When Luck Runs Out

Murderous Scarecrows

"So, how are you two?" Molly asked as she gave up on trying to listen. I sat down on the ledge of the wall, kicking the heels of my shoes against the concrete and shrugged.
"No problems if that's what you mean." I decided.
"Are you excited for the tour?" she asked. I just glared at her, and she sighed, obviously she had known the answer before she asked it.
"It can't be all bad; anyway you're no longer the center of attention, so at least it'll be better than it was last year." Molly pointed out.
"Yes well, now I've got to look after myself and John, which is two times the work I usually have to put up with." I groaned.
"God forbid you do work." Molly gasped, as if that we some sort of unthinkable punishment.
"I know right." I agreed.
"Well, don't act as miserable about it as I'm sure you're thinking, because I want John to enjoy this, and not just hate it because you do." Molly insisted.
"I know, I know, I'm not being nearly as negative as I'd like to." I assured.
"That's great Sherlock, see, you're becoming more and more human every day." Molly decided, patting my shoulder encouragingly. I just edged away from her, glaring so that she got the message to never touch me again.
"He should be done by now, right?" I asked with a sort of mopey frown.
"No, the speech was longish, and he takes questions as well." Molly pointed out. I groaned, wanting to hit my head against the wall just to black out and get rid of this miserable boredom.
"Get used to it Sherlock, because you'll hopefully have to sit through a lot more of these in your lifetime." Molly insisted.
"This is only your second." I pointed out.
"Third, if you count my own." Molly debated.
"Which I don't." I shrugged.
"I've still got a lot more to go as well." She insisted.
"We can only hope." I agreed. I heard a lot of cheering coming from the stage, so John had either answered something that was very exciting or he was making his exit. Honestly I didn't think that anything on the Victor's tour could be exciting, so I definitely wasn't surprised when the door opened and he emerged, looking very nervous but relived it was over.
"Well, that went well." He decided, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.
"I'm sure you did brilliant." Molly assured, giving him a large, encouraging smile that made me taste my lunch once again.
"And I definitely want to get out of here, it's one hundred degrees out and I'm in a suit and coat." He pointed out.
"At least you have a reason to be wearing it, think of how I feel, a human microwave." I defended.
"Women's clothing does have its advantages." Molly decided, smiling tauntingly.
"At least we wear pants." I defended.
"At least we don't have to have two layers of clothes." Molly pointed out.
"You win this time Hooper." I growled, hopping off of my ledge perch and walking John out the door, grabbing his hand as we went since no one was really following yet.
"So it went well?" I asked, opening up the back door and stepping into the harsh sunlight. The streets were still deserted and I heard someone talking over the loud speaker, probably that childish mayor of theirs.
"I suppose so." John shrugged.
"Any particular questions that you liked?" I asked.
"Not really, just the usual, how is the Victor's life treating you, what's it like after winning the games, all that stuff." John groaned.
"Anything about me?" I asked with a sort of laugh, but sincerely curious all the same.
"A couple, mostly from teenage rich girls, but they were just asking if we were planning on getting married and if our parents were okay with it and all that." John shrugged.
"Interesting questions." I nodded, particularly interested in his answer for the marriage one. Not that I was in a hurry, or even certain he would marry me. I mean, we were totally in love and totally perfect for each other, but since neither of us had even passed into our twenties I think it's best that we wait. And besides, anything could happen, especially for us. Maybe John would finally realize what an antisocial psychopath I was and leave me for some model. I didn't even want to imagine what would happen after that, John would be brutally murdered by Mrs. Hudson and Molly, probably using the same gun I had used to shoot myself in the head.
"Sherlock, John, where are you going?" Molly's voice called. I sighed, seeing her running towards us even as we tried to slip away.
"Just taking a stroll." I pointed out, turning away as if trying to tell her to go away.
"Well we should start heading back to the..." her sentence was cut off as a man dove out of the fields of corn, looking absolutely terrified.
"What the heck?" John exclaimed, jumping back as the man ran right in front of us. He looked sick, his ribs were too visible through his dark skin and he had several teeth missing from his dry mouth.
"Please sir, please, help me, I know you must be an honorable man." He started, coming closer and closer. His fists were clenched, what was in them was a mystery to me, but he freaked me out all the same. There were distant yells and shouts, which seemed to scare the man even more. He jumped at me, grabbing the front of my jacket and sinking to his knees in plea.
"Hide me, please, my sister's child is dying, we're starving, I'm doing..." his words were shortened by a short blast. His head burst open with a spray of blood and he fell over at my feet, shaking slightly and slumping over himself. He was dead. I screamed, jumping back as multiple peacekeepers emerged from the fields, guns aimed and ready to fire. John and Molly rushed to my side, pulling me away from the corpse and looking at the white armored men, who were still glaring at us through their masks.
"Sorry sir, ma'am, but he was caught stealing." One exclaimed, lowering his weapon. The rest followed suit, coming up to the man and kicking his fist, still clenched. Out from his hand rolled several kernels of drying corn.