The Capitol Games

Chapter 18- Something special

"Ice cream or cake?" I ask.

Zeke narrow's his eyes in thought. "Cake." he says finally. "You?"

"Ice cream." I say proudly.
"Hm." Zeke says. "It's a pity you're lactose intolerant."

I swat his arm, as he laughs, before slinging it around my shoulder.

We sit like that for sometime, watching the setting sun gleam against the glass buildings of the Department Building. We're on the terrace of the Department Building wing my family is staying in. There are flower pots scattered all over, and we figured that this is the closest thing to the orchards we can get right now.

I haven't told Zeke about the private reapings taking place tonight. I don't want him to worry. Besides, he has one slip in a thousand, the odds of him being chosen are slimmer than Finnick's not-really-girlfriend's waist.

I just want him to keep smiling the way he is doing right now. When he smiles like this, with the sun glinting through his hair and eyes, it makes him look something regal and untouchable. Something perfect from one of Sam's paintings.

The undertones of green shimmer in his eyes, and the tips of his hair glow golden.

He looks down at me, his eyes glittering with a smile. "What?"

"Nothing." I say, not looking away from him. "Can't I look at you?"

He grins, probably remembering the time in the Grand Party when he asked the same thing to me. "You can."

My lips twitch up in a smile.

"You know," I tell Zeke, as I lean against his chest. "I was actually thinking about that song."

"Song?"

I look up at him. "Yeah, the one that's scrawled all over the Capitol. Even behind your cafe."

"Oh yeah." Zeke says, "What about it?"

"Who wrote it, for starters"

"I don't know." Zeke says plainly. "No one does. It doesn't even have a tune. It's just called The Fate."

"The Fate." I muse. "No one's ever told me about it."

"No one really speaks about it." He replies.

"Why?" I ask. "Is it illegal?"

"No," Zeke says. "Its... its a weird thing. It's so inherently apart of the Capitol, every man woman and child knows it, but no one openly speaks about it. Peacekeepers see it, but don't say or do anything about it."

That's strange to me. "Why don't people speak about it, then?"

Zeke thinks about this for a minute. "I think it's because of the lyrics. They aren't too cheery."

"Recite it for me."

Zeke doesn't question my request.

"rushing rapids, and thunder noon

frozen wastes, like a crystal tomb.

melted down, scorching sun like a flame

no one, no one but him to blame. "

It's a weird song, I think. My interpretation of it is that it's talking about different seasons, and the harshness of nature that people have gone through. But then again, the Capitol, out of the whole Panem, doesn't get the harshest of weather, so I don't really understand it.

Zeke continues.

"bites and bruises, jacker deceased

a poisonous world, like four seas