The 75th Hunger Games {COMPLETED}

Here it Comes

I was sitting on the couch in the suite with Peeta on one side of me and Effie on the other. Haymitch has only just slumped into an armchair nursing a bottle of white liquor.

Peeta leaned over and whispered in my ear, “You might have to make some more of that tonic.” I turned to face him but he had already turned away.

I let my eyes linger on the hardened lines of his face. It’s remarkable how much a year can take out of you.

The screen flashed and Caesar appeared with a smile on his face. We were all suddenly silent and staring at the screen.

“It is time now, to see how our tributes have fared in their training sessions and what score they have been given!”

He started going through the tributes. As expected, district 1 tributes had both received a score of 10, so had Blaze and Cress from district 2. District 3 went well, an 8 and a 9 for the male and female, in that order. The woman from five who had cried all throughout the reapings scored only a 4, I felt sorry for her really. Caius from district 7 also scored a 10, not that it was surprising.

Haymitch and I were the final two to be announced, Haymitch was first. He received a 9. I don’t know if he actually did anything or whether they just gave him a high score to place a target on his head, he had been quite a nuisance since arriving. He was congratulated by Effie who soon shut her mouth when he ignored her completely.

I waited for my score, they had looked impressed when I gave the poison to the poor avox girl, and hopefully I could gain a high score. The number flashed on the screen and my heart sunk. 6. That was it?

“Oh it’s not too bad dear, I’m sure you did your best!” Effie tried to make me feel better but I only felt worse.

Peeta wouldn’t look at me and Haymitch was- well, Haymitch was just Haymitch. I stood up and walked to my room.

It was a few hours later before I emerged. The others must have gone to bed because there was no one else in the general living area. I headed out to the hallway near the elevators and saw another door that didn’t seem to lead anywhere. It was open so I walked through. It led to the roof.

I saw the bustle on the city streets from all the way up here and I thought that people must be having celebrations in honour of the games that are still going. Those parties could last all night.

I remember Margery telling me one year about how she had been invited to her friend’s celebration but we had to stay because Caledon didn’t want me there, this was when I was about thirteen and my mother had recently died. Margery wasn’t too happy but looking back, I really don’t care.

I thought about everything, my mother, the games, Caledon and Margery, what I had committed myself to, Peeta, Haymitch, and the fact that I was less than forty-eight hours away from almost certain death.

I didn’t know they were there until one fell onto my hand. I stared down at the tear drop and sucked in the cold night air as it entered my lungs and caressed my skin. I couldn’t help sobbing to myself.