Chapter 9: No Place Like Home
Talissa pushed the old rusted door of their home open and held it open for Sera who was lost in another one of her daydreams, listening to the whispers that only she could hear. Her eyes were hazy and unfocused as bees buzzed passed the two sisters, one settling on her shoulders.
Sera ignored the bee for a moment, to take in the appearance of her home. She didn't know when the last time would come where she would never see the plain gray concrete outer walls again. It was only a matter of time before they moved to the new house that was awarded or assigned to her for 'winning' the games in the victors' village.
Their family home was a mere small block of concrete shell crammed between other concrete shells that most from their district called home.
In the past, this area used to be sets of storage for the plants nearby but as those were plants shut down and moved further into the mountains and the former woodlands, these naturally became homes to many. The place became known as 'the Hollow'. Perhaps it was because these were simple shells of concrete made pre-war used for storage or maybe it was just a random name. Sera didn't know but the name had stuck around.
It wasn't as pretty or comfortable as the homes in the 'Lux' or the victors' village that would soon be her home but it was the home where she was born, where she lived her whole life so far. This was where her parents had lived and died. She couldn't complain, living in the Hollow was miles better than the 'Slog'.
There was nothing there but half-rusted compact metal containers stacked upon each other mimicking those luxurious tall apartment buildings of the Lux or the Capitol. There was barely any space for anyone to live or walk. The ones who worked there were all the low-level laborers at the plants who took what job they could to earn enough to get by. Still it was better than some districts, she thought.
Her sister had paused in the threshold of their home and turned to see her watching the bee on her shoulder. She frowned and tugged at Sera's shirt, waking her up from her daydream. "Sera? Don't stand there. You're going to catch a cold."
Her older sister unwrapped an old frayed and faded orange woolen scarf from her neck. She wrapped the scarf around her younger sister's neck, making sure she was warm enough before stepping back and carefully smiling but her smile didn't reach her eyes. Sera mirrored her smile.
"Come on, let's go in. Everyone's waiting for us." She led Sera in the door and then pushed the door close behind her.
Wordlessly, Sera dragged herself into the concrete shell that they called 'home'. She paused in the entrance while Talissa went around her back and locked the door shut. The entrance to the living room had cloth bundles dotted around randomly, containing the family's most prized objects and clothes that they wanted to take with them when they finally moved.
"You're not done packing?" Sera asked, turning to look at her sister who was removing her light autumn cardigan. Her sister shook her head and let out a sigh. She hobbled in her step trying to take off her outside shoes and replace them with her worn out home shoes. "It's fine. Aunt Dahlia told me everyone was informed of the move last minute." She removed her light coat and passed the scarf to her sister before maneuvering through the bundles to get to the living room.
"That's still not an excuse. We should've known, Sera." Talissa followed her and collapsed on the faded blue leather couch. "I mean, it's not a new piece of information that victors have to move to the victors' village after winning. Miel and I were so busy that we completely forgot." She sighed and tousled her long hair, throwing her head back to stare at the high vaulted concrete ceiling.
"I said it's fine. Don't worry about it." Sera reassured her with a bright smile and sat down next to her.
Talissa turned to give her sister a look of panic. Her sister was afraid and nervous that this might be soon as refusing to move. She sighed and rolled her eyes. Her older sister, the ever so careful Talissa, what would Sera do without her.
"Oh don't give me that look. I'll just come up with something." She said, leaning back and tucking her knees to her chest. "Wouldn't be the first time I lied about something."
Talissa gently reached out for her younger sister and pinched her cheeks. "Take this seriously." She breathed out tiredly before flicking Sera's head. She flinched back and dodged Talissa's second attack and flicked her back. "Sera! Stop!" Talissa held her hands over her forehead, defending herself from her younger sister's attacks while glaring at her. Sera had a mischievous smile on her smile. "Sera, I mean it." Her sister sternly looked at her, and she finally relented. "I still have to pack up my things."
"Your equipment?" Sera asked, looking at the direction of their shared room. Her sister nodded. "You could ask Huxley for help." She said with a small smile. "I bet he would love to help."
Her sister rolled her eyes and ruffled Sera's hair before getting up to get the door after hearing the pounding of the front door. "Hux already offered, he's coming over tomorrow evening. Luckily, I don't have much to take with me. What about you?" Sera gave her sister a look and blinked, a little annoyed. "Right. You don't have many things either." She said, remembering that Sera was more used to having hand-me-downs for clothes and didn't have many toys growing up. Everything that was Sera's was at one point Talissa or Ramiel's, even her old clay chess set, that was their father's.
The two sisters sat in silence as Sera placed her head down on her knees, staring at the television in front of them. It was turned off today. There was no need for it anymore but in the background, a radio played continuously, updating on the matters of 5. She quietly listened to it in comfortable silence while her sister took out her notes from her last days of her apprenticeship at the apothecary. She went over the notes while occasionally checking on Sera.
"Can you stop that?" Sera said without looking at Talissa.
"Stop what?" Talissa retorted carefully. She looked back down at her notes and acted as if she was not hovering over her younger sister again. "I was just reviewing my notes."
Sera glanced back at her sister and gave her stern look before turning around to face the black screen of the television. Her sister kept scanning her notes but again she paused. Talissa's eyes naturally drifted to the smaller figure next to her on the sofa. She had to keep checking if Sera was actually there in fear that if she blinked, her younger sister would disappear, leaving her alone in their dusty living room.
"Talissa…" She trailed off, giving a warning to her sister. "I mean it."
"I'm not doing anything." Her sister insisted while still staring at Sera.
Sera could feel her sister's gaze on her and scowled. Her sister didn't see her scowl. She let out a deep tired breath and stared down on the floor. It had been over a week since she had been back in District 5 since winning her games.
At first, she thought nothing would change and she felt nothing had changed but she was wrong. She had caught both her older siblings watching her whenever she wasn't looking or grabbing onto her while she walked alongside them and then letting go as if they were in daze. They were not the only ones. Sera thought that it would be the same with her only friend, Huxley's younger sister, Clarisse since she was used to it all with her brother being a victor and all but she was no different. At times, she would get this unknown sad look on her face whenever she was talking to Sera that she had enough and it had been only nine days since she returned.
The only people who still treated her like normal were her aunt and her cousin. Nox was just happy to have her around and would follow her everywhere just like he did before the games. He would bounce on his heels while asking Sera about the Capitol, not really caring about the games itself.
Nox had made it clear that the games were not something he wanted to know about since he had already seen it on the television. She suspected that her aunt had something to do with what Nox said but she didn't bother to check.
Her aunt was no different as well. Unlike her son, aunt Dahlia simply didn't want to know anything related to games or the Capitol but it wasn't like she was avoiding the topic, she simply thought it was not important for her. She told her on the third night back that all that mattered was that Sera was back and that made her happy.
She had enough. Sera untucked her legs and got up, stretching out her arms a little. "I'm going to check on Nox." She stated and left her sister in the living room to go to Nox's room. His room along with her brother's was upstairs.
The second floor of the house wasn't much. The rooms were roughly the same size as the rooms below. Sera stopped at the foot of the old concrete stairs that were once painted on with vibrant blues and yellows but were now faded and discolored. Lemon yellow paint had turned into the color of burnt bread while the blue had become a sickly green.
The metal railing of the stairs were covered in old rags that seemed to cover each and every inch. She remembered long ago there was a nail poking out somewhere on the stairs before her aunt covered it up with more concrete. That made one of the steps uneven.
Sera gripped the rag covered metal railing tight before she started climbing the stairs to go up. She stopped at the top of the stairs and glanced around the mezzanine. It had been converted into a makeshift florist area for her aunt back when Sera was eight.
A small florist table rested in the center with shelves dotted around the wall with various flowers spread across them. Even though her aunt had managed to buy herself a small shop near the outskirts of the town square, it didn't mean her aunt didn't use this space. She still used this space whenever she couldn't make it to the shop or when she wanted to teach Nox or Sera how to arrange or take care of the flowers.
Sera walked over to Nox's room and knocked on it twice. His room was formerly her aunt's but after her aunt's sickness had set in, she moved to Talissa's old room and Talissa moved in with Sera.
