hope in our eyes || 37th hunger games ✔️

Secrets from the Shadows

Lily

-

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Thirty-seventh Hunger Games begin!"

I hear Liam Malice's voice echo across the arena.

"You don't own us!" The boy from 6 yells as he steps away from his platform. BOOM!

I stand too shocked to move, as I stare at the remains of the boy from 6. Ashes. Instead of the body of what had once had been a 15-year-old boy. I feel a surge of nausea overcome me as I stare too disgusted to even speak.

"Run!" I hear a male voice say as my eyes start to lose focus. I am too weak to even move as my head starts to spin, I feel someone drag me across the woods. I am too weak to see who it is. All I know is that I am eternally grateful.

"You can't give up now. Open your eyes... open your eyes. Lily! OPEN YOUR EYES!" I hear the same male voice say. I stumble into the arms of someone as I drift into consciousness, as I start to mourn over the death of someone I didn't even know.

-

I feel myself stir as my eyes slowly start to open. Stupid, I tell myself. You can't be shattered by every death. This Is the Hunger Games, I remind myself. People die. That's why we're here.

"Afternoon." My eyes focus slowly at the figure sitting by the fire. It isn't Sam.

"Brad?" I ask in bewilderment. What? Why would he help me?

"You seem surprised. After all, we did promise to look out for each other." He says while grabbing a piece of rabbit and offering it to me.

"Thanks." I respond back as I munch a piece of rabbit. "Thank you for saving my life." I reply honestly.

"No problem." He answers. There is an uncomfortable silence as I realize I had made a fool of myself. I looked weak, and everyone saw it.

"Where's Sam?" I ask. Sam. He'd promised he will help me. He'd promised he'd take care of me. Those were all lies, I can't believe I was too stupid to see the truth.

"I saw him earlier... they got him." Brad answers back as he inspects me with a sad glance. "He's alive."

Oh. Thank god.

I open my mouth to speak as I am cut of by a huge shriek and a booming laugh. Shit. I feel Brad grab the supplies as he scrambles trying to shut down the fire. He looks for his knife as his eyes show panic and desperation.

"There you are!" A booming voice exclaims. The boy from 2. "I thought we'd never catch you, little runt''

"Thief." The girl from 2 adds. I glance at Brad, he holds a look of panic across his face as he glances at his hand. He lost his knife. Now... he could be on the verge of death.

"He's no thief!" I yell while losing my patience. "He's no runt either."

"Ah... young Lily." Tovar says while appearing behind the bushes. He starts to inspect me up and down as I feel uncomfortable.

"Don't you dare." Brad starts saying, his voice sounding stronger than he looks. His eyes blaze like fire as he growls at Tovar.

"Or.. you'll do what?" Tovar snaps back mockingly. "You can't overpower me, Three."

"I can't. But she can." Brad snaps back as he looks at me with sorrow.

"Why do you care?" Tovar snaps back and then his eyes widen in realization. "Oh... You fancy her." It's a statement, not a question.