Hope In Our Eyes #GoldStarAwards2017Winner

Flashbacks (Hazel)

The orange flames of our campfire seem to dance as we huddle around it, the old miserable wariness returning into us after the joyous excitement of the tackling game. The sun is setting in the background, and Lily is roasting two rabbits over the heat.

I decide to start some conversation. "So Eisley, how's it like back in Seven?"

She blinks in surprise, as if no one's ever asked that. "Not your dream place. Kids have to start working in the forest when they turn fourteen, and we can't even keep the logs we cut unless we buy them. In fact, a couple people even died of the cold last year, due to that."

"Wow," Lily mumbles.

"Yup." Eisley nods. "I'm guessing you never heard about that, due to your perfect Career life."

Lily snorts and scowls at her. "My mother hated me, if you want to know. She beat my sister and I on a daily basis. I wonder how Lavina's doing ..." A faraway look appears in her eyes and spreads to the rest of us as well like a wildfire.

For a couple minutes, we just sit there, thinking about what our loved ones, or at least the people we know, are doing right now. Everyone back at the orphanage must've forgotten about me now, even Poppy. But at least I still have her bracelet, now starting to fall apart, tightly wound around my wrist. The edge of my mouth tilts up in a slight grin as I give it a light pat. 

And Mackenzie's boyfriend has got to be devastated. It's way beyond hard watching your loved one die on a screen, where you can't even rush over to them to hear them say their last few words before completely disappearing from life. How do Capitol citizens even enjoy seeing these Games? Certainly, there must be at least one person who secretly hates them.

Finally, Lily cuts the silence. "So Aspen, what's it like in District Eleven?" I swear that I saw the tiniest bit of a blush on her face. Or was it just the fire? Nope, she was blushing alright.

"We had a pretty large family, so usually, some of us went to sleep still starving." He answers. "And then there was this kid who always picked on others. One day he got Olive pretty bad ..." He pauses and looks at the ground. "Never mind. What did you do in Twelve, Hazel?"

"Nothing much," I say. "There were so many people at the orphanage that we couldn't remember each others' names, but we were basically this huge family. We hunted together, ate together, basically all the stuff." Eisley begins to yawn. I send her the evil eye. "But, Eisley, there's this one time when this stranger showed up ..."

-Flashback-

It is the eighth winter that I've experienced. A small fire that barely covers over the harsh coldness burns in the hearth, as Barley, a small five year old, sings the Valley Song by it. A deer is roasting over the flames as well, ready to be eaten.

I stand by the only window in the cabin, looking out at the snow, hence the president's name. It's basically a metaphor, I think. He's everywhere, you can't stop him. And if you do anything dumb to block his harsh weather, then he'll get you in an even worse way.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. Everyone runs up to open it, and we see a teenage girl in strange clothing. "Hello," she croaks in a Capitol accent. We stare at each other in wariness. "I mean no harm." The girl says. "I just need a place to stay for the night."

One of the older people in our cabin shrugs and lets her in. When she's settled herself by the hearth, everyone showers her with questions.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"M-my name's C-Cordelia." Cordelia. Okay, unusual name.

"Did you run away?" Poppy, sitting beside me, demands. "What's it like in the Capitol?"

"Yes, I ran away." Cordelia admits. "The Capitol is very large and there's plenty to eat, and everyone is so happy and loud. But that's what I hate about it. All the people there are so joyous and mindless, that they forget about the real world, and how not everyone has their life. All they care about is partying, food, and yes, the Hunger Games.

"There was this time in school where we were studying the Hunger Games, and saying how entertaining they are. Finally I had enough and yelled, 'I hate them!' And being against the Games and the Capitol is forbidden, so I was forced to leave. And that's why I'm here."

Mutters of  "Oh!" spread across us.

"And you guys will have to enter the Reaping with a chance that you'll enter the Games, which only gets larger as you age," She whispers with a tear in her eye.

"It's okay." Barley says as she pats Cordelia's hand. "We'll just hang on and wish for the best."

After some more rounds of questions, we begin eating-and trying to ignore Cordelia's remarks on how extremely raw and poor the deer is. Soon, it's time for bed. After I finish brushing my teeth, I hand Cordelia the toothbrush after rinsing it.

"You have to share toothbrushes?" She gasps like it's the weirdest fact in the world, but brushes without complaining.

The next day, Cordelia leaves like she says, but I come up with the idea to escort her to the Hob, where she might get stuff. When we get to the entrance, I say, "I'll have to go. You can buy food and supplies here." As I turn to leave, she calls "Wait, I have something for you!"

"What?" I ask. 

"This." She hands me a folded piece of paper. "I kept it when I left the Capitol, but now I think you should have it."

"Thanks." As I walk back to the Orphanage, I carefully unfold the dried brown parchment, wondering if it is a letter or maybe even some money, but all I see is one large word in the middle of it, delicately written in cursive:

HOPE.

-End of flashback-

"So that's it?" Eisley asks. "Hope? Written on a piece of paper? From a Capitol citizen? Wowza, good job." She claps unenthusiastically. 

"Hey, hope can mean a lot of things." Lily argues. "Like, hope that we can have more food, or hope that right now nothing bad will happen, or hope that we all can go back ..." She doesn't finish her sentence, but we all understand.

"Yeah," I softly whisper, and we all stare up at the dark arena sky, wondering if we can ever see the real world again.