Peacekeepers: The 49th Annual Hunger Games

White

Mason

I sighed and pulled my shirt back on after Point finished with what was, for me, the weekly beating. Only one thought went through my head as I stumbled back to her house; she was safe. Her house was adjacent to mine, but I had nothing to go back to there, so I spent more time at Eva's house than at my own. I liked her father and brothers more anyway. I never had any male figures, really. My father died when I was eight in an epidemic a few years back, the same one that killed Evangeline's mother. My mother became an alcoholic, insane after the loss of my father, that I was basically raising young Blossom on my own. Every year, I'd put my name into the reapings more times to get extra rations. I put my name in, and my sister was still the one picked for the 47th Hunger Games. Now, I put my name in extra times, but not for me. I put my name in extra times and give the tessera to Evangeline's family. They need it more, and it prevents her from having to go into the Games. I decided when Blossom was killed, that I would do everything I could to protect Evangeline. Even if that meant taking her beatings for her.
    My back stung and I was having trouble walking, the corners of my eyes going dark. I pushed open the door to the Greenly's and stumbled, falling into my face with a groan. Evangeline was asleep on the dining room table on her belly, not wearing a shirt. Her cuts on her back were covered in an ointment that they must have gotten from the marketplace. Seeing Evangeline shirtless wasn't anything new to me, if you know what I mean. We'd done it a couple of times, plus, we'd been best friends since before we were old enough to be reaped. That wasn't the part that made my heart stop in my chest. That part was seeing the raised white slashes where the whips had hit her over time, creating scars. Evangeline was extremely self conscious about them, and I knew that, so I always made a point to kiss those scars whenever I got the chance. I told her I thought she was beautiful no matter what happened, and that was the end of the conversation.
    My thoughts were pulled from my head when her three brothers lifted me up and set me on the kitchen counter. Each movement felt like the whip was hitting me again, causing a searing groan to escape my lips, and my entire body to tense, writhing. They got my shirt up and over my head with difficulty.
    "Mase- this is gonna hurt," Mr. Greenly said before pouring alcohol on my open cuts. I practically screamed. I'd been through whippings before, but this time, it seemed so much worse. Part of me wondered if they put barbed wire on the whip, because that's what it felt like. But still, I didn't regret it, because I protected Evangeline. I gripped the counter tightly until my knuckles turned white. Then one of the brothers, I want to say it was Parker, rubbed that ointment on my cuts, immediately relieving the pressure. I sighed in relief, my muscles slowly relaxing. Every once in a while, the cuts would throb, but they were no longer agonizing.
    As for now, I was exhausted. I reached my right arm out to just barely brush my fingers over Ev's. That touch could electrify me, but diminish all other worries. She was my balance. She was my light. I quickly fell asleep.

    She was small, her dark hair flew behind her, as she ran, giggling. Evangeline followed with a wide smile, reaching out for her. She lifted Blossom up and tickled her. That laughter rang in my head for a moment, slow and echoing, like time slowed down. I blinked and then Evangeline was inches away from my face. Her shoulders were bare, and I assumed we were both naked. "Mason?" She said softly. Her voice seemed distorted, distant, but it was still her soft voice that always made me think of honey whenever I heard it. I blinked again, and I was behind a glass and Evangeline was on the other side. We both pressed our hands to the glass separating us. Her eyes were desperate, scared, longing; That's when Point held the gun to her head and pulled the trigger.
    I woke with a sharp breath, tensing, and looking around my surroundings. It was dark outside, the only light in the room two small candles illuminating the counter and table. I looked at the table, where Evangeline was now sitting, watching me gently. Her eyes were dropping sleepily, but she was relaxed and unharmed, wearing a shirt now. The corners of my lips turned upwards in a small smile, the most I could manage right now.
    "Hello, my angel," I grinned boyishly at her, tiredly, but doing my best to be my flirty self that she loves. The moment she realized I was awake, her smile got a little bit wider, and her eyes lit up just a little bit.
    "Mason," She breathed quietly, reaching out and taking my hand. "You didn't have to do that for me."
    "I'd always do that for you, Ev. Haven't you figured that out?" She smiled again softly.
    "I love you, you know that?"
    "I love you too."

    The next morning, the siren went off much earlier than normal, it seemed. Evangeline and I were sore, and we hated having to go to work today, but we took solace in the fact that Point wasn't going to be working that day. Eleven was oddly quiet that morning, but none of us could figure out what was wrong until Maisie came running to Eva. She knelt beside her.
    "It's President Snow!" She said with wide eyes. "He's here!"
    "WHAT?!" Ev and I asked in unison, pulling Maisie off to the side of the road and away from all the workers trying to get to the square. "Maisie," Ev said. "President Snow is here?"
    "Yes, I asked him what he was doing here and he said he had some business to take care of." Maisie said softly. I took a deep breath, looking at Evangeline before I turned to Maisie.
    "Go back to your home, okay? I'll tell you what's going on later. I'll bring food to your house this afternoon, do you understand?" Maisie nodded quietly and ran off.
    I stood straighter and ran with Evangeline silently to where there was a crowd gathering in the same spot we were whipped just yesterday. We pushed to the front of the crowd, eyeballing this man, dressed in a wool jacket with animal fur, a white rose pinned to his lapel. His hair was greying, but wasn't completely white yet, even though his features were those of a middle aged man. He was waving at the crowd, faking a smile, obviously, but when his eyes landed on Evangeline and I, his snake-like eyes narrowed, and his smile turned into a smirk. He stopped and stared at me a moment before he called, "Mr. Bridges! What an honor it is to finally meet you!"
What does the President want with me?

President Snow stepped over with a regal and charming smile. "My, what a lovely couple you two are." He said in his low and deep voice that had a natural echo to it, looking between the two of us. "You two are so in love, aren't you?"
"Yes. Thank you." Evangeline said plainly, hugging my side.
"Miss Greenly, what is that song you sang to the children?" I stiffened hearing that. Evangeline frowned for a moment before she answered.
"It's called the Lavender Song." She said softly, not looking at him. President Snow's smile never wavered.
"You're a lovely singer, Miss Greenly." He said, then looked at me. "May I have a word with you? In your home, perhaps? I'm certain your mother won't mind." His eyes seemed to pierce me, hypnotizing and terrifying at the same time. I couldn't do anything but say yes as I led the President to my home. He frowned seeing the mud on his shoes but didn't say anything. In my home, my mother was asleep at the kitchen table, so I led him into one of my father's old offices.
"To what do I owe this pleasure, President Snow?" I asked, trying my best to sound enthusiastic. He knew that I would kill him in an instant if I wanted to. And I did want to. I wanted to kill him more than anything else.
"You know, Mr. Bridges, I saw yesterday at the whipping post that you love Miss Greenly."
"Very much."
"That took courage what you just did. And I think that, with that courage, you could be a good Peacekeeper, Mr. Bridges." My breath stopped in my throat. Why would I want to be one of them? Why would I want to be one of the people dedicated to hurting my people?
"Just think," Snow adds with an evil grin. "You could marry the girl of your dreams. Protect her. Keep her safe. Money. Love. What is there to lose?" I couldn't think of a word, now obsessed with the idea of marrying Evangeline Greenly.
"This is a one time opportunity, Mr. Bridges."
I'd be able to protect her. I'd be able to protect all the people of Eleven. I'd be able to marry her.

Hey guys! I wanted to know what you think of this story so far! How do you think Evangeline will react to Mason's news? Why does President Snow want Mason to be a Peacekeeper? Let me know! And should I continue this story?