Battle Field

Ten

Harmony Odair

I awake to a bright sunny day. Beautiful day for such a terrifying event. Mom walks into my room to awake me but I sit up when she comes in. She sits right at my feet and puts her hand on my leg. I can't help but feel tears well up. "Momma what if it's me." I ask. "Harmony...you're 12. You're name is only in there once. It would be a work from the gods to have your name picked." She says. I nodded but having the gut feeling that it wouldn't be as simple as she said. "Now let's get you ready, pretty girl." She says with a comforting smile. I smiled back and went to wash up.

I had worn a white dress with a thin brown belt on my waist. My hair half up in a braid and the rest curled lightly. After the long line of girls we were all hurdled in the square looking towards a stage with screens on the sides. I only wanted to get this over with. I tried to calm myself down until, "...And of course, ladies first." the woman on the stage sounded so delighted and walked over to the girls bowl of names. She grabs the paper and walks back to her microphone. "Harmony Ryhs." She says. It was like my name echoed in my head for minutes. It wasn't until the girls around me from school started to separate themselves from me, so the woman would be able to see who I was. A peacekeeper waits for me in the middle walkway and out of fear I walk towards him with no hesitation. I'm escorted to the stage and was told to stand next to the dreaded woman who picked my name from the masses. I see my mother in the distance and I feel a tear roll down my cheek. The boy picked was 17. Ive seen him just in town but his name was Richard Ivey.

I waited in the room to say goodbye to my mother and I see her storm in the room with tears in her eyes. She kneels down to my height and embraces me. "You said I was safe momma. You said there was nearly no chance I'd be picked." I say in tears. "Harmony.." She pulls herself away and holds my shoulders so she can look me in the eye. "I've known Richards family for a while. Richard is a nice boy and can teach you what you need to know about defending yourself. Teaching yourself survival skills  is the most important though you understand?" She speeds through. I furiously nod through the tears. "I know you're a strong girl and can make it through..okay?" She says. "Promise me you'll try your best Harmony." She says. I would be sent to kill bigger kids than myself. I would have to work with everything in me to be able to come home again. "I promise."

On the train I sat next to Richard in silence until Richard spoke. "I spoke to your mom about helping you out. Your mom and my mom go way back." He smiles. I nod. "Do you know how to use any kind of weapon? Just a little bit that can help you out?" He asks. I sit up a little but still keeping my eyes low. "I never told my mom but I would go out back and throw knives as soon as I turned 12." I say. "Alright thats a good start. Were you any good?" He says. "Kinda, once I got maybe 15 feet or less away my aim wasn't too great." I say. "Well we'll work on your arm strength so you could do some more damage with a throw, then aiming, then some good self defense moves between you and another." He says putting his arm on my shoulder. "What about you?" I ask finally looking at his face. He had dark brown shaggy hair and piercing green eyes. He just shrugs. "I don't have much to come back to." I sat there confused. How could someone not care of how they'd do in these games. "Don't worry about me Harmony. All I care about is getting you home. Okay?" He says. I only nod.

