"Dahlia Blossom. Don't let the name fool you. She's better known as the Black Dahlia. And she didn't earn that nickname by smiling and looking pretty."
"She sure knows how to perform for the camera."
"Because she knows how to play the game. She alwa...
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District Five was not a Career District, despite their significant wealth in comparison to other districts. Their most prominent Victor, Alaric Silvers, had only won the 32nd Hunger Games thanks to his surprising skills with a sword. The district hasn't had a great deal of success since and Alaric had grown wearier each year his tributes never returned. His mind was haunted with the faces of innocent children who had been sent off to die. Their screams ringing in his ears as they are killed for the entertainment of the Capitol. His body burns from the glares sent his way by grieving families. All those children he'd failed to save... He doesn't know how much longer he can carry on.
As Alaric wakes up in a sweat, panting heavily from the nightmares plaguing his sleep, Dahlia Blossom is staring up at the ceiling of her shared bedroom. Like all children living in the districts of Panem, she fears one day above all others. Reaping Day. She tries her best to ignore the looming date as much as possible but living with a sister of reaping age does not ease her worries. Lavender's name is only in the bowl once and, although the odds of her being reaped were low, there was still a very real chance her little sister would be sent into the arena.
Rosie, the youngest Blossom, cuddles into Dahlia's side, blissfully oblivious to the worries of her older sister. She slept soundly, innocence maintained by the knowledge that she had a few years left until she was of age. Dahlia and Lavender, on the other hand, had barely slept a wink. The three children of the Blossom household occupied the largest bedroom, which contained two single beds. Rosie frequently used Dahlia as her personal teddy bear as the two shared one bed. When she was home, their mother could usually be found passed out in the smaller bedroom. She worked extremely long shifts at the hydroelectric dam to support her family, entrusting Dahlia to look after the house and the young ones. Reaping Day mornings were the only occasions Joule Blossom really got to spend time with her children.
The door to the room creaks as it swings open, alerting Dahlia and Lavender to their mother's presence. They both quickly shut their eyes to pretend to be asleep. Joule smiles at the girls who are her motivation in life, her reason to keep going. Approaching her oldest first, she combs her fingers through Dahlia's hair soothingly. "It's time to wake up, my flower."
"Good morning, Mama." Dahlia mumbles as she pretends to rouse from sleep, her eyes fluttering open with a very convincing yawn.
Joule quirks an eyebrow knowingly at her daughter. "You don't need to pretend for me. I know you can't sleep before... Well, you know." They knew exactly what today was, but no one wanted to say it. "I'm assuming your sister is the same. Am I right, Lavender?"
"Yes, Mama." Lavender replies, immediately abandoning the act and shooting upright in her bed. Joule heads over to the girl and places a delicate kiss on her forehead. "Rosie is lucky. She still has two years before she's eligible."
"You'll both be fine." Joule assures the two girls, who just nod in reply. As much as they want to believe their mother's words, they can never know what will happen. Reaping Day is unpredictable and Dahlia hates the unknown. At that moment, Rosie begins to stir in Dahlia's arms and a large yawn parts her lips. "Morning, sleepy."