"Nox? Are you in there?" Sera asked, knocking on the door again. No answer. She knocked again. On the third knock, her cousin opened the door. He yawned tiredly as he waved her in. "Are you sleeping?" She asked, walking in and taking a seat on the tiny bed.
Nox tiredly nodded. "There was nothing to do. Miel was busy with his apprenticeship, Lissa and you were at the shop with mother and Clarisse was spending time with Huxley." He finished with a loud disappointed sigh before crashing back onto the hard bed.
"Then why didn't you come to the shop with us?" Sera asked, looking up.
"I didn't want to disturb or worry my mother."
"I'm sure aunt Dahlia wouldn't mind having you around and you know, the more hands around the shop, the easier it is for her." Sera looked at her younger cousin who didn't meet her eyes. "But that's not why you didn't come with us, is it?"
"I don't know." Nox shook his head and looked down.
"You don't know or you don't want to tell me. Nox, it's okay if you don't want to tell me but think about your mother."
Her cousin let out a deep audible sigh while rubbing his left arm. "...Lissa scares me." He said. "I know I shouldn't say that because she's trying so hard for us and my mother but it's just sometimes, she's a little…"
"Too much?"
"Yes and I don't know what to do and I end up feeling useless. It doesn't help that Miel isn't home as much as he used to be."
"Well, she is a little scary, isn't she?" Her cousin nodded, now looking up and meeting Sera's eyes. She ruffled Nox's hair and sat up straight. "Well, there's nothing we can do about that, all we can do is wait."
"For what?"
"For Huxley." Sera answered with a knowing grin.
"Huxley's coming over?" Nox questioned getting up and standing up in front of Sera. "Why?"
"To help Lissa pack up her things."
"Oh." Nox deflated, disappointed that it wasn't something else but then he glanced at his cousin. "I hate this. I hate how everyone is so busy all of a sudden and I feel so useless sometimes."
"You're not useless."
"I feel useless. We barely all have our meals at the same time and when we do, everyone is always so busy looking after mother and I'm not complaining, it's just…"
"You feel left out. I understand."
"You do?" Sera nodded as Nox stared at her. She had that look on her face again, that mischievous look that he knew all too well. Nox perked up and grabbed Sera's shoulders, gently shaking her, being mindful of his cousin's health. "You're thinking about something, aren't you?" His cousin shrugged but that silly grin on her face didn't fade. "Sera…"
Sera held her index finger to her lips and waited. She knew her aunt would be a little later than usual today. Her aunt was going through one of her better days and on her better days, she liked to visit the library in the square where she would visit one of her oldest friends.
Her brother had already said earlier that day before he headed out that he would be late and that only left Talissa at home. She had a day off that day. Sera kept her ears open and listened.
She could hear the quiet bustle of people going in and coming out of their own home but between all that she heard the front door open downstairs. Huxley was here at their home, she thought but she wasn't quite sure so she waited a little bit more while Nox was bouncing on his feet with excitement.
Sera had to grab his hands and hold him in one place and listen. She heard Talissa greet someone before finally hearing Huxley speak followed by a sound of footsteps and Talissa letting the two know that they would be in Sera and Talissa's shared room. Sera said something in acknowledgement before turning to her cousin. Her cousin perked up and shifted her feet to move closer to his cousin.
The young victor leaned in, letting go of Nox's hands. Nox leaned in closer to his cousin. "Do you want to go lake Leuce?" Sera asked, glancing at her cousin.
"Do I want to go to the lake of death where we always have picnics even though it is dangerous there?" Nox retorted, his face devoid of all emotions as he leaned back, looking around. "Yes!" He answered with a bright smile. "Oh. Can we take a picnic basket with us? It's going to be lunch soon and we haven't had any picnics this spring and summer."
"Sure. I can pack us something to eat." Nox pumped his fists in the air in excitement.
Since Sera had won, Nox had been in high spirits especially since he found out that victors and their families received a huge prize money, enough to last them a lifetime. He was excited that their family would no longer have to survive on meager rations but would actually manage to eat properly.
"Instead of tomato sandwiches, can we have chicken or…or duck?"
"I think we'll have to save the duck for dinner. Miel said he wanted to make crispy duck with clementines, and plum sauce your mother made, for dinner tonight since Huxley and Clarisse are staying for supper. He read that recipe in the library once and he's been dying to try it."
"Clarisse is coming over for dinner?"
Sera nodded. "Do you want to bring her with us to lake Leuce for lunch?"
Nox shook his head. "She'll tell her brother and then we won't be able to go." He said, opening the door and gesturing to the stairs. "What about dessert?" He asked with an eager sparkle in his eye.
"How about some strawberry tarts?" She asked. Sera had bought some end of season strawberries yesterday that Ramiel and her had used to make some strawberry tarts with it. It was a little sour in taste but she thought Nox would like it. "We were saving it for tonight along with the lemon cheesecake but I think a few tarts going missing won't be a problem."
"That sounds delicious. I'll make some lemon juice as well." He said, marching down the stairs. Sera had to stop him on one of the steps and remind him to be quiet.
Nox nodded, remembering it well before he followed Sera into the old kitchen. The two quietly took out the picnic basket from one of the cabinets before placing the tightly woven straw picnic basket on one of the counters. Nox moved to grab the bread and some buns that Talissa had picked up two days ago from the bakery, placing them in front of his cousin who ultimately chose the huge buns.
Sera prepared the sandwiches with care and skills she learned from her aunt and brother while Nox grabbed a few strawberry tarts and carefully wrapped them up, placing them in the picnic basket. He hopped off the stool and went over to grab some lemons.
He brought the lemons over to Sera, who cut them in half for him and handed it back to him to make lemon juice. After he was done, he poured it from the jug into small glass bottles that he shut after carefully slipping in some lemons. Sera watched him place the bottles into a canvas bag as she wrapped the sandwiches in some brown paper and placed them in the basket.
"Going somewhere?" Huxley asked, leaning on the edge of the doorway and looking at the two guilty parties.
The two cousins froze. Nox looked at his cousin in alarm while Sera looked up at the door. "Huxley." Sera and Nox said at the same time just as Sera closed the lid of the picnic basket.
Talissa followed him soon enough, "Hux, have you seen my m—" She cut herself off once she spotted the two with their picnic basket and the canvas bag with the bottle of lemon juice. "Were you two going to the lake to have a picnic?" She asked, a little betrayed at not being invited.
"No." "Yes…" Sera and Nox said at the time. She denied it while her younger cousin admitted it without even hesitating. Slowly she glanced at her cousin and blinked in disbelief while her cousin shrugged in defense. "Yes." "No." The two said at the same time again. Sera rolled her eyes and shook her head, a little annoyed at Nox's inability to lie to her sister. "Yes, we were going to have lunch at the lake." She answered.
"Alone?" Huxley asked. Sera looked at him, betrayed that he had decided to question them further, she reluctantly nodded.
Talissa scanned the kitchen and walked in, checking the basket. "Huxley and I are done, so we'll come with you."
"Can I come as well?" Clarisse asked, appearing from behind her brother.
"Clarisse…" Huxley quietly tried to talk to his sister before Talissa agreed.
Sera didn't put up a fight. She glanced at Nox with a soft but secretive smile, watching as the boy's eyes lit up at the sudden company. "I guess we're gonna need more food." She commented, turning back to grab more buns and more pieces of marinated sliced chicken.
"I guess we are." Talissa agreed. She went over to help her younger sister, only for Huxley to grab her wrist and pull her back. "Huxley?" Huxley shook his head and pulled her away.
"I think for the safety of all of us, Talissa should wait in the living room or prepare the drinks instead." Clarisse joked while skipping over to Nox. Talissa made a face and gently tapped Clarisse's head before leaving to go over to their makeshift storeroom and getting out another basket. The younger two in the group chatted quietly among themselves while Huxley went over to help Sera but not before checking the first basket.
Talissa came back and did just as Clarisse asked and checked the first basket, then added more tarts and paused in front of the cupboard. "There's some lime chicken drumsticks leftover from yesterday, maybe we can take those as well. Oh there's some leftover potato salad here as well, should I add that in?"
