A/N: Trigger warning for mentions of abuse and suicide.

Natsuki Barkley, age 18
District 7 Mentor and Victor of the 43rd Hunger Games

One month before the Reapings of the 44th Games

Natsuki, for the last time, where are you?

It's a text from my dad.

Don't tell me you're in the Capitol again.

Of course I'm in the Capitol. It's the only way for me to hang onto my sanity.

You know I need you here in Seven.

Answer me, Natsuki.

I'll bake snickerdoodles for you if you come home.

You'd have to be heartless to let your old man be alone.

This last message causes a knot to form in my throat. I'm not heartless. Or at least I hope I'm not. I may push people away with my prickly personality, and I may have killed three people in the Arena, and I may have not been as welcoming to P.C. as I could've been…

I wipe away a tear.

I'm about to text back when I remember the last time I went home to District 7. Papa used that trick on me - bribing me with his baking and guilt-tripping me into going along with his wishes - only to treat me the way he's always treated me the moment I stepped into his house in the Victors' Village. Technically it's my house, but I can't call it home because to me home is as far away from my father as possible.

I am many things, but one thing I am not is weak. I'm too strong to go back.

Just when I think he's finally done, my phone buzzes again.

Natsuki, I'm serious, please come back. You may be a Victor but I am still your father.

I stare at the string of texts from Papa before deleting all of them and shoving my phone into the front pocket of my backpack. I sigh in annoyance. I can't let him win, not when I'm a Victor. But I've found out the hard way that my father isn't going to stop just because I won last year's Hunger Games.

It isn't fair, the way I still have to put up with his crap even after going through hell in the Arena. I thought I'd be free of him once I won the Games, but my father insisted on staying with me in the Victors' Village of Seven and making things worse during the times I was forced to go to Seven from the Capitol. I thought I'd maybe be temporarily be free of my father by blocking his number from my phone, but he always finds a way to contact me and I don't want to look suspicious to my friends by changing phones too often.

The Capitol, especially the Literature Club, has been my savior for the past year or so. Thanks to Papa, the Literature Club has been the closest thing I've ever had to a friend group. I'm so glad I'm a Victor. Otherwise, I'd be stuck in Seven with Papa for who knows how long… I don't want to think about it.

Today is the third and last Literature Club meeting of the month, and I hope to make the most of it. I've worked on presenting my poem orally for today's meeting, even though no one really liked it. Sure, Sayori and P.C. said it was great, but those two Four Victors were probably just being nice. It's pretty disheartening to know that the meaning of my poem, hidden behind its simple facade, flew over everyone's heads. But that doesn't mean I'm going to change my writing style, which I've worked on for a long time. I'll just have to convince everyone harder to appreciate simple poetry, that's all.

I pack my notebooks, one of which contains my poem, into my pink backpack before heading out into the front room of my Capitol apartment for breakfast. It still feels great, being able to eat to my heart's content after years of not getting enough to eat. Papa was rich, but he was Papa, so growing up I was always smaller than most people, even those who had to take tesserae. But that's in the past, and I have enough to eat now, which is all that matters.

I finish my breakfast of muffins and milk quickly before grabbing my backpack and heading out the front door of my apartment. I lock the door behind me, take the elevator down to the first floor, and step outside into the warm Spring day.

I stretch and make my way to Monika's apartment, where the Literature Club meetings are held. A few Capitolites wave at me as I pass them by, and I greet them, happy to be appreciated. Taking a subway train, I soon reach Monika's neighborhood, which is surprisingly average. It's interesting how the District 2 Victor opts for a simple lifestyle - her Capitol apartment is only slightly larger than mine - but she's told me that she started the Literature Club because she wanted something special out of a more intimate club than the larger ones. Maybe that's why she doesn't put on airs.

I arrive at Monika's apartment complex and invite myself in, as usual. I spot Yuri waiting for the elevator and I smile at her in greeting.

"How's your reading going?" I ask as the elevator arrives and we enter.

"I'm just getting to the best part," the Twelve Victor answers, her eyes lighting up. "The protagonist of my novel has started to realize that his life is an elaborate lie, and it's fascinating to see his reactions as everything he knows crumbles around him."

I chuckle and roll my eyes. Yuri's obsession with horror is something I'll never understand.

"Maybe reading horror all the time isn't the best idea for you, Yuri," I say honestly. "I can't pick up anything dark now that I'm a Victor."

Yuri smiles sadly and shakes her head. "Maybe the genre doesn't work for you, Natsuki," she says in her characteristic quiet voice, "but I've been a Victor for a long time and reading psychological thrillers is my way of coping with everything."

"I can't imagine that helping, but you do you," I say, shrugging. The elderly Victor nods.

Yuri and I are silent as we reach Monika's floor and knock on her door. The District 2 Victor invites us in, and the three of us make small talk as we sit down in Monika's living room to wait for Sayori and P.C. When ten minutes pass and there's still no sign of the District 4 Victors, I speak up.

"Usually Sayori isn't this late," I grumble, glancing around at Monika and Yuri.

"Perhaps Perch does not want to come to this club anymore, but I can't imagine Sayori missing a club meeting," Yuri says worriedly.

"I was just going to ask you two if you've heard from P.C. and Sayori," Monika murmurs, glancing at the clock. "P.C. was here before you two, but he ran off."

"To where?" I ask. "I mean, it's not surprising that he'd bail on us, but I would expect him to be with Sayori."

"He said that he was going to get her," Monika answers, "but I have no idea where Sayori is. I called her but she didn't answer."

"That's odd," I say. "Usually when Sayori's late she at least answers her phone."

"Yeah, it is weird," Monika says. "Should I call her again?"

"Sure," I say, but Yuri shakes her head.

"Let's wait for ten more minutes, and if the Four Victors don't show up by then we'll call Sayori," Yuri suggests. "We… usually don't call her before club meetings. It'd be awkward if we did."

"Alright," I say, shrugging, and Monika nods.

The three of us sit in silence for a while. Monika starts writing in her notebook, and I pull out my manga books to read. After a few minutes of reading, I look up and realize that Yuri is staring into space and looking pale.

"Hey Yuri, you alright?" I ask, putting my book down. "You look a little white."

"I… don't know," the Twelve Victor says quietly. "It's just that I feel that something awful is going to happen…"

"You'll be fine, Yuri," Monika says reassuringly, putting her notebook down and smiling at Yuri. "Maybe it's just the fact that Sayori isn't here."

"Yeah… maybe that's the reason why I'm so anxious right now," Yuri murmurs, not convinced.

Yuri pulls out her novel, and the three of us continue our activities in silence. A few minutes later, Monika's screen switches on.

"Attention, this is required viewing for everyone in the Capitol," a voice announces from the screen. My eyes widen as I drop my book and stare at the screen in front of me, Monika and Yuri doing the same. The screen is red, with the Panem logo in black in its center.

"This is breaking news," a newscaster says with a serious look on her face. "My name is Jacquelyn Eyre, and I'm reporting live from Sunrise Avenue." As the reporter speaks, a headline appears at the bottom of the screen, and my heart drops into my stomach.

SAYORI MIZUSHIMA FOUND DEAD IN APARTMENT

A/N: Whoo, so that happened, and we're getting into the good stuff now! I hope you enjoyed the third prologue chapter of this story. What did you think of Natsuki, and what do you think caused Sayori's death? Please let me know what you think of this chapter and this story!

Thanks for reading, and may the odds be ever in your favor!