District 1
Gleam Rivers
I get out of bed and cross another day off the calendar with a red X. Another day I'm going to face without Dream. And not just any other day. Today's the funeral day.
I have lots of other friends, true. But none of them understand me like he did. They liked him alright but didn't prefer to talk to him. I couldn't manage without him.
I get out of bed and go to my closet to find a nice suit. I flip past the shirt and pants I wore for reaping day. I'll probably never wear them again. I can't believe I didn't question him at all for volunteering. Even though I knew that 23 die every year, I congratulated him. I was so sure he was going to win I didn't stop for two seconds to think of what might happen if he were to lose.
I had to sit and watch him resort to things that weren't in his personality at all. I had to watch the Games completely change him, and then I had to watch him be taken from me.
I get dressed, trying to get my hair to behave for once. I look at myself in the mirror and look away, not wanting to see my own reflection. I didn't sleep at all last night, I stayed up late, the grief strangling me and choking me.
I walk to the little building in which the tribute funerals are held, feeling slightly sick to the stomach. I miss him so much, it's only been a couple weeks at most without him but it feels like a lifetime. I go in and see Chime Prior already there, collapsed on the floor, choking with tears. My heart breaks for him and I struggle to hold it together as I go to the coffins where the bodies lay. So pristine, except for that one fatal injury.
"Empress," sobs Chime, unable to hold it together. "Oh, Empress…"
I take a deep breath, the air involuntarily quivering as I take it in. "Chime…"
He looks up, trying to compose himself, but gives up and goes back into tears. "I loved her," he says, "I loved her so much and I never told her. I should've told her. She was my best friend but I loved her even more than that… She's gone now… She never should've volunteered… It was never worth it."
"How long have you been here?" I ask him. Surely this isn't healthy.
"Since before they opened the doors," he says. "I couldn't sleep so I left so I wouldn't bother my little siblings. They… They c-can't see me like this." I understand how he feels.
I glance at the bodies again, the grief multiplying by ten each time I look.
"It sucks," I say, "It sucks and it hurts and nothing's ever going to be the same." A tear starts to blur my sight as I hold a hand down to him. "People should be arriving soon." He takes my hand and I help him up, and he takes me into a tight hug. I'm surprised by it, but I hug him back, appreciating his support to me and offering mine to him.
"How are we going to go on without them?" he asks, his voice shaking from the tears.
I sigh, tears forming, voice, shaking, trying to think of something to tell him to give him some kind of relief or peace. I can't think of anything.
A tear rolls down my cheek and my nose starts to run and I realize that this day and this grief is going to be a lot more of a challenge than I ever could've imagined.
"Chime… I…" I sigh quietly. "I don't know how. I really don't know."
District 2
Sandor Fairbanks
The funeral day is dark and dreary and miserable. The caskets are open for all to see. I arrive first with her family, Corona, and Chantelle. Seeing the body there, pale, expression set, perfectly pristine except for the one place she was hit with the knife… My knees give out from under me with the tears.
Chantelle and Corona help me up, both of them crying. Our girl, our Janie, and she's… Dead.
We stay huddled together for a while. Janie's parents look used to it after having been through this once with their son.
My heart breaks and shatters.
We look up when someone else comes in. Pryderi Gallivan, to be exact. Here for Pontifex. He carries a baby with him. The three of us are itching with curiosity so we decide to go talk to him.
"Hey," I say sadly, glancing at Pontifex's body before ripping my eyes away.
"Hi there kids," Pryderi says.
"Hey there," Corona coos at the baby, tickling her under the chin. "What's your name?"
"Siri," he says. "For a while, since before Ponty Pont was reaped… I had to find some way of making money. I was a pretty face… I had a girl that wanted it to be unprotected, and I guess I didn't pull out right. I'd never done it before, and I warned her, and just…" he sighs and we quickly tell him we get the point. "Siri's my responsibility now," he says, sighing down at her. She's a really cute baby, with fuzzy dark hair and Pontifex's eyes. I swear they're green once and the next time I look at her they look blue.
He glances at the body in the casket, gritting his teeth and looking upset. We decide to leave them as people start to file in. So many people visit for Janie. Groups of friends from our grade and the grade below us come together, even if they didn't know her, telling us how brightly she shone. I get hugs from people I've never even talked to before. Everyone in the room is miserable. I notice Thatcher Culbertson, dressed in his best, having a chat with Pryderi.
When he comes around to talk to us, he has a sleeping Siri in his arms. "I'm going to watch her for a bit," he says.
