The Capitol's Tribute

Chapter 3

I wake up and see Tilly slumped over in a chair near my bed. I smile at the sight. I hear soft sobs and sit bolt upright. Despite being told not to, I stand, clutching my ribs, and make my way toward the sound. "Ana?" It was Rya, and she turned around quickly. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were red and puffy. A stray tear slipped down her cheek and I swiped it away. "Are you okay?" I asked, concerned. No one should ever be crying in the dead of night, it never meant anything good. She held out her arm, and I saw the scab she had been scratching earlier. "Mosquito bite. It was carrying some kind of disease that we don't have around here."

"So you're sick? Can't you get medicine?" Rya looked me directly in the eyes.

"What's it like in the Capitol?" Her question catches me off guard in more ways than one. Firstly, it's off-topic. Secondly, I had never really thought about it. "Well, I guess it's nice. You can get anything you need whenever..." But my voice darkened. I had seen the real Capitol one time, and that was all it took for me to run away and never look back. "But it's horrible. They killed my parents in cold blood, right in front of me." The words tumbled from my mouth before I could stop myself. Rya turned to face me with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's fine, it isn't your fault." I murmured, looking out the window to avoid looking at Rya.

"Here in the districts, we think the Capitol is evil. They keep their riches and food from us while we're starving. They make us work while they splurge on our supplies. They send us to the Hunger Games, and don't give us basic things like medicine that we need to live." I opened my mouth to defend the Capitol, to tell Rya that she was wrong, but I couldn't. Because deep down, I knew that everything I had been taught my whole life was a lie.

The districts weren't heartless, how else could I be standing next to the sweetest girl I had ever met who was from District 9? Junie was from the Capitol, and her heart was blacker than the coal from 12. Rya said that the Capitol kept riches for themselves. I guess they did. They never really told us how bad it was in the districts. We just acted like they were animals that got the basic necessities of life, but nothing more than the bare minimum. Here in the districts, it seemed that they were barely surviving. When you looked into their eyes, you could see that some of them were already dead. The scars and blood of the people were a clear indication that they didn't just work, but they were worked to the brink of death. And in repayment, the Capitol took the goods and didn't even give them basic medicine. The Capitol was the reason that innocent people in the districts were dying. The Capitol was the reason that Rya was sick. The Capitol was the reason that my parents were dead. So I couldn't contradict Rya. She was right. The Capitol was evil.

"So you don't have any medicine?" That was all I was able to respond. Rya shook her head. "How bad is it?" I murmured, dropping my voice to a whisper.

"Bad." Was all she said. I couldn't think of what to add to that, but then words began gushing from her mouth. "It's not too bad yet, just a fever. But Mum knows that if I go outside and get bitten by a mosquito, it will get someone else sick too. So I have to stay inside. All I have so far is a fever, but soon I'll be throwing up what little food I can eat and my head will throb and I'll either starve to death or die some other awful way." Her voice is quiet.

"Have you told Mayzie and Barlay?" I whisper back, taking Rya's hand in mine. She just shook her head. "I'm so sorry, that's awful." She just shrugged.

"There's still a chance to get better." But I could tell from her hollow voice that she didn't believe what she was saying. "Is there any way that you can get money for medicine?" She shook her head. "The Peacekeepers take all of our grain except a portion and a half for food. But Mayzie can't work to get us flour yet, so we can't sell bread. Without Barlay's tesserae, we'd have starved to death. This year, I'm taking all the tesserae though. I'm gonna die anyway." I couldn't say anything. It was awful. The Capitol never told us how bad it really was in the districts. I mentally added lying to the list of unforgivable crimes the Capitol had committed against me and my family. I was officially waiting to see the day of their downfall. The downfall of the Hunger Games. "The Hunger Games." I said out loud. Rya looked at me.

"The district with a victor gets a bit of extra money and food, but 9 never has victors. The victor gets unlimited money though."

"Can't Barlay win the Hunger Games for you? I'm sure she will."

"I know she would. Which is precisely why I haven't told her I'm sick. She'll come to the same conclusion. What happens if we both die?" Rya said, staring at me. Her eyes seemed to penetrate deep into my heart and soul. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. It's not my place to meddle in your family business."

"Ana, at this point, you're basically part of our family. I hadn't told anyone that before, and I know you want to get back to the Capit-"

"I never want to go back there." I cut her off sharply.

Whether I liked it or not, I was stuck in District 9. With Tilly and Barlay and Rya and Mayzie. And I never wanted to go back to the Capitol, even if it meant death.