Safe and Sound

The wind was bitter outside. It had really picked up in the last few months. I instantly regretted my decision to leave behind my fur coat. Father would not suspect that I left from the back door. Along the street sat a wooden bench. I calmly approached the bench and took a seat.

Run. You cannot stay here; someone is bound to see you. But, who is the enemy? Am I really the enemy? How did I get into this mess? Tears of confusion rolled down my cheeks.

"There is something wrong with me," I gently whisper to myself.

Never in my life had I felt the urge to lie, to sneak around, to disobey. Things had always been so easy back then. When I had a brother in the Capitol. When I had a family.

The wind picked up to a violent tempo. The leaves of late autumn hung in the air, capsizing into the street. I shivered. I need to move. Dogs parked from beautifully manicured lawns. Tons of Capitol citizens asleep in their warm beds, their lives unchanged.

"Oh, I am so frightened," I whispered involuntarily twenty minutes later.

I had headed south, outside of the City Circle. Perhaps I could live amongst the stragglers who controlled the alleys. Once, Yuffie and I had headed down to buy illegal purses when they were in fashion. I did not know the area well, for I ended up at fourteen dead ends before I found an alley.

The alley was pitch-black. A few men coughed from outside the run-down shops. Do not go down there. My senses went alert. I felt danger, but exhilaration too. The few possessions in my hand were concealed under my arm.

"Hey, little girl," someone called from the darkness.

It was a dirty old man. He had a missing front tooth, a hideous attribute. His clothes-a dark grey sweater and torn jeans-showed holes strewn about. He came into a floodlight. I automatically took a few steps back. This was not planned.

"Where you going?" he growled, the glaze of booze covering his dull eyes.

I hunched over a bit and continued down the aisle. The alley became narrower the farther I went. I am definitely not staying here. Perhaps, I will knock on someone's door and they will offer me shelter. It was useless. There was not a single house with lights on.

The old man picked up his pace. I could hear strained wheezing as he limped closer. I picked up my feet lightly, cursing myself for wearing heels.

"Come back," he ordered, yelling toward me.

I broke into a run, not caring where I went. At the end of an alley, I found myself between two intersections. I chose the right side of the sidewalk and continued toward the intersection.

"Stop!"

I kept running. Not daring to look behind me, I reached the light post. A car headed down the street toward the intersection.

"Stop. Effie!"

I froze before my feet could touch the street. He knows my name. Confusion kept me rooted to the spot. It did not sound like the old man. It was not a wheeze. It was a handsome voice, something like –

"Effie, stay where you are," called Seneca.

He was in the car, leaning outside of the passenger window.

"Seneca," I smiled.

Venia slowed the car to a crawl. It neared closer, but stayed away from the intersection. They were at least ten yards away. At that moment, the old man emerged from the alley and came toward me.

"Hang on," he shouted, leaving the car and running toward me.

Panic struck. I wanted to run, but I could not bring myself to disobey Seneca. He reached me at the corner of the sidewalk. He jumped onto a stoop outside of a residence.

"What are you doing?" I hissed quickly, eyeing the old man as he neared in.

"Follow my steps," he held out his hand.

I took it instantly. He pulled me onto the stoop. I landed next to him softly as the old man disappeared from my view.

"We have to go," I urged him forward.

I watched his footsteps and tried my best to copy them. He moved in intricate patterns across the pavement. At one point, he avoided a pink tile by jumping over it. I jumped and my heel missed the landing. I tripped forward and fell onto Seneca's ankle. He, in turn, fell forward. We tumbled into a pavement tree. He touched his mouth, searching for injury.

"Are you alright?" we simultaneously asked the other.

"Where are you, girl?" yelled the old man, spinning around the corner.

"Stay close to me," Seneca growled.

I crawled over to him and let him envelope me. The old man spotted us by the tree. He rushed toward us, gaining speed. Suddenly, the street blew up.

"Oh my goodness!" I shrieked, "What the hell is going on?"

Did Seneca drop a bomb? Are we under attack? I looked at Seneca in horror, terrified that we were going to implode.

"It's a pod," he explains, "The streets are rigged with them. They are designed to keep intruders out of the Capitol at night. Only a few are activated, and of those, only a few are ever activated at night. We learned about them in Games school."

"What are you doing here?" I questioned.

"Well, I waited outside your house once you left," he explains, "I wanted to make sure everything was alright. Apparently, something was wrong. There was a lot of yelling and your father ran out about five minutes before you came out the back. We followed you, but got lost after you went into the alley. Lucky I remembered the streets with pods on them."

No wonder he was not answering the phone. I am so lucky that he is here. Otherwise, I would have been blown to bits.

"But Seneca, my father must be looking for me. I cannot leave with you. Surely, he will be at your house by morning. I imagine that he may even call the authorities," I try to reason with him.

"Why are you running?" he asks, lifting me to my feet.

"Father wants me institutionalized. Mother did not seem to agree, but she cannot do anything for me. Alfie must have realized what was happening and left. I had to run."

"Then I want to protect you," he automatically responded.

"You can't!" I snapped away from him, "Don't you understand? If Father thinks you kidnapped me, there could be serious repercussions. I will not have you imprisoned on my behalf."

"What about us?" he asked quietly, reaching for my fingers.

I could feel my heart break. I needed him so badly. There was nothing more that I wanted to do then to leave with him. We could live together, making our way through. Unfortunately, the odds were not in my favor.

"I do not know, Seneca. It seems we may have to split. At least for now," I spoke quietly, trying not to look at him.

Silence followed. I could almost feel his pain melting, holding him to the street.

"But, I love you."

I bit my lip to keep from crying out.

"I can't go with you Seneca. I love you so."

"Then go with my sister. She will keep you safe and I will keep in touch," he whispered.

I turned to face him.

"Venia would have me?" I asked in surprise.

"Of course. She has grown to like you. We can keep in touch. And one day, we can vanish together. I must protect you. Allow me to protect you, the one way I can."

"Oh, Seneca," I threw myself into his arms.

We embraced with as much passion as we could. I could feel myself breaking down. He walked me over to Venia's car, opening the door wide. He gave me a last kiss and waved a parting gesture to his sister. I looked to him for reassurance and found his caring eyes.

"Do it, Effie. I promise that I will keep you safe and sound."

Venia threw the car into high gear and we drove away, leaving the Capitol, the disabled pod, the dead man, and the love of my life behind.