Epiphany | Johanna Mason

Chapter Sixteen

Voices made her head snap back up. Did Holly have visitors? No, she realized, the voices were coming from outside. She heard them, but couldn't make out what they were saying. No one was supposed to be outside. It probably wasn't a coincidence they were near Holly's house. The woman didn't seem to care about her own safety anymore. All she wanted to do was act, do stupid and dangerous things that would make everyone's situation so much more horrible.

The voices came closer, and Odette darted towards the light switch, turning it off before heading towards the window, hoping to hear something. She heard movement, the rustle of keys. Fragments of sentences that got spoken a bit too hard. "... Tomorrow... Loose... Get anything..." She pressed herself forward as much as she could, but the wind was howling and carried away what their tone could not.

Then, though more from inside than from the open window, she heard the door unlock. Of course Holly was deeply involved. Did she even realize how much she was risking by gathering at her door? She was being stupid and reckless, and Odette didn't want to loose her aunt, too. Without thinking, she opened the door, storming down the creaking stairs and ending up in the small kitchen. Holly had lit a single candle , still in the middle of taking off her coat.

"Odette?" Her movements stopped, hands dropping. "What are you doing here?"

"Why were you outside?" Odette asked instead, stepping closer. She was faintly aware of her clenched hands and her teeth grinding together. "You weren't supposed to."

Holly chuckled, as if none of that mattered. She took her coat off, hanging it behind the door. "Then how did you get here?"

"That's not what I asked!" The volume of her voice surprised herself. In the soft light, she could see Holly's eyebrows shooting up. "You were planning something again, weren't you?" She talked softed, made an effort to unclench her jaw. "Aren't things bad enough already?"

"How would they become better when we aren't doing anything?" Holly fully stepped into the light, placing her hands on the table. "Things will always get worse for us."

She shook her head, looking away from her aunt. Did she believe it herself? The only thing that would come out of this would be all of them dead or district eight wiped off the map like it was nothing. "You're being reckless. You're doing all these things you're not supposed to. Do you want to end up dead? Made an example off? You know they will do it. You're nothing to them. Why would they listen?"

"We'll make them listen!" There was a strange fierceness to Holly's voice. Her eyes bright. "Thet can not ignore us forever. We're protesting again tomorrow. No more of this peaceful bullshit."

The words took a moment to sink in. Holly was at the sink when Odette understood. "You're going to use violence?" She snapped, more out of surprise than anger. She stepped closer, grabbing her aunt's arm. "You can't! You'll get killed! Especially this close to the victors arriving, please, you-"

"We're doing it because of them," she pulled her arm free, putting a foot of distance between them. "You saw what they did. No one thought it was possible, but they made the Capitol listen. We're going to do the same."

Going to. It was already decided. She knew Holly. She was stubborn, strong, determined. Odette didn't want to believe it. "You're insane."

"We're not," Holly took a deep breath, calming herself. "It's good that you're here. You should join us tomorrow We could use someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Odette didn't like where this was going. "I'm not going to help you kill yourself."

"You wouldn't! Like it or not, you're powerful. The peacekeepers won't just hurt the Capitol's sweetheart. Maybe the Capitol will even listen if they hear you hate-"