𝔞𝔪𝔭𝔥𝔦𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔢 ✩ 𝔣𝔦𝔫𝔫𝔦𝔠𝔨 𝔬𝔡𝔞𝔦𝔯

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CHAPTER FOURTY ONE

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Twelve's tour was over as quickly as it had started, with Odelya's morphling filled bag also inhabiting stolen liquor from Haymitch's stores. She would be way on the way to District Eleven before he noticed what she had taken, Odelya was curious to the amount of pain she could numb if she were to combine the effects of drugs and alcohol.

Perhaps it would allow her to completely forget her trauma for a while.

In contradiction to beautiful little Florence, Blaise and Clementine were never ones to hide how terrible it was to be inhabitants of Eleven. With their over policing and lack of food which they themselves harvested they may as well have been put in cages and only let out to be marionettes to the Capitol's thirst for control.

Odelya made her way to the town square, where she would be forced to deliver another heart wrenching tribute to her fallen loves. Fiddling was she with Melody's bracelet that Finnick had sourced for her to have as her token during the Hunger Games.

Speeches were made with somber tones and Odelya was once again ushered off the stage by what once would be the comforting arm of Finnick, wrapped protectively around her shoulders in his last attempt at affection to his sunken mermaid.

As they did in Twelve, innocent children lined the streets to deliver pretty flowers to the newest Victor, each with dreamy smiles and eyes that held the prospect of a new world. One girl amongst the crowd caught her eye, for she had been on the podium across from her, alongside her heavily pregnant mother.

"Rue."

Odelya mumbled this name softly, not aware of how she was supposed to handle herself in this moment, surely she could not approach the sister and mother of her dead brother whilst she was high on morphling and various other toxic substances.

"Odelya," A tiny voice filled the distance between them and Odelya could have broken down right then and there. Little Rue had more courage than she because if she had been the one to deal the cards, then Odelya would have walked straight on by as in keeping with the coward that she had become.

"Rue," Odelya breathed out, slowly approaching Blaise's family, "Mrs Barnette."

"Oh, my darling girl," Mrs Barnette released the tight grip which she held on her living child's hand to pull Odelya into an embrace. Oh, how long it had been since she had felt the warmth of a mother's loving arms.

"I'm sorry," Odelya had tears in her eyes, it seemed she always did these days. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't save him. I tried. I really tried."

"Odelya, he loved you so much, Mrs Barnette murmured, "I could see it in his eyes, how he loved you. My boy died to save his sister and that is something for me to be so deeply proud of."

Odelya was crying now and between sobs she alternated between hugging Mrs Barnette and Rue. When the former held Odelya's embrace then Rue would be hugging the taller women's legs as to be involved in the affection shared.

Convinced was Odelya that if she were to meet Blaise's family that they would simply detest her, that they would blame her terribly for his martyrdom. Odelya had always figured that Blaise loved her and she did him, that he sacrificed himself because her was a good brother and because in some twisted way, Odelya deserved the victory.

Better her than him, right?

Kneeling down to be at eye level with Rue, Odelya cupped her little face in her hands and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, the younger mumbling sorrows as she did so for everything that she had been through
Odelya needed a token to gift her, to display her gratitude for their kindness for she could never find the words to express what it truly meant to her.

"Pretty."

Rue's eyes were directed at Odelya's wrist, where Melody's bracelet resides and so a true expression of thankfulness immersed her self. With a slightly heavy heart, Odelya unclasped Melody's bracelet and placed in delicately into Rue's palm. Which closed tightly around in to protect the gift.

"Promise me that you'll protect this Rue, because it will always protect you. It did so for me," Odelya smiled, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"I promise."

In the months since Blaise's death, a hue of darkness had invaded District Eleven, he was their brother. Baby Rue hadn't let even the slightest of smiles since for there was not glimmer of light left in her life with him gone.

Rue smiled when Odelya gave her Melody's bracelet. It signified more than a present for her, for someone apart from Blaise was there to protect her.

Odelya would sacrifice herself to the wolves before she let harm come to Rue Barnette, because otherwise Blaise's sacrifice would have been in vain. For there was no possibility he would die for Odelya without the promise that Rue would be protected.

Rue clung desperately to the hem of Odelya's dress, begging for her not to go, to stay with them in District Eleven, for with Blaise gone Rue had lost her lifeline but the newest Victor symbolised hope in little Rue's eyes.

Hope was dangerous for orderly mechanisms, as it lit the match of rebellion and caused for flames to rise. Fulfilling the unnatural order of nature, water would dance with its rival element to bring change to Panem. Fire was catching and if morphling didn't cease to interfere then it would sink every ship in District Four before the ocean had the chance to extinguish it.

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Feels quite repetitive me apologising for the lack of updates but college is hectic and I've been working on my new story, APHRODITE, which is a 'The Rookie' fanfic centred around Tim Bradford. I would be so happy if you would give it a read. Sorry for the shitty update, I just wanted to get another one out there.

Also, who would be interested in a Rafe Cameron story?

Please vote, comment and share.

I love you to the stars.