Survive

Chapter 1

Crystal POV

Life sucks. It has always sucked. No matter how much sweet words people tell me about life, it sucks. It sucks like crap. Especially when your life-long sister died in the Games for you. Lux has told me she died in that Career's hands. That Career. That very same bitch that I killed. That devious smirk. They are all etched in my mind.

That 100th Hunger Games messed me up. It messed my life, my future, and my present. I remember nothing at all, but in these 18 years of my survival, I see a whole different light in things. When I see a bow, arrows even, I think of my brilliant sister. The person who was so swift and nifty in archery, and who could tell in seconds whether if the food we had was poisonous, or if the area was safe. It's too late to turn back time. She's gone.

When I see a trident wedged in my fingers as I wield it, I think of her. That her. The person who was so intimidating, so fast, so beautiful. The person who could throw this trident swift and with a power that was unimaginable. It's too late as well. Her talent, her beauty. Gone within a matter of seconds.

"Crystal." I hear. My head jerks backwards and I see a familiar head of blonde locks.

"Lux." I whimper.

"Hey, I'm here. You don't need to worry. We'll be fine." He assures me.

"We have Lively and Victor, alright? They'll live well in 12, and so far? None of them have been reaped. These little rascals, they'll live." Lux continues, placing his icy hand on my shoulder, and stroking the other through my brown hair, at an attempt to comfort me.

"Lux. I miss her." I reply.

"I know. I regret not enjoying her hollers at me when I was about to eat those berries." He jokes and all I can do is smirk. My eyes train themselves on the fireplace and I see her picture rested there everyday. She was beautiful.

"I know, Lux. I regret every bad thing I've said about her, and anything she had ever done for me is a pleasure now. I wish she wouldn't be gone." I reply.

"I know. Has the Capitol found the body yet?" Lux mutters with a whisper. I shake my head, disapprovingly. "No, Lux. The Gamemakers say that her body was not in the hovercraft. There's a chance that her body might have even been destroyed at the midst of destroying the arena."

My only person I could confide with was her. She was strong, brilliant. But as I realize that I can't even physically hold her hand, or even attempt to touch her cold still body, and squeeze her lifeless palm, desperate to regenerate the colour of the blood coercing through, and I do believe in the simplest of miracles that she is not dead. But now, I cannot even attempt this. I can't even physically touch her still body. It's gone. Just like her.

"Mum, who are you talking about?" I turn and I see Lively. She probably has been sitting on the couch for longer than she needed to.

"Lively, I...." I stammer as I meet my daughter's eyes. I should tell her what's going on, why there's the pictures on the fireplace, and why she never sees her aunt.

"Lively, get Victor down. We want to-" Lux starts before I cut him off.

"No. That's not going to happen Lux."

"Yes. They deserve to know, Crystal. They can handle-"

"I don't need them to know. I don't want them to grow up with the thought of that in mind! I don't want them to become the second Clifford and Carmen! You hear me?" I retort.

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Lively POV

Wait. Stop. Don't ask me why my name is Lively. My mum named me that. Stop. Breathe in. And again. Good. You're calm now, right?