Here's chapter 4. Took a bit longer than I anticipated, but I hope you guys enjoy it.
I want to say a huge hey to everyone who favourited/followed/reviewed!
Your reviews really cheer me up so much. Love how much you seem to love the story! I hope you keep reading!
&& of course, to my amazing beta mrslukecastellan, without who, this would probably be a jumbled mess; thank-you!
Enjoy everyone – EffieMockingjay xoxo
"So put on your best, boys, and I'll wear my pearls
What I never did is done
A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I'll sell 'em for a dollar
They're worth so much more after I'm a goner
And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singing
Funny, when you're dead how people start listening
If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song
The ballad of a dove
Go with peace and love
Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket
Save them for a time when you're really gonna need them
The sharp knife of a short life
Well, I've had just enough time"
Lyrics from – "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry.
Possibly one of my favourite songs ever...
I urge you all to listen to it!
(Recap from previous chapter)….
His face is as white as a sheet, his eyes look wild.
What's happened? I feel my heart beating faster, harder to the point where I swear it's going to jump right through my chest.
Scrambling through the doorway to the living room. I see Johanna, frozen.
Looking up at the television, I hear the unmistakeable Capitol Anthem.
Then I'm staring into the eyes of President Snow...
I'm panting and my heart feels like it's about to explode. It's far too early for the Quarter Quell announcement..I think inwardly. We rarely hear from the Capitol unless an important announcement was to be said.
"Panem!" he begins, expressionless.
The camera cuts to view a large crowd of sobbing Capitol citizens, and then flashes back suddenly to a very solemn looking President Snow.
"I am with great sorrow, to tell you, that our most recent victor, Miss Leila Reid, and her family, were sadly taken from us yesterday, in what appears to be a tragic, tragic accident…"
This cannot be happening.
It's a dream.
No, it's a nightmare. It must be.
I feel sick.
"Witnesses of the event have said freak weather conditions such as lightening were seen hitting the vehicle Leila and her family were travelling in, and they crashed into a tree…", he trails off softly in his whispery snake like hissing voice. "We send our condolences to her close family and friends in this tragic and distressing time…"
Another flash to the Capitol audience. They clutch each other. Some silently sobbing, others crying out loud…
I feel physically, mentally, emotionally sick.
How could she be dead?
Sweet, beautiful, adorable little Leila.
The girl who I refused to kill…
A tear's streaming down my cheeks. I get up and run as fast I can. I open the door, throwing it behind me and sprinting across to the old oak tree before I fall to my knees and throw up, panting, heaving.
Why? Why her?
I want… no, I need someone to hold me and tell me this isn't happening. That this is another one of my nightmares, and I just need to wake up and everyone will be safe. Sweet Leila will be safe.
But I don't wake. This is reality. This is really happening.
Wiping away the rest of my tears, I look up and see Johanna walking slowly towards me, as though not to frighten me. She envelopes me tight and pulls me up from the floor where I fell.
"Why Jo? Why her? Why now?" I whisper, searching her eyes, looking for answers.
Johanna remains silent, and moves me back to Haymitch's living room.
Haymitch no longer looks like the sober, well-cleaned up man he did this morning. He's clutching his usual bottle of white liquor, taking large gulps of it. His eyes are fixed on the screen, and suddenly flickers towards Johanna and Finnick with a knowing look.
I silently ignore him, and look back towards the television.
My sweet Leila's face is being played along with clips of her from the games. She is really beautiful.
Then they show her body. It looks like she's sleeping softly, clothed in white satin and laid down on a bed of roses. She looks peaceful, but so pale, like all the life has been sucked out of her. It hasbeen sucked out of her…
Why her? Why not me! I think to myself…
Snow appears back on screen. His blood red suit with a white rose pinned to it stands out shockingly against his pale and heavily wrinkled skin. His overly full lips stretch tightly and he wipes what I can only presume to be a fake tear from his eyes. No one who creates and plays these games can ever feel love or sorrow for anyone.
Especially not Snow.
"I also have another announcement." he starts. "Due to the tragic death of Leila Reid, the Victory Tour of the 74th Hunger Games shall be cancelled."
The Capitol Citizen crowd scream out "Noo!"
"Why?"
Their brightly coloured and stencilled faces scrunch up and they look utterly a thousand times more miserable now than after the announcement of Leila's death! The death of a child over a stupid pathetic game, and these sick people sob more for the game than her… it disgusts me.
I still can't get it into my head.
I'd only spoken to Leila two days ago on the phone. She told me, like a proud sister, of her little brother, Louis, who had finally spoken his first words. She seemed so happy, so full of life. A life which no longer existed.
And just when I think it can't get any worse…
Snow continues, "However, we cannot forget about the games. The games that remind us of our past, of the Dark Days, and how as a nation, how Panem has overcome this!" he sternly says.
His beady eyes stare straight to the camera. I feel sick and uncomfortable with his gaze, almost like it's directly onto me, like he's in this very room, shouting his message directly to me…
"The gamemakers and myself have decided to move the 75th Hunger Games forward!" he smirks proudly
"No!"Haymitch furiously whispers, his hand drops his bottle of liquor.
It smashes to the floor, where it smashes to millions of tiny pieces.. I look to him, startled by the doesn't really sink in.
All I can think about it Leila..
Then cheering slowly begins from the previously sobbing crowds. The cameras cut back to them, and they are all shrieking and dancing, with their fake, plastic Capitol smiles etched on their faces…
No-one would have thought only a minute ago they were sobbing for Leila…
"The Quarter Quell shall be announced, not in three months, but in three days!" Snow proudly announces.
