Under the Moon

Chapter Twenty Two

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

"Well, well, well!" I heard Snow's voice say, "Copper's little sleeping beauty has finally awaken! Though I must say, I don't know what Copper found so interesting about you. You are a sweet looking child, and will someday become a nice-looking woman, but you are still a child. And, of course, you aren't nearly as good looking as my son," he laughed, "You are quite smart; I must give you credit for that. But you are also one of the least sensible people I know. You don't seem that funny or interesting to talk to either. Oh well. What Copper wants, Copper gets. As long as it is harmless to me of course. So if Copper wants a little playmate, he gets one."

"I don't get it. Why are you here?" I demanded.

"Oh, just helping you clear some stuff up. Like what will happen to you from now on," he said.

"So what will happen to me now?" I asked.

"You will be Copper's little companion, of course. You'll get a room in the mansion, right next to Copper's. That's what he wanted. But I don't keep useless people around. From the next games on, you will be an assistant gamemaker. You can put your brains to use," he said.

"What about my parents?" I wondered, "Will they live with me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" Snow told me, "You see, right after Shayne contacted you this last time, your parents died in a terrible accident. They were working on one of their new inventions and they got electrocuted. It's a pity your house was soundproof. No one could hear their screams."

It was him. Snow was the one who killed them. I could see it in his laughing, twinkling eyes. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to hurt him for killing my parents, but of course, I couldn't. If I did, he would kill me too. I started sobbing. I would never see my parents again. My sweet, smart mother. My logical, but funny father. It would be better if I had just died in the games. But if course, I had no say in that. Then a horrible thought struck me. "What about Shayne?" I demanded, "How is he?"

"Oh, yes. Your little friend who helped you out during the games. The smart boy who gave you those pretty earrings. You see, he broke the rules. We were going to have him executed. But then I thought, he's young and good looking enough to make a good Avox. So soon, we will turn him into an Avox. In fact, Copper will make him into one. But for now, he's just locked up somewhere," Snow said.

"No!" I cried. I couldn't help my parents, but maybe I could help Shayne. "No," I said more firmly, "If Shayne becomes an Avox, I'll kill myself. You'll lose your new gamemaker and Copper won't have his companion. Why don't you make Shayne a gamemaker, too? He is smarter than me!"

"Hmm. True, that boy is smarter than you. Why don't I make him a gamemaker? Let's see, because my son loathes him. If he loathed you too, you would be in the same situation as your friend," he said.

"Copper may hate Shayne, but he likes me. And I like Shayne. If Shayne becomes an Avox, I'll kill myself!" I shouted.

"Well, well. You are smarter than I thought. You are right indeed. Sadly, I have a feeling that you will get it your way this time. Your lucky friend won't be an Avox. He'll be a Gamemaker like you," he told me. Yes! Shayne would be safe. I pretended that I had expected the news all along and said, "Very well. What about my other friends?"

"I don't know or care about your other friends. They are back in their little homes doing whatever they did everyday," he informed me.

"If you care so much about Copper, why did you let him participate in the Hunger Games?" I wondered.

"It's all politics, child. It's all politics. When it is revealed that he is my son, he will receive even more fame. And in forty years or so, when I die, everyone will remember him. He will become President," Snow said.

I slightly understood what he said, yet wondered which father would be cruel enough to allow his son to suffer such a horrible experience just for politics. "Do you know how long I have been unconscious?" I asked Snow.

"About six days now. Copper's victory interview is tomorrow. You woke up just in time to see it," he said.

"Can I see Shayne?" I asked.

"'Can I see Shayne?'" he imitated me in a high pitched voice, "What about Copper? Don't you want to see him?"

"Of course I do, but he's okay. I saw him a few days ago. I haven't seen Shayne in ages. I want to tell him that he'll be alright," I told Snow.

"Very well. Someone will take you to him. In the meantime, I'll tell Coper that his sleeping beauty woke up," Snow said as he left the room. A couple doctors helped me stand up. The pain from my stomach was terrible but bearable. I allowed them to assist me. They led me into an empty room, consisting of only two chairs. The doctors placed me in one chair and left. I heard the sound of a door being open and shut as I saw two Peacekeepers lead Shayne into the room. "Shayne!" I shouted as I attempted to stand up, "You are going to be safe! They won't make you into an Avox. You'll be a Gamemaker like me!"

"Zeze!" Shayne cried, "Don't stand up; it's not good for you! Oh, Zeze, I've missed you so much!" He ran toward me. I missed him too. I missed talking to him, face to face. I missed his shaggy hair, and that smile he smiled when he discovered something. I missed our lengthy discussions about everything we could think of, and the way his eyes glistened when an interesting thought crossed his mind. He opened his arms for a hug as he came toward me and I hugged back. I was hugging him, laughing because he was going to be alright, while sobbing for my parents. He was also laughing, glad to see that I was alive. That I had survived the games. In the middle of our strange reunion hug, I saw Copper enter the room. His casual stroll turned into an angry stomping and his smile turned into a sharp frown as he saw Shayne and I. He came toward us, and pulled me out of Shayne's arms, and pushed him to the ground. "Hey!" I screamed. I saw Shayne sneak up behind Copper, his fist above his head. Before Shayne could punch him, Copper whirled around and grabbed his fist. They both walked toward me, extending a hand, as if to pull me away from the other. "Don't touch her!" Copper and Shayne both shouted at each other at the exact same time.