The Victor

13

A week has passed. The Games started out with a bang, but the number of deaths has slowed down. The arena proves to be the hardest thing for tributes to deal with. There's only two water sources: a small lake, more of a pond really, and scattered plants that are filled with the liquid. Every animal in the arena is poisonous, from the massive scorpions to the snakes. Heat exhaustion and dehydration has killed more tributes than anything else. There are only three left, none of them allied. One of them is Finnick's male tribute, who has been hanging on the outskirts of the Games. His name is Skylar. The girl died on the third day from snakebite that we couldn't afford medicine to cure.I've been working the Capitol over, getting as much money as I can. Using everything at my disposal: my charm, my knowledge, even coercing a few with secrets that Finnick knows. Finnick and I have been sending his tribute water and food as much as we can. He has a chance of winning, but the longer the Capitol goes without blood, the more likely the Gamemakers are to throw something into the arena.That scares Finnick, and because he's scared, I am too.It's nighttime in the Capitol and the arena, and we're the only ones left in the room, watching the tributes sleeping. Finnick's face is drawn and tired, illuminated only by the light from the screens."Here," I say, handing him a mug of coffee. He takes it and nods his thanks."It's too quiet," he says. "The Gamemakers are going to do something, I can tell.""We'll deal with it when it comes," I say. "You need sleep."He shakes his head. "I can't. I've been thinking…what if we could make a change?""What are you talking about?""What if we could get rid of the Games?"I grip his hand tightly. "Finnick, if President Snow heard you –""I don't care," Finnick says. "What if there was no President Snow? No Games. No Capitol. If all the Districts had enough food and there weren't Careers. What if?""Finnick, you're scaring me," I say, meeting his eyes. "What you're talking about, it's rebellion. It'll get us killed.""The Districts are unhappy. I've talked with Johanna and Chaff. They say their districts are getting more and more disruptive and defiant. I've heard rumors from District 8 too.""Why now?" I ask, becoming more intrigued even though I know it's dangerous. "What's changed?""You.""Me?""Well, no, not just you," Finnick said. "But you volunteering for that girl even though you didn't need to, the Districts saw that as brave, defiant even. And setting Lief and Magnus's bodies on fire to them was another act of defiance against the Capitol. I know that's not what you intended, but you've given people hope."I'm thinking hard at this point. "If the Districts united, the Capitol wouldn't stand a chance. But as long as the Games continue, the Districts will never come together.""So we stop the Games," Finnick said. "How?"I shake my head instantly. "Finnick, this is all speculation. We can't do anything."Finnick nods. "Maybe not yet, but things are only going to get worse and people want change."I'm silent for a moment, then I say, "Do you really think we can make a difference?"Finnick nods. "Johanna and Chaff agree with me. Haymitch thinks so too.""Haymitch?"Finnick nods, and I stand."I'll see you in the morning," I say. "I've got to go."I hurry back to the Tribute Center, hoping to catch Haymitch before he passes out.I walk into the living room to see him, lying on the couch, a bottle in one hand."Haymitch," I say, and he sits up slowly. "We need to talk.""About?" His words are slurred, and I sit beside him on the couch."Finnick just told me you agree with him on starting a rebellion," I say in a whisper, and his eyes brighten."He told you?""Why don't either of you see how dangerous this is? Remember what happened to District 13?" I ask. Haymitch smiles."What?" I ask."District 13 was firebombed, that's true, but there've been rumors that people survived, that they're independent from the Capitol."I shake my head. "That's impossible.""Is it? District 13's buildings were mostly underground, despite what the Capitol says," Haymitch says. "There are stories of people who've left the Districts and gone to join District 13."I stand up. "I can't believe you. President Snow would kill you all if he knew.""Piper," Haymitch says, standing up with a fair amount of swaying. "It's coming. And we'll need you if we ever want to be free."I turn and walk back to my room, unable to process what's going on. How could everyone around me be so blind to the danger?I don't sleep that night, and I spend most of it wandering around the Capitol. I'm tired of living in fear. I'm tired of watching people go hungry. But rebellion? It seems impossible.When dawn breaks, I return to the mentor viewing room, mentally and physically exhausted. When I walk into the room, I'm met with a large amount of noise and waiters walking around with glasses of champagne despite the fact that it's only six in the morning."Piper!"I look to see Finnick, breaking free of a crowd of Capitolians."We did it!""Did what?""Skylar won! The other two tributes killed each other last night!"My mouth drops open and Finnick grins, picking me up off the ground in a spine-cracking hug."We did it," I say, still in shock, and he laughs. I grin, finally hugging him back, triumph flooding through me.