nightmare + f. odair✔

01

EVERYTHING AROUND OCTAVIA spun, her brown hair blew against her face, yet instead of swatting it away per usual she stood stiffly, gazing blankly at the district escort.

"Do we have an Octavia Whether here?" Ale spoke, a sudden annoyance lacing her tone.

Reality hit Octavia like a dozen bricks. She stumbled towards the walkway, feet fumbling against each other as if she'd forgotten how to walk completely. Two peacekeepers came to walk beside her, ensuring she wouldn't try anything. She wasn't that stupid anyway.

"How old might you be?" Ale questioned with a tilt of her head. Octavia couldn't help but notice how Ale's unnatural gold locks showed a hint of brown at the roots. She stifled a small chuckle.

"I- um, I'm thirteen," Octavia answered with a respectful nod. Ale masked her surprised expression.

"Aren't you a tall one," Ale said, and the District Five people chuckled monotonically.

To be fair, Octavia was about an average height for her age. Two months ago when her mother weighed and measured her, she was sixty seven inches and a hundred pounds. Underweight, definitely, but she wasn't extremely tall for her age either. It was more so genetics and the fact that everyone else was quite short.

"Now, for the men tributes," Ale said after a short pause. She reached over into the large crystal ball and pulled out a single slip of paper that decided the fate of one.

 "Alix Peters!" Ale's voice echoed as an eighteen year old slowly made his was towards the stage. Octavia gave him a look over, noticing the bulging muscles along his forearms.

 She couldn't help but think that she stood absolutely no chance.

 "This years tributes, Octavia Whether and Alix Peters!" Ale shot a bright smile towards the crowd who clapped and whistled. Not that they really had a choice. Octavia and Alix were quickly ushered towards the mayors building.

 Octavia sat on the edge of the comfortable looking couch in the room where she was supposed to say goodbye. Nobody would come. And that's when it really hit Octavia, that she was alone going into the Hunger Games.

 It was hard to show emotion in this type of situation, she realized. The only type of real emotion she'd shown was through her eyes, warm and brown, which she was sure were glimmering with a hidden fear.

 Octavia jolted upright when a soft knock was heard from the heavy oak door.

 An older girl, seventeen or eighteen, walked in. Her mess of curly dark hair fell down her shoulders, and her light green dress made her dark skin glow in the brightness of the room.

 "I'm Adelaide, the mayors niece," she gave a small smile, and Octavia widened her eyes slightly. 

"Octavia," she answered politely.

 "I just happened to notice that nobody was coming to see you- and I guess I just wanted to give you someone to talk to," Adelaide gave a soft smile, which Octavia appreciated greatly. 

 "Here," Adelaide's smile widened and she shoved a small wooden rectangle with a silver chain connected. The wooden piece had a word carved into it, a word that Octavia knew she'd grow to like. 

Hope.

 "I've had it forever but it just doesn't suit me. You, though, have the hair and the eyes. Plus, it might just help you a bit in the arena," Adelaide smiled, gesturing for her to turn around. Octavia did, feeling Adelaide pull her hair to the side so she could clasp the necklace together.

 "Times up," a peacekeeper said gruffly.

 Adelaide grasped her forearm lightly, leaning in to whisper something in her ear.

 "Remember, the only thing you can count on is yourself- you are your greatest weapon.. Don't let them see you afraid. If they do, they'll use it as leverage to kill you," she said in a hurried whisper, before Octavia was pulled away and to the train.

 Octavia couldn't help but replay the words in her head, even as she sat stiffly on one of the elegant couches in the train. The other tribute was raiding through all the capitol foods, desperately stuffing his face. Octavia knew better.

 When her mentor, a middle aged woman with brown hair and piercing blue eyes walked in, she immediately took notice of Alix stuffing his face, and Octavia sitting on the couch with a grim expression.

 The victor gave her an odd look, questioning why the girl wasn't eating like the male.

"You vegan or something?" The older woman questioned, a smile playing on her lips as the male shoved a hard boiled egg into his mouth.

"I'm smart," her voice was eerily quiet, "I know that if I have to survive days without eating, I shouldn't waste my time gaining weight."

 She have an appreciative nod. "Finally, this is the first tribute I've had who has some common sense," she snorted, giving Octavia a full look over.

 "Octavia Whether, the thirteen year old girl who is apparently seven feet tall. Stupid Ale and her dramatics. I'm Persia," she said with a scuff, rolling her eyes annoyingly.

  "Lets talk strategy."

 Octavia suddenly became much more interested.

 "So, you could play the part of naïve stupid girl or the bold thirteen year old," she said bluntly, gesturing for her to choose one.

Octavia was surprised at how quick it took the victor to get into the survival talk.

"I-" she couldn't seem to form the words to answer the woman who stared at her with such intensity.

"I suppose that is a better answer than any you could've come up with," Persia spoke, raising a brow.

"Better work on your innocent girl act, Octavia. Something tells me there isn't much work to do."      

 Octavia watched as Persia gave her a look, smiling tightly before walking over to Alix.

Octavia watched as the two shared a laugh, and realzied.

This was not the preparation- it was her final days alive.