The Announcement
I sleep the whole night without tears or restlessness unlike many of the other tributes. I'm guessing their first night in the Capitol was not a pleasant one, unlike mine and probably my allies. I'm pretty sure I dreamt of riding a unicorn and it's horn impaling May through the chest.
Cheerful.
But I honestly can't imagine Iowan losing any sleep over the days to come.
I wake up on time like normal and get back into my routine. I do my daily stretches still in my sleepwear, I take another wonderfully long bath and return smelling somewhat normal- if not a little too lemony, and dress in a tight green shirt and short, stretchy black shorts. Almost identical to my training outfit for the Trials. I roughly brush my long black hair and messily tie it up. I strap on some combat boots and then go down to the dining room. Alexandria tells me to help myself to the buffet of breakfast food.
I shrug and I pile doughnuts, sausage, hash browns, eggs, and fruit onto my plate into a mini moutain then sit down. Alexandria and I sit alone in the dining room. I'm glad she doesn't speak. I don't want her to ask me something, I answer wrong and boom, my mouth is sown shut. But I suppose if I win, I'm going have to give her a reason to be scared of me so we can be even. I nibble on a chocolate covered doughnut and she's spooning fruit into her mouth delicately.
"You're up early," she notes quietly.
"So are you." I reply.
She smiles, but it seems a little forced. "Let me guess, your brain is still hardwired?"
I nod. "Yours is, too." I comment.
"Yeah," she agrees then she laughs. "That'll change after the arena, Olivia."
"It didn't for you."
"It did. I just relearned."
Before I can analyse what she meant, the door opens and Theo walks in. He has on a black shirt and black shorts. He looks surprisingly good I'm ashamed to admit. His dark hair was messy and he forgot to take out one of the silver strands of thread from the night before making him look bedraggled. I admire his muscles bulging through his shirt, but quickly turn my thoughts onto strategies to distract myself. It doesn't work. He gives the Avox in the corner a friendly nod then piles food onto his plate. He takes a seat next to me and sighs, looking in awe at his mountain of food.
I shovel food into my mouth so fast I'm inhaling it. I ignore the thought that the only male I have ever been around this much is watching in barely concealed disgust. There. Now he almost looks ugly.
May joins us about fifteen minutes later, dragging a rumpled looking Brutus. Neither of them seems surprised to find us already seated.
"Now, I've been talking to my friends and I've got the message going through the ol' grapevine. I've got at least twelve sponsors for you on my own. One is a private investor. I need you others helping any way you can. Go talk to your old sponsors. Try getting the presidents Granddaughter on your side." May says.
Brutus looks at Theo and me. "Ok, so down to business. Do you two want to be coached separately or together?" his voice gruff from sleep.
"Well, we've both gone through training since we were seven. We both know the other has to be extremely skilled to be here." I say. "Sort of. I've got nothing up my sleeves that this guy doesn't know about." We often had to train with the boys in our own sector, although I don't remember him. I poke Theo, hard enough to hurt. "So, I'm all for being together."
Theo keeps his face expressionless and nods.
"Alright, then." Alexandria says. "So be it."
"Remember; don't show off too much down there." Brutus points his fork at us. "But make the other tributes know you are dangerous. Theo, I want to you to practice your aim. Olivia, if memory serves me correctly, you need hand-to-hand practice and sword, mace, and axe work. I want you at those stations. And survival stations, too. Both of you. You can practice your strengths, but work on your weaknesses. Save all the major showing off for the Gamemakers. But it is perfectly fine to intimidate the tributes. Induce new fear into their system. Fear of you." He says, pointing at me.
"Yes sir," I mumble.
Well that's just made my day slightly less fun. I wanted to go practice knife-throwing, but I guess he's right. I need the practice elsewhere.
After breakfast, Theo and I are given a while to relax.
4 minutes 38 seconds after I left the dining room, a loud booming voice is echoing throughout the floor.
