To Save a Victor

Chapter 3

Hank went back to the party that night. I didn't, I sat on the floor in the kitchen surrounded by ghosts.

I hung the trident above my front door, per Snow's request. It served as a solemn reminder to watch what I said. Mother and Ceder didn't notice the change in decor and walked right under it every day when they left. They didn't know that a weapon that killed children was hanging in their home.

I worried about having that thing so much that I was surprised when Adrian walked through the door about a month later with my prep team.

"Sage! I missed you!" he said and embraced me.

My prep team did the same.

"I missed you guys, why are you here?"

Adrian sighed. "You forgot about your Victory Tour, didn't you?"

I felt my eyes widen before I ran into the kitchen to the fridge that was now covered in colored sticky notes. I wrote down everything, for fear of forgetting again. There it was, right in the middle of it all was a blue note with VICTORY TOUR written on it. I plucked it off the fridge, crumpled it up and threw it in the trash. A lot of good that did.

Lilly must have arrived because her high pitched voice was ringing in my ears.

"Alright people! We need to be out of here in an hour! Let's go! Let's go!"

She looked in the kitchen, "Oh Sagie darling! I missed you so!"

She hugged me and I could feel her eyelashes tickling my cheek.

Really, you never liked me before.

"I missed you too!" I said in a forced voice.

Not.

Adrian rescued me to go shove me in a little red dress for the cameras.

"What about my brace?"

I asked him and he handed me a note.

"I brought you your doctor's release." He zipped it up. "Have you been eating anything?" I nodded and he gave me a side eyed glace.

"Really? Because you are almost two sizes smaller than you were durning the games."  I looked at my feet.

"Oh" he patted me on the shoulder and left to go get my shoes.

True to Lilly's word we were on the train and moving in an hour. We were headed to District 12 first then right on down, finishing in the Capitol and District 4.  Adrian was doing my hair for my speech and finishing altering my outfit to fit my much smaller frame.  By the time we were rolling into the District 12 station Adrian was pulling the last pin out of the waist of the jumpsuit and spraying my hair one last time. Outside it was starting to snow. Adrian gave me an apologetic look and handed me a sweater.

"You'll have to take it off to give your speech, but it will keep your arms from freezing off."

I smiled. "Thanks."

The doors opened and I was met with the solemn faces of District 12. The whole district had a subdued feeling about it, it was amplified by the thin layer of coal dust over everything. It hung in the air like a persistent fog. I could hear people coughing in the silence,

The black lung.

I had read about it in a book somewhere, it was brought on by breathing in coal dust in the mines.

Maggie lived here.

I felt something in my chest drop. Maggie's family was probably here. The brother she had talked about. They were here watching me, dressed to the nines, the girl who killed their daughter. I hated myself but they probably hated me more than I could fathom. A Peacekeeper grabbed my arm and began to lead me off when someone yelled.

"BOO!"

I whimpered as people began to scream.

"Murderer!"

"Lier!"

"Traitor!"

"Worthless!"

Hank was in the audience, his blue eyes cold and menacing as he screamed insults at me with the rest of them. The audience, I knew every person, every set of eyes, every voice. I felt my face go clammy despite the cold air.

Adrian grabbed my arms

"Sage!"

he shook me and I looked back at the crowd. They weren't yelling, and everyone I knew was gone. Just the faces of the miners and the heavy silence. Someone held up a three fingered salute and the rest followed suit. I pressed my fingers to my mouth and joined them before I was drug off the train platform by the Peacekeeper. When we got into the car he grabbed my shoulders and shook me violently.

"Don't start anything little Victor. Your family will pay for it." Even though I couldn't see his face, I knew he meant well by telling me this.

I clutched my cards in my hands as the car rounded the corner to the Justice Building. There was a small stage set up inside and a few people. There were two tables set up in the corner with pictures of Maggie and Sage and some things that must have been important to them. Among the people were the two families. One mother was hugging a young man who had just come in and the other was embracing her husband sobbing. I reached out to them wanting to comfort them, but knowing that my presence would only cause them more pain. I felt the note cards begin to rip in my hands and nausea rising in my throat.  I excused myself and found a garbage can, I began to dry heave into it. Someone put their hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright sweetheart?" I looked up to see the woman who had been sobbing into her husband's shoulder a few moments ago.

She looked exactly like Maggie but older. I stood back up and nodded.

"Um yeah."

She gave me a kind smile before she began to walk away.

"Wait,"

She turned around, "Yes?"

"I'm so sorry." she came up to me and wrapped me in her arms.

"I think death is better than being a Victor. Especially after seeing you." she whispered in my ear and I nodded,

"I wish she would have won." I whispered.

"No, she would have not been able to spread the message that you can. Use your platform to help stop the games. That will make every person's sacrifice worth it. Every child can be avenged. Promise me that you will try."

"Yes Ma'am"

"Good, now go give us your speech."

Hey guys! I'm sorry for the late update! I hope you like this new chapter! I don't own the Hunger Games. Also keep an eye out for some more famiure characters in the next few chapters!