Melting of a frozen heart

Chapter 19

Relief has flooded my system. I will get to see my girl again, and she'll be alive too. I feel a bit nervous about approaching her. I don't know what mental state she is in after going through a traumatic event like that. Knowing what I know about her, she'll probably claim to be fine, then eventually snap. And I hope to be there for her once that happens.

I hope she lets me see her too. Last I talked to her, she was fairly mad at me, but she had a reason for that. I had (involuntarily) put my life on the line, and scared her. I guess she cares for me almost so much as I care for her. I just hope it's genuine. I would understand if she would never want to see me again after this, and just learned to tolerate me for her survival. But I just need to see her again for my own sanity. But before I can go see her, I have been summoned to go see Dean Highbottom to discuss my "win".

As I walk the halls people left, and right congratulate me on winning the hunger games. I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes at their comments. I didn't win anything, all I did was watch and pray. _____ did all of the heavy lifting, why aren't they congratulating her? She was the one who won. She deserves the credit. But I am not sure you can even call it winning with all of the inevitable emotional baggage it will bring.

People have also brought up the Pinth prize, saying I must be making my parents so proud with an accomplishment like that. I want to yell at them to leave me alone. Fuck the Plinth prize, I just want her..... I need her.

Eventually I make it to where we will be meeting. I straighten my spine, and open the door. Hopefully this won't take too long, I have someone I need to find. "Mr. Duchannes, nice to see you as our winner and not Snow." he say as I walk in. He stand in front of this table with a couple of items that I can't quite make out.

"Hello Professor Highbottom." I say, as I near closer. I see what's on the table now. Some sort of napkin, a silver compact, and a hat. _____'s hat. I scrunch my face in confusion, but turn my focus to the small man in front of me.

"I have a question for you Treech. Do any of these items look familiar to you?" he asks. 

I feel nervous almost, but I have only ever seen the hat. "Only the hat sir." 

He responds with "Well your peer sure recognized them. I am sure you are familiar with Snow's... ambition to win. Well you see he found a way to sneak rat poison into the arena. To aid his dear sweet Lucy Gray."

"He cheated?" I ask in disbelief. I know Snow had been acting oddly suspicious, but I didn't know he would cheat.

"Yes. I am afraid he did. You see this compact in front of you. He filled it with powdered rat poison, and gave it to his songbird. One sniff of this could kill even the strongest man. So any strange deaths had been caused by Snow himself. He even found  way for the snakes to recognize Lucy's scent. Which is why I have called you here at this moment when you should be with your tribute." he says.

I know where he is going with this, and I quickly say "I didn't do anything that would be counted as cheating."

"I know you didn't, but Snow did, and the snakes didn't kill Lucy. ____ did, but the snakes didn't kill her either. Snow gave the tank of snakes this cloth that contains Lucy's scent, in hopes of shielding her from their venom. Snow has been cast away as a peacekeeper due to his cheating. Even though you didn't do anything directly to cheat, we have to give you a sentence too." Dean states with zero emotion.

I have to process his words for a second or two. I am going to be a peacekeeper for something I didn't do. Where though? Will I be sent to district one, which is the classiest. Or will I be with the lowest in district twelve. Or will I get lucky and be sent to live with the tree people. "Okay." I mutter.