Courage, Compassion, and Capital

Chapter 4

Jack

I woke up in a room, different from the one I was in last time. There was a TV, which was playing old District 13 propaganda. Right now, it was playing Katniss, singing The Hanging Tree. Most of my pain was gone, except for the one in my foot. I noticed it was encased in a cast. I looked at my arm, where the glass had been. It was completely healed, except for some small scars from where the glass was. I wanted to walk around, and look around the room, but there was no way of standing, much less walking with the heavy cast. So, I just continued to lay on the couch, where I was placed. I looked down at my wrist, where I noticed the bracelet was still there.

Beetee? I thought, watching the bracelet.

Yes? Beeped the bracelet.

Has Hazel been on TV yet? I thought, nervous.

No, but she will be on in a few hours.

I sighed in relief. Thank you.

The screen shut off.

I turned, watching the TV. Now, the song had ended, and there was Finnick Odair, telling secrets about President Snow. I listened to all of them, starting to realize how bad of a person he was. His breath always smelled like blood, because he poisoned his enemies, and drank from the same cup. Blood and roses...

I shuddered, and decided to shut of the TV.

I lay on my back, watching the ceiling. I saw a device next to me, and I clicked a button. The lights dimmed, and the ceiling folded, revealing the night sky above me. I looked at a star, and wished.

I wish Hazel will survive. I wish she'll survive.

I closed my eyes, wishing for sleep. But, after a few minutes, I realized it was POINTLESS. I wasn't going to be able to sleep, and even if I did, the dreams would be of Hazel, of me watching her die in every way imaginable.

So, I just stared at the stars, watching them blur in and out of focus. I realized I was about to cry. I covered my face with a pillow, while at the same time, hearing my door slide open.

Great...I thought sarcastically. Someone was coming to visit me.

"Hi." The voice said. It was nobody I recognized, so it definitely not Beetee. "I'm Johanna Mason. District 7. Lumber."

"Hello." I mumbled around the pillow, refusing to actually look at my visitor.

I heard cloth rubbing, and a tapping. I assumed she was growing annoyed with me. I imagined she had her arms crossed, and was tapping her foot in impatience.

"What do you want." I said, taking off the pillow from my face, but not turning to face her.

She didn't reply. Suddenly, I saw a flash of something fly past me, and land right above my nose. It was a throwing knife, and it was still vibrating from hitting the couch. I flinched. "What the hell was that for?"

"Just to gauge your reaction." She said.

I pulled out the dagger from the couch, and turned to face her. I threw it at her. To my surprise, it whizzed towards her face, but she ducked, the knife flying right over Beetee's head, who was entering.

"Wow, you sure are pissed." Johanna said, looking at her nails.

"Hmph." I said, turning back to the ceiling.

Beetee walked up to Johanna. "Shoo, the boy and I have stuff to talk about."

It was her turn to 'hmph', and she walked out the door, taking her knife with her.

I turned my head to watch her leave, and slam the door behind her.

"Sorry about her." He said, adjusting his glasses, which had gone askew.

I adjusted into a sitting position, with my broken leg on the couch, and the other on the ground. It felt weird, but it worked. "Is she always like that?" I asked him, my eyebrows raised. I suspected the answer was yes, but I wanted to make sure.

He nodded. "She is quite the Victor."

I remembered Johanna's Games. They were brutal. The main point was, she had pretended to be weak, but when it got down to it, she was an experienced killer. "When did she learn to throw knives?"

"Oh, a while ago. She decided to learn them, saying they were just like throwing axes, just with less force, and more aim. It seems she has it down." Beetee said with a small smile.

"When is Hazel going to be on again?" I asked, looking impatiently at the TV.

Beetee looked down at his watch, checking the time. "Right about now." He walked over to the TV remote, and clicked it on. We waited for a second for the rebel symbol to appear. This was a required viewing for all of the Capitol, but not the Districts. I assumed they would be watching, glad of our suffering. I shuddered. Beetee noticed, but said nothing.

Instead of the video by President Snow, there was a video about the making of Panem, with a little twist.

"War, terrible war..." It started. Instead of showing the images and clips from the capitol, it showed the rebels, fighting through the streets.

"Widows, orphans, a motherless child." It showed images of District 12, fleeing from the bombs. The script changed.

"Panem was said to be founded on war. This was true." It showed bombs being dropped on 13.

"They said they had peace. They were lying." It showed riots, Peacekeepers killing people in the squares. The man from District 11, who whistled Rue's song. The bullet through his skull.

"They said the Hunger Games was made to punish the districts, but for the person who won, they would be bathed in riches, and be shown the mercy of the Capitol. But, the victors were never shown that so called mercy. Finnick, who was sold to the highest bidder. The Victory Tour, taking the Victor, and showing them to the families of the grieving, just to rub salt in the still healing wound. The cameras never left the Victors alone. As for the dead tributes, they were innocent. They should have never been killed." They showed Finnick's image, then Katniss and Peeta on the victory tour. And there was the families, all crying. Some wanted revenge, others couldn't look at them. Then, small Rue, the spear, and the flowers.

I looked over at Beetee. He was watching me, looking for my reaction. He noticed I was watching him, and he turned back to the television.

"This is why we are having one last Game. For the Capitol. To show them what it was like, for us, the Districts. The pain of losing their family." It cut to a clip. One that numbed me from the inside out. Hazel being forced to go inside, and me trying to get to her. She was calling out my name. I felt tears well up in my eyes. The four note whistle, then screen cut to black.