Origins of a White Rose: A Hunger Games FanFic

Chapter 12

The same two Peacekeepers escorted me upstairs.

But I couldn't remain in Gamecenter. I stumbled into a car, demanding they take me to my apartment.

When the car arrived, I stumbled upstairs.

I had lost Cori and I had probably lost Maia as well. I had seen previous Games in which the Gamemakers had become determined to ruin a tribute's odds. They never made it out.

I tripped almost as soon as I had entered my apartment. I fell to my knees, curling up in a ball.

"Good evening, Miss Cassia," said the automated voice.

"Shut up!" I screamed.

"Could I offer you dinner?"

"No."

I stood up and walked straight to my room, collapsing on the familiar bed.

I lay there for hours in silence, my eyes open in the darkness.

"Call Pax," I ordered. A minute later his face appeared on the massive wall.

"Cassie?"

"Could you come over?" I asked, my voice numb.

"Of course but—"

"It doesn't matter," I said. "Not anymore."

"I can be there in 10 minutes," he said. I ended the call and began counting down in my head.

600, 599, 598, 597, 596...

...5, 4, 3, 2—

"Pax is at the door, Miss Cassie. Shall I open the door?"

"Yes."

I heard the front door click open and steady footsteps towards my dark room.

"Cassie?"

I didn't make a sound. He would find me.

I felt the bed move slightly as he sat on the edge of the top of the bed.

I moved towards him, put my head on his thigh, and lay down beside him. His hand came down, stroking back my hair.

"Do you know?" I asked.

"I can guess," Pax said.

"Is she still alive?"

"Yes," Pax said. "But she's struggling."

"That's what he wanted," I mumbled.

"This could be better than death," Pax said. "She still has a chance."

"He could be in there, giving the order to kill her right now," I said.

"He wouldn't," Pax said. "If he was going to do it, he would have done it."

"He hates me."

"I think he's too in love with you to ever hate you."

I sat up suddenly.

"He doesn't love me," I said. "I was a toy."

"No," Pax said, softly. "He would have killed Maia if he didn't care about you. It was very risky letting her live."

"He wasn't making that up?"

"No," Pax said. "He was right. If it wasn't Maia we were talking about, I would have done the same thing."

"So what do I do?" I asked.

"If I were you," Pax said, slowly, "I would give him the space he requested. But if and when you see him again, you should do everything to get in his good graces again."