The Hunger Games: The Cry of Temperance

The Victor

"Now, how do you feel now that you're finally out of that godforsaken– though articulated arena?" Mr. Flickerman moved his mic up, bringing it up to the girl as she sat idly in her seat.

The dress she wore was almost reminiscent to the one that she had been wearing when she had first arrived, the metal corset– now loosely fitted as it was the least that they could do for her, and a silvery dress accompanied her as she requested. Her eyes had been illuminated beautifully in the dim light, as if the candlelight that had surrounded them had just brought out the amber in her eyes. It most definitely brought out the velvet color in her hair as she let it all down for this occasion, after keeping it tightened during the Games. She wore a little smile on her face as she kept her hands on her knees, as she fiddled with her hands for a moment before taking in a deep breath.

"Well, I can tell you– it's not as stuffy out here as it was there." She commented, as the crowd had laughed as if on cue. Mr. Flickerman seemed to like that answer too as he brandished a smile on his face before speaking.

"What was that like? Being stuck in an arena where the air was.. what's the word?"

"Contaminated?" Eleksa raised a brow as she looked out to the crowd, "Uh.. It was definitely not too different from the conditions back home. I couldn't really spot a difference."

The crowd laughed again. But she didn't really seem like she was joking, but her face lit up as they did, trying to replicate the same emotion as she took in another breath.

"The arena was always hard to breathe in, but I think after–"

"After the bombs set off, it must have been twice as hard."

"Yeah, it was definitely harder to breathe once the rubble all came rolling down, and especially after the rain had started as well."

"Now, now," Mr. Flickerman looked back to the camera, "I think the crowd wants to really know. How did you manage that stunt you pulled in the Games?"

Eleksa adjusted herself for a moment as she looked back at him. "I remember a lot of things I'm taught, a lot of the machinery we're equipped with, and especially the tools that we provide to the Capitol. From a young age, we're taught to learn these things and utilize them as best as we can. I simply worked with what I was provided."

"And you certainly did well. But did you anticipate that many people to have died in the arena when you did use the tactic that you deployed?"

"I.." Eleksa stopped for a moment, "I did what I needed to do."

"You certainly did." Mr. Flickerman patted his own knee, "you talked about that a lot when faced with the other tributes as well."

"I wasn't lying when I talked to them. At least.. I didn't lie when I was genuinely talking to them."

"Ah, lying," Mr. Flickerman nodded, "it was quite impressive."

"What was?"

"The facade you played against your fellow contenders," Mr. Flickerman nodded, "it was quite some show– the Capitol was quite surprised to see you act the way you did."

Eleksa forced a smile for a moment before lowering her gaze. "I did completely what I needed to, and I stand by that."

"How were you able to play such a role for so long?"

"How wouldn't I be able to?" She inquired as she looked back up at him.

He looked at the crowd, a little ooo heard as they looked to her, the look in her eyes had refused to show how she really felt. She just looked aside.

"It must have been very difficult in there, Eleksa. Living in those conditions for only two and an half days, and then having to go into tight spaces in order to ensure your survival."

"I ran a lot," Eleksa murmured into the mic. "I ran as fast as I could, placed the trapping that I needed to, and kept a close eye on the other tributes. That's how I survived."

"You deceived the lot of them too," he added, though whether it had any interpretative intent, it was unknown as he brought the mic up back to her before bringing it back to his mouth, "you even deceived the Capitol with how well you acted."

"I must have done well, then," she hesitated, "if I was getting sponsors again and again, I'm sure that I must have done something right."

"And right you will," he grinned, laughing as the crowd had cheered beyond him.

"But I just wanna say," Eleksa had paused for a moment as she looked back out to the crowd. "There would have been no way that I would have won without the help of my sponsors who gave me all the necessities I needed. Had I not been given that thermos, I would not have survived against.. I wouldn't have survived."

"Nonsense," he shook his head. "You seemed to take good care of yourself in there."

"I couldn't have done it alone."

He raised a brow, "what ever do you mean by that, miss?"

Eleksa lowered her head before facing him again, both of her hands on the mic now as she looked back at the crowd. "I.. I fought hard because I needed to. I know that some of you might be upset with me, especially the Districts– I know that you might be upset that I killed so many people, but until you're in those Games and if you have something on the line, you don't know what I had to do in order to survive."

She blinked a few times as the crowd had remained quiet, all of them listening intently to her as she looked up at the television screen that hovered over them. "I did what I had to, because if I couldn't leave my older brother alone."

The crowd had let out a few noises as they listened in, as if they were consoling her in a way. "After what happened to my parents, after what.. they left us with, I couldn't let him bear another death in the family. And I most definitely couldn't have left him alone, not after seeing these Games for twelve years– just to watch me– his little sister get put into these Games without a second thought." She took a moment to take in a breath as she looked back at the crowd.

"I did what I had to. He told me before these Games, that I had to do what I needed to do to survive. And despite what– what you all heard at the end of the Games," she bit her lip, as her eyes watered enough for a tear to roll down her cheek. "I am just a kid. I'm only fifteen years old, I'm not a monster. I really, really had to do whatever it took to survive and get back to my family. Had it been someone else up here, they would have done the exact same thing."

She held the mic in her hands, her lip quivering as she clutched onto it before wiping her eyes with her arm. "I am not a monster. I just did what I had to do."

And so, the crowd had went wild, cheering for her– some were in tears, most had their arms up for her as they continued to cheer for the girl who blew the crowd away, quite metaphorically and literally.

She looked back at Mr. Flickerman, giving one last thank you as she looked over at the crowd one last time before stepping away from the stage, where it'd be the last time the Capitol would see her for some time.