Lethal Charm - THG [1]

02

The next morning Knox woke up reasonably early. She got up out of bed and showered before getting dressed.

When she left the tenth floor rather than going down to the lobby she made her way to the roof. Just as she requested, Haymitch was already there, looking out at the city that had now fallen quiet with the early hours of the morning. The Capitol at night was loud and bright with the lights and music of many parties that last till the early hours of the morning but the mornings were often quiet and the streets were left essentially deserted. It was nothing like the districts.

Knox cleared her throat announcing her presence, making Haymitch turn to look at her. As she approached him she was hit with the strong smell of alcohol that he almost always exuded.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" She asked him quietly. There were no cameras on the roof but there was always the risk of a neighbouring building picking up what they were saying if they spoke too loud.

"I assume you heard about what happened in district 11?" Haymitch asked.

"Yes." Knox nodded, "your star crossed lovers caused quite the scene." There was a slight tone of scepticism in her voice when she said the words 'star crossed lovers'.

In all honesty, she didn't believe a second of it, she saw it as what it most definitely was. An act. One that was designed so that they could survive.

Haymitch seemed to notice her tone as he said, "You don't believe in the greatest love story of our time? The star crossed lovers from district 12 defying the odds for their love?"

Knox scoffed, "no no I believe it. I believe that they did what they needed to do to survive and I also know that the rest of us are paying the price for it."

"The rest of us?"

"The other victors," she clarified, "that's all I'm going to say."

Turns out Celia Velka is close with someone that works for president snow and they told her that they had overheard snow talking about something to do with the victors but didn't know what and it had put her in a state of slight paranoia.

"Anyway, you were asking about district 11?" Knox steered the conversation back on track.

"Yes, you see Katniss's little berry trick didn't just help her survive the games, it lit a spark across the districts," Haymitch said.

Knox nodded in realisation, "a spark of rebellion."

"Rebellion and hope." Haymitch Confirmed.

"Why are you telling me this?" she inquired, "shouldn't you be talking to your little 'girl on fire'."

"Always a sceptic," Haymitch sighed deeply, "the hunger games have themselves a new head game maker, and fortunately he is an ally to the cause. he wants the games to mean something" Knox could tell he was trying not to give her too much detail and hoping that she would catch onto his underlying meaning.

"I see," Knox nodded, "And what about snow? We can't so much as leave our bathroom light on without him knowing about it."

"He may not be a problem much longer if all goes well."

"You still haven't answered my question Haymitch, why are you talking to me?" Knox turned fully to face him.

"I need your help, you're a powerful influence, Knox."

⚔️

The train home was as boring and uneventful as ever. She stared wordlessly out the window at the thick growth of trees on either side of the track. They were passing through district 7 and would be back in district 10 soon.

She kept thinking back to her conversation with Haymitch. The last time someone sparked a rebellion it ended with district 13 being destroyed. If the Capitol could get rid of a whole district what was stopping them from doing it again?

Knox tried to push all thoughts of rebellion out of her mind. The train had entered the tunnel that connected seven and ten and when it came out the other side she was immediately hit with the familiar smell of farmland and livestock. It wasn't the most pleasant but it was home, and being home was much better than being passed around by wealthy citizens of the Capitol.

Not long later the train slowed to a stop at the measly platform that served as a train station in ten. Knox exited the train and began her commute home to victor's village.

District 10 held a completely different atmosphere than the Capitol, it was much quieter and had a feeling of community. Everybody worked and contributed and everybody suffered. It had always been like that since before she was born.

Knox lived with her father in victor's village. He was all that she had, which was the very thing that Snow used against her.

She reached her house and opened the door. Her father wheeled out into the foyer to greet her. He had been in a wheelchair for many years following an incident on the farm with some machinery that malfunctioned, after that, she had taken the responsibility of doing the farm work. He helped where he could but due to his disability, most of the responsibility fell onto her shoulders.

"My darling, you're back!"

"Hello Dad, " she leaned down to hug him, "I missed you."

"I missed you too sweetheart," her father said, "I wish they wouldn't whisk you away so much,"

"Me too," she said sadly, she hadn't told her father what Snow made her do. He wouldn't be able to live with himself, especially if he knew that he was being used against her.

"Have I missed anything while I was away?" She asked as she walked into the kitchen, her father rolling along behind her.

"An increased number of peacekeepers." Her father informed her, "not the friendliest of fellows,"

"Never have been." She said as she turned on the tap so she could clean the dishes that were on the bench.

"I can do that." Her father said.

"So can I." Knox replied cheekily, and her father narrowed his eyes, "if you want to be helpful you can dry them."

After they had cleaned up around the house a bit more, Knox went down to the farm to do some work. She liked to keep herself busy so that the reality of her situation in life did not have the chance to fully sink in and she never allowed herself to think too much.

She focussed on what she was doing then. How her muscles ache after a few hours of carrying heavy bags of feed and how the damp scent of mud and meat filled the air and stung her nose.

⚔️

She returned home just in time for the curfew and made her way straight to the bathroom where she showered off the dirt and sweat from her body. She also found herself still scrubbing neon green body glitter from her skin that had not come off in her shower the previous night.

Every damn time. She internally groaned.

Every time she returned from the Capitol she would find herself scrubbing various coloured body glitter from her body that simply refused to come off. It felt like the people who had hired her were leaving their marks like a cruel reminder of her fate.

She finished her shower and changed into something comfortable to sleep in before climbing into bed and going to sleep.