Sera nodded absentmindedly while she and her mentor tackled more of the chicken sandwiches. Talissa carefully heated the chicken drumsticks on a separate pan before packing them, making sure to pack more than enough in case Ramiel had finished early or her aunt decided to come along. She also made sure to tell Sera and Huxley to make more sandwiches in case as well and turned away to pack more tarts and made a note to stop at the bakery on the way to the lake to pick some chocolate pastries as a treat for them all. On the side, Clarisse helped Nox make a few more bottles of the drinks before packing them away.
When they were all ready, everyone headed towards the doors, all bundled up. Clarisse and Nox quietly playfully bickered among themselves while Talissa fussed over Sera and re-tied her orange scarf around Sera's neck before it was her turn to be fussed over by Huxley who made sure that his wife-to-be was warmly dressed despite it being a warm autumn afternoon that day.
Huxley stopped a few distance away from the lake and turned around to check on Ramiel and Talissa. The trio silently decided to not go all the way to the lake but instead still stay in the actual marked land that belonged to District 5.
He unfolded an old blanket, dusting it off. Ramiel caught on the other side, pulling it before the two carefully laid it down. Talissa gently helped her aunt sit down while Nox and Clarisse were two busy following Sera around. Ramiel then went over to the picnic baskets on the side and started unpacking them. The two younger children sat down next to each other while Sera sat down next to her brother. Talissa sat down next to their aunt and Huxley sat on the other side of her.
Ramiel handed a chicken sandwich to each member of the party and Sera helped pass out the drinks. Lemon juice for almost all of them but plain water for Talissa and aunt Dahlia. The group sat down in a circle and ate while conversing about their day.
It was a pleasant cloudless autumn day, the leaves on the trees had already started to change colors and some fell from the trees. Sera quietly nibbled on her sandwich while she watched her sister fret over her aunt and Nox run around with Clarisse. Her brother, like her, silently observed the rest while occasionally trading glances with Huxley who seemed to find comfort in the quiet chatter of their loved ones.
Her aunt audibly exhaled and reached out for Sera's hand. Sera held out her hand as her aunt clasped her hand over hers. "This is nice, all of us," She looked around. "gathered here. I hope we can do this more often." She finished, letting go of Sera.
"And we will." Talissa stated firmly. "Right Miel?" Ramiel nodded along at his older sister's words. "Sera? Nox?" Sera and Nox also nodded along.
"I pray we do." Her aunt agreed with a weak smile. "Talissa." Her aunt called out to her older sister who turned to face her aunt with a soft smile despite the anxious thoughts that plagued her mind about her aunt's and Sera's sickness. "Have you and Huxley decided when you two want to hold your wedding? You said you wanted to wait until Sera was back and she is, so have you decided?"
Talissa's smile faded as she glanced at Huxley from the corner of her eye. One glance at her, her siblings could tell she had completely forgotten. It was no surprise given how busy she had been lately with her final days of her apprenticeship at the apothecary drawing ever so close and Sera's return, she had not even thought of her wedding.
She glanced at her aunt and considered telling her that she didn't mind if it was next week or even the following month even though she initially wanted it to be held in spring but she didn't know if her aunt would make it to next spring.
"Next spring." Huxley answered quietly as he uncorked a bottle of lemon juice that Nox and Clarisse had made. "Talissa wanted to get married in spring." He added.
Talissa turned her head to silently argue with Huxley but he avoided her gaze. Arguing with her would not get him anywhere and had he gone along with whatever she said, her aunt would easily pick apart their words and make Talissa confess her true feelings. All of that would ruin the current atmosphere. He didn't want that.
"Actually, I don't mind when it is anymore." Talissa answered, turning away from Huxley since he wouldn't meet her gaze. "I'm fine if the wedding is next month or the month after."
Ramiel scoffed at his older sister's words. She was trying too hard. Sera quietly watched the situation and assessed it before she decided to step in. "But you wanted a spring wedding, Lissa." Aunt Dahlia said, taking Talissa's hands into hers. "Are you changing your mind because of me?" She asked. Talissa shook her head in denial but aunt Dahlia's hands tightened around Talissa. "Be. Honest." She sternly said.
"I am truly happy whenever the wedding will be held even if it is in the middle of the winter." Talissa bit down.
"Are you afraid that I won't make it next spring, is that it?" Her aunt questioned back.
"No, that's not—"
"Are you sure? Because you have been treating me like I am made of glass and I will shatter if I do anything."
Seeing the growing conflict between the two Ramiel, Sera and Huxley shared a glance. Huxley tried to gesture to Ramiel to intervene while Ramiel wanted Huxley to intervene. Sera sighed and shifted in her seat.
"I think having the wedding in the spring would be the best option for all of us." Sera said, finishing her sandwich and placing the wrapper back in the basket. Her aunt and her older sister stopped arguing and looked at her. "We're going to be busy with the move for this month and Talissa is just finishing her apprenticeship this month as well. Ramiel is also going to be very busy at the plant in the run up to winter so autumn is not the best option. In the winter, I'll have to start preparing for the victory tour which will be at the start of next year. Mid-spring would be the best and earliest choice for the wedding."
"Late spring or summer is out of the question since that's when the Hunger Games are typically held and there's no saying that either Sera or I are called to be mentors. If that happens the wedding will be pushed back again." Huxley added, checking over at Talissa to check her reaction. She had drawn her hands back and clenched them into fists on her lap while looking down.
"All things considered spring would be the best option, not to mention Nox and Huxley's birthday is in winter, holding a wedding around then would be a little too much for all of us to manage even if we're in…more comfortable circumstances." Ramiel finished glancing at Sera. He was right. The family was in a far better position than they had been when Huxley first proposed.
Aunt Dahlia agreed before glancing at Talissa for her opinion. Talissa couldn't argue back. What Sera had said was true, the move was taking a while longer than they had anticipated and by the time they did move, they would also need time to adjust to their new house. She also had her apprenticeship to finish and there was also the victory tour as Huxley had pointed out.
Sera knew her sister had forgotten about the victory tour. Finally Talissa nodded and agreed with Sera and decided that the wedding would be held in spring.
"Well if that's decided, I'm going on a walk." Sera stated to the group while getting up and dusting off her skirt. She took out a book that she had brought with her before Talissa started fussing over her again and started walking into the woods, closer to the woods. She stopped when she saw Nox and Clarisse sitting on two boulders nearby. "You two should go back before Huxley comes to check." Sera said to the two who looked at her when she spoke. The two complained a little before racing back to meet with the rest of their party.
Happy at being left alone, Sera walked to the lake. She found her usual spot under a tree near the edge of the lake and sat down, leaning her back against the trunk of the tree. She faced the lake and watched the tranquil blue waters under the cloudless blue sky.
Lake Leuce also known as the 'lake of death' in District 5 was a lake that bordered on the district with their neighboring district. Nicknamed as such because it was un-swimmable. It was a vast and deep lake that served as a border between the two districts and unlike the border between District 5 and District 10, there was no electric fence guarding the border.
There was nothing but the vast lake that seemed to go on for miles. Only by squinting and focusing hard could someone see on the other side of the lake.
Sera paused. Her ears perked up as she heard some rustling behind her and the sound of footsteps. "Come to take a dip in the lake, Miel?" Sera asked her brother without turning around.
Ramiel made a sound as he rolled his eyes. "I don't quite have a death wish so I'll pass. Besides I don't think anyone from this side can swim in that lake and not die." He said and walked over to Sera, who sat under the shade of a tall tree near the edge of the lake. "Maybe someone from the other side could try. They'll probably have better luck."
"But that's never happening and you know that."
"Never say never."
Sera scoffed and rolled her eyes, placing the book on her lap. "Why would anyone from District 4 swim in a lake when they have the sea?" She questioned.
"Change of scene?" Her brother guessed while Sera made a face, telling him how wrong she thought he was. She was right, of course and he didn't argue or tease her further.
No one from their district could swim in that lake, they weren't strong swimmers, not as strong as those from District 4. They were decent, slightly better than the rest but not as good as District 4 and no one from that district swam in the so-called 'lake of death' which made it a natural fence for the two districts. "How'd you guess it was me?" He questioned, picking up a small flat rock and turning it over in his hand.
"Sharp senses." Sera answered. She flicked through the pages and settled on the page she was reading last time before carrying on.
