FRAGILE GIRL || THE HUNGER GAMES ¹

18.

"A GREAT ONE, I HOPE YOU CAN HANDLE IT..."

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( WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! THIS WILL MENTION PROSTITUTION / BEING A 'DESIRABLE'. DO NOT READ AHEAD IF YOU DO / CANNOT HANDLE THIS! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! )

DISTRICT TEN, VICTOR'S VILLAGE.

Walking up the gravel path to the Victor's Village, the smell of something burning fills her nose making her freeze. Looking over to Klaus, he was already walking up the steps to his house, not noticing the smell in the air. How did he not catch it? Slowly picking up her pace, she speed walks to her house on the very end of the road, eager to see her Mother again.

Her Mother hadn't answered any of the calls. It was just static on the other end of the call. A little worrying, but maybe she was busy with something else? After all, her Mom hated the Victor's Village. Smelling smoke and something burning, she picks up her pace, now jogging towards her house. The tiny paranoid voice feeding her worse thoughts. What if it was her house?

"Go home then, but be aware." He pauses for dramatic effect, "There will be consequences for not repaying your debts, Miss Grey. A great one, I hope you can handle it."

"Mom? Mommy? Mama!"

Everything felt out of place, like she was experiencing everything out of her body. Full on running towards her house, the air felt like it was growing thicker and thicker with tension. Feeling the urge to hurl, the smell of smoke is the only thing that she can smell. Her legs tremble and her hands clam up. She felt like she was going to be sick. Her whole body went numb and for a good second she couldn't hear anything. What if something was wrong?

Staring right back at the billowing flames from her house, she slowly collapses to her knees, a gut wrenching scream escaping her lips. No. No. No. No. No. No. This couldn't be happening. It was like the Games all over again. Shaking her head, she could see the flames engulfing the charred remains of her house, but she couldn't hear or feel anything. Not the heat of the flames or the crackling of wood. It was all just kind of numb. No. No. No. No. No. No.

"Go home then, but be aware." He pauses for dramatic effect, "There will be consequences for not repaying your debts, Miss Grey. A great one, I hope you can handle it."

"Go home then, but be aware. There will be consequences for not repaying your debts, Miss Grey."

"There will be consequences for not repaying your debts, Miss Grey."

"There will be consequences."

The screams slowly morph into heart wrenching sobs of pain. Thrashing as arms wrap around her waist, her legs give out on me, making me collapse onto the hard ground. It was only then she realized she had been walking up the steps of her house into the billowing flames of her house.

Smelling the familiar smell of cologne engulf her, she clings onto Klaus, burying her face into his chest. She just wanted her Mommy and she had a feeling that she would be able to see her ever again. Sobbing and sobbing until her lungs hurt, she stares at a single piece of paper on the ground, untouched by the flames.

'Tomorrow, 8:00 pm. A Peacekeeper will escort you.' 

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Holding back the shaky breath that threatens to come out, she tries to stay as calm as possible, to imagine that he wasn't there. He doesn't touch her, and she has a feeling that he will never touch her. He just stares, and somehow that scares her more than anything. It wasn't anything like she had expected and that just felt all the worse.

He didn't touch, he didn't mark, he didn't stain, he didn't talk, he didn't ruin. He just stared and stared at her. Not in an awe-struck way, or an envious way, or lust filled way. It was just blank. This eerie cold blank stare, like he was imagining something or deep in thought.

'Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run...Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run, run..Bang, bang, bang, bang goes the farmer's gun..'

Slowly closing the book in his hands, he hadn't been reading it, he just flipped through the papers pretending like he had been. She didn't know why he did that. Was it to scare her? To keep himself busy? To taunt her? She didn't know, nor did she really care to ask or find out. She just wanted him gone. Diverting her eyes to the ground, she can hear him standing up from the chair, his shoes squeaking for a second.

Goosebumps form on her arms as fear fills her, she didn't know what he was going to do. Resisting the urge to chew on her lips, she stays still, not having the courage to move. He is like a predator and she is the prey. She didn't know what he was going to do. If this was a one time meeting, or if it would be frequently. He was always so easy to read, and yet so difficult at the same time.

'Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run, run..Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run..Don't give the farmer his fun, fun, fun..'

Lifting her eyes up from the ground, he's standing in front of her, eyes inspecting her like she was a piece of meat. Leaning down to her level, he reaches out, brushes a stray strand of hair out of her face. His hand lingers on her face and it makes her gut churns, her skin crawling at the way he touches her. Biting back the tears that started to build, this was the first time he touched her, she hated it. She hated every second he let his hand linger on her face.

"Hmm, you can go, Miss Grey. Your..services are not needed anymore." He states, removing his hand from her face.

"G..Goodbye, President Snow. Thank you for spending your time with me." She whispers, fear he'd be upset if she said anything else.

Keeping her eyes on him like a hawk, he slowly walks away from her, a pace far far to slow for her liking. Feeling the lump in her throat thicken up, she holds back the urge to break down right in front of him. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Shutting her eyes to hide her tears, she listened to the loud clicking of his shoes. Click. Click. Click.

Flinching at the sound of the door creaking open, the lump in her throat thickens, her bottom lip quivering. He was almost gone. Soon he'd be gone, he'd be gone and she'd not have to see him until next month. He'll be gone soon. Letting out a small almost scolding 'hmph' sound, she couldn't help but tense up at the sound, her eyes opening up.

"You'll get a time and place tomorrow, wear red. The man you will be seeing likes the color red. I'll see you next month, Miss Grey." He smiles, "Until then.."

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And I am done with the chapter! Stay safe out there guys!

I hope you all are doing okay emotionally and physically! I love you all!

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