Chapter 3
Truce
When I awake the next morning it takes a minute for that weightlessness of the night's rest to wear off. Those few moments where no troubles can reach me are blissfully peaceful, and I don't think-if only for a few moments-of my siblings and parents back in District 11, probably starving now.
I look at one of the Capitol clocks and see that it's 4:00 in the morning. I almost laugh, because I never get up that early, until I remember that there's a time change between the Capitol and District 11. It's only an hour behind here, so it says it's four, but I'm up because dawn-at home-comes at five.
I rouse myself up out of the bed and get dressed. I meander out into the dining hall, only to see that there is no one there. I sigh, set on heading back up to my room when a voice speaks from a couch in the T.V. room.
"You too?" It's a deep voice that I haven't heard much since we left our District-or ever really.
"Thresh?" I ask quietly, moving silently into the room.
He nods. "Couldn't sleep?" He observes gently.
"It was the time change," I admit. "Stupid internal alarm clock." I giggle at my own joke, and the sound is pretty-almost like music. It makes me want to sing.
He doesn't say anything, and an expression of anger takes over his features. I'm confused-and well, I should admit it-scared of Thresh in this moment.
"Are you ok?" I ask cautiously.
"Yes." He says in his curt manner, though his eyes still portray fury.
"What's wrong?" I press on him.
"Your laugh… it's just… It makes me mad because…"
"In a few days no one will hear it?" I guess.
"Something like that." He admits to me, the anger becoming sorrow.
"It's ok." I shrug it off. "I know what I want." I also know that, as much as it would help my family, I don't really want Thresh to die. The Victor has to be Katniss-or him.
"You're a smart girl. Don't give up." He advises me.
"I wouldn't dream of it." I say with a smile.
He smiles back at me, and the urge to sing hits me again. I sing a few notes, stringing them together, creating a tune.
"You have a pretty voice. When you're in there…" He trails off.
"What?" I ask, open to advice.
"Show them… show them exactly what they're depriving the world of. Innocent children like you. There's too few of them left." He sighs deeply.
"Thank you." I say earnestly. "I won't hold anything against you in the arena." I speak from the heart, attempting to remove any debt he may think he owes me. "Just… do what you have to do." I say with a sad smile.
He looks at me with a probing expression. "I could never do that. I would never kill you. I couldn't. You're from home, and you're only twelve." He has made his decision.
"Well, thanks. I won't kill you either." I say with a laugh.
I actually get him to chuckle. "You're not half bad kid." He says smiling to himself. Then the sadness rearranges his features.
"Don't feel bad for me." I say trying to let him be happy. "I'm going to be just fine." I smile.
"If you say so," He allows himself to accept my fate, the same way I did yesterday.
"Is there anything interesting to do here?" I ask excitedly, exploring is my thing.
"No." He says, back to his one-word answers.
"Well, I'm going to check everything out. See you around." He grunts an acknowledgement.
I stalk silently down the hall and I peer into each open door. There are three bathrooms and six other doors that remain closed. I push one door in, only to find a full size glass wall on one side of the room. I pick up a remote and click through the options. My eyes widen when I hit a button that takes me home. Not literally, but I'm in my meadows, plains, and fields. There's life everywhere and butterflies flit about. It looks as though someone has placed a camera right in my District.
I stop for a moment. This may be the very thing they've done-because the place in the camera's frame looks very familiar, and the colors are exactly the same one's I've left behind in 11. I've never considered this aspect of things. I see a few movements in the tall grasses, and then my heart stops. I am now one hundred percent sure that there is a camera hidden in my District-for I am staring at my sister.
I hear her lovely voice singing to the Mockingjays and I think-for a moment-that this may not be accidental. We have a few kind Peace Keepers back home, and I have a feeling someone told Prine to come here, knowing about the camera.
The pressure on my chest eases as I see she is fine, she is happy, and she will not break down over my loss. They will not go hungry. I smile and laugh as she gathers food, and medicinal plants.
She sings to the Mockingjays and giggles and laughs. I feel as though I am there with her, in 11, enjoying the day.
Fifteen minutes later she must go, and she leaves the frame, singing. Something tells me that I wasn't supposed to see this. Once you leave for the games you are gone, with no contact from your family. This is an exception, that may have been a mistake.
