Every Saturday, after Katniss sold her wares, we went to the forest. Every Saturday, I touched the fence and received a dose of electricity. Call me crazy, but the electricity was kind of fun. Every Saturday, we sat in a comfortable silence until one of us decided to talk. This happened every Saturday.
You're crazy.
I was slightly on the verge of insanity, yes I knew it. Juna and Father had visited me. We spent Juna's birthday in boring old District 12 while an actual celebration was being planned by Enobaria in District 2. We had a sort of fun time and I decided to have a few things brought from the Capitol to ease my steady boredom. A real punching bag and a new TV to name a few.
The 74th Hunger Games seemed to be eons away, and I hoped it stayed eons away. The way time moved so quickly was just mind boggling. One day it was August, then it was January. The next Games were coming too soon.
"You okay?" Katniss asked as she picked berries off of a bush. I nodded.
"Just thinking about the Games." Katniss grimaced and looked over at me.
"The 74th will be the first year my sister is eligible to be Reaped. I'm worried about her." She whispered and I bit my lip.
That's too bad, but Prim's never taken tesserae, so she should be fine.
"I'm sure she'll be fine." I pulled Katniss into my arms and hugged her. Partly because I needed reassurance and because she seemed lonely. Katniss sighed and leaned into my chest.
"We're going to be okay." She muttered and stood up. "The Reaping is in a few days. Shouldn't you be discussing things with Haymitch Abernathy?" She asked and I chuckled.
That drunk? He'd get farther talking to a wall than him.
"The drunk? I think not." I stood and took her hand in mine. Katniss easily slipped her hand out of my grasp and raised an eyebrow. Saying nothing, we both exited the forest and parted ways.
IDIOT. Why did you hold her hand?! What's wrong with you?!
Gah, shut up! You need to stay out of my business.
I'm you! Your business is my business! So shut the hell up!
I walked back home debating if a concussion would rid me of this idiotic voice.
Probably not, seeing as I'm so deep in your mind nothing physical would drive me out.
I know, it's that whole shebang about being calm and composed and shit right? I unlocked my front door and tossed my jacket onto a chair.
You like her, don't you?
I had no idea what I felt anymore. I threw myself onto the sofa and rubbed my eyes. Why couldn't my life be easier? Be born in a world where kids didn't kill kids and alcohol was for people over 21.
Stop dreaming the impossible and wake up. The Games are approaching, dumbass.
"Fucking idiot." I growled and closed my eyes. "I'm taking a nap!"
Who the fuck are you talking to?
You, but I decided to say it out loud so I knew I wasn't going insane. I took a few deep breaths and tried to occupy my mind on something. The table next to me had a small drawer. I opened it and saw the puzzle I had brought from the Capitol.
Each person has his own group.
I began to twist the blocks and matching colors. Juna, Father, and Enobaria. They were the white side. They were family. Mother, Enobaria, Brutus, Lyme, Graff, Kelsa, Allis, Kiern, and Me. We were all District 2 Victors. Who went where?
I completed one side, but the five others remained a jumble of complete nonsense. The squares looked up at me and I tossed the puzzle into the drawer. I moped around the house doing nothing. Why was 12 so boring?! Why?!
I pulled out a bottle of vodka and began to down shots because I was that bored. After the third, I got bored with drinking and put my jacket on. My workout plans for the day had been completed hours ago, so I did the next best thing. Go to the Hob.
The walk there was uneventful. Strangers eyed my clothes, some glared, others glared. Many were probably thinking of the best way to burn my house down. To them, I was the man that killed two tributes.
Well you aren't the only one from 2 that's killed from 12.
But I was the only one that came to District 12 besides Mother, and she died here. I opened the doors and walked around, looking at wares. There was a short man with a scraggly beard that had spoken to my father when he came with Juna.
His name was Ensin and he had a balding head and a missing ear. His teeth were yellow and green and his eyes were sunken. He had a protruding belly that, if you looked closely, still held the remnants of neon green tattoos.
Apparently he was the Head Gamemaker before Seneca Crane or something. Maybe someone else...
Once, Ensin was a tall man of high stature. He had bright purple hair spiked upwards and lime green tattoos across his body. Once, he worked for the President and worked with my father. Now, disgraced, he was banished to this hellhole to live the rest of his life in filth and dirt. He also sold spools of thread.
"Hello." I stated and he offered me a green smile. Although they were yellow, Ensen used to have blue teeth, so now the blue had mixed with tartar and become a gruesome mix of both.
" 'ello, boy. Yeh want ta buy thread?" He asked and I shook my head. Ensin smiled once more and returned to wrapping a spool with yellow thread.
Sad how some glow in the limelight for a few years and then they're sent to wind spools of thread.
I went to Greasy Sae's bar and sat down.
"That's the second time you're here today. I think it's time to pull out the hard drinks." I shook my head.
"Water's fine." I lied and accepted the glass. She nodded and began wiping bowls with her rag.
"Games are coming soon. You ready?" She asked and I blinked.
Hell yes! Let's go face tragedy again, 'cuz I'm stoked! No! Of course not!
