𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐃𝐎𝐋| 𝐟.𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐫

SIX ┈➤ spark of electricity

act one. fuel the flames
six ┈➤ spark of electricity

"girls like her were born in a storm, they have
lightning in their souls. thunder in their
hearts. and chaos in their bones"

➥ NIKITA GILL

"Up next we have our favourite little spark of electricity, Venus Faraday, everybody."

Venus shook her head and blinked a few times, looking up as Dahlia began to speak to her, telling her that it was her turn. She was quick to head to the stairs, heading up, and then walking along the little walkway that led to Caesar. The crowd was cheering loudly, and she looked out at them, feeling just as vulnerable and terrified as when she was fifteen.

She tried her best to shake both feelings. She was an adult now, she could handle this. She wasn't a small child anymore.

"Venus, it's lovely to see you, as always. Your stylist truly outdid himself this year."

"I know, isn't it just beautiful?" she said, chuckling a little with Caesar. "So, no chairs this year?" His lips formed a thin line as he tilted his head slightly in answer. "No, it's okay, Caesar, I know where the budget went."

Caesar laughed, and she joined. "Well, it is a Quarter Quell, it's a very special event, of course. Now, Venus, I want to ask about your family. Are they well?"

"They're alright."

"Excellent." Caesar became somewhat solemn suddenly, and he placed a hand on her upper arm for a few seconds as a show of sympathy. "I wanted to talk about the reaping. It's always emotional to see somebody volunteer, and you volunteered for your own mentor. We were all, or at least I certainly was, very moved to watch that. Can you tell us what was going through your mind there?"

"All I knew was that I didn't want any of them to go through that tragedy again. I couldn't watch them go through torture like that and live in any form of comfort knowing it was my fault."

There was a chorus of 'aww's from the audience. "Oh, well isn't that sweet, ladies and gentlemen?" Caesar made a small pout, and continued to speak. "You have showed us remarkable skill over the years, of course. Your games showed some serious talent and wit, and there's no doubt that the nation holds you in its heart."

"Oh, you flatter me, Caesar."

"No, no. It's true."

"Well, I'm sure if I were truly in the nation's heart, I wouldn't be on this stage, now, would I?" She posed the question, and Caesar chuckled rather awkwardly at the flipped switch.

"Now, we have seen quite a varied mix of emotions tonight, haven't we, folks?" He spoke, trying his best to regain the jovial air. "How do you feel, Venus?" Tell us what's going on in there."

"By the end of these games, one thousand, seven hundred and forty nine people will have died as punishment for the rebellion. It seems an awful lot of death as punishment for something so long ago. The Quell can, certainly, be unwritten. Laws are not set in stone."

"Certainly an interesting point of view," Caesar commented. "So, Venus, is there anybody waiting at home for you? A boyfriend, fiancé perhaps?"

She couldn't deny that he was good at his job. He was spectacular at transitioning the conversation back around, distracting the audience from the true horrors. His money was well earned, that was for certain. Because no matter how many times somebody brought up anything truly awful, he could easily steer the focus back to something nice.