The Capitol Anthem booms out again across the screen.
Then silence.
For the second time today, I collapse to my knees and sob….
Finnick is sitting perched on the same moss-covered logs he was sat on earlier in the day. Johanna and a slightly drunken Haymitch lean against the oak tree that overshadowed our homes. We're out of view from any prying eyes and ears, in our usual secret talking spot.
We must have been sitting here for at least an hour. None of us dared to speak.
Finnick was the first to speak, "I knew she was in danger, but…"
I look at him, shocked. "How could you? But—"
"She's my victor. I mean… She was my victor. I'm District 4." he flustered, slowly breaking down, tears falling down his cheeks
Johanna, glances toward me, twirling her dark brown hair through her fingers, "What Finnick means to say, Peeta, is that this was no accident. Leila was being blamed for the berries as much as you are now. Haymitch and I think that this was most definitely deliberate."
Haymitch slowly nods, silently agreeing.
"Deliberate? As in, Snow killed her? Like your family, Haymitch?" I asked, shocked. Tears threaten to fall again.
"Yes my boy. Exactly like my family." he answers, slightly slurring his words.
"But why not me? Why her?"
"You were the one who thought of the berries. Not Leila. She, being so young, vulnerable, and desperate to live just went along with your plan. A spectator almost."he grimaced.
"No Peeta, you're the one who Snow blames. It was your idea. You screwed with his game and he doesn't like it. I think he killed Leila and not you, to show you that he is in control. Absolute control and has the power to kill anyone who he pleases. He did this to provoke you, Peeta. He knows how much she meant to you and he's telling you that even though you saved her in the Games, he can kill her easily, and anyone else. He wants to see you suffer the only way he can, and that's mentally. Because he can't touch you! He's making you suffer by hurting those closest and making you constantly re-live your nightmares." Haymitch shouts, and takes another gulp of the foul smelling liquor.
I don't know what to say. I wish I could just end everything now. Seriously, what is the point in living? How many people is he going to hurt just to hurt me?
"Peeta, you know what you have to do, don't you? He's done this to make sure you cooperate fully." Johanna adds, looking crestfallen.
I know exactly what I have to do. Agree to whatever Snow says and asks. Be like what Finnick said, a puppet whose strings he can pull and I must obey. That reminds me…
"The Quarter Quell. He's moved it sooner on purpose, hasn't he? To get everybody to forget the weird circumstances around Leila's death and to send me a message of his control and power!" I say bitterly.
Finnick answers, "Exactly. And you mustn't show on camera or to anyone how much this has affected you, Peeta. If you show too much emotion, Snow is just going to keep pulling on those strings to torture you more."
I nod to him. He's right. Finnick knows better than anyone.
"Umm Jo, I meant to ask you, what did you find out about the Quell?" Haymitch asks curiously, the liquor slowly taking over his mind.
I turn to Johanna, suddenly nervous. With all that's happened, we hadn't had time to talk about anything to do with what Johanna had spied on about the Quarter Quell..
She looks to us in disbelief. "You all honestly want to know about the Quell at a time like this?"
However cruel it sounds, I need to know what's in store for the next three days. I need to prepare. This is the next stage of Snow's sadistic torture and I need to be prepared.
"It can't be much worse darlin' ,now can it?" Haymitch suggests. "Just tell us, Jo."
She breathes softly before starting, "As you know, there are to be only female tributes this time. Girls aged from 12 to 18, from all of the Districts..."
"Right… and?" Haymitch shouts, looking disgruntled and on edge.
"Shut up, Haymitch and let me think!" she snaps back viciously.
"Fine! Just hurry up and get on with it, Jo. We're all tense as it is!"
"Right. Female tributes from ages 12 to 18. There will be ten Reaped from each District", she says.
"Wait… TEN from EACH district! But that's.. that's"I think quickly.. 10 x 12 is.. "120 tributes! You have to be joking!" I am shocked. There was no way there could be that many. No. It was wrong, obscene!
"Dear god, Johanna. You being serious?" Finnick says in disbelief..
"Yes Finnick, I'm being completely serious. It was Snow's idea apparently. They have to find the *perfect* girl for their lucky victor Peeta…" she trails off in a fake Capitol accent.
"I believe they are going to quickly dwindle this number down though. They can't have 120 girls fighting in an arena, it's not *ideal*" she laughs sarcastically.
"Do you know how they are doing that ?" I ask shakily.
"Yes. Well, at least I think so… I overheard something about envelopes and tasks. But that's all I know at the moment. I guess we don't have to wait much longer though now. Only 3 more days and we will probably know more" she finishes.
So this is it.
My torture.
And all these girls are going to die for the sake of me. It's my fault again. More people dying for me…
Everything has become too overwhelming. Leila is dead. The Quell is in 3 days… I run to Johanna and clutch her before sobbing uncontrollably and falling into darkness…
- So that was chapter 4. Not what anyone was expecting I don't think! I have a *lot* of surprises for the Quarter Quell.
Like I said at the beginning, I hope you all listen to "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry.. I think the song fitted amazingly for this chapter and set the mood…
From Chapter 3, I had a lot of new followers, which was awesome. Please review!I love hearing from you guys, especially your ideas etc.!
Next update may take a little longer than usual. My *huge* chemistry assignment is due in on July 31st, and I've been severely neglecting it – oops ! :P
Hope you enjoyed reading, - Much Love, EffieMockingjay xoxo