"This must be painful for you guys," he sighs. "I wish there was something I could do."
"We'll make it," I sigh sadly. There's already such an emptiness Janie left when she went. It'll be there for the rest of time, we'll never deny it.
"If you need something, I'm around," he says, and we all thank him.
The day drags on, the service is horrid and the burial is the final goodbye. Corona and Chantelle run from the grave but I kneel by it.
"Goodbye, Sis," I say, a lump forming in my throat. "Thanks for lighting up my life."
I quickly get up and walk away from there, solidifying that my best friend is dead and there's not a thing I can do to change that.
District 3
Harry Bluebird
The District has changed since we got a Victor. Everyone seems in much higher spirits. The eyes of the people around are much more… lively. The mood is higher knowing that each month food will come. Lily and I have never had to worry about that, but it's nice to see some of the others who go hungry having a hope.
That's one thing that Juli's Victor has given a lot of to people. Hope. Everywhere Gio goes he gives people hope. He preaches that anything is possible. So many of the people in our District, from the homeless in the slums to those like us that are better off. He's given hope to people that had never had a source of hope before in their lives. I suppose that if Juli had to die, he was a good choice for a Victor.
He hasn't stopped reaching out to us. We don't really need his help but he still stops around. Lily, my beautiful wife, works with his best friend Simon, who she's become friends with over the course of the weeks our dear Juli was in the Arena with him.
My heart aches for my sister. Of course it does. Every day without her is another one that I miss her. She was much too young to die in the Games and we mourn her every day. Lily's brought up the idea of having a baby, but since the Games ended I've still been a bit hesitant. I can't stand the thought of having a child just to have them reaped into the Games. Lily understands that.
Gio still comes around sometimes. The kid's a little, uh, unsettled in the head. He always comes with stories of the shenanigans of the "ghosts" in his house in the Victor's Village. He means well, I know he does, and he's still all smiles and happiness when we see him, but he's got a hollow look in his eyes. He talks so easily about the lives lost in his Games, which is a bit unsettling. But he really does have nothing but good intentions.
He always tells us how much he thinks about Juli, and tells us stories about her adventures with his sister Abriella. When he tells us these stories, some of them repeating themselves, Lily always holds onto my arm and says how she really did take after me.
Maybe someday when the memory of losing Juli isn't so fresh, Lily and I will have a kid or two. We certainly have plenty of time to think about it. But, for now, I can't think about having a child without thinking about the pain and loneliness and sadness I felt at seeing my baby sister dead on the television screen.
Today the pain is particularly hard, for really no good reason except for the fact that I miss my sister. Lily comes in with some hot tea and sits next to me on the couch. "Still hurts, huh?"
"It's going to hurt a lot over my lifetime. Probably in random bursts of sadness," I sigh.
"I know," Lily says, snuggling close to me. "We'll have each other, though. Always. It hurts but we can be there for each other."
I smile, kissing my wife's forehead. "Of course. I love you. So much."
She smiles, and I still feel sad and want my sister back, but feel calm. "I love you too," she says. I sigh quietly, and I know that no matter what happens, we're going to be okay.
District 4
Ariel Soong
Mommy and Daddy have been really sad lately. Tia went away and they didn't say where she went but they did tell me that she won't be coming back. They say that she won't but I know that Tia loves us very much so I'm sure she'll be home soon.
"Ariel, honey," Mommy sounds really tired, "It's time to wake up."
I sit up. "Has Tia come back yet?" I ask her.
Mommy takes a deep breath. "Ariel, honey, Tia went where Jun went."
"They're together again?" I ask excitedly. "Is she going to bring him home!?" I miss Jun even though I didn't know him very well. I hope Tia brings Jun when she comes back.
"No, honey, she won't. Tia won't be coming home for a long time. She'sstaing with Jun and she can't come back."
"Why not? Won't she miss us? What if she feels lonely?"
"Ariel, honey, please…" I don't think Mommy wants me to ask any more questions. "We have to go. Can you please put on your nice dress?"
"Yeah!" I go to my closet to get it. I love wearing my nice dress, it makes me feel pretty. Mommy only lets me wear it on very special occasions, though.
Mommy and Daddy take me to a small building that looks like a bunch of living rooms put together. We go into a room and see another family there.
"Hello!" I call to them, but the other family looks sad. The parents are frowning and the Mommy is crying and hugging another girl who's also crying.
"They look really sad, Mommy," I say, feeling sad because they're really sad.
