Aurora Grace loves flowers more than anything. They are tiny sparks of joy in a hard cold world. When she is chosen for the Hunger Games, Coriolanus Snow becomes her mentor. Through her eyes, he starts to see the world in a brighter light.
Coriolanu...
"But I feel as if I did know Rue, and she'll always be with me. Everything beautiful brings her to mind." - Katniss Everdeen
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
——
THE PEACEKEEPERS roughly pushed Aurora and Jessup into a cargo train, a dark, windowless space that immediately set Aurora on edge. As the door shut behind them, she scrunched her nose in disgust. The cart reeked of manure, suggesting its previous use for livestock, and the lack of cleanliness was almost suffocating.
"Let's go over here," Jessup suggested, pointing to a corner that seemed marginally cleaner than the rest. The realization that they were alone, on their way to District 11, weighed heavily on Aurora's mind as they shuffled towards the corner. Jessup's back hit the train wall with a thud, the sound echoing in the confined space.
Suddenly, a screeching noise filled the air, and something whirred around their heads. "Bats!" Aurora exclaimed in alarm. Jessup let out a yell of pain as they both ducked to avoid the flapping creatures. The bats eventually settled, but not before Jessup moaned in pain. "Did they get you?" Aurora asked anxiously, her eyes straining to see in the darkness.
"I think one of them scratched me," Jessup replied, his hand cautiously exploring the painful area on his neck.
"I'll look at it when we get some light," Aurora promised, her voice laced with concern. They sat down quietly, mindful of every sound they made. Any noise seemed to agitate the bats, causing them to flutter restlessly.
After what felt like hours, the train came to a halt. The gate opened briefly, letting in a sliver of light and bats fluttered out. Seizing the opportunity, Aurora quickly inspected Jessup's neck to find a bite mark. "They definitely got you, Jessup," she confirmed, her worry evident in her tone.
Jessup tried to offer reassurance with a slight smile, though Aurora could see the discomfort behind it. "It's okay. It doesn't hurt that much," he said, attempting to ease her concern.
Aurora's heart ached for Jessup, and a surge of anger towards the Capitol welled up inside her. They were being treated worse than animals, yet it was the Capitol who exhibited true monstrosity in their actions. Her emotions were a whirlwind of sorrow for Jessup's pain and a growing bitterness towards those who had put them in this situation.
Suddenly, the commotion at the gate captured their attention. A tall boy with dark skin was struggling against three Peacekeepers. Aurora instinctively rose to help, but Jessup quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her back down to the ground. They watched, powerless, as the Peacekeepers finally overpowered the boy, roughly tossing him into the cart. He was soon followed by a smaller girl, who was manhandled with equal disregard and fell to the floor with a cough.
No sooner had they been thrown in than the Peacekeepers slammed the gate shut, the sound reverberating through the cart. The boy, now trapped, began to pound on the gate in anger and frustration.
