T H O R N |Finnick Odair

8.

Two gunshots ring out into the room. I'm stuck sitting in my chair, mouth open in terror. My parents lifeless bodies lay there on the floor. "No! How could you!" I say while tears run down my face.

"You need incentive to follow orders. This was a taste of the terror we could reign on your loved ones if you refuse in the future. Beware, Rose." He stands up and leaves, the peacekeepers following him.

I cry out and crawl to my parents bodies, hysterically sobbing. "No, no, no, no! Please no! I need you!" I scream as I shake them. I lay over my mother's body, getting flashbacks from Calyp. I continue to cry for who knows how long until I've finally run out of tears, so I lay there with them.

After about an hour a peacekeeper comes and removes me from the room, kicking and screaming. I'm back on my floor and I just crumble in the middle of it, holding my knees to my chest, the blood on my pretty pink dress. When dinner is served I don't go eat, the Avoxs stare at me. That is until Po comes in, joyous and happy.

His face drops when he sees the state I'm in, the blood on my dress and my smeared makeup. "Rose, what happened? Where are your parents?" He asks worriedly, not knowing what to do, or if the blood is mine.

"Dead." I respond in a whisper. His face contorts into a look of disgust, still confused.

"How?" I cry again but tell him the truth, he's the only person I trust in the capitol.

"Snow wants me to become a prostitute, the capitol darling. I refused and he brought in parents as blackmail. I agreed after he shot my dad in the foot but he still killed them!" I say rambling on, in a state of distress.

The flow of tears speed up again as I relive the event, Snow could hurt Basil, or Finnick. I look into Po's eyes and see anger and sadness. He pulls me up off of the floor and hugs me, stroking my hair.

"It's alright baby. You're gonna be alright. You can't give up or give in to him. You still have your brother at home, and the boy of your dreams waiting for you. Come on, let's get you changed." He holds my shoulders as we walk to my room.

Po somehow converts my shower into a bathtub and tells me to get in. He helps me get cleaned up and dressed and brings me something to eat. I only eat a bit of it, not having an appetite for anything else. We sit out in the living room and watch some capitol news to get my mind off of the recent events but it only makes it worse.

"Breaking and sad news we have to report. Two victors, Thorn and Bee Brightfall, were found dead in an alleyway this afternoon, they were the parents of the most recent victor, Rose Brightfall. We believe they were robbed and then shot. The president says that they are deeply sorry and regret this loss, they report they have a man in custody. We'd like to extend our condolences to R-" the TV is shut off and Po looks at me apprehensively.

"That bastard! He killed them!" I say, screaming at the TV. Po stands up and grabs my shoulders, making me look him in the eye.

"This is good, Rose. Turn this anger and hate into progress. You are stronger than this, don't let him see how this effects you. Go out there and be as strong as ever, he'll regret his choice, I know he will. Go get some rest." I nod, taking in his words and return to my bedroom. He's right. I can't let snow see how I feel about it, it'll only give him more power over me.

Again I wake up screaming, memories of Calyp and my parents coming to haunt me. I sit up and Po comes into my room. He sits on my bed and comforts me, stroking my hair. I eventually fall asleep in his embrace.