"Mommy," I pull on her shirt, but Mommy and Daddy look really sad too. Everyone's sad and that makes me sad too.
"Why are you sad?" I ask them.
"We miss Tia," Dad says.
"Why don't we write to her?" I ask them.
"Maybe when we get home," Daddy says, but he doesn't sound very serious about that.
A lot of people come and hug Mommy and Daddy and give me hugs too. A lot of people say that they're sorry, but I don't know what they're sorry for. I like hugs, though, so I hug the people that hug me. I talk to the people that ask me questions. They have a service and Mommy and Daddy tell me to be quiet. They talk a lot about a boy named Mitchell and Tia and about how they went away and we miss them.
Oh, so that's why we're here! A lot of people are sad that Mitchell and Tia left. I'm sad too. I miss Tia. I love her and look up to her. I hope she comes back soon but maybe Mommy and Daddy are right and she won't. I know she will, though! She'll miss us too much!
We go to a cemetary, a really creepy place, and some boxes are put into the ground. That makes the people very sad, especially Mommy and Daddy. Mommy cries and Daddy holds her. The other family is there too, and they're really sad too. Mommy and Daddy take me back home and tell me to stay in my room for a while, so I start to draw some pictures for Tia. I want to send them to her so that she'll see them and come home to see me.
I miss Tia a lot, and so do Mommy and Daddy.
I hope she comes home soon.
District 5
Sadie Fowler
If you go into the Games, let me give you a tip. If you like your appendages, you have to say what the Capitol wants to hear. If they ask you about your dead brother, you have to… I dunno, smile and lie? Say that it's really okay, like nothing ever happened that affected your entire childhood, your entire life.
Yeah, being a Victor is great. I was fiery, they didn't like that. I told the truth about how losing Dawson affected all of us, they hated that. So they did whatever they could to try and scare me and kill me off. It didn't work. I'm still here. Miserable, but still here.
Every Friday at exactly 4:00 P.M. after school, Gaylen Fowler comes to my front door and knocks, trying to get me to let him in. Every Friday at exactly 4:02 P.M., I tell him to fuck off. Our relationship's withered away and died in the dust.
It was okay, shaky but okay, even when he turned out to be a super genius and I was just… Average. It was okay when he had an answer for every problem and I had nothing to give. It was okay, even when I came to understand why Dawson left. He felt like he was intruding. He was reminded of Mom. I always said I'd go, but my aunt and uncle insist I stay. Anyways, it was okay when he always had sunshine and all I had were clouds. It was okay until the little bastard skipped up into my grade. Suddenly, he was the shining star, and I was dull and blunt. I had good grades but it didn't matter because next to him, who got more and more attractive each year, always laughed, and was a genius… I looked like nothing.
I was glad to be reaped. I got to leave them forever. Make my own life and not feel like I was burdening anyone.
I still talk to Wye, which means that there are about one million threats on his head if I misstep. I've gotten good at lying to his face about it though. I've gotten really good at lying to the people the Capitol threatens to kill.
When I hear a knock on my door at 1:36 P.M., I don't know what to think. When I open it, Gaylen's there. He's crying.
"Sadie, please let me in," he hiccups a bit.
"Why?" I ask, my scowl not lifting.
"…I thought I was ready to see the death. I wasn't ready." He looks up at me, brown eyes watery. "Please."
"Fine." I go in and he follows, closing the door behind him. I take a seat and he sits down, too, crying quietly.
"This is really the first time you've seen it?"
He nods. "I skipped grades and when they showed it I just didn't go. I went this time…"
"Ah."
"How do you deal with it, Sadie?" I throw a box of tissues at him and he blows his nose.
"I don't. We don't. We just kind of ignore it, and then it destroys us later. That's how it is with the Games."
"…Oh… But… That's not right…"
"Of course it isn't. But you can't say anything about that."
"But why not?"
"Do you remember what they threw at me in my Games, Gaylen?"
Of course he does. He's a genius, he remembers everything. He pales, more tears falling out of his eyes. "…An earthquake."
"They tried to pin me down with a tree, and they missed and got my leg instead. Do you think that was some kind of coincidence, Gaylen?"
He sniffles, dabbing at his eyes with a tissue. "…No."
"No. It wasn't."
I take a pack of cigarettes from the table and get a lighter. He watches as I light up and take a puff.
"Smoking's not good for you," he sniffles. "It could kill you."
"It could kill me? Good." I take another puff. "What have I got to stay around for?" That causes him to cry harder. I roll my eyes.