Ramiel glanced at her and shook his head. It was the games, that was the answer but she didn't say it outloud and he didn't push her. He seemed to have guessed that Sera hated the recent coddling he and Talissa had been putting her through so he decided to take a step back and let her have some space. What mattered the most was that they all had each other. He didn't want anything more.
The two siblings stayed in relative silence as Ramiel walked over to the edge of the lake and aimed the stone at the lake before drawing his wrist back and throwing it across the lake. The stone skipped over the water quite some distance before reaching the end of its path and dropping straight into the lake. Sera paused in her reading to observe her brother who had picked up another stone. A flat and some-what sharp stone. He took his previous stance and she carefully studied him. She watched carefully as her brother threw the stone, this time managing to get further than last time.
"Do you still throw knives?" Sera asked, looking down at her book and flicking a page.
Ramiel stumbled at her question and the stone in his hand slipped from his hand, landing at his feet. He looked back over at his younger sister who looked unbothered by her question and looked back at him over her book.
He sighed and shook his head. "I don't have time anymore. That—and my partner wasn't there anymore." He answered, picking up the stone again and aiming it further before throwing it.
"I'm here now." She retorted, shutting her book and holding it by the spine with one hand. "We can do it again."
He shook his head again. "No. Huxley told me they assigned a personal guard to you."
"Does anyone else know?"
"Apart from Talissa. No. No one else."
"So I can't play that game anymore because I have a personal guard?"
"No. I didn't say we can't play but—we have to be more careful." He flicked another stone across the lake and turned back to glance at his sister who hugged her knees to her chest. "Don't look at me like that, I'm saying this for your own good and besides you don't need to play it anymore."
"Why not?"
"Because it's over. It's all over. The games, Sera. You won. There's no point in you continuing to practice throwing blades." He picked up another stone and turned his back to his sister, aiming further than last time and throwing it. "We played back then because we had nothing to pass our time but if I had to be honest, our father taught me how to throw knives in case I was ever reaped and I taught you that but it's over now."
Sera shook her head and glanced down at the moss covered floor. For a moment, the green and brown ground flickered to white and red. A bitter chill passed through her as she shivered a little. "...I don't think it's over." She quietly confessed. "I think there's still more left."
"Sera…" Her brother stared at her with pity and pain mixed in. His chest felt heavy and his eyes watered. "It's over." He insisted.
"I don't think it is." She bit down, remembering her train ride back. Like she and Finnick had promised each other, she had not shared those events with anyone. Not even Huxley who she trusted like a brother and she was not about to tell her brother in fear that telling him would put him in danger.
"Please." She quietly asked. "I just need someone to practice with nothing more. Nothing you have to be worried about."
Ramiel didn't say anything. He turned around again and threw another stone across the lake. He didn't know what to say. He still felt guilty over what had happened.
If only it was him not her.
"You know…I was angry at Lissa for a while." He suddenly confessed. "I know it was stupid, very stupid of me but I couldn't help it. I argued with her almost every night that maybe she should've volunteered for you."
Sera smiled sadly. "You do realize that's impossible for her. She was—no—is past the age of reaping. She couldn't volunteer even if she wanted to, it's not how it works." She got up and dusted her skirt, walking up to her brother. She slipped the book in her hand into his and exchanged it for the stone in his hand. "Even you couldn't volunteer for me, no matter how much you wanted to." She finished, flicking the stone across the lake.
The stone leapt across the water in long jumps before it crashed onto the other side of the lake, landing with a quiet thud. Her brother looked impressed and proud before patting Sera's shoulders. "I don't think you need any more practice than that." He said gesturing across the lake with his hand. The two turned away from the lake and stared at each other. "You have surpassed me." He teased as he picked up another stone and aimed it on the edge of the other side of the lake. He pulled his arm back and let the stone go but it only reached half-way across the lake before falling to the bottom of the lake.
His younger sister laughed a little and picked up another flat but sharp stone, moving back a little. She mimicked her brother's mannerisms but made sure to really flick her wrist forward and aimed at the other side of the lake like last time. Just like last time, this landed on the other side of the lake. She threw her hands in the air before turning around to bow while her brother clapped in the background but his claps abruptly stopped. His eyes widened before he squinted and leaned his head forward towards the other side of the lake.
Confused, Sera turned to glance behind her. Across the lake there was someone. The two siblings panicked and gave each other a look. Ramiel cursed under his breath and grabbed Sera's wrist. "Shit. A Peacekeeper." He muttered under his breath, low enough for her to hear.
She squinted with her head turned away from him and pulled back. "Are you sure?" She asked in confusion. She could see the shadow moving across the lake. Neither of the two could see what he was wearing but all she could make out were splotches of green and beige. Peacekeepers didn't wear beige or green. They wore gray and white. "It might be someone from District 4." She guessed.
"Doesn't matter." Her brother pulled her away, bringing her further and further from the lake. "We're not taking any risks." He said while he started to hurry back, tugging Sera with him.
She threw one last glance across the lake just as the stranger bent down to pick a stone that she might have thrown. She turned away and picked up her pace while her brother glanced back. The stranger seemed to throw the stone into the lake and the stone skipped over quite a distance before dropping a mere meter or two away from the District 5 lakeside.
By the time the two had returned, everything had been packed away. Nox cried out in disappointment seeing the two while Clarisse complained that they didn't manage to go to the lake. Huxley quietly comforted his sister while throwing a look of concern at Sera and Ramiel. Sera's brother gestured that they would talk later while she just nodded along. She was too distracted by the sudden appearance of that stranger. She didn't know if it was really a peacekeeper or not. She prayed it wasn't.
Lake Leuce may have been un-swimmable for most but it was a place of peace and quiet for the people of District 5, a refuge for some. She'd hate herself if that was taken away because of her and her brother. She couldn't imagine a fence off lake Leuce. Unlike most districts around Panem, District 5 fences were indeed always powered on, no matter the day or weather.
"What happened?" Talissa asked, folding her arms across her chest while their aunt was noticeably absent. Noticing Sera and Ramiel's gaze, she answered first before the two had a chance to say anything. "Aunt Dahlia wanted to go home early and she didn't want us to come with her. Now that's out of the way—what happened?"
"Nothing." Ramiel answered. Sera decided not to say anything and let him handle it instead. She would step in if an argument broke out. "I noticed it was getting late so I made Sera run back." He added with a convincing smile while casually grabbing one of the picnic baskets from Talissa and passing the other to Huxley.
Talissa raised her brow and glanced at Sera, narrowing her eyes on her. She met her sister's eyes and innocently blinked before looking away to look at Clarisse and Nox. "Okay. Sera, did you take your medicine?" Talissa asked, her hands on her hips and moving on from her suspicions.
"No. I didn't bring it with me." She answered honestly. "I'll just take it when we get back."
"It'll be too late by then." Talissa sighed. She was tired of this. She was tired of keeping this up and she felt as if Sera was deliberately making it harder on her. "Look, just because you improved immensely before the games doesn't change the fact you still need to be treated." She scolded.
"Talissa, that's enough." Huxley pulled her away and started walking her back. "Let's go back before it's too late."
Talissa opened her mouth to fire back but Ramiel started walking faster overtaking the couple. He still held Sera's wrist and tugged her along. The two walked faster than the couple, passing the trees and the shrubs along the way along with the path leading to the solar farm which was actually a good distance away from the lake.
"Are you not going to tell Talissa about what happened?" Sera innocently asked while the two had left the rest of their party in the distance.
Ramiel chuckled and shook his head. "I see you still have that habit of instigating arguments." He commented lightly, glancing over at his younger sister.
Sera looked away and acted as if she didn't know what her brother meant. "I don't know what you mean by that." She replied with an innocent smile.
Her brother rolled his eyes. He lightly hummed under a breath before the two slowed in the entrance of the Hollow. It was mostly empty with most if not all the mid-level plant workers at their respective plants and the healers at the apothecaries. The preparations for winter were in full swing. It seemed only the Reza-Fairburn were the only ones at the Hollow. They didn't know how long they would be there. One of these days would be their last days in the Hollow and they didn't know when that would.
