A Valley of Shattered Hearts

Chapter 11

Chapter song - Bottom of the River by Delta Rae

It's five A.M., I found the hunting knife that I apparently lost in the battle, which is very much still going on.

Maybe if I played my cards differently, it wouldn't have ended out like this.

Maybe if I listened, maybe death wouldn't have worked in its pain.

I must admit it was really easy to feel fear.

The sound of a piano rings my curiosity, the whisperings getting louder, attempting to etch me into the dark.

I finally got a chance to listen. To really hear what they're saying and not just tune the sound out.

This is when I knew that not only I was in trouble, but everyone else was too.

Evans. Jade. Rhye. My mother.

My grip on the hunting knife gets tighter.

I always did prefer peace over violence, "please," I whisper, not loud enough for anyone to hear.

The amber ridden walls get closer to blood red, I blame it on the town, that's what I'm going to tell everyone if I survive.

I'm going to survive, right?

I have to- for the power- the power I don't have.

"I would really like to know what you're doing in there, April," The Council calls from the hall.

"You know- you can't hide in there forever."

"Don't do what everyone wants you to do," I whisper to myself.

"Do whatever the hell you want."

The Capitol begins to creek and open its doors to an uninvited guest.

Heads turn, the windows swinging open in the process.
But that wasn't the finale. I watched through the keyhole, a hand covered my mouth to muffle my cries. Red Fitz was the finale.

He looked different, more so than I had seen him last. He had blonde, well groomed hair clumsily.

A scar reaching from the bottom of his left cheekbone, running towards the other eye and ending above her right eye leaves a captivating memory of an unusual alliance.

"Red Fitz-" The Council stutters.

"Is it really you?"

It happens fast, Red strikes The Council across the face.

She quickly brings her hand up to her cheek.

"I don't understand-"

"The Capitol needs me."

"The Capitol needs me," The Council repeats.

"They do not need you," he says, coldly.

"Your people despise you."

"That's not-"

"That does not change the fact that they need me."

"Perhaps not-"

The Council's face changes back to her regular expression.

"It does make you care significantly less."

Red Fitz held his hand out to The Council, opening his palm, showing the winged tattoo.

"We are all villains here."

They must have heard the door move, earning glances from many.

"Keeping others captive is certainly not the right thing to do."