Her Victory, Their Life| F. Odair

5. Interviews

"Tomorrow's the last day," Evan reminded them at dinner. "And they let us work with our own tributes right before the game so..." he looked at Emory, "you and I will be going down at nine, Porter and Coran after us."

"Any last advice for us?" Emory asked and everyone looked at her. No one wanted to say anything, so they stayed silent, making things awkward. "Make it quick," Evan told her after some hesitation. "Don't... drag out anything, especially pain and death."

She nodded, feeling terrified for the upcoming games. Maybe she really was in over her head. She was 13, she wasn't a killer, she wasn't trained, she wasn't a career. She finished her dinner and played with her dessert, "I'm tired, I think I'll go to bed." She scooted away from the table and headed to her room. She didn't sleep. Instead, she paced. She walked around her room maybe twenty times.

"Okay, what would Cierra do, or Elliot, or mom, or dad, or uncle cam," she said, listing the people she looked up to. "They-they would make a plan, which I did, not a great one, but a plan. Then they would use their heads, um-uh, traps, electricity, use what you know. You're smart, you're supposed to make stuff. That's what I'll do, I can hide. Not kill people directly but by trapping them, use the terrain. Plants give food-like plants that will kill them, hide edibles. Rockies, lure them to a rockslide, tundra, lead them to a fire then trample them in snow. So many things, just think logically," she told herself. It's what she was sure was going to save her.

~

Demetri got Emory dressed in a flowy blue dress that went just below her knees with a gold belt. Her earrings were little lightning bolts, and her shoes were black with gold lighting on the sides. She watched from backstage as Caesar Flickerman introduced the show, "Ladies and gentlemen. Your master of ceremonies.... Caesar Flickerman!"

The man got up from his chair, "Thank you! Thank you! Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. To the 66th Annual Hunger Games. Now, we all have five minutes that they are all going to be out here. All of the Tributes that you heard about. Are you excited? Let me hear it!"

Emory took a deep breath as she and Coran stood in a room with Demetri. "You both look incredible," he squealed, fixing a few things. "I'm so glad none of it turned out bland."

"How do you make people like you?" Coran asked, impatiently. Demetri laughed.

"Be funny, flattering, tell jokes, gain sympathy, make yourself seem confident or cute. Stand out, create a staple," Demetri said dramatically, flailing his arms. "It's like my brother Cinna says to his tributes. 'Just pretend you're talking to your favorite person in the whole world and everyone else melts away. Although, he's never had a victor so... You'll do amazing sweets, now go, go!"

He ushered the two out of the dressing room and into the lineup. "Let's see if she is indeed as magically as she appears. Let's have a warm round of applause for Dream!"

They went through seven more tributes before getting to District 5, "From District 5....The adorable, Emporia Falkum!" Emory put on a huge smile and walked out with a little bounce in her step as she made her way to her seat.

"Hello Ceaser," she smiles at him before gasping. "Oh look, we match!"

He grins before looking at them, "that we do, look at that!" He gestures between the two, laughing. "So, how do you feel about going into the games so young?" Caesar asked her, shoving the microphone closer.

Her smile drops a little before her face picks up again, "well, I'm certainly nervous," she laughs. "But I'm excited. I can only hope that I can do as well in the arena as I need to, to come back to you all again."

The audience awed and Caesar made a pouty face, "I hope we see you again too, now who is waiting for you at home?"

Emory laughed cutely, "We'll my parents obviously, they're big in the power business like they make so many cool things. Then there's my sister Cierra, she's really pretty and I've always wanted to be just like her. Then my brother Elliot, he's really sweet, but he acts all tough, he's the best. Oh– there's also my uncle Cam! He's my dad's brother."

Caesar laughed, "Is there anything you want to say to them, you are being televised."

Emory turned directly to the camera where Caesar was pointing, "Hey guys, I love you and I hope to see you soon. If this is the last time, just make sure that mama doesn't cry too much, and that Elliot passes his math class."

The audience laughs as Emory turns back to Caesar. "So, last question, is there any special trick hidden up your sleeve, you got a four, that can't be everything, there has to be something you're not sharing with anybody."

Emory shrugged and she found Finnick's face in the crowd. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. "I'm not sure, maybe, I mean things will be different in the arena. Perhaps I'll do better than I thought I would."

Caesar nodded, "We all certainly hope you do, that's all the time we have though," he says, standing up and she stands up with him. "EMPORIA FALKUM EVERYBODY!"

She walked off stage to where Evan was holding out a hand that she grabbed. "That was wonderful!" He gushed. "You did so good."

She smiled back at him, "thank you!"

~

Emory was back in her room for the night. She got a pen and some paper from one of the girls in red and she started to write. She was writing a letter to her family in case she didn't make it back. She didn't have much to say other than telling them about her time in the Capitol and how hard she was trying to make it back to them. She was practicing at night with dummies, and she was reading and learning up on almost everything so that she could be prepared when she went in.

She was honestly hoping that this letter would never reach them, that it would stay with Evan and Porter until she got back from the games. Did she even want to win the games? After what Finnick said, maybe it wasn't such a thing she should try for.