A Victor's Valor | F. Odair

T H R E E

V A L O R

Some legends are told,
some turn to dust or to gold,
but you will remember me,
remember me for centuries.

『+』

It was a short ride from the Justice Building to the train station. When they got there, it was swarming with reporters with their cameras trained directly on their faces. Juliet swatted one that was an inch away from her forehead and glanced at the television screen that showed their arrival live. She was relieved to see that she appeared annoyed.

Thomas and Juliet stood in the doorway of the train and in a few minutes, they entered. The train began to move at once. Amy waved at them from where she was sitting and directed them to their separate chambers where a bedroom, a dressing room, and a private bathroom was present.

Juliet entered the room when Amy stopped talking about how she could do anything she wanted and wear anything she wanted. She just needed to be ready in an hour for supper. With a kind smile directed at Amy, she closed the door and locked it.

She slipped off her shoes and removed her dress that was wearing thin after all these years and neatly folded it, placing it on top of the grand bed along with the thin silver watch she had to take a long hot shower. She scrubbed the sweat off and dried herself, settling for a black cotton shirt and dark blue jeans that she found in the drawers filled with clothes.

She was seated on the bed when she remembered what her mother gave her. She didn't properly see it because she was startled but she thought it was a pocket watch. She dug her hand into the pocket of her dress and retrieved it. After further inspection, she realized that it wasn't a pocket watch but a locket that had all of their smiling faces. She wore it and tucked it under her shirt. The locket was old because it looked like it hasn't been polished for years and so was the tattered picture but it radiated off a sense of comfort all the same.

Amy came to collect her for supper when she was combing her hair by her dresser. Juliet followed her into the dining room and she saw that Thomas, Mary and Finnick were already seated. 

"Where's Mags?" She asked Amy.

"They proclaimed her not fit anymore as a mentor this year because of her age." She explained. As they both neared the table, the scent wafted and she saw the different courses on it. Mashed potatoes, pork chops with barbecue sauce, beef stew, buttered vegetables, and chocolate cakes. Amy took her seat and Juliet sat next to her, across Thomas and beside Finnick.

"Already dressed for your funeral, I see?" Thomas quipped just as they started to pile food on their plates. She offered a sweet smile in his direction. She knew it was meant to be a joke but he should know that this wasn't the time to make them. One day, they're gonna be deployed into combat for real. And there was a huge possibility that only her lifeless body would be sent home. By then, will they still joke around?

"No, I'm dressed for yours." That shut him up but it only resulted to him snarling at her which she ignored. At the corner of her eyes, she saw Finnick's lip tug upward.

After finishing dinner, Amy said it was time to watch the reapings across Panem so Juliet requested a pad of paper and a pen from an attendant so she could take notes. She hastily scribbled down all the useful information. She caught sight of massive people volunteering— Career Tributes from 1 and 2. And she saw herself assuring her family before getting pushed by Peacekeepers and stepping up on stage.