Evelina awoke early the next morning, her eyes and lips puffy from crying. Her thick hair was wavy but knotted from swimming the previous night. She tried to rake her fingers through it as quickly as she could before the other tributes woke up. Pacing by the bars, she was relieved to see her mentor jogging over with a slice of bread in his hand. She took it, taking small bites to savor it. It may well be the last thing she ever eats.
"They're coming to get you all in about an hour, and then you'll be thrown into the arena," stated Snow, watching her carefully from the other side of the metal bars. She nodded, unable to form words through her hunger and fear. "I'll be watching you through the screens," he continued, his eyes never leaving her face. "I can see everything that's happening or will happen but the only thing I can do is send you items from sponsors."
"So, I'm pretty much alone." Evelina realized this as Coriolanus was speaking, and it only worried her even more. At least last night she had the kiss and Jodi to distract her for a moment.
"It'll be alright," he said. How can he be so sure? she thought, biting her lip. She noticed that the other people had begun to stir awake, so she had to think of something quick to say before someone like Jodi saw her and Coryo together again.
"I'm afraid. I'm afraid I'm going to die. No one from District 12 has ever come home from the games. What if I die in there? I'll never see you again." Her bottom lip quivered, and her eyebrows were knitted tight together.
"Shh, shh," he gripped the bars that separated them. He could feel her breath against his skin, and it sent a shiver down his clad back. "Look- you're stronger than they are. Maybe not physically, but mentally. I've seen some of them crying all day and night, you can do this. You can win."
"I won't," she argued, looking down.
"You have to," Snow stated, his eyes flashing cold for a moment. He reached through and cupped her face with one hand. She leaned into his touch, his warm hand contrasting against her cold skin. She raised her hand to hold the back of his, wrapping her calloused fingers around his. Then, she nodded and backed away. Coryo's hand fell and he too stepped back. "Good luck."
꧁༒☬.☬༒꧂
There's a feeling that a person gets when they are forced to do something they are not comfortable with. A pit in the stomach, an overwhelming urge to cry, a need for a sip of water. This was the feeling Evelina had as she left her human enclosure with her fellow tributes. She followed behind Jodi, but noticed the tall girl was slightly off. Her head was held a little higher, and there was a sort of pep in her step that wasn't there earlier in the week. Evelina couldn't push aside the notion that Jodi had done something, maybe tampered with something belonging to the Capitol.
She ignored the accusation to allow herself to think, and look around at her competition. She had made friendships with some of these people, she couldn't even fathom harming them in any way.
Yet, she knew the majority of them were ready to kill or be killed. She watched as they scanned each other's faces, sizing one another up as if the person next to them were prey. She wished she could see Coryo before she was sent in, but she knew he was already set at the Academy, awaiting the tribute's arrivals on the screen.
As they made their way to the dome, there was a commotion up ahead. Evelina peeked her head over Jodi's shoulder, her eyes focusing on the scene before her. Peacekeepers were arguing over something written on the wall of a nearby building. Stopping about 20 feet from the dome, the tributes were told to line up horizontally just like they did the first day they met their mentors.
Written on the wall, in large red letters were the words:
THE ODDS ARE NEVER IN OUR FAVOR
Gasps were distributed as the rest of the crowd took in the scene. Evelina joined them, gaping at the angry Peacekeepers trying to scrub what appeared to be red paint off of the building. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a slight smirk appearing on Jodi's face.
Suddenly, Mr. Highbottom emerges from the dome, looking disgruntled. Theres a murmur of whispers between the tributes, and Highbottom raises his hand to silence them. "There's been a slight change," he boomed. He looked around at the tributes, seeming to revel in their confusion. "The 10th Hunger Games have been postponed for a later date. A band of rebels have bombed our arena. We'll have to rebuild it, for you cannot perform to the full extent in the destroyed dome. All tributes shall be relocated to a bigger shelter in the Capitol for the time being. Thank you for your consideration." And for a second he pauses, like he's wondering if he should add something. He seems to choose not to, and turns on his heels, back into the dome. All tributes turn to their left and begin walking.
They arrive to a tall apartment building with countless rooms spread throughout the entire thing. Evelina's room was facing the city. Boring brown curtains paired with boring brown walls and boring brown floors greeted her as she entered. She smiled, though, because anything was better than sleeping outside in a frigid Panem night. She sat on the bed that creaked slightly beneath her weight, her legs swinging over the edge. Some dust flew up from the covers, and she coughed as she inhaled some of it. She decided to lie down and rest, hoping to sleep, even if it was for a few minutes.
All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door. Evelina's eyes shot open, and she jumped out of bed silently. "Yes?" She called.
No answer.
Finally, she heard a familiar voice muffled behind the door. "Evelina, it's Jodi." Evelina opened the door to see her newfound acquaintance grinning from ear to ear.
"I thought we were supposed to stay in our rooms," Evelina whispered, looking left to right in the hallway to make sure no one was there.
"I just wanted to give you this." Jodi held out a small locket, Evelina's mother's locket. She must have dropped it in the zoo.
"Oh, thank you, Jodi," Evelina beamed, placing the object in her dress pocket. Then she paused, noticing something different about the girl in front of her.
"It's Nadine," she remarked.
"Hm?" Evelina questioned.
"My real name is Nadine. Jodi is just my middle name," she says. "Finley preferred it." Finley seemed to be a sore subject for Nadine, and Evelina didn't know their relationship, so she didn't press the topic any further. Nadine gave a small smile before turning to leave, but Evelina stopped her.
"Wait!" She called. Nadine looked back. "Erm... have you seen Coriolanus anywhere?"
Nadine pursed her lips and shook her head. "No, but I'm sure he's at the Academy somewhere." Evelina nodded and watched the blonde leave, feeling a sense of worry. Evelina did not really care about Coryo's whereabouts at the moment, but she couldn't help but notice the smear of red paint plastered onto Nadine's hand.
"are there some aces up your sleeve?
have you no idea that you're in deep?"
YOU ARE READING
Panem Forever
Fanfiction"hope. it is the only thing stronger than fear." Anyone would tell you that Evelina Sanders was not a "go getter". She was a gatherer, not a hunter. She wasn't particularly good at anything, though she could fancy herself a painter if she were aske...
