Mags Flanagan

Age 16

District 4

February 4, 12 ADD

I got a call from my tribute liaison/escort/whatever Matilda Wallace today. She told me that the Capitol wanted to take me on an all-expense paid tour of the districts to celebrate my victory in the Hunger Games. I leave in two days.

Two days! As if I can possibly have my crap together by then!

I was really hoping the Capitol would leave me alone until next summer. The other victors were dragged out of the woodwork last year to mentor since last year was apparently such a crap storm involving teenagers. Zyran said that it was because they already knew how to win. "Never mind the fact that some of us won by pure dumb luck."

Like him. Like me. Luck and some wise economic decisions.

I guess I should have seen this coming. First the parade with those stupid stiff canvas uniforms, then the interviews (still laughing at their reaction to my sailor mouth), and now a victory tour.

Zyran and I are going to the bar tonight. My parents still call him a bad influence, but let's be real, it's fun having a bar buddy, especially when that bar buddy's the big brother you never had. I'll be drinking, dancing, singing, and trying to put this tour thing out of my mind.

I really don't want to have to face the districts.

I'm sure they hate the fact that I lived and their children didn't.

February 5, 12 ADD

My head hurts. I think I overdid it last night.

On the bright side, I met the cutest Capitol boy at the bar last night. He's in the navy and everything. I'm sure my pa will approve of him.

We got to talking. He bought me a few drinks. Turns out, he was a mentor last year. He mentored that girl from Seven. He understands what I'm going through to some degree. He said he is allowed off base on Sundays. He promised to visit again. I told him about the tour. He said he couldn't wait until I got back.

Zyran can give me all the crap he wants about me falling for a Capitol boy. I think he's a gentleman.

He and Zyran helped me get home last night. Thank the Gem of Panem that my parents were out late organizing the tour because they would have kicked my ass for getting so drunk and bringing a boy home…even though he only stayed long enough to make sure I got home safe.

Never mind the fact that it's my home.

I love my parents, and I'm glad I didn't leave them, but I also think they need to get off my case sometimes. I swear ever since I got home my ma and pa have been so overprotective of me. I understand to some degree but I'm going to be seventeen in a couple months AND I won the Hunger Games.

I can take care of myself.

Zyran is coming with me on the tour, along with Matilda Wallace. Her job didn't end with drawing our names to make sure the mayors don't rig in some political rival's kid or that one girl his daughter's boyfriend told her not to worry about. I'm happier about Zyran. He'll make sure no one tries anything, plus we're going on a bar tour.

I won't have my parents breathing down my neck. I can just be myself.

Maybe this whole tour thing won't be so bad.

February 6, 12 ADD

Yeah, no, I hate this.

A bunch of people from the Capitol showed up and knocked on my door. They put me in this silly frilly dress (apparently those are all the rage in the Capitol right now) and then paraded me out of my house into the cold.

I gave an interview and then Matilda Wallance began herding me onto a train and tutting on and on about schedules and manners and how I am not to use my extended vocabulary like I did on interview night because manners.

I just ate a salad. With ranch dressing. With my fingers. While staring at her.

There is an upside to all of this, and that is Pup came with us as part of our security detail.

He laughed.

I made Pup Harrington laugh!

I'm in my room on the train right now. This train is much nicer than the one I took to the Capitol when I was reaped. I considered myself lucky that we got a Peacekeeper train and not a cattle car like the kids from last year.

Now, we're getting one of the fancier trains, and I think I know just how lucky I am now. I'm lucky to be alive and to have friends like Zyran and Pup, because yes, we're officially friends. Two peas in a pod, Matilda called us. I think she just hates our manners.

Well, I hate her manners.

I win.

Zyran's knocking on my door now, checking to see if I need something to help me sleep.

I guess this is my cue to stop writing and go to bed. I have an early start tomorrow.

February 7, 12 ADD

I'm finally back on the train.

That was awful.

I woke up, got dolled up for the cameras, and stuck on a stage at District 12's justice building.

They herded everyone into the square like cattle. There were even pens to keep people from leaving.

There were two stages towards the back with pictures of what I'm pretty sure were the two kids that were reaped and killed in the arena, the girl who died in the initial scuffle for the weapons and the boy whose throat I slit with that homemade fish hook.

Their families were forced onto that stage and displayed for all to see, the girl's little sister and the boy's parents.

The little girl was too young to understand what was happening. A peacekeeper stood next to her and was decent enough to hold her hand when she reached out for comfort.

The boy's parents glared daggers at me the entire time. I can't blame them. If it wasn't me, it would have been him who lived. He was the last person alive besides more.

I gave some speeches, they honored the girl who won last year and died, though I don't recall her name being Arafura.

I ate dinner with the head Peacekeeper and the mayor.

The mayor didn't say a word the entire dinner. He didn't even look at me. When I asked later, I was told that his daughter was murdered last year.

My heart broke for him hearing that.

I was honestly relieved when I was herded back on the train. We're going to District 11 next.

I just hope it gets easier.