"Take a puff," I say, offering him one, "It will calm you down. You can worry about the consequences later. Not like there's much to live for anymore."
He takes it from me with shaking hands. "Okay." He lights up, takes a puff, and erupts into coughs. I laugh a bit. Amateur.
After a while of trying to look cool smoking and ultimately failing, he starts examining the prosthetic leg I have. "This is really not efficient," he says, cocking his head to the side.
"I don't think it's meant to be."
"I could help you get a better one. One that moves with you more. If you'll have me back."
I consider it. Am I really considering rebuilding my relationship with my brother?
"…Fine. Be here Friday. 4:00 sharp."
District 6
Bryce Hartell
I sit by myself after having shooed away my parents and anyone else that had the audacity to appear at our doorstep to try and talk to me.
She was so close. Tuesday was so close, she could've won… And now she's gone.
I sit by myself and look at some of the rare pictures of us together, my head filling with happy, warm memories of us together. I grip the photos tightly. I was so in love with this person and now Tuesday's gone out of my life for however long: or short: it lasts.
And Gio got to live. The spineless worrywart who couldn't even hold a weapon the right way, all because he was with someone who he manipulated into fighting all his battles for him. Angry tears drip out of my eyes. It's not fair that Gio should live. He was weak, he had no merit, he didn't do anything but spend the entire Games being afraid and depending on his puppet from District 10 to do the dirty work. Which included killing Tuesday.
I will never forgive him for the pain he's brought us. I want to kill him. Of all the tributes in that Arena he deserved to win the least. He was the liability and he knew it. He couldn't do anything! If his goddamned puppet Atticus hadn't been in the picture Tuesday would've taken her rightful place as the Victor. But, no. Of course it wasn't fair. Of course it had to be him, after what he and his ally did to Tuesday.
My life went to hell and ever since I've been burning in fire. Every second I spend without Tuesday I miss her. Every time I go to bed I know that there is no hope that I'll see her tomorrow. I've been left painfully alone, and I'll never stop suffering because of it. So many of the other tributes were more deserving of Victory than he was. Garrison, from my District, he knew what he was doing, and yet he was taken. His mother and father looked sickly and exhausted at the funeral, having already lost a daughter to the horrors of the Games.
I didn't go to the funeral. I know Tuesday would be mad that I didn't, but I couldn't make myself go. I'm not ready to say goodbye to her. I'll never be ready. Every day I'll wake up and my first thought will be hopeful that Tuesday and I can spend the day together. Every day for the rest of my life. And every day I'll have to relive that moment I watched him become desperate to get home and every day I'll have to rewatch Atticus killing him. Every day of my life.
I don't think I can live with that. I don't think I can live. Not without Tuesday. I tap my fingers nervously, trying to calm down the hysterical thoughts that start to fill my mind. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to shake them all out but before I know it I go looking for something that could end it quickly. I'm going through the knife drawer when I hear an exclamation from the doorway.
"Bryce!" Shit, it's my mother. She runs in. "What are you doing!?"
"Mom, I-"
She wraps her arms around me tightly. "That isn't what Tuesday would want from you," she says, tears lacing her voice.
She's right and I know that. What would Tuesday want me to do then!?
I decide that bottling the fear and grief and anger and sadness isn't what she would want.
So, I do what I would do if Tuesday were here.
I break down into tears in my mother's arms.
District 7
Stanley Ralston
The rain pours down and I keep going. People swarm to get out of the rain. I'm in no hurry. The rain fits how I feel. The girl I love with everything isn't here anymore. And yeah, it's been a couple months, but it still hurts.
Katherine, my beautiful Katherine, and she's been taken. Seeing her on the screen, being someone I had never known her to be… God, it hurts.
I keep on moving along in the rain, not minding that it's cold and miserable and I shiver and it's fall becoming winter and I'm not wearing a coat and it's dark and I hear the thunder outside and the guys at work are all going home and I'm alone, I'm alone, I'll always be alone, Katherine's gone and I'm alone.
I sit by myself for a bit, my mind inevitably going to her.
As for her District partner's family… They've all moved on. They didn't even come to the funeral. They don't care. And yeah, it's a shame that he's gone… Like Katherine.
Katherine is gone, Katherine will always be gone and I'm here and I'm alone.
"Stanley!" I look up and see a familiar figure running towards me.
"Tatum?" Katherine's 16-year-old brother. He looks at the sky just as thunder cracks and the sky flashes brightly.
