Brooke Langston, a determined and resourceful young woman, volunteers as tribute to spare a sickly little girl who holds a special place in her heart. Little does she anticipate that her closest friend, Ray Adhira, would also be chosen, forcing them...
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Present Day
Brooke couldn't sleep, it wasn't any surprise. The training center was icy and silent. Too silent. Zero noise from the outside world filtered through the walls on the fourth floor, and Brooke found everything too artificial.
The bed was too soft, the pillows too cold, the pajamas too silk. She needed to go do something and despite the fact that her quarters were the size of a main floor small bungalow, she couldn't find anything to entertain herself.
She stepped out into the hallway and peered down it either way at the other closed bedroom doors. Two rooms for the mentors, one for the Escort, and two for the tributes, the stylists came and went. There was always a maximum of two mentors each year and a minimum of one or none. Depends on how well your District is at the Hunger Games.
Brooke briefly considered waking Ray, but one little peek into his room and she couldn't disturb his awkward looking but peaceful nonetheless sleep.
She decided to go out into the main space of their floor, a sitting area and dining area, with a closed off kitchen and sleeping quarters for the Avox servants, people who had done a crime in the Capitol's eyes and were put to good use after having their tongue cut off. A barbaric act once again thanks to the Capitol and Snow. Brooke was warming up real nice to this place.
The only thing she loved about their living quarters up until they were shipped off to the arena itself, were the floor to ceiling windows all along the side of the building that looked out onto the city.
She went for those now, and found that she was not the only one who was up.
"Can't sleep?" Finnick asked, as he leaned against the frame of the window that extended out from the wall.
Brooke raised an eyebrow, quietly thankful that he was awake and she could talk to him.
"Does anyone sleep in this place?" Brooke asked.
Finnick shrugged and smiled like he had a joke to tell, "Maybe the ones bred here, Maddox of course."
They both laughed.
Brooke joined him on the ground and sat facing him, her back against the opposite pillar.
She looked down at the city that was still alive, the lights and the movements.
"It could be so much more than it is," she said softly, "If only it was ruled just a little more-"
"Freely?" Finnick cut in.
Brooke made a noise between a scoff and a sigh, "Ya, free."
They were silent for a few seconds.
"It really is beautiful, despite it all," Finnick said suddenly.
Brooke looked over at him, watching his face, his emotions, as he looked down at the city below them. She wondered what he was thinking for the hundredth time in her life.
