The 25th Hunger Games (fanfic)

Chapter 37: The Games

"Do you think people will look at me differently now?" she asks. I open my mouth to speak, but she interrupts. "Honestly?" I close my mouth and look at her, curiously. I know the answer, but I don't understand why she would care about that right now, in a life or death situation. I slowly nod.

"Honestly," I whisper. "Yes. They will." Her eyes fill up with disappointment and shame, and she looks at the ground, hiding her face from me. But it's not hard to miss a tear drip from her eyes and plip onto the ground. She snivels up, and looks back at me.

"I feel awful," she says, tears still dripping off of her nose. I stare at her, tilting my head. "I killed a boy I didn't even know!" Her voice cracks, and she chokes on her words. She looks back at the ground, tears falling every five second. 

"I murdered him!" she cries. She looks back at me, her eyes glossy with tears. "Somewhere, back in District 1, he had a happy life, with friends and family. He probably told people to vote for him, because he wanted to go before it was too late. He was 18, you know. Maybe he wanted a chance to show people how tough he was, but he really thought he could win! And now," she chokes on her words and snivels. "He's not even alive." She breaks into tears and begins to weep into her shirt. She wipes her face with her hands, but the tears keep coming. My heart is torn into pieces, seeing Crystal like this. I never thought I would see this. I sit there, looking at her, confused. I never saw it like she put it. I always just thought he was an obstacle in the Games, something I had to overcome. I never thought that really, when I avoid an obstacle, somebody's life ends. I took the Games like a deck of cards, something that no matter if you win or lose, everybody goes back to their regular lives. I never thought of it for what it really is. I've been blinded by the Capitol, treating this like a game show. Capitol citizens celebrate for the deaths of poor, innocent children. They cry when their favorites die. But somehow, Crystal has been able to see things for what they really are. 

I gain my feet and walk over to Crystal, sobbing into her wet shirt. I sit next to her and pull her close to me. She doesn't resist. She begins crying into my shirt, wiping her face off every few seconds. Finally, she snivels up enough to speak.

"Why did this have to happen to us?" she asks, looking up at me. I look back at her, nearly in tears. Her face shows me how cruel the Capitol really is, for making kids just like Crystal enter a fight to the death. I shake my head. 

"I don't know." I pull her back to my chest, ignoring the aching pain throbbing throughout me and rocking my body back and forth. I use my fingers to comb and straighten her hair, playing with it while she cries out all of her tears. 

"I hate them," she chokes out. Taken aback, I pull away and look into her eyes.

"Who?" Her sea blue eyes reflect my own face, filled with worry and distress for Crystal.

"The Capitol," she stammers, fighting back tears. I pull her back to me, rocking us back and forth. I hold onto her tightly, so nobody can take her away from me. I struggle for words, not knowing how to respond. 

"I know," I stutter. We rock back and forth, creating a bond here in the Games. A bond that I don't want to ever break. I just want to live this moment over and over again.

"We're going home, aren't we?" she asks, still choking on tears. I remind myself that I told myself to send her home, not me. But then, Cody's words play through my mind.

Did you not here the announcement? After the massacre you caused, President Snow gave in and declared their can be two victors from the same district for this year. He said it was part of the Quell, but we all know, he didn't want a rebellion.

I still haven't decided whether to believe him or not, so I choose my words wisely.

 "You are." Crystal pulls away from me, grabs my hand, and stares at me with wide eyes.