"It's not safe for you out here!" he takes my hands. 'You have to come back to our place, the Victor's Village is closer than your place!"
"I'll be fine!"
"Shut up dumbass," he says, "You don't have a choice, okay? You're not going back to the camps, not in this weather."
I'm just a boy from the camps, working in the woods every day… That is, until we were working in the woods and poor planning took my legs out. I was moved into the District then while I recovered, and to this day I still can't get my legs to move. Yeah, it sucks, but it's also how I met my Katherine. She changed my whole life. Her mother was really good to me. My parents moved to one of the closer camps to the District to accommodate me. It's about a fifteen minute's distance away, but Tatum is taking me back to their house in the Victor's Village despite my protests.
He takes me in and I realize for the first time that both of us are sopping wet. He shakes out his short, dirty-blond hair and shivers before he goes to find towels for us. The soft dry towels feel good, but being in the house gives me pangs of pain.
"You should sleep here tonight, Dumbass," he says, taking me to the kitchen and tossing me an apple. "Eat it."
I sigh but do as he says. "I don't think I could stand to sleep here." Not after what happened to my Katherine.
"Too bad," he says. I sigh quietly.
"The only bedroom on the ground floor is…" Katherine's.
"It's okay. I can sleep on the couch or something."
"Stanley, why are you still hung up on her? There are other people out there. People that wouldn't treat you like shit."
"She didn't treat me like shit!" I protest. "She made me love myself after the accident!"
"She treated you so horribly!" he says, "She didn't love you right!"
"Stop talking about your sister in this way. Stop talking about my Katherine like that!"
"She wasn't just yours, Dumbass! There were plenty of other guys that saw her as theirs too! Why can't you see that you're surrounded by people that care about you more than she ever did!?"
"Tatum!"
"She's a cheater! She was never loyal to you! I have to sit here and watch her bring in boys and more boys and yet you're so infatuated with her! When will you see that you deserve better!?"
"She was loyal," I say. I fully believe it, too. Katherine was good to me.
"Maybe at first. But she has a sexual appetite. If you look in her room you'll find boxes and boxes of condoms. She was never loyal to you. Dumbass."
Thunder booms.
"Tatum. What do you want me to say to you?"
"I want you to see that there are people in your life who love you in a way that she never did!"
Maybe he's right, but I don't want to think about it. I love her and that's all that matters. "Goodnight, Tatum," I say curtly, ending the conversation and going out to the living room to sleep. I transfer to the couch without blankets and pretend to be sleeping. Later, I hear footsteps and suddenly am covered by a blanket.
"Good night. Dumbass."
District 8
Kuzey Ward
Mom and Dad asked me to go out and get groceries. I know I can go out and get groceries. I said I would go out and get groceries. I like getting groceries because it usually gets my mind off of the scary things.
I buy the fruits and vegetables on the list and put them in the bag Mom gave me to take. I look at the list and decide to keep walking to find the other food we need.
There are lots of people out today. I don't like a lot of people. They're loud and many of them are rude to me. I don't want to let Mom and Dad down though so I keep walking, moving out of the way for big groups that plow through the crowd. Ori used to go shopping with me. He always protected me from the big scary crowd. He protected me from everything that's scary, even when Mommy and Daddy went away because of factory accidents and we spent that time in the orphan place with those adults that were very mean and didn't like me, and then when Mom and Dad took us home with them. He was always there. Ori's not there anymore. He went away and we had a big service to say goodbye to him, just like Mom and Dad but this time I didn't have Ori there.
I see Boris and Leona walking together, and I quickly try to catch up to them, waving and calling their names. But they just walk faster. They don't want to see me because they say I remind them of Ori and they miss Ori. I miss Ori too but nobody stops to listen to me. Mom and Dad would, but they have a lot of work to do and they're out a lot more than they're in the house. They are often very tired when they get home.
I go to the market and buy more of the food on the list when I see a boy with curly hair walking towards me, talking with a couple of adults. When they reach a street corner he hugs both of them, saying, "Thank you for talking to me, Mr. and Mrs. Sarzin."
I look up to see him walking toward me.
"Hey!" he says, but I feel shy and scared and don't want to say anything.
"Kuzey?" He gets on one knee so he can be at my level and he's not so big and scary.
"Mhm…"
"Hi," he says gently. "I'm Gio. I live in District 3 but I came to District 8 to learn some signs from my friend Ritter." Ritter is a Victor. That means he went away like Ori did but he came back. I wish I knew why Ritter and Gio got to come back and Ori didn't. It's not fair.
