The Capitol Games

Chapter 12

When your world turns upside down, especially in a godforsaken place like an enclosed area where twenty-four people try to kill each other for two weeks, it's hard to keep your senses.

I feel a soft hand on my shoulder. It's Crimson. I remember her stories about Zack. Both of the special boys in our lives have left us in almost the exact same way.

The last thing I wanted to see right now-no, ever- was a parachute drifting down from the sky, but I saw it anyways. A sponsor gift?! Because Sam died?! I get so mad. I lunge for the package, ready to rip it to shreds, but Crimson gets there first.

"Hang on, whoa, calm down. We might need this."

I try to take a deep breath. It's true. We might need whatever's in that stupid package for this stupid place and this stupid situation. Crimson sees the anger on my face and sighs.

"Sam would have wanted you to survive, Scarlett. Don't let him down."

That got me. I wish she hadn't said it, but it's true.

I crumple to the ground again. All I want, the only wish I have in the entire world, is to have the floor swallow me up, and maybe I can die too. Because you probably don't feel anything if you die. No emotions, no pain. Dying spunds quite appealing right now.

"Don't even think about it." Crimison gives me a stern look. I guess that comes out of being twins- even though we pretty much just met each other, it's still like we've been together our whole lives.

"Sorry. It's just, well, you know. You had to be crazy upset when Zack died."

Crimson stays silent for a minute. Then, in a voice barely over a whisper, she says, "That wasn't love."

I stare at her. "What do you mean?"

A tear trickles down her face. "I was forced into that relationship. We were told to seem like lovers to... spruce the Games up a bit. The Districts were losing viewers. It was that, or have ourselves and everyone we loved killed."

I don't know how to respond to that.

"I kept it a secret for so long. No one except my stylist, my mentor, my sponsors and Zack knew that it was all an act. I was sad when he died, but it was only sadness... for you."

I'm crying now too. It seems to be the appropriate time to hug, so we do. I can't imagine all the horrors she's been through. We both know each other, yet we don't.

We only break apart at the sound of the anthem starting to play, and the faces of the fallen being lit up in the sky. Sam's beautiful face shows up first. I wipe away another threatening tear and wave to him. His image fades away and the other people appear.

It makes me wonder where that other girl went.

"Crimson," I say as we make ourselves comfortable for the night.

"Yeah?" she responded.

"We have to get that other girl."

"You mean Anna?"

I didn't even ask how she knew her name. "Yes. The girl who got away."

"Agreed."

"Let's do it tomorrow."