Ramiel didn't speak until he had unlocked the front door of their home and let his younger sister in and the two were comfortable. He took off his coat and she did the same. He unwrapped the frayed bluish-black scarf from around his neck and hung up the coat on the coat hanger nearby. She did the same and took off her shoes before replacing them with Talissa's old sandals that had been repurposed for home-wear.
"Did it help?" Ramiel asked, settling on the faded blue leather couch in the living room. Sera paused in her steps and tilted her head to the tide while looking at her brother. "Instigating arguments? Did that help?"
"I don't know what you are talking about." She replied, taking a seat next to him while grabbing her book from him. She opened it to a random page but really couldn't read, not with his gaze on her.
"There's no one here, Sera. You can trust me."
She sucked in a breath and let it go before shutting her book, turning her body to face him. Ramiel was right. There was no one here and if she could trust someone, it would be him. The two younger Reza siblings were closer to each other than Talissa. Despite being closer in age to Talissa, Ramiel and her couldn't get along as well as him and Sera. Talissa was the closest to their aunt while Ramiel, Sera and Nox were at one point inseparable.
If she wanted to trust someone, Ramiel would be her safest bet and she wanted to confide in someone. Someone who would listen and talk to her through it. Huxley would never do that. He would listen but what he wanted to forget as soon as he took in what had happened and telling him had a fifty percent chance of Talissa finding out. She didn't want to have that conversation with her older sister. "It did. I think it did." She confessed. "Please don't tell anyone."
"I won't." Ramiel replied, throwing his head back on the back of the couch. "Lissa actually figured it out by day eleven, a little late but better than never."
"Lissa knows?"
"She figured it out all on her own."
The color drained from Sera's face as the realization set in. Her sister knew. If she knew about her instigating arguments, that was nothing but if she figured that out, there was no way she didn't know about the poisonings.
"If you're worried about 'those incidents', Talissa and I figured it out as well." He sighed and sat up. "It's fine. We understand. We'd do the same if we were in your shoes. We ge—"
"No. You wouldn't. You're probably disappointed that I stooped so low."She cut him off, her eyes distant as she turned cold. "I instigated arguments, creating rifts before the games even began and then misleading all my allies to poison themselves before actually severely poisoning them to madness and watched as they tore each other apart. I even ignored the only surviving ally I had as he begged me to not kill him!" She stood up and wrapped her arms around herself as a black fog started clouding her vision. She could see them again, in the corner of her eyes. All of them. Hollow, bloody and bruised. "...You two wouldn't have done that." She mumbled to herself while shaking her head, feeling despicable while shame drowned her.
Ramiel shut his eyes. He clenched his fists in silent anger and let a moment of silence which allowed Sera to calm down before he reached out for her. The moment he grabbed her, the dark fog dissipated from her vision and she could see the fairly empty living room which was a little cluttered with cloth bundles.
He exhaled and finally spoke again. "...Nobody knows what they would do in a situation until it happens. Maybe you're right that we wouldn't have done that. Maybe I would've done something else." He agreed and Sera nodded. "I don't know what I or Lissa would have done but it would have been less strategic. I'm still wondering how you managed to create rifts between the careers and the other tributes. I predicted that those District 3 and 7 tributes might get roped into joining the careers but they in turn formed their own alliance. How'd you manage that?"
"Well, I—"
He quickly grabbed her and shook his head while gesturing to her that he was not seriously asking but rather just voicing his own thoughts out. "Don't. Don't tell me. I rather not know." He let go and backed off. "You can never trust someone too much, remember that."
"Mother used to say that."
"And she was right." He agreed, going over to the radio and turning it on before going over to a chalkboard nearby that was propped up "Sometimes knowing less is a good thing. Remember that for next time."
"I will." Sera nodded and looked around, realizing that it had been too quiet in the house. Their aunt was meant to be home by now and she was nowhere to be seen or heard. She turned around and craned her head towards her aunt's room. The door to the room was wide open, giving her an open look inside. It was empty. "Where is aunt Dahlia? She left before us, shouldn't she be here already?" She questioned, changing the subject and looking back to her brother.
"Good question. I'll be right back. Stay here." Her brother answered, getting up and marching upstairs. He left Sera downstairs in the living room. He came back after a few moments and shook his head. He left again to check the kitchen, aunt Dahlia's room and his sisters' shared bedroom. Their aunt was not there.
Ramiel came back in a silent panic. His hands pulling at his dark hair in frustration. "Did you find her?" Sera asked, getting up from her seat.
Just as he was about to answer, the front door opened with a loud screech as aunt Dahlia's frail hand poked out from the sides of the door. She pulled herself inside before stopping at the entrance, noticing her niece and nephew. She smiled softly and started to take off her scarf and her light cardigan.
"Where were you?" Ramiel asked, walking over to their aunt.
"Don't you start, Miel." She coughed while Ramiel helped her through the entrance. "Estelle Clar—Weathers came to the shop. She wanted to place an order for a few azalea bouquets since her daughter's birthday is this week." She answered while gesturing to Ramiel to take her to her room. He obediently followed her instructions and Sera followed at their heels.
"And you had to take it today? You could have made it tomorrow morning and one of us could have delivered it instead" Ramiel questioned. "I understand she's the mayor's wife but still, she should have some sense."
"She's also a victor, Miel. Have some respect." Aunt Dahlia replied, taking a seat at her bed.
"So? She could have waited until tomorrow morning to make that order."
"There's another flower shop in the Foxhalo as well, she could have gone to that." Sera quietly reminded her aunt, leaning against the doorframe.
"The Griswold family couldn't afford to keep the shop running, they closed it down recently while you were gone." Her aunt sighed. "Besides, Estelle is an old friend. It's always nice to see an old friend." She pointedly looked at the two who, against their nature, had decided to argue against her that afternoon. "She wanted to check on me and even asked about Sera."
"She just wanted to check on Sera." Ramiel stated. He looked a little annoyed and Sera picked up on it. She wanted to reach out to him and tell him to rein himself in before aunt Dahlia became too agitated.
"And check on me." Aunt Dahlia bit down while sternly looking at Ramiel. Her gaze was enough to make Ramiel back down.
Sera agreed with her brother but she didn't have it enough in her that day to continue that discussion and support Ramiel. If the discussion lasted longer, it would evidently turn into an argument.
For some reason, Ramiel had an issue with Estelle Weathers, a former victor and former resident of the Hollow who was childhood friends with their aunt. The two continued their friendship even when the Reza siblings' parents died and their aunt lost her husband. Ramiel never took a liking to Mrs Weathers. Talissa seemed impartial to her presence. Sera hardly ever met her and could vaguely remember meeting her twice and both meetings were at funerals.
She heard the front door open with a loud rusty creak and in that moment she remembered, she had forgotten to take her medicine. But before she could leave, her sister walked into the room. "What happened here?" Talissa asked, coming into aunt Dahlia's room. Her eyes darted over the three in the room. Aunt Dahlia answered for us but it wasn't enough for Talissa who looked over to her younger brother.
Ramiel shrugged in response before getting up. "I'll start preparing for dinner." He announced while leaving the room.
"I'll help." Sera offered but Talissa grabbed and made her sit down. Her sister took out some tablets and slipped it into her hands, reminding her that again she forgot to take her medicine.
Dinner ended quicker than Sera thought it would with Huxley and Clarisse leaving before night had set. Sera's aunt was excited throughout the meal as she harped on about the upcoming wedding. Even Talissa had relaxed a little by then. Ramiel had stayed quiet for the most part as he usually did. However, he did break his peaceful silence once or twice to add his own input and to defend Sera when their sister started complaining about Sera's shorter hair. Their aunt also jumped in.
The two made Sera's haircut quite a matter that she didn't want to deal with. Huxley tried to defend her by reminding the two that it was Sera who had chosen to cut her hair short to prepare for the games and the stylists had only followed her instruction but aunt Dahlia still wasn't pleased. Thankfully, Nox seemed to sense the situation and changed the topic to something else. Dinner ended not long after.
Sera sat on her bed, combing her short hair before putting the old ornate metal comb away. Her sister walked into their shared bedroom with a quiet sigh before she sat down on the opposite bed. Neither of the two said a word. She had been avoiding her older sister mostly since Ramiel had let her know that their sister deduced most of her strategies in the game. Most not all but it still didn't sit well with Sera that her older sister knew.
