ʟᴏꜱᴛ || ғɪɴɴɪᴄᴋ ᴏᴅᴀɪʀ

𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼

───── ⋆⋅ Lilac ⋅⋆ ─────

The peacekeepers had put me and Jasper in separate rooms to say goodbye to anyone we desired. I was sitting down on the wooden bench in the dark area, a bored expression on my face. I won't be like past tributes, crying does nothing. It just wastes your time with useless emotions. 

I'm still wearing my outfit from the reaping, forever thankful I didn't wear the dress on my bed. I would've had to wear it the entire train ride to the capitol, pants was the best option.

The door barges open when mom and Julia enter, "You've got two minutes." I hear the peacekeeper says sternly.

Julia looks like her normal self, but much more worried than I've ever seen her since dad's passing. She walks up closer to me, but mom stays back, considering how our relationship is. "You can win. I know it." She says, staring straight into my eyes. "I've seen you train before, you're good with a spear."

I had practiced a lot with spears, all for good fun, but it could come in handy now. I never knew Julia had saw me. Training was like my secret hobby, it made it fun. "Maybe so, we don't all know the future now, do we?" I say with a slight smirk, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Lilac!" Julia exclaims angrily, "You have to be more serious about this, you're going into The Hunger Games, for god's sake!" Her face looks more tense and serious, almost as if she was using tough love on me. 

Her face relaxes before pulling out a circle-shaped locket. The locket is gold with the name "Dawson" engraved on the cover, our family name. She opens the locket with three photos inside. The one on the left is Julia, when she was little, more happier. In the middle is my dad, Julian Dawson, with his black hair and hazel eyes. And on the right is my mom, Serena Dawson, with her blonde and brown eyes. "It's a tribute token." She states.

"A what?" I inquire.

"A tribute token. It's one item a tribute can take into the arena to represent their district." 

"Oh. Thanks." I say with no emotion before putting it on.

"Why are you like this?" She says firmly. "You're always never taking anything seriously, and you never show any sort of affection!" She exclaims. "It's like your," She pauses. "Heartless."

I didn't disagree with her, I am heartless. I see love and affection as a waste of time, it'll only put you through more pain, therefore inflicting more sadness, and more tears. The peacekeepers come in the room before I can respond and start pulling out mom and Julia. "Goodbye." Julia says seriously before the door slams shut.

I know I should feel bad, but I can't help but feel scared. I mean, I am about to go into a life or death situation, who wouldn't be?

Austin comes in the room and immediately throws his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. "Why'd they have to pick you?!" He says, tears in his eyes. "I already lost my brother, I can't lose you too!" He was acting like that twelve-year-old boy at the 64th reaping again. Emotional, vulnerable, and broken. We had come so close I felt like a sibling to him, and I'm guessing he doesn't want to go through the sadness of losing another sibling.

The peacekeepers look in at us. "That boy's making a scene." One of them says.

"I agree, let's get him out of here." Another one says.

I hug him back quickly before the peacekeepers pull him out. "I'll come back!" I shout, before the door closes, wondering if the last time I saw Austin, I had seen him crying. 

I sit in the room, pondering every thought possible. Austin had felt more like family to me than my real family ever did. He was there for me with my dad's passing, whereas mom and Julia moped by their lonesome, and didn't think once to comfort each other or me about it.

I need to win these games. For Austin. 

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

Word Count: 697

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