THE HUNGER GAMES: the taste of Whiskey and Snow // CORIOLANUS SNOW

Twelve

"Do not take her chains off for any reason," the guards instructed Snow, handing over the key. Whiskey's sharp eye watched the shiny freedom slip into his pocket, safely away from her grasp.

She was standing in the corner of the room, wondering what she was supposed to be doing. In the zoo, she would climb trees or talk to Ratley. Now, none of those things were do-able so she just stood in a massive room, staring at her mentor. She felt useless and out of place.

"Thank you," Snow smiled, closing the door behind them as they left, heeding warnings of danger and how to call for help in case his tribute turned into a wild animal.

Finally, with them gone, he slowly took off his satchel and sighed, placing it on the edge of the bed. "Sorry, it's not much," He lied, sitting down and flattening out his creases in his pants. "It's where all the students are kept during the mentoring." Whiskey stayed silent, knowing it was the biggest bedroom she'd ever seen.

Across from the bed there was a huge window that looked over the stony courtyard towards the capital city, hung with huge red curtains. It was incredible. She glanced around and saw a shiny bathroom through a door on her left. "Do you mind?" Whiskey asked. She hadn't had a shower in too long. Snow nodded, taking of his shoes.

He was surpassingly calm with her presence, Whiskey thought. He didn't know anything about her, yet he allowed her into his space, with all his stuff. He treated her like a human being.

Despite being chained around her wrists and having an electric taser around her ankle, she managed to slip off her clothes and turn on the taps to the bath. Her bare feet felt cold against the tile, having stood on nothing but dirt and stones for the past few days.

The bathroom itself was unlike anything she had at home. There were small bottles of shampoo and conditioner lined up in rows of strange shaped bottles. And the bench tops, they were so white and clean she believed she could eat off them. The worst part of the bathroom, however, was the huge mirror, judging her appearance. It reflected a beaten, dirty and starved version of her normally toned body. This mirror left her feeling completely exposed and unrecognisable.

As she waited for the hot bath to fill with water, Whisk trailed her fingers over her multicoloured bruises and cuts. Her touch was gentle over each finger shaped bruise, yet she flinched with sparkly pain.

Finally, she turned off the taps and climbed into the water. She hung her ankle over the edge of the bath, away from the water and finally allowed herself comfort. Her muscles relaxed and her skin burned against the heat, but she didn't mind.

Suddenly, Snow gently knocked on the door of the bathroom. "Everdeen?" He called quietly. She immediately brought her knees to her chest, protecting herself. "I'm just going to the hall, I'll be back soon," he informed her from the other side. "But someone will be just outside because I'm not here. You can't be left unsupervised."

She didn't reply and listened for the door to close behind him. Finally she lowered her legs and relaxed again.

After scrubbing off her dirt, washing her hair, and putting the rusty chains around her wrist in the water, the bath had turned a cloudy shade of brown. Whiskey decided it was time to get out. She quickly dried herself off, wrapping herself around the towel. The judgemental mirror reflected the colour had come back to her cheeks. She looked a bit more like herself now.

Her black curly mane of hair was dripping down her back, just like it had been the day she got selected as a tribute. That was the last time she washed her hair. The day her Auntie braided it for her.

Whiskey often wondered what Gree was up to when she was gone. Probably nothing much different. Just taking care of her children and selling bread at the market. She always wondered if she ever thought about her. If she even cared that she was in the capital? Whiskey hadn't been able to say goodbye to her before she left and she wondered if Gree wished she had. Maybe it would've made Whiskey's death easier for her.

Whiskey left the bathroom, wrapped in her towel, to find a dress laying out on the bed. It looked similar to her dirty one folded on the bathroom floor. Her clean hands lifted the sleeves and held it up. It was pretty with black fabrics and hand sewn with little flowers.

She slipped it on and felt the bone corset clasp her waist. "It looks good on you," She heard a woman's voice call behind her. Whiskey spun around to be face to face with a blonde lady, holding a cup of water. She sipped it calmly and held out her hand. "My names Tigris. I'm Coriolanus's cousin."

"Hi," Whiskey replied awkwardly. She went to shake her hand but the chains wouldn't let her reach that far. Instead they pulled tightly against her wrists. "Sorry, I can't."

"Oh, don't worry," Tigris smiled, putting down her hand. "I hope you like the dress. Coriolanus asked if you could borrow one of my ones."

"Thank you, that's very kind," Whiskey replied, surprised. "You didn't have to do that."

"Trust me I don't mind," Tigris smiled. "I never wear black anymore."

"Thanks." Whiskey smiled tightly, looking at her feet.

Suddenly, Snow walked through the door. He spotted Whiskey and raised his eyebrows. His blue eyes looked her up and down. "You look cleaner."

"I smell like you," Whiskey pointed out. He smiled, feeling Tigris smirk over her shoulder.

"Anyway," Snow cleared his throat. "I came up here to tell you food was down in the cafeteria."

On their way down the hall, Coriolanus and Tigris walked in front and Whiskey followed a few paces behind, accompanied by two guards who held her chains like their life depended on it.

"I like her," Tigris causally brought up to Snow quietly. "She's pretty."

Snow gave her a look and continued walking. "If you say so."

"Don't you think?" Tigris smirked. "She's nice too."

"Okay," Snow cut her off, knowing where this was going. "Everything you see on TV is strategy, not real life. Neither of us like each other like that."

"Shame," Tigris looked disappointed. She turned to walk away a different direction as them.

"Are you not joining us for some food?" Snow asked.

"Wouldn't want to interrupt your strategy," she smirked, walking towards the door.