***

The training and interviews were very overwhelming. The only fun part was the chariot ride in the beginning of it all. All I wanted was to become the horse and run away from it all. It became time for the games. My wardrobe designer, Jaz, helped me into my uniform. It was almost a normal outfit with pants, boots, a t shirt, and a black windbreaker. Jaz put on the necklace I came her with on and put it under my shirt. It was my mother's necklace that she gave to me when I turned 12. I never took it off. It was just a silver chain attached to a singular white pearl. I was lifted into the arena to see what looked like a city blown to rubble. As if a part of the capitol was blown into rubble. I look around and see Richard 4 pillars of people away from me. I had told me to run away from the cornucopia and he would bring what we needed. As quick and clever he found me out to be, his legs were a lot longer leading him to be just a tad faster than the others.
A shot plays in the air commencing the games to begin. I watched as almost everyone just ran into the cornucopia and I saw a backpack close by that everyone just passed by. I ran towards the backpack and saw the not from district 2 lock eyes with me. I'm pulled by Richard behind me and we run away and into the rubbled city. Once we got to a small blown up building with some rooms still attached we set up camp and sat in the far corner away from windows. I look in my backpack to see a water bottle that was empty, a face mask that was used to guard your face from the sun or maybe sand and debris, rope, and a small handheld knife. Richard got a bag with the same things and grabbed me a bigger dagger and himself a machete.
We were almost never found for days. Kids dropped like flies. Our "room" had a water source within what used to be the kitchen but the kitchen was exposed with no walls so we could only fill up our bottles at night. We had to put the masks on at night when high winds would blow debris around everywhere. I felt like we were cheating the system with how simple we had it. We were the only ones left with two other careers. I felt like I didn't deserve how long I've made it into the games. Until we were woken up to our building shaking under us in the middle of the night. I furiously had to wake Richard up and luckily we escaped before the building collapsed. It was then that we realized that our cover was blown. From the distance we say the boy from 2 and the girl from 1 with a fire torch. They saw us in the distance. My heart sunk and Richard pulled on me to run towards the center again. But they caught up. The boy from 2 threw Richard onto the ground and they begun to fight hand to hand. The girl from 1 was still catching up. She got close enough and took a shot in the dark and threw my knife towards her running to Richard and the other Career. I looked away but I looked back to see My knife landed right into her skull. I froze. I couldn't move. I looked toward a Richard and the last boy on the ground fighting away from both of their weapons. They finally got off of each other and grabbed their weapons. I ran to the girl and forced my dagger out of her head and turned towards the boys again. The boy from 2 ran towards Richard with his sword. It was like everything was in slow motion. I aimed and threw towards a moving man but it was too late. His sword pierced Richards waist at the same time my dagger pierced his heart. He looked towards me and all I saw was blood escape his lips as he falls to the ground. I run to Richard who was hanging by a limb. "No Rich, please...you're ok. You're fine." I say with tears rushing down my face. He reached up from his wound and grabbed my face. "You did so good kid." He says raspy and low. I shake my head. "I didn't do anything-"
"Harmony..You just killed two careers, who are trained for this." He says. I couldn't catch my breath. "Push down on the sword Harmony.."
"NO!" I shout. "Please Harmony..I'm in pain and I'm not gonna make it." He says. I shake my head, "Please take my pain away." He begs. I stand up and go to the handle of the sword. "Tell Finnick Odair I said hi when you get back ok?" He says. I didn't know who that was just yet but I only nodded. "Thank you." I say still crying furiously. He only smiles and looks away. I push the sword down and his arm falls to the ground. I fall next to him and scream out and shake my head furiously. I only caught my breath a few minutes later when Claudis' voice booms in the arena "Ladies and Gentlemen I give you our victor of the 64th Annual Hunger Games."

***

When I got home everyone was proud of me and told me how much Richard actually did for me. The food he said was from sponsors was actually what he left to find while I slept. Many had found our spot while I slept but he stayed up keep them away. It only made me feel worse for winning. I didn't deserve this win, Richard did. I ask my mother before my tour about Finnick Odair but she never answered until he left for the next years Hunger Games. My mother wanted to see him before he left with his mother too. That's when we were told about the insistent. His mother was unfaithful before his fathers passing causing her to give my mom me to be my mother. I couldn't believe I had a family I never knew. Richards family were in the law side of District 4. They helped our mothers with the adoption process.

I watched the games constantly to keep and eye on Finnick but he didn't need it. He was a pro and rightfully won his games. My mother became ill towards the end of the games and no doctor could help her. She died in her sleep and the adoption process for Finnick mother to take me back happens the night before Finnick would come home. I had night terrors. All I could see was the kids I killed over and over like a loop. One time it was my mother instead of the boy from district 2. I couldn't help but feel lost in my new home but Finnick always knew how to put a smile on my face. Finnick always came to my aid. Finnick was the only one I had left.