RUINS ( FINNICK ODAIR ) ✓

PROLOGUE ━━ when everything falls

· 。ﾟ☆: *.☽
▎ RUINS ▎
»»————-　act one. uneven odds
PROLOGUE ━━ when everything falls

we're all in the same game,
just different levels. the same
hell just different devils

— unknown

THE AIR WAS SUFFOCATING, THICKNESS SURROUNDING Erin Benton as she walked beside the shore, her nerves slightly easing with the soothing crashes of the waves and the familiar smell of salt water. The grey and somber sky seemed to scare off anyone else  in the area, an omen of something to come.

This didn't stop the young victor from her wandering, nor did it stop her older brother from trailing along with her; Alex Benton was commonly found near his sister. All the two had were one another.

The horrors of Erin's game still seemed to haunt the siblings, looming over their heads. If the ever-present nightmares didn't wake her up, causing thrashing and screaming in the dead of night, it was the gnawing guilt. The survivor's guilt of living while twenty-three innocent children never made it out alive. It was painful for Alex—watching his sweet little sister return home and being greeted by a woman now completely different than the one he had known before. At times he believed that a small part of her died in that arena, too.

No words were spoken between the two as they slowly journeyed back towards their home. Erin couldn't quite tell if the storm brewing was bad or not.

So much had changed since the 74th Hunger Games; they were truly something special. They sparked something odd that the people in any of the twelve districts hadn't seen in a very long time.

Hope.

This hope came with a girl—the Girl on Fire. Katniss Everdeen was a shining beacon of change and chance all across the districts.

With this came opposition. President Snow wasn't fond of the newly formed behavior spurring in the districts. Soon, all of Panem would find out exactly what happens when one tries to disobey the Capitol.

No one was safe.

Colorful flames licked the fireplace, surrounding Erin and Alex in a comforting warm glow as they quietly watched the Capitol's television program airing. Erin waited uncomfortably for the announcement of the infamous Quarter Quell.

She could feel something uneasy settling within her gut. After the spectacle of the 74th games, it was only a matter of time before President Snow made his move on his people.

The television lit up, casting shadows across Erin and Alex's faces, and the man himself came into view.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the annual Hunger Games, it is, of tradition, our third Quarter Quell. Let this be a time for new generations to learn anew of the memory of the Uprising against the Capitol."

Erin could feel Alex's eyes burning into the side of her head, but she stubbornly ignored them, focusing her attention on the screen projecting President Snow.

"We celebrate this Quarter Quell as a reminder that even the strongest can not overcome the power of the Capitol. In this games, both the male and female tribute of each district are to be reaped from the existing pool of victors."

Eyes widening, Erin abruptly stood up, shock and disbelief written plainly on her face.

"No! No, this can't be happening," she vaguely heard her brother say, his voice sounding farther and farther away as she remained locked onto Snow's curling smile.

The realization hit. The odds were never in their favor, not even as victors.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