The Capitol Games

Chapter 27- Saving the hearts

I'm sitting on a red leather couch, tapping my foot anxiously against the hardwood floor, thinking about what I would say to them.

I let out a long sigh and bury my head in my hands just when the room door flies open.

I jerk my head up.

A familiar manly face comes into my vision and I immediately stand up.

My feet rush me towards that person, and without a second's hesitation, I wrap my arms around him.

My dad's arms wrap around me tightly and just as quickly, and I bury my face in his shirt, his familiar scent taking a hold of me.

I let go of him to see Sam and Mom come into the room, and brace myself.

Out of everyone, Sam looks the most angry, and it surprises me: it's rare to see Sam angry.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Sam's voice quivers with anger when he speaks to me. All the feelings of guilt, doubt, doom that had somehow wafted to the back of my mind, come rushing back.

Gulping and resisting the urge to wring my hands, I looked nervously towards Mom.

Mom's lips are pursed, and her grey eyes are fierce and stormy as ever, but there is a little bit of some other emotion in those grey oceans. Something much softer, something more vulnerable.

I turn back to Sam and say, "I couldn't." I plead to him with my eyes to understand. "I couldn't tell you, or you guys wouldn't have let me." I look around at the three people assembled in the room.

"What about me?" Sam demands, and the hurt and mingled anger in his eyes surprises me. "Why couldn't you have told me? You told Addie and Finnick."

I open my mouth to explain myself, but nothing comes out. Why I didn't tell Sam, it's something I can't really explain. I was something that I just didn't want to do. Even before I realised that his birth card was from District 12 instead of from the Capitol, I just couldn't involve him in all of this.

So I shake my head, and mumble, "I couldn't."

Then Mom steps forwards, and takes my my arms. "Why did you do it, Lian?" Her voice is fierce, but at the same time so unlike her usual carefree tone. It's so... helpless. My throat closes up. "Do you even know what the hunger games is? People die in there. It is meant for people to kill each other, for people to die."

I gulp and look away from her eyes. "I know, but I just-"

"It doesn't end." she continues. "It just doesn't end unless everyone dies and there is only one person left alive, do you even know that?"

"I know, Mom-"

"Did you do it for that boy? For Zeke?" She asks. "How on Earth did you think volunteering would help him? And Addie and Finnick? Do you know that you'll have to kill each other at the end?"

Her last sentence sends a bolt of uneasiness in through me. Kill each other...

Mom's voice raises to bordering on a shout now. "Why did you put yourself in such danger Lian? How could you be so reckless?"

"Reckless? Mom, I thought it out..."

"Thought what out? Lian, it's the Hunger Games! It's not a little stunt..."

Mom continues to yell at me, but her previous words have already done what they needed to.

Kill each other

Reckless

Put yourself in danger

It's meant for people to die