Lethal Charm - THG [1]

03

It was a few weeks later and nearing that time of year when the new tributes would be reaped for the games. Knox was sitting in her living room with her father waiting for the hologram of president snow to appear on the screen before them.

This year was the third quarter quell meaning that the games would have a twist.

In the first quarter quell, the 25th hunger games, the tributes were not drawn randomly from a glass bowl but rather they were voted in by the people of their district.

In the second quarter quell, the 50th hunger games, there were twice as many tributes from each district. And the victor would have to be the last man standing out of 48 instead of the usual 24. That man was Haymitch Abernathy.

This year, Knox had a bad feeling about what was going to happen.

Every year for the games she was dragged back out to the Capitol to mentor the new tributes and send them off to their inevitable deaths. And every year she hated it.

The screen that sat on the mantelpiece lit up with the Capitol's symbol and music before changing to a live feed of President Snow.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the 75th year of the hunger games." He paused and Knox listened as the crowd watching him cheered.

"And it was written in the charter of the games that every 25 years, there would be a quarter quell," Snow continued, "to keep fresh for each new generation the memory of those who died and the uprising against the Capitol. Each quarter quell is distinguished by games of a special significance. And now on this, the 75th anniversary of our defeat of the rebellion, we celebrate the third quarter quell," the crowd cheered again.

"...as a reminder that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of the Capitol. On this, the third quarter quell games...the male and female tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of victors in each district." Snow announced.

Knox felt like she had been punched in the gut, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't speak. Her ears were ringing and she felt dizzy.

"No!" Her father yelled.

No tears fell from her eyes, the only thing she felt was white-hot rage. They were sending her back, she was the only living female victor from ten.

"Knoxy?" Her father took her right hand in both of his with tears in his eyes.

"Victors shall present themselves on Reaping day regardless of age, state of health, or situation."

Knox couldn't see straight, she couldn't think straight. She felt consumed by anger. Wordlessly, she left the room and entered the kitchen. She grabbed a glass from the cupboard, filled it with whiskey and took a large gulp.

How could they? After everything she has been through during and after her games, they want to send her back? Her grip on the glass tightened. For seven years she had been forced to sell her body and made into a prostitute and now they want to kill her again? She had been holding her glass so tightly that it shattered in her hand.

Glass shards clattered to the floor and crimson blood ran down her fingers from her palm. She didn't wince, she showed no signs of pain. Instead, she stared intensely out the kitchen window.

"Knoxy? Are you okay?" Her father wheeled into the room at the sound of glass breaking.

"Fine." She said emotionlessly. She didn't turn to look at him.

"You're bleeding."

"I said I'm fine!" she yelled.

"You are as stubborn as your mother was," he said, unfazed by her yelling, "sit down," he wheeled himself over to a cabinet and pulled a first aid kit from it. Knox sat down at the kitchen table and her father gently grabbed her hand and carefully began to take out the shard of glass that had stuck into her palm. He then cleaned the blood off and wrapped a bandage around her hand.

"All better." He placed a kiss on her hand. He opened his arms for a hug.

Knox shook her head, "I don't need a hug."

"I know you don't, but I do." She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, "I love you kid, you know that?"

Knox nodded and held onto her father a little bit tighter, "I know, I love you too." They were silent for a moment, neither daring to say a word until Knox broke the silence.

"I have to go back," she whispered into her father's shoulder, "they're sending me back," her voice cracked but she refused to let the tears fall, she had spilt too many tears over the actions of president snow and she was not going to spill anymore. "I'm the only female victor, I have to go."

"I know," her father whispered, unlike his daughter Eli Codie allowed his tears to fall, Knox was all he had left and there was a large possibility that she might not walk out of that arena as she did eight years ago.

A/N bit of a shorter chapter tbh.

🖤H🖤