"Sera." Talissa decided to take the first step. It seemed she had again come to the right conclusion and knew that Sera was avoiding her. She sucked in a breath and clasped her hands together. "I…I don't know how to bring this up but—"
The young victor cut her older sister off as she slipped a few strands of her hair behind her ear while looking away from her. "I know. Ramiel told me. You two figured it out and that means someone else other than you two figured it out." She said, tiredly. She appeared fairly calm despite her mind being in absolute chaos.
"Probably not." Talissa disagreed. "We only figured it out because we know you. We know you're observant when you can be and you always remember little things. You know when to make yourself stand and when to fade into the background. I don't think anyone knows you like we do."
"Aunt Dahlia does." Sera pointed out.
"She doesn't care what you do as long as you're here. With us. That being said, if I had to be honest, aunt Dahlia didn't really pay much attention to the games this year. She only vaguely focused on you whenever you were on the screen."
"I thought so. She didn't look that good."
"She hasn't been all that good after you were reaped and I'm not blaming you for being chosen. I really am no but I'm sorry for hovering around you like that but I was just—"
"Concerned." Talissa nodded. "I understand, I do."
Talissa smiled in response before sitting down on her bed, next to Sera's. "I…I'll probably never understand you or what you did. I still don't understand Huxley but if you want to talk then as your older sister I'm here."
"Lissa." Sera said with a smile. "I appreciate this but you and I can barely go five minutes without you coddling me or me getting angry at you."
"I'll keep the coddling to a minimum."
"You won't," Sera said, getting comfortable in her hard bed. "but it's fine. I'm used to it."
Talissa smiled a little and took out her nightwear. "Just remember to take your medicine on time." She said, getting changed into her nightwear while her little sister had shut her eyes, attempting to sleep. "Sera." She called out to her again after a while. She stared at the window which was partially covered by the shutters.
"Yeah."
"I know you're scared." She took in a breath and let it go before lowering her voice. "About the poisonings being discovered but I think it's unlikely it will happen."
"Easy for you to say, you're not in my position. You can think and say whatever you want."
"No, but I know that whatever happens to you will affect us in the long run. I'm not stupid."
"I never said you were."
"Can we please not bicker?" Talissa pleaded. She was getting tired of always being the target of arguments for both her siblings. It didn't help that Sera felt even more distant after she came back and she did understand, she really did. She tried hard to show it as well. Huxley had given her a few pointers that Talissa understood Sera knew about as well. Even without telling her, she was bright enough to deduce it from the simple glances shared between the couple.
Sera rolled her eyes at her sister's words. She was tired of her sister pretending that everything was fine and she understood everyone when in fact she didn't.
"I'm not bickering, I'm just tired of you thinking you know everything when you don't." Sera hissed out.
She felt angry at her sister all of a sudden. It was irritating how she always acted as if she knew everything. It was annoying. Talissa didn't know how afraid she was in the arena. How afraid she still was in that moment at her deception being uncovered. She breathed out and tried to calm down before she said something that would actually start an argument. Aunt Dahlia had just fallen asleep.
"How did you figure it out?" Sera asked instead of saying what was really on her mind.
Talissa sighed loudly and laid down, drawing the curtains, darkening the entire room. "I recognized the symptoms and the plant itself." She answered back.
"Of course you did."
"I know you're afraid that someone from the Capitol might expose you but that's virtually impossible and if they did find out, they wouldn't care. Sera, you were in a life or death situation and anyone would do something against their nature to save themselves."
"You don't know that they won't find out." She retorted.
She was afraid for different reasons. The Capitolites had built an image of her already and her actual nature was far different from that image. She had enough sense to know what would happen if it was revealed that none of that was real and her image was all but a deception she carefully crafted after her first interview. Her sister wouldn't understand that.
The consequences of lying to the Capitol and making a fool of those involved with the games were heavy.
Haymitch Abernathy from District 12 was the perfect example of what happens to a victor if they should ever make a mockery out of those behind the games even if it's unintentional. All of his loved ones tragically met their end in various accidents and he was left alone. She didn't want her family to pay for her deception like Haymitch. It would be fine if had to keep up that deception but the risk of being discovered was all that was on her mind.
"I do. The snow cotton or the ophelia blossom that you used is quite an obscure plant and its effects are minimal enough to be overlooked. Besides, you can't find it in the Capitol. It's warmer over there, did you not learn about the differences in environment in the different districts and the Capitol in school."
Sera scoffed and turned herself away from her sister. "No. I didn't. I hardly attended school, remember?" She answered back, reminding her sister that the improvement in her health was only recent. Talissa choked on air and tried to alleviate the damage but it was too late.
Sera didn't care and she was exhausted and it didn't help that the various medicines she took for her health always made her feel even more tired. Sometimes, taking the different syrups, tablets, capsules and even medicinal tea felt as if it was draining all the energy in her body rather than curing or treating her. Still she always took those without much complaints. She wanted to live after all. She shut her eyes again, letting go as she fell asleep.
A sudden chill went down her spine as her body seized up. Her eyes twitched and darted whilst being closed. Suddenly, she felt cold like she had been submerged in ice water in the middle of winter and left out in the night to freeze. Her chest felt heavy. Something crawled on top of her body and sat on her stomach. Its spider-like bony hands reached for her throat, grazing it a little before pulling back.
Cold, rough and hard hands gripped her shoulders and flipped her to face towards the concrete ceiling of her room. A hand let go of one of her shoulders and held it under her chin, tilting it up. It was like she was reliving that night all over again and her throat seized up. She found it harder to breath, choking up.
Her chest started hurting as her heart hammered against her chest. The pain in her chest was back. Excruciating chest pains that she hadn't felt in over a year were now tearing her apart as tears fell down her eyes. Still her eyes stayed close but she clenched her fists in pain, digging her nails into the palm of her hands, nearly drawing blood while attempting to hold back a cry of pain.
Against the backdrop of her sister's quiet blissful breathing, she could hear indecipherable whispers near her ears. The whispers gradually got louder and louder till all she could hear were those whispers. Those whispers felt harsh and each time they echoed against her ears but still she couldn't make out what the words were. She didn't know what to focus on, her chest pains, the sudden coldness, the whispers or her nails that were digging into her palms.
She gasped awake, waking up in cold sweat. She sat up and held her head with one hand while her other hand reached out for her unblemished neck. That heavy feeling didn't go away at all. It seemed to have moved from her chest to back like something was weighing her down from the back, hugging her tightly. She readjusted her sheets and lay back down pulling her covers back on.
It was still fairly dark outside and inside but her eyes had adjusted to the dark. She stared at the ceiling, feeling a little better. Her chest pains all but faded and her back felt less weighted. She glanced at the crackled concrete ceiling once again as her eyelids began to feel heavy and her body felt light.
Darkness started to grow in the corner of her visions as sleep started to take over once again but her eyes flew open when she saw something scuttle away from in front of her eyes. Her eyes darted around the darkened concrete ceiling before they moved to the half-shut windows with tattered curtains softly blowing in the night breeze.
Thinking it was her own mind playing tricks with her, she laid back down and looked up. Her eyes widened and she quickly clamped her mouth shut with one hand to prevent a scream from escaping. A boney creature crawled on her ceiling right on top of her bed. It moved like a spider slowly, a step at a time. Its head and neck were bent at an angle with a rotten bone sticking out. Its spine or what looked like its spine had several bones sticking out.
Pale, yellowed and stained bones.
There was a familiar stench of rust permeating her senses as she gasped.
Her eyes went to her sister on the bed opposite hers. Talissa was deep in sleep, blissfully unaware of the nightmare of their bedroom ceiling. Sera didn't call for her sister. There was nothing her sister could do even if she woke up apart from waking the whole of the Hollow up with her screams. She glanced up at the ceiling again as the spider-like creature writhed on the ceiling before it paused.
It must have sensed her stares. It started to turn its neck. She could hear loud cracks while it slowly turned to face her like it was breaking its own neck just to get a look at her. In fear, she shut her eyes and waited and waited. She didn't know how long she had been waiting but when she opened her eyes, it was gone.
