There's her makeup from the interviews.
The Games are tomorrow.
The Games are tomorrow.
The Games are tomorrow.
Every beat of my heart reverberates these words in my ears.
Over,
and over,
and over.
I can't sleep. Dread fills every bit of me until I'm sweating and shaking.
"You can't sleep?" Levy whispers. It breaks the tense silence of my thoughts.
"Of course I can't," I whisper back. Whispers never felt right at night. They always broke the silence of attempted sleep.
"Neither can I." He moves a little.
"I'm dreading tomorrow."
"I know. Me too." He has a sad sort of tone in his voice. It doesn't sound right coming from him.
"We're going to die." My voice wavers.
"No we're not," he says firmly.
"Yes we are," I argue.
"No. We're. Not," he insists.
"Yes we-"
"Stop." He grabs my head. "Don't think you're going to die until you are dead. I won't let you die."
"What if you can't?"
"Then I'm sorry. But I'm going to try as hard as I can to keep both of us alive. You just need to cooperate and not think you're going to die all the time."
"Okay," I say.
"Okay." He sighs. He kisses my forehead and lays back down. "Try to sleep. You'll need the energy tomorrow."
"Okay," I say again. I pause for a second, then say, "I love you."
"I love you too. More than you know."
How much more? I wonder.
***
I am eventually able to fall asleep and have a few seconds of complete relaxation before I remember where I am.
The Games are today.
The Games are today.
The Games are today.
A knot pulls tight in my stomach. I eat a lot of food for breakfast because I don't know when I'll be eating next.
Levy starts telling me what to do.
"When the gong sounds I want you to run a little ways in and grab some things. If everything is at the Cornucopia, or whatever they're using, don't run in. Meet me either in the space behind where you are or, if we're on opposite sides of the circle, then midway in between on your right and my left. I'm going to run in and get some weapons and try not to get killed. If you don't see me in a few minutes, run away as fast as you can."
"You might die." My heart skips a beat thinking that I might lose Levy in just a few hours.
"I know. But we need weapons."
"Okay." I try to commit everything he tells me to memory but thoughts of death and blood and murder and pain cloud my mind.
"Please stay cool. Don't panic or anything."
"I'll try," I say. I might be going into shock. My face decides not to show any emotion, though my insides are flipping upside down and sideways and inside out.
"Thank you." He hugs me. Even though the embrace doesn't take away any of the fear or worry, it does give me a sense of comfort- the sense of comfort I need to keep sane for the next few hours.
When we're done, we go with the other tributes to a helicopter and get in. It takes off and Levy holds my hand as tightly as I'm holding his.
With every passing second, minute, hour, my breaths get shorter, my stomach grows tighter, and the dread overcomes me.
I can't think, let alone breathe, let alone survive.
"We're going to be fine, beautiful. No matter what, I'll make sure we both survive the first day." He whispers this so only I can hear and I feel his breath on my ear.
It's a promise I know is possible to keep.
Half the tributes are crying, a quarter are sitting in shock, and the rest are silent.
All of us are scared, even the tributes from Alaska and Iowa, because all of us know we might die, and some know we will die.
I am one of those that knows she will die. But I am going to try to live, of course. It's my nature to strive for life.
It's also everyone else's. Some are just stronger than others.
There are no windows in here so I don't know where we are going or even how long it takes- at least a few hours.
I hate the wait, the anticipation of something horrible. According to Levy's promise, I will have at least one day of nightmares.
And soon, it will all be over. There will be no more pain, no more fear, just eternal sleep. Sweet sleep.
Levy squeezes my hand and I remember him. If I die, he will too probably. I don't know what happens after death, if there is a heaven or hell or just nothing. Does my existence stop? If I just stop and nothing happens, does my life have a meaning at all? Why should I strive for a life if it will end with absolutely nothing?
Of course, there are people like Levy who are worth living for.
And to him, there are people like me who are worth fighting for.
A girl worth fighting for... my mind sings.
Now I have that stuck in my head.
I'm going into the Hunger Games to die a nightmarish death and a Disney song is stuck in my head.
I laugh almost hysterically. Now I can't stop.
"Are you alright?" Levy asks.
"'A Girl Worth Fighting For' from Mulan is stuck in my head." I say through hysteric giggles.
Marcy laughs through her tears. A few others laugh and I somehow find it funny were all laughing while flying to our deaths.
I feel the pressure in my ears change and wonder if it means we're descending. It does. We land and, a few seconds later, the door to the helicopter opens. We're somewhere underground and I see another helicopter. I see Benjamin with a bunch of other people, the other stylists. Each stylist finds their tribute and they take us down a hall that seems to be curving in a circle. We reach my room before Levy's and go in. There is some food laid out and some folded clothes on the table. I change into the clothes. It's a black t-shirt, dark insulated pants, thick-soled boots with good tread, warm socks, and an insulated dark blue jacket with the word "California" stitched over the heart.
With a pang, I realize I've forgotten my token but Benjamin pulls it from his pocket and I put it around my neck. I braid my hair so it's out of the way and look at the food. Any food I eat right now would probably make me sick, but I do drink some water, remembering Katniss' dehydration. I'm shaking so much I can hardly hold the cup so I put it down. I repeat to myself what Levy told me. Meet behind where I come out unless we're on opposite sides, then meet on my... was it right or left? My right and his left or his right and my left? I can't remember. I move on. Go in a little and get supplies unless everything is in the center. If I don't see him in a few minutes, run.
Right or left?
"Please enter the tubes for launch."
I need a little prodding from Benjamin, but I finally reach the tube. "Thank you," I say. I don't know why. I'm so scared right now.
My heart stops as the plate I'm standing on starts to rise.
YOU ARE READING
Till Death Do Us Part
FanfictionA Hunger Games Fanfiction When the United States decides to have their very own Hunger Games, the country is in an uproar. But they're not fast enough to prevent the reaping. Esther Heyschel has been what anyone would call normal her whole life. She...
