nepenthe (n.) - an ancient Greek word, defined as a medicine for sorrow. it is a place, a person or thing, which can aid in forgetting your pain and suffering.
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Leora always knew her stealing would get her into trouble one day. That's okay, she lov...
BY THE TIME THE TRAIN REACHES DISTRICT ONE, even Leora doesn't have it in her to talk as much anymore.
No one knows for sure for how long they've been cooped up in the train anyway. All she knows is that she and Hy were held inside that dingy little cell in the Peacekeeper's office for almost an entire day. The ride to Four took multiple hours; it took them even longer to get to Seven, and the only good thing that comes with the pair from One's arrival is the knowledge that it won't be much longer.
The boy and the girl from One, both clad in white and pristine school uniforms, introduce themselves as Facet and Velveeren, respectively. They don't speak much, and at this point, Leora doesn't have any food left to offer them either.
Even the peel of the tangerine she gave to Treech and Lamina doesn't last. As their hunger grows, so does their desperation, and they scramble to split the peel into somewhat even parts. It's slightly bitter, and Leora strongly dislikes the texture, but it's something that fills her stomach at least.
All she knows is that it was pitch black outside by the time they reached District One. She had hoped for some light to be shed inside the car as the constant darkness deeply unsettles her, but luck was not on her side. In fact, it feels like it hasn't been ever since the reaping.
The atmosphere is gloomy; the weight of what they will soon have to do is heavily weighing them down, and she hates every bit of it. By the time she's able to fall into the most restless sleep she has ever had, all that consumes her mind are thoughts of home. Her parents, her friends, the lake that she wanted to go to, Watt, Sol, and the children at the orphanage.
She knows that it must be the same for everyone else. Lamina's sniffles accompany her throughout the night, and by the time the first light begins filtering through the gaps, she begins to wonder how the other children ever managed to make it to the Capitol without starving to death.
The war has taught her what hunger is like. But this is unlike anything she has ever felt before. A pain so sharp it almost feels like she's being burned alive from the inside out, spreading from the depths of her stomach into every fiber of her being.
All this, and for what? Because she's district?
Leora stretches her legs as much as she can, putting in a conscious effort not to bump her feet or legs against Coral's or Mizzen's. They were the last to talk before everyone tried to sleep, and her pity for the boy outweighs almost everything else.
