Ashes in the Snow

Nine

Coriolanus is beating on Daniel. I watch with my head tilted on the bed. There is nothing I could do to help even if I wanted to. My body can't move, it doesn't want to move. Daniel takes a step back and swings at Coriolanus right in the gut. This has me worried. Daniel is a little bigger than Coriolanus, so mostly likely stronger. Plus Coriolanus isn't someone Daniel is too fond of at the moment. Coriolanus is bent over a little with his hand on his gut. Daniel gave him a good one. Coriolanus takes a couple strobe back and Daniel is walking toward him when Coriolanus takes the door and swings it right at Daniel, with the corner of the door hitting him right in the head. Daniel stumbles back a little bit. Then I see the two peacekeepers storm into the room and grab beat Daniel with their nightsticks. More peacekeepers storm in and apprehend him, taking him out of the room.

Coriolanus looks at me and I hear him faintly say, "Ashe."

He comes over to the bed and scans me for any injuries. "Ashe, are you okay?" He puts his hand on my head to try and comfort me; something we grandmother used to do.

I just let out a little croak and move my head back staring at the ceiling. I feel him lift my body out of bed and he carries me downstairs. Then the room becomes dark...

My eyes start to slowly flutter open and I see a bright light above me. I can feel that I am laying on a harder surface, it's definitely not a bed. I look around and notice the room looks sterile. I'm in a doctors office. I sit up slowly and see I'm sitting on an examination table.

I look over and see Coriolanus sleeping in a chair; a very uncomfortable chair that is. He has his elbow on the arm rest and his head sitting in his palm. It looks like a very uncomfortable position, but I also think it's sweet that he stayed in here. I notice how full his blonde hair is and the curls. He has a very handsome face. It's nice to see him sleeping because it shows a very different side to him. He's at peace.

He starts to move a little and wakes up. He stretches and looks up at me. "You're awake," he smiles.

"Yeah I am," I smile back.

He gets up from his chair and walks over towards me. "The doctor says you have a pretty bad concussion and just some bruising on your wrists."

I look down at my wrists and see them all bruised. I also see a couple of Daniel's fingerprints bruised into my skin. It makes me shutter.

"What happened?" I ask.

"He tried to attack you. Well he did attack you, just didn't get to the part he wanted..."

I look up at him, "You saved me."

He takes a piece of my hair and tucks it behind my ear. "Of course. I will always save you."

"Why would he do that to me?" I ask, sadden that my friend had hurt me.

He pauses for a moment then says, "I've heard of tributes going mentally crazy after they're picked for the games. He probably wasn't doing well mentally and just snapped."

"What happened to Daniel?"

"The peacekeepers took him away and the head game maker is taking care of it."

"What do you mean by, 'taking care of it'?"

He grabs some clothes from the counter and hands them to me. "Here. Put these on. You'll want to get out of that thing," he laughed, mocking the hospital gown.

————

We walked into a building I've never seen before. It's huge and dark. It gives me the chills. We walk inside and he leads me to a door. We walk through the door and there is a long dark hallway. We walk down it and we arrive to a big window. He stops me at the window and I look through it, curious what he's showing me.

I see Daniel.

His hands are tied up and he's on his knees. He's wearing white pants and no shirt. There is a scary woman sitting in the corner. She nods at the peacekeeper and the peacekeeper starts flogging Daniel! I hear him cry out and I see blood splatter.

It makes me sick to my stomach. I stare, horrified at what is happening. I look over at Coriolanus and I see his lips start to form a smile. He is enjoying this. The fact that violence makes him smiles is horrifying. Even though what Daniel did was awful, it doesn't mean I would enjoy seeing him inflicted with pain.

I walk away and Coriolanus follows me. "What's wrong?" He asks.

I turn around with tears in my eyes. "Why would you show me this?" My voice is raspy.

He looks at me, puzzled. "I thought you would enjoy this? After what he did to you."

"No. No I don't like this at all. What I experienced was traumatic and violent. I don't want to see anymore violence."

He looks at me with pain in his eyes. "Ashe. When you're in the games all you're going to see is violence."

My stomach dropped. With everything going on, I completely forgot that's what I'm here for. This is only the start to the violence I'm going to see.

"Are they going to kill him?" I ask.

"No...she's just teaching him a lesson. Death would be too kind before the games."