Radioactive

I turned to go back into the house, my heart sinking with every step. Seneca was gone; he would not return willingly. My eyes shut in disgust and disbelief. I let out a shaky breath and reentered the house. Alfie held a nervous Venia on the couch, their eyes raking over me as I stepped in.

"Where's Seneca?" Venia breathed out.

"He's gone."

I continued through the living room, seeking out my personals. Venia let out an audible swallow. Alfie stood up off the couch and ran to my side.

"Did he hurt you?" he breathed in my ear.

"Just the opposite," I responded, grabbing my handbag.

I had no clue where to go, but I couldn't stay there. I made to exit the house when Alfie grabbed me lightly by the wrist.

"Don't do this," he ordered.

"Do what?" I looked him square in the eye, "Seneca's right. I won't put you or your family in danger any more. I need to go."

"You are my family," he reassured me.

"Once," I reminded him.

He snapped his mouth shut and continued to hold me tight. He was sure of my inevitable leave. I kissed him on the cheek and walked back into the living room. Walking over to Venia, I took her hand in mine and patted it.

"Thank you once again for your hospitality. You have a lovely home and family. Take care," I urged her.

She nodded silently, unsure of what to say. I got up and heard movement from the steps. Looking up, I saw Cori watching me. I gave him a proper nod and left the house.

I started walking away from their house. The sun had set nicely behind the skyline of the city. Here in the outskirts, I could hear foreign noises. Things like nature and tranquil pieces of non-urban life came out to set my troubled mind at ease. I decided to call Portia. She would know a solution. My communicator lay at the bottom of my purse, which I promptly hoisted up and leafed through.

"Effie!" came a voice from her end.

"Hello, darling. Are we enjoying the weekend?" I questioned.

"So-so. Nothing too exciting at this point. How's your weekend with Seneca going?" she responded.

I bit my lip, forgetting that I had warned Portia of our date. At the mention, I cringed.

"Not well. As it turns out, I'm stranded on the outskirts. Can you arrange me a ride?"

"Uh-oh. Sure thing. I'll be there soon."

I closed the communicator and sat on the curb. Alfie and Venia's house lay a little ways up the road. In retrospect, I regretted not asking one of them for a ride. However, I decided that if I were to truly abandon the family, I could not rely on them for anything.

I clicked my shoes together to pass the time. In my handbag, I found something sweet to chew on. It got cold during the wait as the sun sank. I scoped the area looking for something to pass the time.

On the opposite side of the street, I spotted a strange looking car. On the front, I recognized the seal of Panem. My head shifted to get a better look. For a minute, I contemplated getting to my feet and taking a closer look. In the car sat a man. A dark man with binoculars; binoculars that were focused directly on me.

I shifted uncomfortably at this realization. Seneca's words of presidential pressures returned. Nervously, I took out my communicator again and contacted Portia.

"Where are you?" I questioned quietly.

"On my way, hold yourself steady," she responded, "I just left the city limits."

"I don't want to worry you," I started, "But I think I am being followed. Followed or watched."

"What?"

"A man is watching me from across the street."

"Are you looking at him?"

My eyes suddenly snapped to the man. He met me with the binoculars.

"Yes."

"Well don't, you idiot," she rushed, "Look, I'm hurrying. Why don't you try to get away from the area?"

"Good idea. See you soon."

I closed the communicator again and hurried onto the pavement, avoiding the man with the binoculars. My shoes were starting to cause me a bit of pain. In the event of a perusal, I decided they would be the first thing to go. My handbag hung limply from one arm as I strutted down the street. Over my shoulder, I could hear the car tires squealing along with me.

Soon, I came upon a diner. The Capitol was famous for having the most luxurious spots in all of Panem. Whoever had made that assumption had clearly never seen the diners of the outskirts. Believing that a public appearance would cause my follower to disappear, I hopped in quickly.

The joint was bustling. It reminded me of the pub I had accidently ventured into during my youth. The one that caused me to end up at Seneca's, drunk out of my mind and rambling. Dark figures played pool in one corner while a shabby bar lay against the opposite wall.