She was left staring at the rough gray ceiling again. She tilted her face towards her sister again, she was still sleeping blissfully. Seeing her, Sera shifted around to face away from the ceiling but she froze.
Her breathing grew shallow as an icy cold hand gripped her shoulder tight. She made eye contact with it. Clear silvery eyes met with pitch black orbs that seemed to eclipse the whites in the eye. She looked at its distorted face with tears sliding down her face as it grinned ear to ear. It opened its mouth and harsh whispers started to fill the silence. It's face distorted in front of her eyes before she got a clear look at the wraith whose face morphed into a gaunt looking boy that she knew too well.
Gene.
As if he could hear her thoughts, Gene grinned even wider before mouthing something. She only managed to make out 'home' from his words before his face darkened and bloody tears started falling from his black eyes. He mouthed 'home' again before crying harder.
The bloody tears stained her old sheets as his grip on her shoulders tightened while he kept on repeating 'home' and shaking her. The pungent stench of blood made her gag. In desperation, the wraith grabbed her face as she tried to get away from him. The bloody tears from his hand coated her face as he desperately tried to talk to her, covering his blood stained hands over her eyes.
Sera woke up in cold sweat, clutched her shoulder in pain and fear. Looking around now, it was morning. She was in her room but her sister was not here anymore. She threw off her covers and ran into the living room where her brother sat quietly flicking through some notes from his work with Nox sitting obediently on the floor, doing his homework. The two paused in their tasks to look at her.
"Is everything okay?" Nox innocently asked, getting up from the floor and walking over to her.
Ramiel glanced over at her and stood up. "L–Lissa. Where is she?" She stuttered out and swallowed a breath.
"At the apothecary." Ramiel answered as if Sera already knew about this and she did. It was then that she remembered that Talissa had work today but her brother had a day off. "Is everything okay?"
Sera met his gaze and smiled naturally before nodding. She put on a mask and acted like there was nothing clouding her mind. "Everything is fine. I forgot about Lissa's work." She lied but instead of letting either of the boys probe her for more, she changed the topic. "Is aunt Dahlia at the shop?" She questioned.
Nox nodded. "Mother said she had to go early and asked you to join her later." He answered instead of Ramiel.
"Are you gonna be there?" Sera asked as Nox nodded.
She smiled again before turning around and going back to her room to change. She shut her bedroom door behind her and stared up at the concrete ceiling above her room. It had the same cracks and dull gray color that it always had, not one thing was different from before. She glanced around the room, spotting her sister's messy bed that she went over to fix.
Nothing was different.
Exhaling, she stood in front of Talissa's now made bed as she thought to herself that maybe she was starting to lose her mind. Losing her sanity was something she did account for after researching the past victors and games but she never imagined that it could happen to her. Shaking her head, she quickly took out an old pale green dress with flowers and left to freshen up before getting some breakfast. It was still too soon for her to lose her mind. She refused to believe that.
Aunt Dahlia's flower shop that often doubled as an apothecary was situated in the corner of old and crumbling concrete shells in the outskirts of the Hollow and bordered the District 5 center, Foxhalo. Next to the flower shop was an old bakery that mostly served people from the Slog and Hollow. Next to the bakery was the café and bookstore that Sera used to frequent growing up.
The flower shop exterior was wooden with glass windows on both sides painted an olive green that had chipped off on the edges. There was a sign hung up at the top that read 'Dahlia's' in faded pastel pink cursive layered over white. Outside the shops were metal buckets of different colored chrysanthemums, sunflowers and dahlias submerged in water to keep them hydrated. Some of the buckets were empty, indicating that a sale had been made. There were also lines of small terracotta flower pots with pansies lined on the shelves above the metal pots.
Sera walked past the front store windows and paused. Instead of her aunt, her sister was the one taking orders and giving out orders. "Where's aunt Dahlia?" She asked, walking in from the back entrance. She took one of the grass green colored aprons from the hooks near the metal cupboards and placed it over her head before tying the straps behind her back.
"She went out with her old friend." Talissa replied. The 'old friend' being Estelle Weathers, she didn't feel the need to state it outloud. She didn't say anything else before handing Sera the pruning shears and pointed to her towards the unfinished bouquets on one of the florist tables.
"I thought you had work."
"I did but I finished early." Sera nodded at her sister's words.
Taking the shears, Sera walked over to the table and started checking the order and started preparing the bouquet. Her sister had done a decent job but it was obvious that this was not her best work. One glance at the florist table was all it took for her to realize that.
Crushed petals of pale pink chrysanthemums and broken stems of baby's breath were littered on the table as she shook her head, discarding the waste in a separate canvas bag meant for reuse. She, her aunt or her sister would go through that later and pick apart any useful bits later. For now, she needed to fix this mess.
The door jingled as it opened and another customer walked in. "Welcome!" The two sisters greeted the customer before they both stopped dead in their tracks. Talissa looked over behind her to meet Sera's eyes. She went to her makeshift apothecary's table after she ushered in the new customer with an uncomfortable but welcoming smile.
Quietly, Sera surveyed the customer. It was a familiar face for her. Thin and tall with coily hair and glowing almond skin that may give one a healthy appearance but not her. Her sunken hazel eyes were a little red as if she had been crying while her thin lips were dried and peeling. She looked a little different from the last time Sera had seen her.
"Leora…Shelley, here for my order." She slurred, steadying herself against a wooden table which was used as a display for some ready-made bouquets.
Sera nodded, crouching down to take out her aunt's record books. She flicked through the marked pages and stopped at the recent orders. She made no attempts to talk to Leora, the former victor who was the mentor of Gene and was meant to work alongside Huxley.
Instead she disappeared for long periods of time, leading up to the games and didn't even stay to the end, disappearing again. It was strange to see her at their shop after not seeing her in a while. She looked even more exhausted than before.
Leora was dressed in plain beige trousers and a black sweater that covered her neck and arms. Her long dark curly hair was not tied up like last time but instead fell down her back, covering her neck completely. Her hazel eyes scanned the shop lazily while she waited on Sera. There was something strange about her. She was dressed more warmly than usual yet at the same time, she would lift the sleeves of her sweater but would pause when she even lifted it a little and pull it back down.
Inside the shop, it was warmer than outside with moss covering some of the walls along with ferns and bundles of drying plants hung from the ceiling alongside the light fixtures. Some parts of the shop also had moss floors that aunt Dahlia had decided to leave as part of the shop. She occasionally watered and trimmed the moss and fern. It made the shop look different from the now-closed flower shop in the Foxhalo but it also made the shop more humid which made Leora's outfit even more strange as it was cool, not cold outside and warm inside.
The young victor kept that in her mind but didn't point it out. Her eyes went over to her sister who had placed some herbs in the metal mortar before using a pestle to crush the herbs. The quiet sound of the mortar and pestle pounding at each other followed by scraping sounds occupied the silence that had started to grow in the shop.
She snuck a peak at the former victor and looked back down. She couldn't ask Leora anything and even if she wanted to, she didn't know how to approach her. The two were barely even acquaintances. All she knew about Leora was that she was Eugene's absent mentor who was always missing during crucial moments. Huxley had tried his best to cover for her at first but eventually he gave up and focused his attention on Sera.
Stopping at a page, Sera leaned down to check the records. Leora Shelley, she repeated in her mind while going through the list of names. She couldn't find Leora's name. She glanced up and tried to grab her attention but Leora looked too enamored by one of the baby spider plants to pay her attention. Sighing quietly, she coughed once to clear her throat before calling out to Leora. "Excuse me, your name is not on the list of orders." Sera kindly informed her.
Leora's face scrunched up in confusion before she glanced over at Talissa who was busy at work. "Are you sur…sure? I did place an…o…order with Dahlia." She insisted, walking over to Sera. "Check again." She demanded. "Please." She added in frustration. Her words didn't slur this time.
Sera nodded again and flicked through the list of orders again to find nothing. "I'm sorry but do you mind confirming what you actually ordered?" She asked, flipping through the pages again.
"Lavender tea and some poppy seeds." Leora quietly answered with a sigh.
Hearing her response, Sera nodded and felt a little annoyed at herself for not checking the other orders, the non-floral arrangement and bouquet orders. She flipped to the back of the record books where her aunt had clearly divided the two types of orders. There she flipped to the most recent page and scanned it, pausing when she found Leora's name.