"You came back and Ori didn't," I tell him, and I feel very sad.
"Yeah, that's right. I did. And I know it's not fair. But I wanted to give you something." He holds out a necklace to me, with a triangular charm on it.
"Ori was wearing this when we were together. I want you to have it to remember him by. Would you like me to put it on you?"
"Y-yes. Please."
"Alright." He wraps the chain around my neck and clasps it. "Ori will always be with us."
"I want him back here." I want him to be here like has before. I want to talk to him and hug him and I want him to sing me songs and tell me jokes and cuddle with me when I'm sad or scared. I want my brother back.
"I know."
"It's not fair."
"It's definitely not." The big clock tower chimes and he stands back up. "I have to go back to my District, but I hope to talk to you again." He goes off.
I don't really want to talk to him. I want to talk to Ori. It's not fair that Ori is gone and Gio is here and Ritter is home. That's not fair.
I walk back home with the groceries, feeling sadder and more afraid than ever.
District 9
Tracie Cory
The District decided to have a full-District viewing in the Square for the final battle of the Games. People were excited that morning, smiling, cheering when they saw Tristabelle's face on the screen, they were so confident that the District would have a Victor. They were so confident that she would outlast him. That she'd come back.
I wanted her to come back, too, but for a different reason. Sure, the other people in the District that failed to treat her like anything more than scum saw her as a chance to have food, but that's not why I wanted her to win.
I walked into the room as everyone was getting ready to go to the Square, save for our Grandmother, who wasn't feeling well that morning, and heard four of my cousins talking about it. Charmian was talking about how nice it would be to eat, Chasity agreeing.
"Yeah, but isn't she kind of… A bitch?" Cherish was asking, and the others all quickly agreed.
"A major bitch," Corrina agreed. "And I'd rather starve than have that bitch come home, in all honesty."
I didn't want to call them out on that, so I just went away, and went up to Nik's room to see if he needed help with anything. Nik is my cousin from my father's sister, and I care so much more for him than for the other four, who are all intolerable.
"How do you think it's going to go?" I asked him as we went out the door together.
"I want Tristabelle to win," he said. I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, me too. But… I dunno if this is weird, but I don't want her to win just because of the food. There's… More of a reason."
"Does it have to do with Lyndon?" he asked, looking pained to be speaking of him.
"Yeah," I said, sighing quietly as the screen lit up with the Capitol Seal to signal the start of mandatory viewing time. "She has so much respect for him. She wanted to get revenge for him. I think the Arena changed her for the better. She'd make a good Victor. She'd take care of us. Is that weird of me to think? Too big of a stretch?"
We looked up to the screen to see her there, her eyes looking heavy and sad, and Nik shook his head. "Not a stretch at all. She'd be a good Victor." We watched the final battle begin.
The District, after being disappointed and slightly shocked, went back to its normal business. Not many people showed up for the funeral, but the group that came was a pretty good group. Now both tributes are buried in the ground.
Even if Tristabelle died, I still think she made her District proud. She got revenge, for Lyndon, and she knew that's what she was doing. And that's important to me, more important than anyone would think. Nik understands, and we often sit together and discuss the Games, before one or both of us hurts too much keep being able to talk about Lyndon. I've been doing better with accepting the death, but every reaping day I have nightmares, and so does Nik. I think the whole experience has brought us closer.
I miss Lyndon all the time. I miss Tristabelle too. I know how much she cared about him, even if she didn't say anything out loud about it.
I know that I have to keep on going, though. It's what Lyndon would want for me and Nik. So, that's what I do.
I want to face every day with the gentleness and honesty of Lyndon, with the bravery and strength of Tristabelle, and every day I want to be more like them. I want to live a life that impacts the people around me, especially my family and friends, just like they did.
And that's what I intend to do.
District 10
Davion Hollow
I still have no idea where the hell Atticus came from. And I still have no idea how the hell I'm related to him. And I still don't know why the hell he felt the need to volunteer to take my place and die in the Arena.
All these questions I have, but the most overwhelming emotion is one of gratitude for what he did for me. He served the family name well in the Arena, even if he didn't make it out alive. He served the District well, too.
I definitely wouldn't have made it out of the Arena if I had gone in. That boy from 2 would've killed me on the first day. Which is why I can't be more grateful. I asked around, trying to find someone who was willing to tell me more about him, but nobody would tell me anything.