A look out the dirty window told me that my stalker was nowhere to be seen. I let out a breath of relief and made my way to a quiet corner. I pulled out my communicator and tried to contact Portia. I figured that she would have to be close. She never answered. Suddenly, the door to the diner opened and the man with the binoculars stepped in.

I let out an audible gasp and hit the ground. Hoping that he hadn't spotted me, I crawled on the floor of the diner to the back wall near the pool tables. The man looked around the room curiously. I stayed hidden against the wall, smirking inside my head at him for I had the advantage here. He moved to the bar.

I searched the diner for an alternative exit. A wooden door lay on the opposite side of the bar. If I were to sneak over there, I would need to utilize the upmost caution. The man sat on a stool, searching the room with vigor. After a couple of minutes, he decided to check another location and headed off toward the bathrooms.

I moved quickly. Reaching the bar within seconds, I dropped back to the floor. The man suddenly appeared to my left. Luckily, a female patron blocked his sight from me.

"Can I help you, sir?" directed the bartender to the sneak.

"No," he responded gruffly.

"May I ask what business you have here?" the bartender continued, "This bar is only for patrons."

"I'm waiting for my wife, okay?" he snapped back.

The bartender did not appreciate his tone. He set down the cleaning rag he held and the mug of sloppy, half-drunken beer and moved closer to the man.

"Is that so?" he asked, cracking his knuckles.

"Yes. Back off, buddy," the man threatened.

"Let's see a picture of her then."

The man sat stock still for a minute. He exhaled sharply and opened his wallet. In the money portion of the wallet, he took out a folded piece of paper. I craned my neck to get a better glimpse. Unsurprisingly, I recognized the photo as a picture of me.

The bartender glanced the paper over once. I felt anxious. I knew that we had made some sort of eye contact since I had been here. The bartender remained unconvinced. For a minute, I contemplated running in full view out of the diner.

"She left about two minutes ago," the bartender finally said.

The man perked up at his words. He sneered and turned to face the bartender full in the face.

"Well why didn't you say anything earlier?" he snapped and headed out.

I let out a shaky breath as the stalker left. The bartender watched him leave. I hid my face as the man walked past me. Once he had made his departure, the bartender approached me cautiously.

"I suggest the back door. Quickly."

"Thank you," I whispered and slipped out the back door.

I tried to contact Portia again. She picked up frantically.

"Where the hell are you?" she practically screamed.

"Back door. Hurry up," I urged.

By the time I hung up the communicator, she had appeared with her car.

"Get in," she urged throwing the door open.

"Step on it. He's around the corner," I told her.

Portia threw the car in gear and spun around the diner. I buckled in and silently thanked Portia for her ability to save me in every situation. She began to question me about the happenings of the past day, but I couldn't concentrate on her questions.

Suddenly, I spotted it. The car with the seal of Panem on it. The car was a few spots away, humming calmly down the road. At this point, I was unclear of whether or not he was following.

"Portia," I warned her, "Behind us."

Her eyes grazed our surroundings and she recognized our target.

"Hold on," she said and threw the car into overload.

We sped up quickly, flying down the road at top speed. The other cars took notice and moved out of the way. Instantly, I knew we had caught his attention. His headlights appeared out of nowhere, scanning every part of the car. He sped up and caught the side out our car.

I glanced out my window where he was fast approaching. In an instant, I saw him. He wore an angry grimace and fierce, hateful eyes. I let out a gasp as he pulled out an object-a camera. Without ever letting go of the wheel, he snapped my picture.

"Hurry up!" I screamed to Portia.

"I'm trying," she spat back.

"He's gaining on us," I urged.

Portia sped along and within moments we had reached the sanctum of the City Circle. I glanced over and received a real shock. The car with the seal and the man inside were nowhere to be seen.

"Pull over!" I yelled to Portia with terror.

"What?" she squeaked.

"He's gone. The man. He's gone."

"What are you talking about? He was right here," she responded.

"No," I shook my head desperately, "No. He's gone. We're alone."

We were stranded on the middle of the dark street. Alone.