kill for your love - the hunger games

(057) the aftermath of the seventy-second

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KILL FOR YOUR LOVE.

act three.

(chapter fifty-seven, the aftermath of the seventy-second)

victor's village, 72 ADD.

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ORION HALE WAS PERHAPS the only person in the entirety of District Ten who did not question Juniper Hale. If she threw a fit and destroyed all of the plates in the house, the man would silently clean the shards up and go buy new dishes. If she collapsed into a heap of tears, he would hold her tight until she stopped. If she ever slept with a knife close to her chest, Orion would quietly slip into her bedroom and take the blade away with the fear of her accidentally slitting her own throat. He poured all of her liquor into the drains whenever he found any. He would throw away any morphling bottles. He was the only one who truly cared in the district. 

But he was riddled with guilt and regret. 

He couldn't look at Juniper without wincing. Every time he looked at her, he felt nauseous. He had to look away whenever he glanced at her eyes. People just thought it was because Juniper Hale looked too much like the late Justice Hale. Or because Juniper Hale looked too much like the late Olsen Hale. But whatever it was, it made the Victor of the Seventy-Second terrified.

And it was because, with every hurt glance away from Orion Hale, it got Juniper petrified that he blamed her. And the Victor didn't think she could stand her father blaming her. She didn't hate him for it, she blamed herself too, but it was her father. He had stood by her when no-one else did. But now, slowly, he was starting to realise what she was. Who she truly was. 

It was well into the night in Victors' Village. There was the occasional hoot from an owl. The moon was high in the sky, stars twinkling brightly. Brent Higgins's lights were extinguished as he had fallen asleep hours ago. Lucy was still awake, though was slightly drifting off. And then Juniper and Orion Hale were sitting in the living room. 

Both of them should have gone to bed ages ago, but they couldn't bear to do it. Both family members were plagued with nightmares. Juniper with the horrors of the Games and Orion with something no-one would dare ask or know. And so, they sat on the couch in the living room, some Capitol rubbish on the television.

And as they watched the TV, silence enveloped them. Orion had his eyes fixated on the screen whilst Juniper kept glancing at him. But he wouldn't look at her. His jaw was clenched and his brows furrowed. He wouldn't look at her. He hadn't glanced at her all night. 

Did he really blame Juniper? Did he blame his daughter for the death of his son? Or was he appalled with what she had become? He didn't let her go the minute she stepped off of the train in Ten those few months ago, but now, with the next Reaping, he wouldn't dare look at her. But Juniper stared at him and she noticed that more wrinkles caressed his skin as grey strands illuminated his hair. Deep, violet patches were drawn underneath his eyes. He looked exhausted. Tired. Destroyed. 

The Hale girl could feel her airways starting to constrict, beginning to pant for air as she choked on nothing. But Orion didn't notice. He was too enthralled with the rubbish on the television. But as Juniper silently begged for oxygen, trying to suck in as much as she could, she began to wonder something.