I go to the funeral for him, and so do some other people who admired what he did and how he protected that boy from 3. We as a District are going to take good care of Gio Piccozzi because obviously Atticus saw something in him that made him worth dying for. As a testament for him, we're going to take care of the Victor. Because I'm sure a lot of other Districts aren't happy with him, and we can all see that the kid is trying.
The funeral shows kind of a pitiful turnout. Angel's family doesn't even stay the whole time, meaning that she volunteered to spite them or against their wishes. She does have a couple of friends that stay, though. It's really a small turnout, sure, but that's okay. Angel's body is shown for all to see, Atticus's casket is closed from the time we get there, which means that whatever happened to him it was pretty grotesque. The coffins are lowered into the ground, and Angels friends stand in a huddle and cry together.
Once everyone leaves after saying their last goodbyes, I go to the grave and look at the newly-engraved letters that spell out his name.
"Thank you Ace of Spades," I say, even though I don't think he can hear me. "Thank you for what you did for me."
District 11
Donavan Osten
The funeral day is sunny and bright. Warm. There's the slightest summer breeze that makes it more tolerable. The viewing is hard, the service harder, the burial the hardest of all. Tears fall, Maddie has Manuel to cling to, my parents have each other, and I'm left alone.
I hate being alone. I know my family doesn't intend to leave me on my own, but I still feel lonely. I'm the last to linger by the graves of the tributes. My sister is buried under one of them, lifeless. And under the other, someone I knew. He was my age. That just as easily could've been me.
My parents try to get me to come back with them, but I decline. Maddie and Manuel stay with me for a bit before they go, too. I can't stop looking at the grave. When I make myself leave and start home for dinner, I see a figure sitting against the wall of a building by himself. He looks rabidly mad.
That's Daxton Dietz. Vardaman's brother. Among the only people to come for him.
I know he may want space, but I don't want to leave him alone because I know how it feels. "Um, excuse me?" His head snaps up and he glares at me. I clear my throat. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" he snaps at me. His anger fades away into tears: sad, hurt, broken tears. "Just… Leave me alone…" He cries quietly.
I turn around to go, but something stops me. I know that if Krissa were here, she wouldn't just leave him alone. She'd sit with him. She'd make sure he wasn't alone.
So that's what I do. I take a seat next to him. "He was my age," I say quietly. "I wish I would've gotten to know him better. From what I saw of him, though… He was really nice."
"He was such a good kid," chokes out Daxton. "I was dumb to not volunteer for him. He's gone now and there's nothing I can do to change that."
What would Krissa do? What would she say? "…Would you like to come have dinner with us tonight? A lot of people have brought us food."
"I couldn't…"
"Please do." I glance worriedly at a bruise he's got on his jaw and figure that he probably hasn't eaten well… Ever. "I insist."
"…Alright. Fine." He gets up, wiping at his eyes. I lead him to our house, suddenly worried that Mom and Dad will be angry I brought an unexpected guest to dinner. When I get home, though, neither parent is angry. They welcome Daxton with open arms.
"We know how it is to be in mourning," Mom says, sighing sadly, "You poor boy. Please, come in. Sit at our table." Maddie and Manuel help set the table, and put some of the assorted food out. Lots of people have been stopping by to offer their condolences and give us food.
"Thank you very much," he says, bowing his head a bit.
We tell him that it's really okay for him to sit in Krissa's spot in between myself and Maddie, but he refuses, instead just eating on his knees at the corner of the table. He eats quickly, like he's afraid we'll boot him out at any given second. I wonder what kind of horrors filled his: and Vardaman's: past.
He insists on helping clean up and then notices the time. "Oh, I have to go. My parents will be expecting me home. Thank you very much for dinner, though. I'll never forget your kindness." Each of my family members gives him another hug goodbye (yeah, we're all huggers).
"You're welcome back in our household whenever you need it," Mom says. I know she's genuine about it too. He nods, telling us again that he'll never be able to express his gratitude before he takes off on his way back home.
That night, when I'm alone, I'm left in the darkness with thoughts of my sister. My mind wanders to her in the Games. I'm not ready to let her go yet. I want to avenge her somehow.
Maybe if I start training now I can go into the Games when I'm older. Win for her. I could do it if I worked for it.
These are the toxic thoughts that permeate my dreams for that night, and for many nights to come after it.
Training as best as I can in 11.
Going into the 39th Games.
Avenging her death.
I could became I will became I did.
District 12
London Gorman
The funeral day is dreary and dark. I wake up crying and screaming from a nightmare about Caledonia dying in the Games. My sister… dead… I never thought I'd see it.
