FRAGILE GIRL || THE HUNGER GAMES ¹

2.

"I LOVE YOU TOO, MAMA..."

---¤☆¤---

Staring up at the stage, I watched Celia De Baudelaire; District 10's personal escort, walk up to the microphone. She had a big smile plastered on her face, that didn't look genuine in the slightest. Her blonde hair was tied up into a large mess of swirls and curls that many women in the Capitol wore, from what they showed in snips from the Games.

Her outfit was a dark shade of purple with tentacles wrapped around her arms and legs that looked like a giant squid. Her make-up consisted of matching purple eyeshadow with gold tentacles painted all the way down to her cheekbones, her lips were painted a shimmery gold. As rude as it sounded, she looked hideous. So plasticy and clean. So fake.

"Welcome! Welcome everyone! Now a few words from our dear President!" Celia's cheery voice shouts, making me flinch at the sound.

Looking at the screen behind her, the screen was pitch black before it faded into the same boring video from the year before and the year before that and the year before that. Fields of grain were shown with children running around with smiles plastered on their faces. Playing with each other, not a care in the world.

"War. Terrible war. With those. Orphan and motherless child. This was the uprising that brought our land. The country that fed them. Protected them. Then came the peace. Hard fought." Snow narratives, making me quietly huff.

This wasn't peace. It was hell. The screen cuts to a destroyed building with a woman covered in ash standing in front of the ruins. Blurry figures in the back could be seen in the background putting out the small fires. The camera pans out to show her beautiful smooth brown skin which is caked with grey ash and blood. It wasn't realistic, but hey, the Capitol does what they want.

"Solely won. The people rose up from the ashes and a new era was born. But that freedom has a cost and the traitors were defeated. Peace⎯War as a nation. We would never know this treason again, and so, it was decreed." He said, making me roll my eyes at how long this was.

The video would drag on for minutes at a time. I swear, if they could, they would make it an hour long. Scolding the District's for rebelling all of those years ago. The screen fades black, before showing grainy clips of life after the rebellion. Children fighting to the death. Victor's waving and smiling at flashing cameras. Capitol men and women going on with their daily lives.

"That each year, the various districts of Panem would offer up in tribute. One young man and woman, to fight to the death and it pegs you to honor, courage and sacrifice. The lone victor, bathes in riches. Will serve as our reminder of our generosity and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future." Snow finishes, as the screen shuts off.

"Absolutely amazing! Well isn't that just amazing folks?" She said, but nobody reacted.

Yes. Amazing isn't it? Knowing that 24 innocent children are taken from their families every year. With only one getting to return home at a price of having blood staining their hands. Having their minds filled with nothing but nightmares for the rest of their lives. Paranoia and PTSD being friends with one another. So yes Celia, it is absolutely amazing! The best thing to ever happen.