Poisoned Flower (The Hunger Games)

One: The Announcement

"It's the final countdown until the Victors or the 74th Hunger Games embark on the largely anticipated Victory Tour! To recap for anyone who may have forgotten, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark will visit each District to speak in front of their people along with the families of this year's fallen tributes. It will end with a large celebration right here in the Capital. It's been far too long since we last saw our favourite star-crossed lovers..."

Plastered across the large television was the ever-enthusiastic host Caesar Flickerman giving details about the upcoming events. It was the only thing people seemed to care about in the Capital. Every show, advert and channel droned on about it. They showed re-runs of the games as well as interviews and talk shows discussing menial things such as what they were going to be wearing. Everyone was obsessed with it.

Whereas most of the Capital were likely hanging off Caesar's every word, the room's single occupant wasn't paying any attention to what was happening on the screen. The talking had faded into background noise a while ago. She stood before the window looking over the city and lost in her own thoughts. Her hands were crossed over her torso as a mind raced.

The room itself was a classic example of the lavish lifestyle the residents of the Capital lived in, just with a little less colour. It was spacious with walls made from pure white marble. The floor was laminated with a grey wood design and was covered with several white fur rugs. She had always hoped that they were fake, but this was the Capital. She doubted that they were. In the centre of the living room space was a large white leather sofa which took up at least half of the space. Seeing as it was only her living there, it seemed ridiculous. A large television took up the middle of the wall directly opposite it. To its right was a small entranceway with a black door at its end. It was lined with an intricate gold design and it was rarely unlocked. The window she was standing in front of was to the left of the sofa and spanned the width of the room. That, along with the amount of white, made the room appear brighter than it was. Towards the back of the room and up a couple of steps was a dining area. There was a small dining table just big enough to sit four people. There was an oven, fridge and other cooking equipment that she had no idea how to use. She had people who did that for her. The only thing she was allowed to use was the sink. In the far left of this area was a spiral staircase which lead to her living quarters. The steps had gaps in between them, the kind which made you feel as if you would fall through if you didn't watch your step.

She stayed at the window for a moment longer before she let out a sigh. She moved across the room and picked up a glass of water that she had left next to the sink. She leaned up against the counter and took a sip of the water. It was still fairly cold. As she did so, she watched as an Avox (a woman not much older than herself) walk down the staircase after finishing upstairs. She had probably cleaned her room. The Avox walked with her head down to avoid eye contact and once she had gotten to the bottom of the stairs, placed herself in the corner of the room. Her hands were crossed by her waist in respect. Avox's always made the girl uncomfortable but she had learnt at the young age that she had no choice but to let them do their job. Besides, this one had been with her for several years.

The girl's attention was drawn back to the television for the first time since the programme had begun as Caesar moved onto a slightly different topic. It was the one she had been waiting for. She hurried to sit on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other when she sat. She leant forwards onto her forearms, but still held onto the glass.

"...And I have been given the pleasure of making an announcement that you have all been eagerly waiting for. It's been a secret which I have been dying to tell you. It's something that will go down in history!". He had his signature grin as he spoke, but there was also a twinkle in his eye. It was as if a child had been told that he could have an unlimited supply of candy. Well, to him it was probably the same type of thing. "It has been almost fifteen years since we last saw her. Ladies and Gentlemen, after the conclusion of the Victory Tour we will once again be reunited with our President's youngest daughter. Yes, you heard that right folks! Diantha Snow will be making her public re-debut right here with an exclusive interview with yours truly..."

Picking up the remote Diantha turned off the television.

A/N: Hi there and welcome to my new story! 

This is something I wrote and published on tumblr about six or so years ago. If this seems a little familiar that may be why. I've been re-reading the Hunger Games books and watching the films when I remembered it. So I thought, why not try re-writing it? And that's exactly what I'm doing it. I don't know how often I'll update it as it's just a fun little project to see how much I've improved.

I hope you enjoy and please comment any feedback you have. Your support is appreciated!