"I'm sure I won't take the loss too severely this time." I scoffed and Sae merely shook her head. She continued to wipe and we stayed in silence. The day was coming quickly.
Every morning at 5:00, I woke up from a nightmare. It was clockwork by now. At 6:00, I would have breakfast either with Haymitch, or by myself, and then I would read, train, and walk around doing nothing. This lasted until lunch, and then I annoyed the drunk, or just stayed at home. The townsfolk were still intimidated by me and they refused to come within six feet.
You did kill their tributes.
Well excuse me for trying to stay alive! I looked at the town clock and sighed. Time was never on the losing team's side. It played for the winning team. Time was a whore, a slut, and a bitch. It was fucked, loved, hated, and adored. The fact that time was not on our side was a very bad thing.
Then again, when was time ever on your side?
When I cut Rye Mellark to pieces.
Exactly.
~'~'~'~
"So you're sure you don't know?" Haymitch asked and I shook my head for the hundredth time.
"They choose the Volunteers a few years in advance! This year's players could be anyone!" It was true. I had no clue who was going to volunteer this year, and that was not a good sign. The odds of them being a bloodthirsty savage were pretty high.
Hopefully, you get fighters this year.
There was no hope in wishing for the impossible. I had no idea when I was going to go home, but the idea was so far away now. District 2. I could see the teardrop shaped streetlamps that dotted the area and the shops, stores, and houses. Many people would rise before dawn to work and others would care for children or go to school. It was home.
"Well, the Reaping is tomorrow. Anyone you're betting on?" Haymitch asked with a serious voice. I shook my head and glared at the ground.
"I'll see you tomorrow fresh faced and ready to go."
"I'm gonna get fucking drunk!"
And I'm gonna kick your fucking ass unless you get your act together!
"Haymitch, get it together! We have to work-"
"To work what?! What?! So you can go home? Back to District 2 and be a Mentor for real winners?! So District 12 will have a Victor? Cato, you've only been a Victor for a few years, but I've been one for 24. It's like hell is consuming me alive!" Haymitch yelled and I glared.
"How do you think people like Mags Cohen feel, huh?!" I shoved him. "She won the 9th Games and it's been 65 years for her! She's been through hell and back; we all have! And you think you're the only one that has it bad? Get it in your head! There are other Victors, 67 of them, that are going through the same thing. They just choose not to fucking show it. So shut the hell up about your problems!"
I slammed the door to Haymitch's house and walked around for a bit before returning to my own. There was a frozen bowl of soup calling my name and I quickly defrosted it in a pan.
There was chicken, beans, rice, and noodles in a thick tomato broth. It was good and welcoming. Something I hadn't felt in years.
Except when you're with Katniss.
She was not going to return my undecided feelings any time soon.
She makes you feel safe. It's what Katniss does for you.
I set the bowl down and sighed. Tomorrow was going to be a hell of a ride. Two tributes would be sent to the Capitol, and two tributes would not return after a week.
And the cycle will continue.
~'~'~'~
Effie Trinket wore pink. Her blonde hair was styled up and she was in a magenta suit with puffed sleeves. I looked at a very drunk Haymitch and adjusted the collar of my jacket. There were two sections of 12 to 18 year olds nervous to have the Reaping over with. Of course, for two, the Reaping would just bring more sorrow and pain.
"Welcome, welcome to the 74th Hunger Games! Now, before we begin, we have a very special video brought all the way from the Capitol!" The reel began to play and the monotonous video almost everyone had memorized was played. The crowd remained silent as a grave as the video rolled on. After the end words, Effie looked up.
"I just love that." She smiled. "Now, ladies first." She stated and click clacked to the glass bowl on her left. Her gloved hand hovered in the bowl for a second before diving in to retrieve a single slip of paper that had two words on it. Effie returned to the mic and cleared her throat.
"The female tribute for District 12 will be... Primrose Everdeen!" My stomach felt weak and I grasped the sides of my chair. Taking a few breaths, I heard a strong but scared voice scream out her sisters's name. She reassured the girl and hugged her. No. Don't do it. Don't volunteer. Don't!
She will. You know she will. Katniss would never let her sister die.
I looked up just as the girl with the dark brown braid held her sister. The Peacekeepers tried to separate them. I looked at Haymitch who was oblivious to what was happening. Effie seemed a bit flustered and tried to call Prim up to the stage but the two sisters were holding each other too tightly. Katniss let go of her sister and raised her eyes to me as she cried out,
"I volunteer as tribute!"
Fuck.
Effie bit her purple lips and nodded as Gale came and hauled a screaming Prim away. Katniss met my eyes as she came up the stage and gave me a pained nod. I had to keep myself from screaming in frustration. This wasn't how it was supposed to be!
Nothing is as it should be.
Men and women raised three fingers to their lips and lifted them to the sky.
It's the sign from your dream! That! It's that!
I nearly stood and Haymitch lurched forward, mumbling something. He sent insults at cameras and then fell off the stage.
The boy that was called had the surname I never wanted to hear ever again. He began to sob as his name was called and trudged forward to meet Effie on the stage.
"Peeta Mellark!"