"Will all tributes, mentors and Captiol Tribute staff all make their way to the television room. Live announcement from President Snow." Kept repeating over and over, booming so loudly my initial instinct was to cover up both my ears.
I stubbornly walked towards the room, Theo trailing behind me.
"So do you know what this is about?" He asks.
"No."
"Oh okay. Do you think it will be important?"
"No."
"Do you think that training is cancelled?"
"No."
"You're not listening to me are you?"
"No."
Upon entering the room, I see that all our mentors and stylists and May are all seated, waiting for us. Taking the closest available seat I'm sat next to Ameile and Theo. The joys.
The huge screen flickers to life, the lights automatically dim and the ghostly pale face of President Snow looms above us on the large screen. The anthem plays and the seal of Panem dances across the screen. Everyone in the room is silent in anticipation.
"I have an announcement to make for this year's annual Hunger Games, which affects all tributes and their districts." Snow said with a evil glint in his eye. Uh oh. This cannot be good. I grip the edges of the seat and lean forward, tense. "This year is like no other. It is not a quell. It is something so much more exciting." Snow said, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "This year, tributes will be given special abilities. Over the next two days they will be genetically altered to make this year better than it has ever been before. The Games will be postponed another week until the tributes have had time to adjust. A list of tributes names and their new abilities will be posted around the Capitol within the hour. Tributes, you can wait and see." Snow says with a wink. One final flash of the seal of Panem and the screen goes dark.
Everyone in the room is silent, no one speaks a word. I look at everyone's faces, trying to gauge their reactions.
Ameile seems horrified. Her eyes are wide and frightened, her hand clasped over her mouth. Alexandria seems confused. Brutus angry. Daemon is also shocked. May has never looked happier, and she's looking over at Theo and me hungrily. Hoping we get the best genetic alterations I assume.
Theodoros. Cocky, confident, annoying Theo is frozen. His mouth is parted slightly, hands clenched into fists. Unshed tears glisten in his eyes. But behind that film of tears I see fury, fury that I've never seen on anyone before. I know the emotions he is feeling. We are feeling every emotion someone in this room has. Shocked, upset, angry, scared, apprehensive. Even violated.
That was when the silence ceased to exist.
"Oh my! Oh my! Oh my!" May was saying. "How exciting!"
"You can't honestly think this is a good thing?" Brutus snapped, rising to his full stature looming above the pampered bitch.
"Of course it is." May said, unfazed. "They will gain abilities that would change life or death situations. In this case: Life."
"They can't do this!" Ameile squealed, looking on the verge of tears.
"I don't understand." I mumble, my voice numb.
"Basically Liv, we're gonna be chopped into bits and pieces and become mutts. To make better entertainment." Theo said, his voice cruel.
My body trembles as I try to keep it together. No this wasn't happening. It was going to be a normal year. I was going to win and go home. There wasn't supposed to be anything special or unique or different. And now my chances were as even as everyone else's. I had no advantage. I would die.
I felt Theo, in a moment of impulse grab one of my tightly curled fists and gently uncurl it until it is no longer clenched. And in a moment of complete weakness and terror I hold onto his hand like my life depended on it.
"Shut up." I heard Theo say. It sounded distant. Soon all chatter stops. "We may not like this, but we have to do it. I don't care for any of your opinions. And it certainly doesn't help us feel any fucking better. Come get us when it's time to go. We'll be in Liv's room."
Theo stood up, and I follow suit still clutching his hand. My body trembles.
And without another word he marches from the room, pulling me along with him.
Silently he gently guides me back to my room. Upon entering I look around, not feeling the same happiness as I usually did when I beheld it. The dark colours made it feel oppressive and restricted. The unfamiliar smell made it feel abandoned. I shivered.
This would be the last comfortable place I'll live before I die. I will never see my family again. They will spit on my grave for doing this to them. For leaving them when they begged me not to.
Theo kindly but firmly sat me in bed and he perched on the end. We sit in silence for about an hour, neither one of us wanting to speak about the horrors ahead of us.
Finding my strength to speak I ask: "Why are you helping me?"
