"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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When does childhood come to an end? Most people don't get a say in the matter. Sometimes they don't even realise it's happened. You leave your home as an innocent child, only to return defiled and polluted by circumstances you can't control. Adults always seem to forget that they were also a child once.
For the children residing in the districts of Panem, childhood ends the moment you turn twelve. Each birthday after that is less of a celebration of growing up and more of a celebration that you had survived the lottery of certain death. It is a harrowing experience for a child, to look around and wonder how many of you will live to see your 19th year. It is even more tormenting to wonder if you will have to kill other children to get there.
For Dahlia Blossom, childhood ended the day her father was killed in an accident at work. Her mother was pregnant with Rosie at the time and had to continue working to keep her family afloat. This left Dahlia to look after Lavender and pick up the slack around the house. Neither female had the time to grieve properly because Panem was an unforgiving place. The Capitol didn't care how much people in the districts suffered as long as they were well supplied with goods.
Dahlia's chance to live a happier life with her family was ruined by a persona she'd adopted to survive. As her family turned their backs on the Victor she'd become, they failed to see the little girl inside screaming for acceptance and love. Their Dahlia was still there, buried underneath a hardened exterior. They just didn't have the patience to look beneath the surface.
What was left of Dahlia's innocence was cruelly ripped away from her thanks to the lust and hunger of men. They'd all heard the rumours of the dangers of playing with her kind of fire but were blinded by her charming light and lured in by the warmth she provided. They have no one to blame but themselves when she sets their world on fire. Dahlia knows it's a fair exchange. They get 30 seconds of heaven and a lifetime to repent, she suffers an evening of torture but robs them for all they're worth. The little game of hers is the only way to keep herself sane in the Capitol (other than time spent with Finnick). By the time the 70th Annual Hunger Games looms on the horizon, a 19 year old Dahlia Blossom has amassed a rather large collection of stolen goods from a variety of clients who know better than to complain about her services.
But Dahlia's most treasured items are the priceless gifts Finnick brings her from his district. It makes the time spent apart more bearable, to know he'll return with a beaming smile and hands folded behind his back to hide the present.
"I found this shell on the beach and thought you'd like it."
"I saw this flower and it made me think of you."
"Mags taught me how to weave bracelets so I could make one for you."
Every gift was meaningful and special, but she loved them because they were all from him. None of the jewels or trinkets she stole would ever compare to something that came from those hands. It felt like he handed over a tiny piece of his heart with every gift she received. Sometimes, Dahlia tried to return the favour with creations of her own. Using a spiral shell from District Four, she messily braided three thin strands of rope to create a necklace. It seemed so inadequate compared to his skilled craftwork that she nearly didn't give it to him. Now he never takes it off.