Sera looked up and called Talissa over to the counter. "Talissa." She looked up at her name being called. "Order for Leora Shelley. This one's yours." By that, Sera meant that Talissa was better equipped to handle the apothecary part of the orders. She walked away to carry on with her task while her sister replaced her.
"Here's the lavender tea." Her sister took out a beige canvas pouch from under the counter with a string and some paper attached to it. "There's some instructions attached, if you need it." Talissa added while bending down to grab the poppy seeds. She took out another pouch but hesitated handing it over. "I don't know if I can give you these." She said, glancing at Leora whose eyes were red and her movements slow.
"I ordered them, didn't I?" Leora retorted with a click of her tongue. "I can get them from elsewhere." She added, crossing her arms against her chest.
"And they all will say the same thing." Talissa answered with a polite smile. "I do apologize but poppy seeds are meant to be taken for short periods of time only and according to our ledgers, you've ordered poppy seed tea at least three times in the last two months and this would be your fourth order. Usually this amount is meant to last three to four months if correct instructions are followed. I'm afraid, I can't sell you them anymore."
"This is ridiculous. I need these." Leora tried. Her face was desperate. "Dahlia gave them to me personally last time." She unwrapped her arms and pulled at her sleeves, nervously looking around before her eyes settled on Sera who had been quietly listening in.
"A mistake on our aunt's part. You know she hasn't been well
Looking up from her task, Sera met Leora's desperate gaze. She looked over to her sister who also stared at her. Pursing her lips and putting down the pruning shears carefully in her apron's pocket, she walked over to the counter and stood behind her sister. She scanned the ledger and checked what Leora's order was. The flower shop also being a makeshift apothecary had never posed any problems until then. She scanned her order again and looked at Talissa who looked conflicted about what to do.
"Perhaps we can offer an alternative to the poppies?" Sera offered while looking at Talissa.
Talissa nodded, understanding what Sera meant and she walked over to the apothecary side of the shop. She looked over at the selection of herbs, flowers and seeds with some roots of certain plants. "We could double the dose of lavender and offer some lavender syrup or a lavender balm instead? I—We just perfected these." Talissa suggested, going over to a metal cabinet and taking out a bunch of bottles, vials and containers.
Tiredly, Leora walked over to Talissa and took the bottle of lavender syrup, uncorking it. She sniffed it a little before making a face. "I'll take the syrup and maybe that—" She gestured to a shelf where there were stacks of clay pots behind Talissa that were painted in a light yellow shade.
"That's an ointment. It won't be helpful for your conditions."
"Why? What's it made of?"
"What's it made out of?" Talissa repeated, a little confused. She tilted her head to the side and looked from the shelf to Leora.
"Yes. Did you not hear me the first time?"
Talissa's eyes twitched and she clenched her fists. She was annoyed at the former victor and wanted to say something back but again she didn't. The urge to give Leora a piece of her mind was strong but the need to keep up the reputation of the store was stronger.
Sensing the growing tension between the two, Sera paused in her actions and went over to the back of the store where her aunt often grew out of season plants. She plucked a single stem of yellowish-orange flower with long and thin petals gathered around a yellow center. "It's made with beeswax, chamomile and calendula. This is a calendula, it's a yellowish-orange flower, similar to some marigolds." She held up a stem of calendula, in front of Leora and met Talissa's gaze as she softly smiled. "It's mostly used for healing wounds, scars and inflammation."
"I'll take it." Leora said, her eyes surveyed the yellow flower and reached out to touch it. Sera handed it over to her who twirled it around before putting the flower close to her face to smell it. She handed the flower to Talissa after smelling it and turned to face the siblings.
Talissa nodded, still annoyed but now even more confused. She grabbed the container of calendula ointment, not questioning why a former victor might need an ointment for healing wounds. That was not her or her sister's job. Their job was to provide them with what they need, not question them even though a look at Sera would say otherwise.
Sera looked curious at Leora's purchases but she was smart enough to know not to question Leora who wasn't their most patient customer. Talissa brought the container over to the counter where Sera waited. She recorded it down along with the lavender syrup and tea under Leora's name.
"I still don't think these are going to be enough." Leora said, turning to look at the Reza sisters.
Hearing Leora speak, Talissa had to hold herself back from saying something she would regret. Her eyes flicked to stare behind Leora at the window where a peacekeeper had walked by but not before giving a glance over at the store. She couldn't risk it even if her own sister was a victor now. "Well, I can't sell you the poppy seeds." She said through a tight smile with a pitched voice.
"No but you and your sister said you would offer me an alternative. The lavender syrup is not that different from the tea, is it?"
Begrudgingly Talissa had to agree, the syrup was the sweetened more concentrated version of the tea that would have almost the same effects. It would relax Leora and help her sleep but it wouldn't work on her pain. Sera sighed and shared a look with her sister who stuttered for an answer.
Talissa scanned the assortment of medicinal plants displayed and the labeled plants in the cabinet while trying to come up with a suitable solution. She was too concerned about the side effects to consider the desired effects. Leora glared at Talissa while she waited.
Tired, Sera bent down to check the inventory below the counter and scanned the pouches and it's labels for anything. Talissa and her aunt had often left extra dried flowers and herb pouches under there. She paused and took out two different pouches. Getting up, she placed them on the counter and called her sister.
"What about passionflower and valerian?" She held the two pouches up in the air. "They both have similar properties to poppies." She added.
"They do?" Leora asked, making a grab for them. Sera had to pull back. She was surprised at Leora's sudden action and even Leora was surprised as she drew back and held her hand close to her in alarm. Her eyes narrowed on Sera as the young victor waited for her sister to confirm the switch.
"They do." Talissa answered after a moment, glancing from Leora to Sera. "I forgot about them."
She checked the display for passionflower and valerian then turned back. It was there, she just happened to look over it. With her hands on her hips, she kept glancing from the passionflower pouch to the valerian. She couldn't decide which would be appropriate. Both had similar properties but the valerian had a slight danger of being misused just like poppies.
Sensing her sister's indecisiveness, Sera put away the valerian and placed the dried passion flower in front of her instead. "The passionflower would be better. I think." She casually commented, giving her sister a look before she looked at Leora. Talissa understood what Sera meant and nodded. Unlike the valerian which could become addictive if smoked, the passionflower had less risks. Leora was known for being a little unsteady and giving her the valerian wouldn't help. There was no saying that Leora wouldn't find a way to get high off the valerian. They couldn't take the risk.
"Yes. passion flower would be the best alternative. It might be milder than poppy but it is just as effective." Her older sister said, motioning for Sera to offer it to Leora.
The former victor's eyes twinkled as a ghost of a smile played on her lips. She placed a canvas bag on the counter and took a step back. She waited as Sera placed her items into the bag before making a note of the sale, this time including the passionflower tea.
"There's instructions attached to the passionflower on how to use it." She stated while finishing her note and passing Leora a slip of payment to sign.
"Thank you." Leora walked over to the counter in slow drowsy steps before she leaned over the counter right in front of Sera's face. She picked up the pen from the counter, signing the slip.
"…Seraphine, I know I've not been quite the mentor during your entire game but a word of advice," She said not slurring like last time as she dropped the bottle of lavender syrup on the counter in front of Sera who packed it up with the rest of the things. "Stick to arranging flowers." She smiled like she was sober before throwing a few coins on the counter and left.
The door jingled as she left. Sera could see her sloppy steps through the store window but Leora didn't look back. She just disappeared in the crowd. Sera swallowed and took the coins before recording the sale then placed the coins in the register, making a note that the poppy seeds had been replaced by valerian.
"She's always so difficult." Talissa complained after a few moments of silence while Sera returned to florist table. "By the way, what did she say?" She queried, carefully looking at her younger sister who seemed a little busy with her task.
Sera snipped a few leaves of the snapdragons in her hands and regarded her sister with a nod. "Nothing important." She answered, snipping off the end of the stems and submerging them in boiling water. She could feel Talissa's gaze on her as she held the stems of the snapdragon under for a few minutes before taking them out and placing them to the side just as the front door opened with a jingle.
"Welcome!" The two sisters greeted with painted smiles as the next two customers walked in.