I don't receive an answer for a long time. I almost forget that I asked a question.
"Because there's something about you. It makes me want to protect you, crazy as it sounds." He said with a sarcastic laugh.
Sitting up I snort with laughter. "I am capable of looking after myself, asshole." I joke, sinking in to the comfortable lull of conversation and ignoring my impending doom.
"I know." He said with that annoying smirk of his. I gave him the finger as he got up and walked towards my mini fridge.
"Here's to death!" He cheers, spinning around with a bottle of vodka in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other.
Giggling- something that I do not do!- I stride over to him and snatch the alcohol.
"I reckon they gave us this because they knew we would need some comforting." I said while studying the bottle of clear liquid. Without waiting for an answer I unscrew the top and take four big gulps until the burning of my throat makes me gag and choke and I can bear it no more.
Laughing hysterically Theo takes away the bottle and he takes a few gulps. He only managed 3 until tears are streaming from his face.
"That is fucking awful!" he laughed, passing it back to me.
We took several turns taking swigs of the disgusting drink until the taste went away and our minds became fuzzy.
"This issshnt sensible you know." I slurred, dragging him to the sofa. "Shoon we shall be shliced like shalami and turned into shit like..." I paused, prompting Theo to finish my sentence.
He holds onto his chin awhile, appearing to be in deep thought. Blearily I study the boy. The annoying, cocky boy is actually here in my room comforting me in the strangest way possible.
"Oh oh oh!" he squealed, sounding like an excited little girl. Laughing and snorting in the attractive way I do, I listen. "What if…" he pauses, chewing his lip. "What if I turn into a person? But without boy parts."
"Do you mean… a girl?"
"Yes! Yes! One of those! I would not like to be one." He pouts.
My head starts to throb and I begin to giggle uncontrollably. My chest heaves and I'm laughing so much, gasping for air. Theo shortly joins me, doubled over onto the floor.
I skip out of my room and call: "Waiter." Imitating the Capitols silly accent. An Avox comes running towards me.
I burp, which sets off another round of giggles. Theo is out in the hall, laid on the floor staring at the ceiling.
"Um tongue-less one." I ask. "Please may you get me the yummiest food possible, and play some music. It's time to party!" I sing, yelling at the end. I pull the Avox into a hug and he quickly scurries off.
Not before long music is playing throughout the floor and surprisingly I know it. Its music from District 2. A song played at birthday parties.
Yelling with happiness I drag Theo back into my room and dump him on the bed. He is singing along to the song, but the words changed and much ruder. Too drunk to care if Theo sees me I strip down to my lacy black underwear and put on an oversized tshirt.
I look up to see him staring.
"See something you like?" I tease with a wink and a cheeky grin. Theo pales, but noticing I'm only joking, begins onto the whiskey.
I start dancing to the music in probably an extremely embarrassing way. But in the state I am, I think I'm amazing. I dance across the room with Theo propped up in bed making mocking comments.
I almost forget about my impending death.
That is until May Gloss's scream cuts through the music. She storms over and turns off the music that was now solely playing in my room. She snatched the vodka and whiskey off us both and gave us her best glare.
"Hey!" I say in indignation. "That's mine! Get your own." I snap. "Join the party May the gay!"
Her silvery face turns beet red and she raises her hand to slap me, before visibly controlling herself. She knew that if she hit me I would come back and hit her twice as hard. Hopefully knocking her stupid bobble head off.
"Both of you pull it together." She snapped. "It's time for the procedure."
Our giggles quieten and we look at one another. I see fear in the depths of his dark eyes, and I know he can see it reflected in my own also.
Deathly silence falls between the three of us and slowly but deliberately May leaves the room, expecting us to follow.
Theo gets up from the bed and gently takes my hand. His thumb rubs circular motions on the back of my hand, soothing and calming me. He murmurs something in my ear, but still induced with alcohol I missed what he said.
