- F A L L E N -

11

"Y/n? Y/n? You there beautiful?!" Caesar joked, motioning at me with his hand, like a father would teasing his nervous daughter.

"Ya, I'm here", I stated after a long pause, speaking so quietly people had stopped moving in fear of missing my words.

I could tell the Capitol was preparing for the goosebump engendering speech they thought I was going to deliver. They put their hands on their partners shoulders, as if  they could only hold their balance because of another, and I thought of Finnick.

"How you doing tonight sweetie?" Caesar asked me
cautiously, as if I were about to break. Maybe I was. And suddenly, I felt like giving nothing to this crowd. A wave of contempt came over me, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

"If you were me, how would you be doing Caesar?"

The audience remained quiet, "I'm afraid I don't understand," Caesar squirmed, "it's certainly a beautiful night and, and- I think everyone's ready to have a beautiful time", he shot his arm at the audience, "are we not people?!" The crowd erupted with cheers.

I said nothing.

He spoke again, "Well well well well well, what will we do with you, little miss taciturn!" He dramatically sighed and pressed his palms to his head, "Say, Y/n", he suddenly got very serious, as if a wave of reality had washed over him, "Is there anything, anything at all you'd like to say to the audience, or a very special person in particular", he winked.

Muffled cheers from the audience flew at the stage, and I felt myself wanting to look at Finnick.

I stayed focused in staring down at my feet. People couldn't know. It would only complicate things, especially game makers, who I'm sure would make it much more simple by killing us. Probably in-front of the other I suspect, or at the hands of the other, which I didn't want. Frankly, all I wanted was to get off the stage and get my death over with. "No, I have nothing I want to say".

Caesar frowned at me in a fake empathy I've seen him perform for other tributes. But I did not want pity.

"Ok dear,  but... tell me, how do you plan to play this quarter quell? Any new tricks we should look out for?" He shifted back in his seat and held a steady intermittent eye contact between me and the Capitol audience, and in that moment I could not think of anything besides the fact that I had not lived.

Finally, I reacted with a smile, "Lets just say Caesar, that I know this Quarter Quell I will succeed in my plans".

The audience lightened up with my words, and Caesar flicked his right eyebrow up at me, curious, excited and eager, "And what are these plans of yours?" He questioned, pressing the microphone up to my extremely glossed lips.

"Well, I only have one" I replied, with an emphasis on one, still staring out sweetly out at the audience.

"And what is that?"

I turned my attention back to Caesar and stared sweetly at his stupid blue hair, "I plan to die".