Poisoned Flower (The Hunger Games)

Three: The Mysterious Girl

The penultimate day of the Victory Tour had arrived. Early in the morning, Diantha was woken up by her Avox and helped into a plain dress. It didn't matter what she was wearing anyway, she would soon be put into something different. She put her hand on the doorknob to exit her bedroom when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She turned around to face her Avox.

The young woman wasn't much older than Diantha, possibly in her mid-twenties. Her appearance was the exact same as every other Avox in the Capital; red hair tied back into a tight bun, matching makeup and a long robe which was also red. Her skin was tanned, her face was round, and she had large eyes and a crooked nose. She was also extremely thin. They didn't get fed that well. However, one thing was different about this Avox. Whereas they would avoid eye-contact, she looked straight into Diantha's. Her dark brown eyes showed no fear and shame, but instead were gentle and reassuring. She moved her hands in a way that only the two of them understood.

'Good luck.'

"Thank you". Diantha whispered. It was simple but she felt a little less daunted by the day ahead.

To anyone else this would be frowned upon and would result in punishment. An Avox's job was to simply do as they were told to atone for rebelling or trying to escape. They weren't supposed to communicate to those they worked for, not that they really could with their tongues having been removed. However, Diantha couldn't care less about those rules. This Avox had been working for her for well over five years and was really the only company she got. She rarely got visitors and those had only been teachers, security and government officials who would stop by to ensure she wasn't doing anything she wasn't supposed to. So, she had decided to befriend her Avox and the two created a series of hand gestures to form their own language.

Initially her Avox had been reluctant to do so due to fear that she would get in trouble if anyone found out. There were also security cameras in the living area. Therefore, they only communicated in the safety of her bedroom. The two of them had gotten quite close over the years. Diantha learnt that her name was Eden and found out about the things she liked, the books she had loved to read and the food he had enjoyed before she fell into her current situation. She dared not to press into Eden's past too much and, frankly, she didn't care about what she had done to get here. Eden was like an older sister to her, providing comfort and wisdom when she needed it. In return, Diantha made her job as easy as possible. Although, outside of her bedroom they had to act as strangers.

Diantha followed the same routine as she had done two months before when she had been summoned by her father. Except this time, instead of going to his office, she was led to one of the many bedrooms in his mansion. Once through the doors she was practically pushed into the arms of the styling team who quickly introduced themselves before starting. The team was made up of three women. One, she was informed, was a famous fashion designer, the second a famous makeup artist and the third a famous hair stylist. She had no idea who they were and, as far as she knew, they had been told that she was just the daughter of someone from the government. They all wore overdramatic outfits and makeup in neon colours which slightly concerned Diantha as she wasn't sure what they would make her wear.

Hours passed as they prepped her for the party. Countless products were used to make her skin smooth, her hair washed, and her body scrubbed. She was by no means a dirty person, but these people made her feel as if she hadn't washed in over a year. She dared not complain though, choosing to do as she was told and let them do that, they wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. She tried her best to pay attention to the things the team were talking about, but they were all so trivial that she couldn't help but zone out on more than one occasion. Though she made sure to answer when spoken to. It was like a practice run for the evening. Night had fallen by the time they had finished. The stylists took a step back to admire their work. Their eyes scanned every part of her body making her feel a little self-conscious.