around my upper arm. He took my hand, and, though I blushed slightly, I didn't pull away.
I wasn't sure how I felt about Tanner anymore. I mean, he'd been a friend for so long , but now . . . our relationship was changing to something more sophisticated . . . more serious.
I shook the thought away. This was the Hunger Games. I didn't have time for this.
My feelings swirling, I hardly heard Nich say quietly, "Clearing ahead."
I gulped loudly, because I knew what this meant. I gripped Tanner's hand tighter, and took a deep breath. I walked into the clearing and into my district.
At first I thought it was unchanged, but, as I looked, I realized that it was changed.
All the houses were unharmed, in perfect condition. Everything was untouched, looking as it would on any normal day – apples in stands, wagons in streets. . .
But it was completely empty.
On any normal day, the blue sky, speckled with clouds, would have been thronged with mockinjays. On the ground, the streets would have been equally crowded with people jostling about. Wind would rustle the leaves of trees. Bird's screeches, adult's low talking, children's shrieks, cart's creaking, and woodland creature's chattering would all intermix. The sun would shine, warming them all.
But now all was deadly quiet. The still-blue sky had a thin layer of clouds over it and lacked mockingjays. The sun shone weakly, and fog covered two inches tall, all over the district's soft dirt ground. The air was completely still, and I was almost afraid to move; to disturb it. Everything had a deathly chill to it, and the unnatural quiet gave everything the feel of being underwater.
"What?" I sputtered out, staring out at my home, utterly dumbfounded. "How . . . oh." I couldn't say anything more.
Worlessly, we all set off throughout the district. I shuddered. It felt so . . . wrong.
"We have to camp," Nich announced, breaking the silence, her voice like shattering glass. I admit, I jumped like two feet into the air. I glanced at the sky. The sun was setting.
"Where do we camp?" my voice was sore. It hurt to speak.
No one looked at me. No one answered my question. It took me a minute, but I understood why. They didn't want to be rude, but . . . this place, my ruined district, was the best place to camp. "Oh."
Tanner and I exchanged a quick glance, and I sighed defeat. "Pineapple Square?" I suggested the block where Tanner and I both lived. He nodded shortly, and we led the others in the alliance there.
At the sight of my house, I couldn't stop myself; I broke away from our group and towards it. Father would be inside; maybe with Estella. Both would be crying; missing me terribly. Once I was in there, everyone would be happy again; this whole arena would have been a dream, nothing more . . .
"I'm back!" I yelled, grinning, as I flung open the door.
Slowly, my happiness turned to confusion, and then to understanding, and then to disappointment. I let the door close behind me, trapping me from the others. I felt humiliated, and upset. Seeing my house, perfect like this, had triggered something inside of me. Sighing, I plopped down on the bed in my room.
I picked up an exact replica of my hairbrush. So much had changed . . .
I began to cry. I knew that the cameras in the capitol were on me now, but I didn't care. I cried for them, for my father, to show them that I was still human. That the games didn't control me. I cried and I cried and I cried.
When I stopped crying, I sat on my replica bed, trying to forget I was in the arena. Trying to forget that I must die.
Then Tanner was in my room.
He looked so tall, strong, and comforting, I immediately began to cry again. "Oh, Lystra," he said, coming over to me. He cradled me and shushed me, comforting me as he could. He even cried for a little bit.
When we both stopped, he asked, "Better?"
"Better," I agreed, wiping my nose with my hand. He took the other hand.
"Look, Lystra," he said slowly "I know I kinda forced this romance thing onto you. If you, you know, aren't ready for this, just tell me."
I looked him in the eye, surprised at how honest he was being in front of the whole country. I tried to be honest too. "I love you, Tanner," I said, surprising myself. "but I don't know if I can do this."
He smiled gently at me. "I understand." He squeezed my hand "But I'm not going anywhere." Then he stood, helping me up, letting me lean on him. "Now, c'mon, Lystra. The alliance needs you."
And he led me out of the house.
I didn't look back once.