venus₁ [treech]

x i v

As Domitia leaves, Professor Click has us rearrange the final eight desks. We've all given up on trying to stay in district order. Festus, Persephone, Hilarius, and I take the front row, with Io, Urban, Coriolanus, and Clem in the back.

The next period is long and uneventful, so I continue scribbling letters to Treech. I'm not sure what I'll do with them, even if he wins. I'm not sure if people from the districts can read. I guess I'll just have to read them to him. Maybe he'd like that.

As I'm trying to figure out what I should write next, Reaper comes out into the open. When he sees Tanner's and Lamina's bodies lying underneath the beams, he carefully walks over to them. He spends the next hour picking up the bodies of the fallen tributes, arranging them in a neat line.

To more protests from the audience, Reaper cuts down another large piece of the flag, using it as a shroud to cover the bodies. It's a touching moment to see such a beautiful act of kindness coming from the intimidating boy.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, feed him, Clemmie!" complains Festus.

"Mind your own business," snaps Clemensia.

"You're heartless," Festus tells his friend.

"Relax," I tell him. "She's still recovering. She's on edge."

I can feel Clemensia glaring daggers into the back of my head, but she ends up sending Reaper a roll of bread anyway.

The remainder of the day passes slowly. Once again, my mind wanders to Treech. How is he doing, now that he's alone? He seems smart enough to stay hidden from Coral and Mizzen. If they do find him, will they kill him? I hope I won't have to find out.

...

When we arrive at the lecture hall in the morning, we find our seating has been assigned again. I still sit with Persephone and Festus, but this time in between the two. Hilarius now sits in the back, with Clemensia next to Festus in the front.

The only difference in the arena today is Jessup's body, which was originally left untouched by Reaper. Now it lays with the others under the length of cloth.

While the main screen stays empty and unmoving, I take the time to observe the other screens. Most of them show other angles of the arena, but a few display Capitol citizens as they watch the Games, either from here at the Academy or from the square outside of the arena. Many of the people outside sport shirts or hold signs with their favorite tributes or mentors on them. Festus laughs as he elbows me in the ribs, pointing to a young girl wearing a shirt with my face. Traumatizing.

About two hours into the day, we have our first tribute sighting of the day.

"It's Wovey!" shouts Hilarius happily. "She's alive!"

Wovey has always been small, but after days with no food or water, the girl is now nothing but skin over bone. She clutches an empty water bottle in her small hand.

"Hold on, Wovey! Food's on the way!" said Hilarius, pressing buttons on his communicuff.

Hilarius speaks animatedly about his young tribute to Lepidus as the drones arrive. We watch as Wovey grabs a bottle of water, weakly opening the cap. She leans against the wall, closing her eyes and going completely still. The audience waits for something to happen, but nothing does.

"She's dead," says Urban.

"No! No, she's not dead. She's just resting!" argues Hilarius.

"I don't know," says Lepidus after a few moments pass and there is no sign of movement. "I think your friend might be right."