Heart of Gold • Finnick Odair

-7-

ROSALIE POV

My night is, once again, plagued by images I can't forget, images that have been practically burnt into my brain.

My brother: sweet, caring, innocent Brook.
An arrow: quick, lethal and precise.
The arrow piercing his chest vividly.
His brown eyes turning empty and lifeless.

I literally drag myself out of bed and into the bath. Putting on the same outfit I wore for the last reaping and drying my hair before tying it back into one fancy braid going into a high ponytail that my mother had taught me, I make my way over to the Clay household and wait for the two siblings. We join up with Ralph on the way.

Once we arrive at the square, Apollo and Ralph split off from us and over to the boys section after Apollo kisses Luna on the forehead and gives me a side hug. Ralph just says goodbye, his eyes lingering on me for a second too long before he followed after Apollo.

Me and Luna walk over to the girls area. "Just a small prick, okay, you won't even notice." She nods but her lip quivers. "Hey, look at me," her doe like eyes look up at me, shining with unshed tears. "You're gonna be fine. Your names in that bowl once, everything is gonna be just fine okay? You know I won't let anything happen to you." She's sent over to the twelve year old section and I'm sent to the thirteens.

Liana Wane, our escort, takes centre stage in front of the Justice Building. Her hair was still her signature platinum blonde. Her dress was different shades of purple this time with mesh, violet butterflies placed throughout the skirt.

"Welcome all, and a Happy Hunger Games. And, may the odds be ever in your favour. As always, we have a special film, brought all the way from the Capitol, for you all to watch today."

'War. Terrible war. Widows, orphans, a motherless child. This was the uprising that rocked our land. Thirteen districts rebelled against the county that fed them, loved them, protected them. Brother turned on brother until nothing remained. And then came the peace, hard fought, sorely won. A people rose up from the ashes, and a new era was born. But freedom has a cost. And the traitors were defeated. We swore as a nation we would never know this treason again. And so it was decreed that each year the various districts of Panem would offer up, in tribute, one young man and woman, to fight to the death in a pageant of honour, courage, and sacrifice. The lone Victor, bathed in riches, would serve as a reminder of our generosity and forgiveness. This is how we remember our last. This is how we safeguard our future.' Snow speaks through the video.

"Well, absolute chills," Liana exclaims. "Now the exciting part, the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honour of representing District 11 in the 66th Annual Hunger Games. As usual, ladies first."

As Liana Wane walks over to the bowl, it's silent. She pulled out a piece of paper and walked back over to the microphone before opening it, "Luna Clay."

My heart stops. No. This can't be happening. Not sweet little Luna. I can't allow it. Luna steps forward, shaking to her bones, with a look of pure fear and anxiety on her face. I look over at Apollo to see his mouth open in shock and tears brimming his eyes, knowing he can't do anything about it.

Then I realised, me and Luna never agreed not to volunteer for each other and there's no way I could let sweet, innocent Luna go into the Games.

Without hesitation, I spontaneously step out of line, being immediately grabbed by peacekeepers as I do so. "I volunteer!" I yell. "I volunteer as tribute."

Luna turns back to me with wide eyes. She's just steps ahead of me but she still runs to my arms in fear. I wrap my arms around her once the peacekeepers have reluctantly let me go, "hey, you're gonna be okay, everything's okay, I told you it would be."