[Prequel to CAN'T CATCH ME NOW]
Irene Portwell knew she was made for the extraordinary.
She just didn't know it was her 'destiny' to end up in the hunger games the moment she heard her name called.
Everyone had placed a sickening bet on her, sayin...
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—— A YEAR has passed and another year brings the 66th hunger games. One week left until the day of the reaping ceremony and Irene didn't find joy in it unlike the majority of the people of district 1. She sat quietly in the jewelry shop, the sound of music playing faintly in the background and she recognized the melody of the guitar in it.
"Lover of mine I know you're colorblind I watched the world fall from your eyes"
Jolene's soft voice sang along to it.
Lover of mine was a song written by her father; Zephyr Portwell. A rising sensation who came from district 1. She heard many stories about him but one that she found unbelievable was the idea of him being a victor of the 10th hunger games, but there were no records surrounding it. Not a single data left behind. Irene finally came to the conclusion that it was just a myth where there's a time district 1 was losing any sort of support despite being known as one of the 'well fed' districts in all of Panem.
Families were proud when their children were reaped for the hunger games. But when little to none had survived in the end, shame washed over all of them. Yet, so many years had passed by, district one had gained so many victors.
They were the winning district.
She knew nothing about Zephyr Portwell other than being just another man who took care of her until he died due to unknown reasons. As Perseus and Jolene had told her. Then ever since then, the latter had changed. She became more distant and Irene would never miss the way her step-mother resented her. Perseus was the one who took over when Jolene neglected her duties to raise her. He taught her everything when she was pulled out of school every now and then because Jolene needed her at the shop.
He came to her aid when she had a terrible fever and was bedridden for almost a month and protected her from bullies whenever he came to pick her up from school. Perseus always put her as his priority. She always comes first.
Irene sat in front of the big window that was facing the crowded street when a group of familiar kids stopped in front of the shop and peered inside. Ruby and her friends looked at her as if she was a zoo animal, placed inside a glass box for a public exhibition. They pointed at her, calling and mocking her while they waited for some sort of reaction from her but Irene knew better to not give in. Instead she stared back at them blankly with an unamused frown.
"Hey, freak! Maybe you'll be next to be sent into the hunger games!"
"It'll save us from seeing your ugly face and ridiculous white hair!"
The kids laughed. Ruby stuck her tongue out her but still, Irene did not budged.
"Scram!" Another voice joined in, but it belonged to her half-brother as he entered the scene with an angry scowl on his face. The kids ran off in fear, and Irene even managed to see the terror on Ruby's face before she was dragged off by one of her friends.
