'They say the Games change everyone. But that's not my plan.'
When 12 year old Celestia Snow 'overhears' the conversation about holding the final Hunger Games, she is shocked. Especially when she finds out that the Games will still go ahead. With a...
A/N: Hope you've enjoyed it so far. This chapter is a long one, I'll tell you that. And let's just say a certain character beginning with a C is back at the end of it! Keep reading and may the odds be ever in your favour! - H :)
I don't know how long the three of us sit there for, frozen with shock and fear, but when Cornelia says, "Well then, what now?" it makes me jump. My eyes focus again and I return to the real world.
"I'm not sure, but, um, I think the nurse wants to see about my wrist now," I say, making up an excuse to leave the room. Before anyone can object I am down the ladder and running through the wide corridors. Unusually, not one person or Avox tries to stop me. I run outside, into the garden, through the grounds, past the rose garden, all the way to the end of the garden to the clump of willows.
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I climb up the tallest willow tree, not caring about my wrist which is now violently hurting, and sit on a thick branch up near the top. I lean my head against the trunk. I stay here for at least ten minutes, and then a squirrel comes and sits on the branch above me. I watch it eat a nut with it's tiny little claws, and when it scurries back down and along the grass, I find myself doing the same. When I am back on solid ground, I slowly start to make my way back to the mansion. I must've run a lot further than I thought, because the sky is getting dark by the time I get back.
Once I am back inside I head straight to my bedroom, where I find a strange navy box waiting on my bed with a note beside it. The note next to it says, 'Put your wrist in this box for thirty seconds, then take it out and unwrap your bandages. Please return this box to my office when you are done. Best regards, Nurse.' I sit down on the bed and do as the note says to, sticking my wrist gently into the box. After maybe one second, there is a strange sensation happening in my hand. It feels like I have pins and needles at first, and then it stops suddenly. I can feel my wrist being pecked at with something but I can't seem to move my hand. I can't move anything from my wrist down, no matter how much I am trying to. I take my forearm out of the box, and inspect my hand. It hangs floppily downwards but the the throbbing is gone so I'm hoping that's a good sign. I carry the box with the hand that will co-operate and take it back to the nurse's office. I kick open the door with my foot because my free hand is still hanging limply by my side.
"Oh hello Celestia. Ah, thank you for bringing the box back; I see you got my note," she says. I raise my eyebrows as I hand the box over to her.
"Yes, but you didn't tell me about this!" I say, lifting my limp hand and waving it around.
"Oh right. Sorry, I knew there was something I forgot to put in the note! It just wouldn't come to mind, you know? I just couldn't remember it!" the nurse says.
"I don't care about excuses, just tell me how long this will go on for."
"Oh yes. Sorry. Hmm, I would say maybe around four hours? Is that ok? It's just that I haven't figured out how to stop it from doing that. It's happened three times now. Three times! Can you believe it?"
