The Chamber [Sequel to Silence]

26

 “Milo. Elianna. Mum. Dad. Jordan. Maia. Max. Flora. Antonia. Arrian,” she whispered. The chant had become almost obsessive as she paced around, waiting for Otto. It made sense for her to sleep, and it made sense for her to stay awake. If she slept, she could be killed in her sleep, quickly and easily. But without sleep, she would be tired for the final battle. In the end, I headed for the control room and used a large portion of her sponsor money to send her coffee. As the Games come to a close, everything becomes expensive, but I figured it didn’t matter much. She was as prepared as she could be for his arrival, stocked up with weapons and enough food to last the rest of her time in the arena. She’d had coffee once during her stay in the Capitol, and I remember how hyper it made her, the buzz kicking in and sending her crazy. Crazier than normal, anyway. It made me smile as I sent it to her. When she received it, she looked at it with a knowing smile, and I knew she was thinking back to the same memory as I was. She glanced up at the sky, as though that is where she believed me to be.

 “Good times, Ari,” she mumbled “Good times.”

 And they were, weren’t they, Riley? If I look back now, I think the time we spent in the Capitol was some of the best. Though we shared tears, we also shared laughter. I felt as though something changed in me when I was with Riley. I was always so uptight before I met her. I still am, I guess, but not as much so. Antonia had always pointed out that I would choose reading a book over playing out with the other children, and though this wasn’t a bad thing, being with Riley made me feel like I was having a childhood I’d never really experienced. The childhood that the Games had snatched from me. Who else, bar Riley, could convince me to bounce on beds like a young child? Which other fourteen year old girl have I ever drank alcohol with? And which other tribute, excluding Antonia, have I poured my heart out to? Riley knew things about me that few did. She brought out the best in me. And there is no one else quite like her.

 She brought the cup to her lips and sipped the coffee as she waited. It didn’t take long for the buzz to hit her, and she jittered about, still waiting. Meanwhile, Otto was on his way. Slowly and stealthily, he walked through the trees. He was surprisingly calm. Not that he’d ever appeared not to be in control of himself, but it was unusual to see someone as calm as he, especially when he was potentially walking to his death. I hoped he was walking to his death.

 “Now this is interesting,” Venus said, dressed in a flowered jumpsuit for the special final day of the Games “Two tributes from the same District in the final. But to us here in the Capitol, hasn’t it seemed that this was meant to be all along? There has always been an unusual rivalry between the two that we don’t often see between tributes from the same District. And they have, of course, been incredibly entertaining. Riley, with her clever deception to make us believe she was weak, and the fun and loving side we’ve seen to her in the arena. And Otto. Where do we start with Otto? He’s so ruthless, so cold, but we all love him here in the Capitol, don’t we?”

 A cheer rippled through the crowd and Venus laughed “Yes, yes, Otto is an unusual boy. But I’m sure all the ladies out there are falling for his simply adorable brown eyes! Now, Claudius, I want your opinion. Who do you think will win this year?”

 Claudius sighed, shrugging helplessly, as though it pained him to give an answer “I couldn’t possibly say, Venus. It should be an interesting fight. On one hand, Otto is strong, and cunning and clever. On the other, Riley’s recklessness might just slip her the advantage. Not to mention that she is quite handy with those weapons of hers! But perhaps I can see a weakness in Riley. We saw that she has compassion when she spoke with Cornelius. He was her enemy, but she showed him kindness in his final moments. Can we assume this to be a downfall? Who knows?”

 “I think it’s interesting about Otto’s fear,” Venus continued “We’ve never seen him frightened before. If he’s scared, he certainly hides it well. But the question is, when he’s trying to overcome his fear of heights, will this slow him down or spur him on?”