I know that next year is going to be my first reaping. I think about that a lot and feel horrified for the future. I don't want to be reaped like she was. What if Adele's reaped? My sister isn't really pleasant but she's the only sister I have left. What if I'm reaped? I don't want to die! I cry harder.
"London!" Adele stands in my doorway, her arms crossed. "Stop crying already! You're keeping me from my sleep!"
"S-Sorry…" I sniffle quietly. Adele groans, scowling, before she stomps back to her own room.
I miss Caledonia so much. She was everything to me. I looked up to her, admired her, wanted to be just like her. I still do, she's just… Not here to help me along anymore. I'm going to have to go into my first reaping all alone.
No need to think about that, though. Today is something much worse, much more miserable. Today's the funeral day. I put on my nice dress and comb my hair. I go out to where my parents eat breakfast sadly and each of them gives me a tight hug.
The funeral is the longest day of my life. People coming to tell us how sorry they are for our loss, some bringing us food, having to see the body and know that my sister is gone forever. Copper's mother doesn't come for him. Final dues and respects are paid to the tributes, who died too young. Copper was only one year older than me! That could be me next year!
I cry the whole day through. Mom and Dad are there to hug me and they cry as well. Dad is especially broken and shaken up. Me, Mom, and Dad, are the only ones that stick around to see the bodies be buried and to pay our final respects. As soon as the workers leave I collapse by the grave, not even caring about my dress being dirty. I sob, scream, cry, let out my grief and fear. Mom and Dad stand by me but don't try to touch or comfort me. They know I need to let it out.
I cry until I exhaust myself and feel like I'm going to pass out. Mom and Dad take me back to our house together, and I look behind my shoulder one last time.
I'm not ready to say goodbye to my big sister yet…
But I don't really have a choice.
A/N: HOLY FUCK THIS TURNED OUT SO LONG! Take your time to read it, really XD I'm just determined to have this story end in exactly 36 chapters. Which means that THIS IS THE NEXT TO LAST CHAPTER OF 36. I DUNNO ABOUT YOU BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!
Also, I was going through old PMs and realized that this story is a year old on February 28th! Which is also when I'm going to post the last chapter. Which is a month from now so it'll be a more spaced-out update but it'll make my inner Gio happy that I did 36 updates in 12 months. Mm, it's even divisible by 12… Yeah.
Until then, I'll be focusing on my SYOT, 84, and on writing the rest of the Victor AUs. And after the reapings are written for 84 I'm going to start another partial SYOT for the 42nd Games. So yeah, I still have a lot on my plate. I just can't believe this story's almost going to be over! We have so many memes and jokes and funny stuff from this story and I'm so attached to these characters and.. Ugh I don't want to say goodbye.
Anyways, I'll save the rest of the sappy stuff for next chapter, which is also the last chapter. Until then, check out my Tumblr for the rest of the Victor AUs that have been requested!
Chapter Question: If you submitted, how did you like the epilogue for your tributes District(s)? Which characters in them stood out most and why?
SCORES:
AbbyCorabby123: 10
A-Bookworm-Named-Steph: 36
Beauty. Is. Strange: 61
Blonde4ever: 62
calebbeers21: 6
Coolgal02: 61
CrissKenobie-the-Numenorean: 51
CptAwesome: 10
Dreamer: 347
dreams and desperation: 86
eldergrayskull: 4
elisa. anya: 5
Emrys Holmes: 106
epictomguy: 24
fat necrosis: 52
falyn. oliver: 43
xGred-Forgex: 36
GryffindorOnFire: 9
hopefuldreamer1991: 244
Ibbonray: 35
Jalen Kun: 12
Jess: 406
Josephm611: 82
Kate: 243
Xx-Katerina-xX: 56
Kyoko Rose: 26
Lady Lysa Arryn: 97
LokiThisIsMadness: 86
magicharity: 163
Medium-Indigo (Guest): 60
Music Rules The World: 4
Mystical Pine Forest: 30
nevergone4ever: 2
xxPeppermintxx109: 81
Programming: 7
xQueen-of-Applesx: 40
rising-balloons: 80
Rosemarie Benson: 12
santiago. poncini20: 81
Seahorse8: 22
seaotter99: 22
Shaunaicecream (Guest): 20
Sinfonian Legend: 385
superneet1214: 6
Skyflapple: 21
ThisWorldWeHate: 17
TyeTheLurker (Guest): 5
the victor of panem: 11
We're All Okay: 71
W. R. Winters: 96