Life Through Sea Green Eyes - A Hunger Games Fanfiction

Part 3: Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim ownership to any content related to or included in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I write this story purely for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others, with no intent for making money.

Life Through Sea Green Eyes

Part Three: The Crazy Girl Back Home

Chapter Four

          The Games begin in earnest a few days later. It becomes clear pretty quickly that the Careers will have their work cut out for them this year. A brawny eighteen-year-old from District 10 pulls an 11 in training, no doubt related to his massive muscles, and he refuses to join with the Careers. In his interview, he actually announces that he thinks any child who is trained as a Career should be lobotomized so scientists can figure out what’s wrong with them.

          About two weeks in on a particularly slow day, tribute-death-wise, an avox shows up on the first floor, where I’m watching the Games with Saffron and Cashmere. “Got to go,” I say, getting to my feet. Saffron pouts up at me.

          “Some old biddy stealing you away from us?”

          I glance at the message the avox handed me. “Ice skating with Mrs Hortensia Flavius.”

          “Sounds dull,” Cashmere sneers.

          “See you lovely ladies later,” I say, twiddling my fingers at them.

          Hortensia Flavius is a square-jawed, unattractive woman in her thirties with obscene amounts of money. As soon as I arrive at the ice rink, she runs up to me, throws her arms around my neck, and then shoves a gift box in my hands. “For me?” I smile, oozing charm. “You shouldn’t have.”

          “Oh, but I saw it in the store and thought that it would compliment your eyes so nicely!” Hortensia bubbles. There are a couple of women who have enough money or political clout to see me on a somewhat-annual basis, and Hortensia is one of them. This is our third “date”, as it were, which makes my job a thousand times easier because it means she’s already madly in love with me.

          I pull out a sea-green silk scarf that, sure enough, matches the hue of my eyes perfectly. “Can I put it on you?” Hortensia asks, blushing like a school girl.

          “Only if you promise to take it off later,” I say with a wicked grin, and she’s gone in a fit of giggles.

          Later, when we’re lying in bed recovering from a rather intense session, I make my move. Since her head is already pillowed on my shoulder, I tilt my head down until my breath is tickling her skin. “You’re so beautiful,” I say.

          Hortensia sighs happily. “Oh, I wish I could just freeze this moment, so we could stay here like this forever.”

          “I wish we could too. But President Snow has other plans for me.” I lace regret and longing into my voice, and she eats it up.

          “I hate the way he trades you off to women for favours and money,” Hortensia complains bitterly. “Why don’t you tell him that you don’t want to do all that anymore? That you want to be with me, and me alone?”

          “I’ve tried, my love,” I assure her. “But he has all the power.”

          She almost shakes with frustration. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, pushing her just far enough so that she’ll... “He’s such a snake of a man,” Hortensia bites out. “If more people knew the things he’s done to get to that lofty presidential post, he wouldn’t have the power he does now.”