THE 69TH HUNGER GAMES - Book 2: Trainer

Chapter 24 - The Final Interview

I wake up in the same room in the living quarters I had stayed in back in the training centre. The lights are dim and the curtains are pulled back to prevent sunlight from seeping in. There is a knock on my door, and before I can reply to anything, Falafel Belle barges into the room.

“Hello, sunshine!” Falafel chirps eagerly, while drawing back the curtains.

“Hi,” I sigh, while burying my head back into the pillows.

“Get up and get ready!” she trills, “Dean’s interview with Caesar Flickerman is today!”

“Fine,” I scoff as I slowly get out of bed.

I head to the bathroom and take a nice hot shower. The water trickles down my body in an almost soothing way. It has been ages since I’ve had time to actually sit down and unwind.

For two whole years, since the day I got reaped, I’ve been stressed and frustrated. My hunger games was a complete and total nightmare, but seeing Dean fighting for his live in this years’ games was even worse. What’s worse is seeing my best friend die in the games. Lianka didn’t deserve any of this. None of the tributes deserve any of this. These games have done nothing but ruin everyone’s lives.

I begin to cry again. I curl up in the corner of the shower block and cry my heart out, where no one can come in and ask what’s wrong. So many people I love and know have lost their lives because of the games. Ferdinand’s death was horrible, and now Lianka. The thought of Ferdinand suddenly reminds me of the cliff top at the end of my 68th Hunger Games. I remember that night all too clearly. It was the last night of my Hunger Games. Aisling Stormmon and Cassara Shine were at the top of that cliff. Ferdinand had just died. Everything literally looked like hell.

“NO!” I shout angrily to myself, as I try to shake that horrific memory out of my head.

I try my best to forget, but these events will always be ingrained into my memory like a permanent tattoo.

After an eternity in the shower, I finally dry myself and get dressed. I decide to wear a yellow floral dress and slip into white heels. I do a little twirl in front of the mirror, and sigh at the reflection in front of me. I am too thin. The stress of the past two years has taken away my healthy fuller body I once had. My face obviously looked aged. The bags under my eyes were slightly more prominent, and my cheeks looked hollower. I didn’t look like the bubbly teenager I once was.

“Hurry, Hyora!” Falafel trills from outside the room.

“Coming,” I yell.

I tie my hair in a slick ponytail and head out of the room. Falafel Belle, Mark Lillian and Gina are waiting at the hallway.

“Finally,” Falafel sighs, “let’s go to the elevators. We have a schedule to follow!”

Falafel walks past me, towards the front doors of the living quarters. Mark follows, while Gina just stands at the hallway, staring at me.

“Hyora, listen up,” Gina whispers as she grasps my arm and pulls me closer.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, sounding shocked.

“We have to go to Klieo’s mansion and save our own mother,” Gina says.