When I head back to the dining hall Thresh isn't alone, Chaff and Seeder are awake and they greet me.
They begin breakfast, and I find that I'm able to eat small amounts of the bread that comes from home and drink some milk.
It eases the hunger in my stomach substantially. The mentors try idle conversation, but it isn't getting Thresh to open up. They want to work on his strategy, and he said I could train with him, that he wasn't going to keep secrets from someone so young, from 'someone that promised not to kill me', he'd said with a smile.
I sit patiently, knowing they should spend all their time and efforts to help Thresh, because we all know I can't win. I know-in my heart-that Katniss will win. She's so strong, and I know her district partner will try to protect her, I know this all from her reaping.
She has the fight, and the compassion to win, and win with dignity. She won't become some savage who kills whatever she comes in contact with; she'll use her head, and allies. I think she will be my ally if I find her in the arena. I smile at the idea of getting to know her before I die.
I don't think she'd be able to kill me, but I should be weary. As much as I want her to win, I don't really want to die either-I'm ok with dying after I make it at least a few days in, but I want to show the Capitol who they're killing: innocent children, who had every right to live.
When I'm finally referenced to in the conversation it's to ask if Thresh and I plan to be allies. I don't think I'd mind being Thresh's ally, but it seems as if he'd be too big to fly through the trees as I do, and I'm not comfortable staying on the ground.
"We're to different," I reply saving him from having to answer. "I'm built for the trees. He's built for hand-to-hand, or at least staying on the ground. But we won't kill each other." I say finishing the explanation. What would the Capitol make of that? Two tributes, that aren't allies, refusing to kill each other. How strange that would seem to them.
"Exactly." Thresh agrees with me.
"So, Rue, what's your strategy going to be?" Seeder asks me.
"Get an ally, stay as high in the trees as possible, and keep moving to avoid the Gamemakers attacks." I say, my entire plan, leaving out-of course-who I plan to team up with.
"Rue, you can't trust anyone in there." Seeder says disapprovingly.
"And I can't do this alone. I need someone." I insist, trying to make it seem as though I'm the one who needs and ally, when in reality Katniss will need some type of help. I just know it.
"Very well then, who did you have in mind?" She asks cautiously.
"Definitely not the Careers." I say avoiding her question.
"Who then?" She presses.
"Katniss Everdeen." I say with a resigned sigh. "Maybe Peeta Mellark, if they're together." I say, feeling like they very well could be, since they seemed to know each other.
"Oh." Seeder and Chaff stare at me, dumbfounded.
"Yep." I say smiling, I'm sure they think I'm some naive child, which I suppose I could be, but I feel like this is right.
"That's actually the best choice for an ally for you." Seeder says considering my idea. "She saved her sister, and it appears as though her sister and you have much in common. She may see Primrose in you." I nod at her logic; I think I am like Primrose in some ways. "She also appears to have the fight in her. She might be able to keep you safe." She says thoughtfully.
"I'm not looking for a babysitter," I clarify. "I want to be her ally. Not her sister. I just think we could help each other out."
Seeder and Chaff nod, and go back to talking with Thresh, whom I'm sure they're eager to train. He's strong and fit; they think he could win for 11. I, on the other hand, have a different theory.
When the train begins to slow, and we pull into an enclosed space with flashes of white Seeder sighs, and says, "Publicity. They follow you everywhere." To herself, and then, "This is the Capitol." To Thresh and I. We nod, and go to the window to peer out.
There are hundreds of people craning to catch a sighting of us on their cameras, I've only ever seen this on T.V. Luckily, Topazma clears the pathway for us and we make it into the remake center, where I will be made over, into someone the Capitol can claim is pretty.
I know that after today odds are I won't look much like Rue Olgilby, so I say a quiet goodbye to myself.
Hello lovely readers! It's me. I wanted to post again, and keep the chapters coming. I am pleased to say I have my first reviewer, and this chapter is dedicated to that person. (You know who you are) Reviews make my day, so take a second and write me one, please!
By the way, what did you think of my little capitol technology from the movie? I always pictured that window screen thing that Katniss had in her room was just broadcasting video feed from her district... this fanfic let me put that idea out there. :)
Soooo... what did you think? Oh, and what did you think of Thresh? Would love feedback.
Thanks
R&R