Heart of Gold • Finnick Odair

-18-

ROSALIE POV

Throughout the day, two more cannons sound but, apart from that, the rest of the day is uneventful.

I sit up in a tree, tied to the branch, as I eat my half of the groosling with some berries I collected on the way. All the crackers and dry meat were gone and I had half a groosling left. Luckily, the groosling is juicy enough to temporarily please my thirst but I don't know for how much longer.

That night, the sky shows that it's now just me, the girl from one and the boy from two. Just three of us left.

When I wake up that morning, I decide to eat some more of my groosling and the last of my berries. There's only three of us left, two of which are 'allies', until I'm dead that is, so the Gamemakers will come up with something to force us together if we don't find each other soon so I decide to eat as much as I can stomach to give me some strength.

On my way to find the last two people standing in my way of going home, I collect some juicy berries I know are edible as well as hydrating. With my spear in hand, I listen out for any signs before I get sick of waiting. I get to the edge of the forest line and scope out the Cornucopia to see that they aren't here. I set up the snare-like trap which will, hopefully, catch one of them and leave them dangling by the leg. I shout out to them, "I'm here, come and get me, I'm ready."

And, just as expected, moments later they both appear from the forest and cockily walk towards me laughing at 'the idea that I think I even stand a chance', because they seem to find the whole idea hilarious. I walk forwards slowly as they do too and, as I had hoped, the girl from one lunges for me and lands right into my trap which catches her leg and sends her up into the air, dangling by the leg from a nearby tree.

Before he can help, I've thrown my spear towards the boy from 2 and his cannon fires soon after but, before I can retrieve my trusty spear, the girl from 1 has cut herself free with her knives and is coming for me. I grab a knife from my belt and prepare myself for attack.

We seem to spar for a while until she goes for my eye. I turn my head just in time and she instead catches just under my ear and down my neck. It's deep enough to bleed and most likely leave a scar but not deep enough to kill me, not instantly at least. I return the favour by lunging for her forehead. I hit my intended target, slicing her forehead so that the blood blocks her vision enough to give me time to retrieve my spear from the boy's body by my feet and launch it through her chest.

Once I hear the cannon I fall to the ground, my adrenalin having vanished, and rip off my coat to hold the material to the side of my face to reduce the blood loss until the Capitol doctors can fix me up.

Just before I lose consciousness, I hear the voice of Claudius Templesmith echo thorough the arena. "Ladies and gentlmen, I am pleased to present the Victor of the Sixty-sixth Hunger Games, Rosalie May from District 11!"

I've done it. I won.

I wake up slowly, my eyelids fluttering as I become more aware of my surroundings. I can smell medical and cleaning supplies, the room is pristine white and, what I assume is a doctor or nurse, walks through the door. She walks towards me with a neutral face and injects me with an unknown substance.

I feel my eyes closing again as I lose consciousness.

When I wake up again, the room is empty apart from a pile of clothes at the end of my bed. The same clothes I wore in the arena but clean of blood. But I can still see the blood, feel the death count, as I slip the material on my body. My surprisingly strong legs take me to a mirror on my way out of the room and I stop to look at my reflection.

They had clearly done lots of work on me, mostly likely when I was sedated for the second time. All scars that would've appeared are gone apart from the one on my neck which is very faint, only visible up close, reaching from the tip of my ear to half way down my neck in a diagonal towards my back.

I don't look as sickly pale either, probably from Capitol medication, but it made me look much healthier.

Despite all this, I saw difference. I could see the emptiness in my eyes. I took a deep breath, exhaling as I opened the door and walked cautiously down the hall with a strong facial expression.

When I turn the hall I see Liana, Chaff and Mikel waiting for me. Chaff sends me an understanding smile as I find myself falling into his arms, finally letting silent tears fall as my face is hidden in his chest because I know this will be being recorded, "good job."

"Well done, you did fantastic!" Liana squeals, which, strangely enough, made me wish I still had my spear.

Mikel places a hand on each of my ears to block her out slightly and nodded at me, saying both sorry and well done without even saying a word.

"Come, we've got to get you ready." I just nod at Mikel and follow him to an elevator which takes us to District 11's floor, if feels wrong to be here without my Ralph. I push the thought deep down and hold my head high, this is no time to cry.

When the elevator door opens, i'm engulfed in a large hug by my prep team: Lily, Selene and Posie. They are all blabbering on about how glad they are I'm back and how thrilled they are to 'do me up' again and how grateful I should be to still be alive. I have to stop myself from scoffing at them. Grateful? I want nothing more than to be dead. The only reason i'm still alive is the promise I made to Ralph and those waiting back home.

We have a Capitol meal but I barely eat any of it, struggling to keep anything down at the sick image of a dead Ralph with an arrow through the chest.

The three women quickly rush me to my quarters to begin their work when they realised I didn't want to eat anymore.

Luckily, they are all rather self obsessed people who love the Hunger Games so I didn't even need to contribute to the conversation, they spoke amongst themselves. Talking about what they enjoyed the most and what made them emotional made me want to kill them all, it made my blood boil as my anger rose.

Luckily, Mikel poked his head round the door before I completely lost it, "can I take over?"

My prep team all nod giving me smiles, which I don't bother returning, before they all leave still mid conversation.

He hands me the dress and helps me into it before touching up my hair and makeup where he saw fit. He then turns me to look in the mirror.

The dress along with my eyeshadow and nail polish was a pastel pink, with pink petals placed throughout my curled hair and heals to match. The dress looked like petals too, a flower, and I send him a smile, "pretty as always."

I notice that the dress is slightly heavier because of all the padding to make me look less skinny, as if I haven't been starved whilst in the death arena.

"It's the girl underneath that makes it so pretty," he gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.