A DEADLY DEVOTION ~ Cato Hadley

•THE AFTERMATH•

Desolation. That was all she felt sat on that train. It hadn't felt real, how could it be, how real can being chosen to fight twenty three other teenagers to the death really be. Her mind had fallen into the deep darkness of a vacancy of any thoughts. When her name had been called it felt like she'd instinctively gone into autopilot. No one was rooting for her, she had no one to worry over, no one to say her goodbyes to. She had always been alone in a literal sense though she'd never felt more alone than she did now.

The 74th annual Hunger Games were to commence and she to be the female district twelve tribute. She'd expected should that ever have happened she'd immediately burst into tears and yet she'd only been near emotionless.

Ophelia Fox and Gale Hawthorne.

The lucky two as Effie Trinket had referred to them. Lucky, how on God's earth had they been anything near lucky. If anything they'd had their death certificates signed as soon as their names were spoken—or at least for Ophelia that had been the case. She hadn't known too much of Gale other than the fact he had often caught her trying to find herself some sort of animal for dinner in the woods. He too would go out to hunt though in a much more savage manner than she ever had. Of course she had to eat and failing finding an animal she wouldn't. She didn't have a Gale to bring her home food or bread, she had to fight for herself her entire life.

Now she was here, making that thought very literal.

She'd accepted her likely fate before she'd even stepped on the stage. This had to be some sick play, she had just turned eighteen making this her final year to be reaped and here she was. Her miserable luck as prominent as always.

Gale had seemed more anxious than she was which would surprise her. She's accidentally snapped at him about thirty minutes into their train ride making it evidently awkward now as they sat in silence. Gale had been constantly tapping the arm of the chair he'd sat in with his forefinger. Ophelia had been sat beside him making the noise quite apparent and irritating. In her defence she'd just been picked for the Hunger Games when she'd hastily barked at him to stop the incessant tapping. Gale had muttered back under his breath, she hadn't quite heard him but it had been along the lines of excuse me for being nervous, that was before he turned to stare out the window.

Effie had wandered off to find Haymitch when really she'd just been desperate to escape the uneasy silence that Ophelia in a round about way had caused. Straightening herself upward in the chair she'd slowly fell into she cleared her throat, "Gale?" Her voice had been as wary sounding as you'd expect.

Gale would make her wait a few seconds before turning to face ahead of him, no longer looking out the window but instead staring at the back wall and not Ophelia. He ran a hand over his mouth before responding with a spiteful tinge to his words, "what am I doing this time?" She watched his eyes dip to the side briefly more than likely to see if she'd been staring at him. She was.

"That's deserved" she sucked in a breath that had been lodged in her throat. Gale seemed to ease at her attempted joke and turned only his head to meet her eye, "I shouldn't have snapped at you the way I did" the brunette beside her looked as if he hadn't known whether to believe her act or not, though this was far from an act given how uncomfortable apologising made her feel. Growing up without siblings made it hard to get used to. She squirmed slightly before continuing, "not that it excuses it but I suppose I was stuck too far in my own head" his features seemed to soften at that, "I'm doing this alone and I'm not going to come out the other end—it's a lot to swallow"

Gale wasn't doing this alone. He had his goodbyes, multiple people in fact. A family she'd assume to be his followed by a woman and two daughters who seemed rather distraught as well.

He mumbled about a Katniss as some point to Effie but Ophelia hadn't really been paying much attention.

Gale had a glint of sympathy pass over him, "if you go in there with a defeated attitude like that then—" he paused taking in her rejected look, "your right, you won't come out the other end" she shrugged in agreement, "but if you go in willing to fight to the bitter end, you might"

Ophelia stood which had caught Gale off guard ever so slightly, watching intently as she made her way to the refreshments table. She'd expected her hands to shake as she lifted a glass bottle filled with what looked to be lemon juice but they were scarily still. She poured one glass half full followed by a second. The glass clanged against the metal card before she made her way back to Gale holding out a glass to him.

"Maybe" she offered taking a sip, "though I'm a realist Gale" she confirmed, "people like me never win" she was partially correct, it was always tributes from districts one and two, sometimes four. Any other winners had been fairly well trained or it would be clear they had a physical advantage like Gale may have.

"Then you can be the first"

His words had surprised her. Despite both being from the same district, she was still one of his opponents.

"Should you not be wishing otherwise?" She asked openly. Gale had been used to questions that might startle others from Katniss. Someone that Ophelia reminded him of in ways. Something that had been rather comforting given their situation.

"Maybe" he'd copied her earlier cold response, "though I think of us as a team" he finally took a sip of the drink she'd brought for him, "not as enemies"

He raised his glass offering it to toast which Ophelia would accept with the first smile he'd seen from her this entire time. Not that he could blame the girl for refraining until now.

The train doors would open before either could say another word, a very drunken looking Haymitch Abernathy would stagger in unsurprisingly making his way straight to the liquor. The pair watched as he poured himself a drink sloppily. After taking a rather big sip, one that would see half of the beverage off, he made his way over to sit across from Ophelia.

"If it isn't the lucky two" his smile was clearly that of a fraud until he said, "lucky my ass" and it became more than real.

Almost perfect timing would mean Effie entered at that exact moment scolding him, "language!"

Ophelia took in Haymitch. His messy hair that was in dyer need of a wash. His shirt that had buttons no where near lined up. The stench of bourbon and all sorts was like he selected it as an aftershave. Finally she noticed his bare feet which made her cringe.

Turning to Gale she mutter, "definitely not liking my chances"

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