FAILURE TO COMPLY ┃ f. odair

1.10 the legacies

Calypso was jolted awake by the Panem national anthem ringing through the cold air. Looking out the window of her high shelter, blue light flooded her vision, the Capitol logo displayed in the sky. After a moment, it was replaced by faces, one after the other: the male and female tribute from Three, male from Four, female from Six, female from Seven, male and female from eight, male and female from Nine, the male she'd killed from Ten.

And then there was Poet, his face illuminating the very skies he'd stared into at his death. Calypso wished it had been in gold, one last sunny spectacle to mark his end. But it was blue and cold and final. Once again, the arena darkened, and she was left alone in the quiet. Only one good thing had come from the abrupt awakening, and it was knowing that Maisie was still alive. Somewhere.

Before she could succumb to sleep again, the sound of a soft dinging bell captured her attention. Where she'd found safety, on the top floor of one of the tall brutalist structures, the roof had long since caved in, leaving the starry sky above exposed. As she gazed upward, one of the stars, metallic and glinting under the light of the moon, fell towards her. A small white parachute was attached to the box, making its descent graceful enough that she could pluck it from the sky. Her first sponsor gift, only after the first day had gone terribly.

Inside was a tall but thin glass bottle filled with crystalline water. Until now, she hadn't realised how dry her lips were or how empty her stomach felt. She'd passed several buildings, ventured into a few whether to hide or just to search, but whether full of debris and trash or entirely empty, not had any sign of food or water hidden amongst them. It was just one more threat of death alongside the blazing days and freezing nights, and her fellow tributes no doubt prowling the streets trying to sniff each other out.

The water passed her lips in drops. It was far too precious a resource to greedily drink all at once. Still, even the small amount she consumed - about an eighth of the bottle - was enough to make her feel better and return some of the mental and physical strength that had so far waned. While doing so, Calypso pulled out the small note that accompanied the package.

'Whatever you need - Aunt Millie'

Such a simple statement, but after their final conversation, it spoke volumes. Whatever Calypso needed, whatever she asked for, Porter would provide, even if it was not for herself but for others within the arena. Her promise to Finnick could be kept, and Calypso could eventually go to her death knowing she was still a good person, even if she'd become a killer in the end.

-

Calypso hadn't spoken a word since Poet's death, his name being the last thing to pass her lips save occasional sips of water while she travelled. Nowhere within the arena felt truly safe, and so she'd spent much of the second day ducking between walls and fading in and out of the shadows. The scarf she'd been given was pulled up to cover the bottom half of her face, but little could be done about the dust constantly getting into her eyes, only making her more paranoid that someone could spring up on her.

As she passed another monotonous grey complex that rose up and up and up, a peculiar flash of light made her do a double take, gazing into the dim indoors to try and capture a better look. Another flash, and a faint buzzing came. Electricity. They were sparks, falling down through the gap of a stairwell, then fading away before they reached the ground. Once more, she let the shadows consume her as she headed for the familiar light.

Boom. A canon sounded. It had been mostly quiet through the morning and early afternoon, this one being only the second one she'd heard. Somewhere else in the arena, another tribute had found finality and freedom. She ascended the stairs with little more regard than a passing thought. It was as Snow said, that they were unruly beasts with little regard beyond survival when a life became threatened. Calypso did not care.