After what feels like forever, I know I won't fall asleep. I sit up and look at Clove, who's crouching on a branch nearby. "Do you want to know why Mason is like this?" She murmurs.
"Like what?" I ask, puzzled.
"So timid, quiet. He's not usually like this." She says, not looking at me. I look down.
"Why? Does he...not trust me? Not trust us?" I ask. Clove sighs.
"He was fifteen. His father killed a Peacekeeper, never told me why. He got the death penalty, of course. The Peacekeepers wanted to keep everything and everyone safe, so they killed the rest of his family. Since Mason was the youngest of his family, they didn't want to publicly execute him, so they planned to kill him afterwards. He ran to the outskirts of our District and lived on his own. He was supposed to be killed this year, but then he was chosen for the Hunger Games, so it was like he was dead already. Ever since that horrible day, Mason has been paranoid. He barely trusts me, and I've known him...forever. He thinks everyone is out to kill him, which isn't true. I try to tell him that he can trust you, but he's still wary. I hope you understand now." Clove says softly. I try to inhale but it seems lost in the cold night air.
"All of them? They're all dead?" I ask, my voice hoarse. Clove nods.
"He's usually a joker, he pretends like nothing bothers him, but he can't hide the fact that I know what goes on inside his head. There's so much pain, yet I've never seen him show it. He hides it behind smart comments and sarcasm. I wish he knew he could trust me, that he could trust you too." Clove says, staring into the sky. I exhale the small puff of breath that I had been holding and look down.
"I can't imagine that. I depend on my family so much...And his are just gone? How does he even do it?" I ask. Clove shakes her head.
"I don't know. But it's almost time to wake him up. You should try and sleep." She tells me, finally looking at me. I nod wordlessly and curl up in my sleeping bag. Thoughts rush through my head, but I manage to drift off into a light sleep.
YOU ARE READING
The 76th Hunger Games
FanfictionImagine if Katniss Everdeen never defeated the Capitol. Imagine the Hunger Games still exist. This is the world sixteen-year-old Jonette Simona lives in. One day, she is chosen for the 76th Hunger Games. She will have to face betrayal, death, guilt...