February 8, 12 ADD

I managed to sneak away from that stuffy dinner and decided to write this because I get the feeling I'll be too emotionally exhausted once I'm back to do much of anything except try to sleep.

I thought District 11 would be easier since I didn't kill either of their kids, but it wasn't. District 11 was badly hit during the war, and recovery is still ongoing. It doesn't help that the Capitol is punishing District 11 for producing a rebellious tribute last year. I don't think they're sad to see Reaper go, but they're certainly feeling the impact of what he did, tearing up the flag.

The saddest thing about this stop is both of those stages they had for the families were empty. Neither of those kids who died have anyone to miss them or even notice that they were gone.

The only bright side to all of this was I got to meet Jedidiah Acre. He looked tired and broken, but he still managed to smile and we had a pleasant conversation. We said we'd talk again in July. At least that's something I have to look forward to.

And now Matilda Wallace is looking for me.

Great.

February 9, 12 ADD

District 10 is actually pretty gorgeous. It's a little too dry for my tastes, but I guess that comes with living on the coast for all of my life.

We got to go horseback riding. I loved it so much, but now everything hurts.

The ceremony was, again, awful, but at least I got to ride horses.

I'm so tired.

Lovely. I fell asleep while writing this. Now my back hurts too.

February 10, 12 ADD

Today was District 9. It was a halfway decent day, aside from the obvious. I snuck away with Pup and we went to the Mayleaf Pub for some drinks. It's so interesting to see buildings that survived the war, even if it was by the skin of its teeth. I don't think I drank too much, at least, I don't feel hungover, but Pup did wind up helping me back to the bar and carrying me to bed while Zyran sighed and shook his head and Matilda Wallace screamed at us for running off again.

Zyran's just mad we didn't take him with us, though he seemed exhausted after dinner.

Matilda Wallace can suck a fish egg.

February 16, 12 ADD

We're leaving District 3 now. I just realized I haven't really written at all in the past week.

None of the other districts were very welcoming to me, so it was stage, speech, event, dinner, gone, and the day was so packed that I was too tired to do much after. I think the good people in the Capitol were mad I snuck off. Pup got a reprimand for not stopping me, but was let off with a warning because it wasn't like he let me go by myself. I must have apologized a million times but he kept smiling and saying it was worth it, but I can't help but wonder if the tight schedule was to keep me too busy to sneak away again.

I hate this. I hate being on a leash.

The activities weren't even that interesting. I guess they might have been if I could think about anything other than those kids that died in the arena.

District 8 involved a tour of some of the designer shops where they did a photoshoot of me in some of the latest designs from the Capitol that were sent there for production. In her interview, the little girl from Eight that I killed wanted to be a fashion designer. I snatched that dream from her.

District 7 was a tour through the forest, which I guess was relaxing, if the sound of axes striking wood didn't remind me of axes striking skulls.

District 6 was actually pretty fun. I got to go on a race track and while I wasn't allowed to drive a car (cowards!) it was fun to ride around and feel the wind through my hair.

District 5 was a power plant tour. Nothing special except the glares of the people. One person who was mean mugging me was dragged away by Peacekeepers. I can only imagine what happened to him.

They skipped District Four. I guess to save it for last.

District 3 was a tour of what will eventually be a special academy to train the "brightest minds" in Panem. The word brainwashing came to mind.

Tomorrow is District 2, then District 1. Two more districts with people I killed.

I just want this tour to be over. I just want to go home and be left the hell alone.

Is that really too much to ask?

February 19, 12 ADD

Well, I'm about to be in the Capitol. I made it through District 2's quarries and District 1's gem quarter with my faculties intact.

Apparently there's going to be a massive gala in the Capitol in my honor. I am so sick and tired of fancy parties. I wish I could get out of the stiff itchy outfits and just wear my favorite sundresses again. The atmosphere in Nine was more wild and free-feeling. I guess they didn't like that.

At least tomorrow will be my last night on this dismal tour.

February 20, 12 ADD

This time tomorrow, I'll be home. Thank goodness.

Yeah, it had its interesting moments, but it was more miserable than it wasn't. I guess the Capitol liked it because they're going to keep doing it.

Matilda told me that the goal was to get more people interested in participating in the Games.

Ha!

I don't want anymore kids to suffer like I did, let alone die like the others.

I can't have too many regrets though. After all, I met Pup, and he's taking me out on a date when we get home.

Still, I wish there was more I could do. Zyran tells me that the best I can do is mentor the kids that are coming after me to the best of my ability.

I plan to do just that. I'm going to give it my all and try to bring home as many kids as possible, but it doesn't feel like enough.

There has to be more I can do.

There has to be.

Oopsie daisy.

Since this was the first year a Victory Tour takes place, I decided to document it via journal. It started getting a bit repetitive, so I did a little time skip towards the end, but I hope it was still good.

I imagine The 74th Victory Tour was a bit different due to all the rebellion going around. I picture Victory Tours with more parading, more getting to do things while simultaneously making everyone not from the Capitol miserable.

I don't know when the next Survivors will be up, but I will say a familiar face will be back in the spotlight. Any guesses on who it is?