May is soon upbeat once more and ushering us to the elevators. I barely catch what she's telling me. Theo must have, though, because he knows which button to push. The glass elevator zooms down the shaft and all too soon we are at the bottom. The doors open to reveal a large, bright, well-equipped lab, complete with glass-fronted cabinets and counters, stations for preparation of compounds, refrigerators. It held 24 tables and on a few of them laid tributes.
Steeling myself for what was about to come I let go of Theo's hand and marched towards the table that had my District number and name on it. It was now or never. I watched as Theo sadly walked away from me, mouthing 'Good luck'. But he had already gone before I could return it.
Something had changed. Fear had made us actual friends. We were the only other who knew what we were going through, the pressures, the dangers, and the desire. And the common denominator- fear. It had made us rely on the other for comfort, and strangely I was okay with that. I missed being alone and having someone to confide in. If only for a short while.
Fear. An emotion that those from District 2 didn't seem to have. And here I was, for the second time in my life: Afraid. First it was watching my sister die. Now it is going to my doom.
The rest of the tributes joined us pretty quickly. I was beside Leone from District 5 and Oscar from District 9. Both were ordinary looking children, some who would never have had much of a chance before. Now Leone was excited, wringing her hands in anticipation. She knew her odds of winning just got better.
Oscar on the other hand was a shaking bag of bones. He knew that if his mutation wasn't good he was as good as dead. He probably already knew that, I thought, but I believe he is scared of the new creative ways he would die.
I shuddered at the thought of my own death.
I look down at myself, still in only an oversized tshirt. Suddenly I feel embarrassed in front of the tributes, as some look at me funnily.
I shrug them off, ignoring the red blush in my cheeks. I was still tipsy and could kill them within minutes.
All of a sudden red lights started flashing throughout the lab and scared kids became panicked kids as an ear piercing alarm blared through the room.
In the confusion of kids running round, orderlies in white lab coats and all with surgical masks on their faces caught a child and injected them with something. Within moments the children fell, asleep on the floor.
I looked to my left and saw Clio fighting on of the nurses, however one managed to get her from behind and inject it into her neck. She slumped to the floor almost immediately.
Sunshine was the next career to go down. By this time I had been mostly ignored, stood still by myself. Most of the districts were down.
Iowan, Pisces and Theo were still fighting hard. Iowan was injected but he crushed the glass before any liquid got into his blood stream. The needle was still in his arm.
A burly man-nurse catches sight of me and storms towards me. Knowing I no longer was unnoticed I raised my fists in a defensive position and wait. I know this is pointless, fighting back when we have no option. But I've never gone down without a fight and I don't intend to now.
Realizing I have no intention to attack first, the man charges. I duck to avoid his blow and as I'm coming back up I swing my fist around and it hits him in the back of his neck. He stumbles forward. I swing my right hook as he turns back towards me and he is flung backwards, stumbling. He ducks my next clumsy drunken swing and knocks my feet out from under me, winding me. The pain sobered me up.
He beckons to one of the women with a syringe. The man grabbed my arm to yank me up, but I was ready.
I came straight up, launching myself at him with all the fury that had been building up inside of me since the announcement. The top of my skull collided so hard with his nose that I saw stars swimming in my periphery. He let go of me and reeled back, and I charged forward, suddenly and icy calm, sliding into the empty space between his legs. I went low, dodging the man's wild one-fisted swing as he held his gushing nose in his other hand. I came up behind him and whirled up like a dancer. He swung round and I smashed an elbow right into the damage I had already done. He screamed – a high pitched that sounded as much surprised as pained – and went down hard on his back.
I briefly looked around me. Unconscious bodies littered the ground. Pisces was down. Iowan was down. Theo was down. I was the last tribute standing.
I whooped a little bit in pride, and my chest swelled.
"I still got it." I said to the remaining orderlies with a wink. And then I willingly offered up my arm to be injected.
I felt a little sting as the needle went in, and then all of a sudden my arms and face began to feel fuzzy and fizz uncomfortably.
I gracefully lay down on the floor and I faded into oblivion.