We Could Have Been Great

Chapter 20

The platform is empty when they step off the train.

Not entirely surprising but still, Cato and Clove had assumed that at least their parents would be there to welcome them back.

But there's nobody there. It's silent.

Brutus and Enobaria step off behind them, Brutus stretching out his back and Enobaria taking a deep breath of fresh air.

"Right. First stop, dinner at the Mayor's house." Enobaria says, marching off ahead as the other three scramble to catch up with her.

"Great just what we need, more pretending and more chances to end up fucking things up," Cato mutters sarcastically under his breath.

Only Clove hears him. "We did it on live television in front of the whole of Panem. I think we can manage it in front of one little greasy man, his weird wife and his creepy daughter."

Cato sighs. She's right. Of course she's right. And like the mayor of District 2 is going to tattletale to Snow if something is a bit off with him and Clove. That man can't even be bothered to brush his hair.

"Yeah you're right."

They make their way through the district towards the town centre but with each step, it becomes more and more obvious that something is wrong.

The whole place is quiet.

Too quiet.

Nobody is out, the streets are empty. Occasionally, as they pass a house, Clove and Cato think that they see someone staring at them out of a window. But there's no one else around them.

It doesn't take long at all to get to the mayor's house. It's a big building, with pillars framing the doorway, reminiscent of a style popular back in the old days.
It's the kind of building that should be grand and lavish but the window panes are smeared with dust, the paint is peeling away and the couple of stone steps up to it are so crumbled that it's almost impossible to walk up them without tripping over.

Brutus walks up to the door first and pulls the chain of the doorbell twice. For a few seconds, Clove wonders if anybody will bother answering since it seems as though the rest of the district have gone into hiding but only a minute later, a servant opens the door.

"Who is it?!" A thick, unpleasant voice calls from somewhere in the house.
"The victors sir." The servant calls back and then bows slightly and leaves.

After a couple of moments, the mayor finally appears, walking down the stairs with all the elegance of a drunk elephant.

"Ah! Our champions! Come in, come in!" He opens his arms in what should be a welcoming gesture but instead it gives the impression of a pigeon ready to take flight.

Regardless of how desperately they want to turn around, Clove and Cato lead the way into the house, Brutus and Enobaria close behind.

The house is large and shows obvious evidence of past grandeur. There is a large mirror above the fireplace in the sitting room in a gilded golden frame but it's covered in dust and the mirror is smudgy. The wallpaper is thick and covered in beautiful swirling designs but it's peeling in some places and cracked in others.

The whole place is in a state of disrepair, slowly falling apart due to years of neglect.

The mayor leads them all into the dining room. It's a large room but the ceiling is fairly low, giving the place a horrible claustrophobic feel. The dining table takes up most of the room, the wood dark and polished, most likely mahogany. It's set, ready for dinner and a large candelabra stands awkwardly in the middle of it.