The art of War

Chapter 20: "You either fight with all you got or you don't bother"

The days passed by too quickly for Elektra, she spent most of her days gazing out of her window, watching the citizens of the Capitol below. She knew eventually the impending day would come for her to stand before all of Panem and display the proud and bold victor. The day had come quicker than she had hoped and she found herself being dressed to perfection.

She donned a long, slick, navy blue dress with intricate golden swirls and patterns running down her still maturing body. She gazed at herself in the mirror and she barely remembered who was staring back at herself. She didn't look like the girl that participated in the Hunger Games. She didn't even look like the girl who had been reaped. She looked like someone else entirely.

All of the cuts and bruises were gone, the only cuts they'd really bothered to heal, they wanted to show that she had a pretty face. But some of her wounds were too deep to heal completely, they left scars. Blake walked into the room, his body slumped as he made his way towards Electra and he placed his hand on her shoulder, she didn't react, she just stood there numbly gazing into the mirror and he knew the feeling. He knew it all too well. He knew the pain of surviving, but he couldn't say he understood her pain. Not completely. Not ever.

"It's time. Come on." Blake placed a hand on the small of her back and directed her out of the room. "I know you aren't okay but I feel obligated to ask. How are you?" Blake asked her, he never thought either of them would make it out alive. It would have been better. Electra looked over at him, her eyes red and tired from her loss. She'd emerged a victor but she'd lost too much. She felt as though she understood it now, why every Victor looked so soulless, she wondered how some of them coped. She felt as if there was an empty pit inside of her leaving her hollow and full of anger.

"I lost my brother, but we were reaped, it was an occupational hazard." She coldly spoke as her eyes narrowed. "But you all seem to want me to put on a pretty smile and pretend I never lost anything. So how do you think I'm doing?" Electra bitterly asked, clenching her jaw as she stopped suddenly, gazing into the eyes of Blake. He felt his stomach churn. He didn't want to be the person who told her it was a fact of life and she had duties to fulfil being a Victor. He wanted to be a man who told her to fight for what she believed in but in their world, in the world of a Victor that wasn't realistic.

"I'm sorry." Blake apologised not knowing what else to say. He saw Electra's eyes demanding anything else from him and yet he disappointed her with his silence. His guilty silence.

"Don't be." Electra walked out and onto the stage, a small smile was on her lips as she waved to everyone and she stood beside Cesare who had met her half-way eagerly greeting her.

"Electra Strucker, the stunner, everyone!" Caesar excitedly called out looking towards the crowd before looking back at Electra. "It feels like it's been too long, last we saw of you, you were in the games you were holding your twin, it was so gut-wrenching, I admit I cried when I saw the scene. I can't imagine how you're feeling. How are you holding up? Every single person from Panem wants to know and offer their deepest sympathies." Cesare placed his hand on top of hers and Electra nodded as the tears slowly escaped the corner of her eyes again.

"I'll survive, somehow I always do." Electra shared with a tired smile.

"Of course. You look like you need a hug. Come on." Cesare pulled her into a hug as the whole crowd looked to her with these sad eyes. He moved away from her shortly after, directing her towards her seat.

Electra swallowed her anger. She wanted nothing more than to kill every single one of them. She wanted to skin them alive and then burn them slowly. But any way she looked at it, they would never feel the pain she felt. She'd never felt emptier than she did now. But she needed to smile and act like everything was going to be okay. The two then sat down on the soft pure white seats, a smile ready on her lips as she waited for his questions to come. "So, tell me how did it feel? What were your thoughts during the game?" He asked inching closer to her as if she had the most fascinating story in the world. With a dazzling smile and an excitable persona, she looked Caesar in the eyes.