Our Love Could Be Lethal Act I Re-Write

Act I: Leave the Soul Alone

Later that night after the parade I find myself on the rooftop alone, waiting for Finnick. Ten minutes go by. And then another ten. And another. After an hour or so I decide to give up and head down to floor 4. Maybe he just forgot? But that would be unlikely since he was the one to make the plans just a few hours ago.

The escort who answers the door tells me that he's gone out on a date for the night. I feel a pang of hurt hit my stomach as I realize that I've been stood up for Finnick to go on a date with a Capitolian. I was under the impression that he hated them as much as I did, but here he is going on dates with them after being here for less than seventy-two hours.

But it seems to be a pattern of his so I'm not sure why I'm even surprised. Since the 67th, he's been spotted dating multiple people over the course of the Games. Last year of course, I have no idea what he was up to, but I think I can infer pretty easily that it was the same.

As the disappointment in Finnick sinks in I head back to floor 2 and sneak in the door. To my surprise I see Lyme who has waited up for me, sitting hunched over a cup of coffee at our breakfast bar. She turns as she hears me enter and I see the look on her face of wanting to speak to me.

My eyes widen as I'm immediately taken back to the days when I would get in trouble for being out of my room after hours at the Academy. "Am I in trouble?" I ask nervously.

"What? No," says Lyme, but she pats the barstool next to her for me to sit in. Her voice grows serious, but not in a stern, hard manner like I've heard before, instead, it's sympathetic. "But I do need to speak with you. I noticed that you've been gone a lot at night...I don't know how to ask you this, and I'm only going to ask once. Where have you been going?"

I furrow my brows in confusion. "Uhmmm...with Finnick?"

Lyme's face matches my own confusion. "And...who else?"

I frown and shake my head. "No one else. We just hang out around the Tower. Is that a problem?"

She takes a sharp inhale and then blinks rapidly. There's something trying to process in that head of hers but I can honestly say I haven't the slightest clue as to what she's trying to dig at. Some of the colour returns to her face as I realize she looks relieved about something. "Is that...all?"

I give her the side-eye as I try to figure out what's going on. "Yes..." A possible answer hits me as my face contorts in disgust. "Aw, Lyme, gross, no."

She gives me a soft smile and pats my hand. "Not what I had in mind, but that's good to know too. Just...keep yourself safe Octavia. They eat victors alive out here. First, they come for the body; that's the Games. But then, once they're done, they come for the soul."

And, in the middle of the night, I'm left with Lyme's terrifyingly haunting words as I sit at the breakfast bar alone.

My mind repeats over and over and over Lyme's words as I get ready for bed. I toss and turn all about my bed in a state of semi-sleep; enough to be tired and disoriented but not enough to feel the sweet peace of deep sleep.

They come for the soul.

They come for the soul.

They come for the soul.

I sit up in frustration after what I guess is a few hours of attempting to sleep, my heart rate sky-high and my sheets soaked with sweat. I turn over to see the clock read five in the morning and realize I'm not going to get to sleep at all tonight since training starts at nine sharp—but we have to be early. With a sigh, I take off my covers and pop into the shower to try and scrub the thoughts off my body.