To Save a Victor

Chapter 19

Part 3- Hell scape

The Odair's living room was a large space, made homey by Mrs. Odair's careful placement of overstuffed arm chairs and sofas. Very different from the latest Capital interior design trends, very different from my own house, which was only decorated with the furnishings that had been in it when I had moved in. I was currently occupying one of those overstuffed armchairs, snuggled down amongst the pillows and the blanket that Aly had tossed me. A cup of tea warmed my clenched fingers, as my focus remained riveted on the TV in front of us. Not a sound flickered through the Odair house, and not a sound would until this was over.

The Quarter Quell Announcement. Even the younger of the Odair kids sat on the floor, small faces grim. Finnick and Annie were snuggled up together on the couch, and Aly came over to snuggle next to me in the large chair. Neither of us had seen Cedar since the peacekeepers had taken her away to live with our aunt, and Aly had taken to going with me to do all of the things that Cedar would have come with me to do. Grocery shopping, training, everything. Percy was stone faced, lying belly down on the carpet next to the little ones. We hadn't spoken since he had barged into my house a few months ago, and I wasn't planning on changing that for the special occasion. A knock at the door had us jumping, and set Mrs Odair scurrying across the floor to let in the next round of visitors.

I had quickly learned that the Odair house was the center for news, getting it, discussing it, crying over it. If there was a Capitol announcement a large majority of the victors crowded into the Odair's living room. Hank peeked his head in the living room, scanning the faces until his eyes met mine. He flashed me a smile that made my stomach do funny things before ducking back into the kitchen where hushed whispers could be heard. This was not a normal announcement, and that was obvious by the tension in the air, so thick you could have drug a knife through it. Horrible ideas and images flicked through my head, what if the Quell involved kids younger than 12? Or worse, what if there was no age limit. The last Quell, the 50th anniversary of the games, Haymitch had won. There had been double the tributes that year, 48 instead of the customary 24. What if they lowered the number? Made it only family members? I forced myself to put up a mental block against the thoughts running rampant through my panicked mind. It's just another games, they are going to pick some kids and they are going to die. Just like every damn year.

Aly was looking up at me with worried eyes, "Are you okay?" She mouthed and I gave her a halfhearted smile. Hank came in from the kitchen, followed closely by his mother and Mags. Mags had to be almost 80 years old, with skin that was stretched tight across what once had been a beautiful face. Her red hair had faded to white years ago, but I could still remember the pictures I had seen of her. She waved at Aly and I, and I lifted a hand in greeting. Hank slunk over to where I was sitting and perched on the arm of the chair.

"Hi." He said, a quiet word in the looming silence.

The shifting of bodies was the only sound as I whispered back, "Hi."

The sound of the TV blaring cut through the nervous silence, and Aly jumped beside me. Hank reached down and put a hand on my shoulder, reassurance that I wasn't alone. The light of the screen was so bright against my eyes, that I winced. Images flashed across the screen, every victor from the last 25 years. Haymitch, Ash, Finnick, Me, Katniss Everdeen, Peeta. They panned into each face, Johanna Mason, Cashmere and Gloss, Chess, Annie. A small choking sound came from the red headed girl clinging to Finnick as images of the horrors that those victors had committed flashed across the screen next, Finnick spearing a young boy through the chest with a trident, Johanna cleaving a girl's head from her shoulders, Me, stabbing Dakota in the back. I must have whimpered because the hand that Hank held on my shoulder squeezed. Aly had huddled back closer to me. My tea all of a sudden felt very very cold. Then the screen panned into the Capitol building, the training center. Where I had met Dakota, and sent Ariel and sweet innocent Casper to their deaths. I felt my breathing become more labored and the hand squeezed tighter, almost to the point of pain.