Silence [The Hunger Games]

Chapter Four

The song in this chapter is in the multimedia section at the side! Performed and music written by @silvermistenfusion! :)

 Logan…

 I pinpointed him again in the crowd. He was shaking. His lips tightened and he pushed another boy out of the way to get to the stage.

 “Logan!” his father shouted. He stood, and rushed forward to hug his son as he scaled the stairs to the stage. Logan shook him off, a single tear trickling down his cheek.

 “Father, let go. Now.”

 The Mayor obeyed, retreating to his seat, where Valeria put an arm around him and said something. Comforting him, I suppose. I could hear sobs wracking his body, his head in his hands. I understood how he felt. I felt the same. Logan stood on the other side of Eli, and drew himself to his full height, but he trembled in his place. I couldn’t bring myself to hate him any longer. We were in the same boat.

 “Ahh, lovely!” Eli cried “The Mayor’s son. What a turn of events! Aren’t we privileged! Do we have any volunteers?”

 The silence was deafening.

 “Well then. Here we have it. The tributes of District 10! Shake hands!”

 Logan reached for my hand and gripped it firmly, but as I looked him in the eye, he gave my hand a comforting squeeze, and brushed his thumb softly along my wrist. I managed a small smile before we were taken to the Justice Building.

 A Peacekeeper led me to a room where I made myself comfortable. It was to be that room where I said goodbye to my loved ones, though I wasn’t sure anyone would turn up. The room was similar to Mayor Golding’s living room, with two purple loveseats and a soft cream carpet. I sat on the floor, my back leaning against the loveseat, and I ran my fingers through the carpet to calm myself down.

 Maybe ten minutes later, my parents arrived. I couldn’t look either of them in the eye. Of course, we had done the same the previous year with Jonah, and he had never come back.

 I stood slowly and embraced them both. My mother felt frail in my arms, as though she might snap at any moment, and I couldn’t remember the last time I had hugged either of them.  I pulled away and put my hands on my father’s shoulders.

 “I’m keeping this short to make it easier. Look after mother. Grieve with the Mayor, and don’t blame him if Logan wins. I’ll be thinking of you.”

 “I’m sorry. For everything,” my father said.

 “I know. Me too. I’ll be okay. I’m going to come home to you.”

 I backed away and turned my back so I didn’t have to look at them. I didn’t want to see the pain on their faces. “You should leave now,” I told them. I heard my mother break down and begin to cry. The most emotion she had shown in a whole year. I couldn’t, wouldn’t look at her. A few moments later and they were out the room, and her wails became distant. I would never see them again, I realised.

 Minutes passed, and I thought my goodbyes were over. I concentrated on my breathing and not crying. I wasn’t expecting to see anyone else, so I was surprised when the door opened again and Eddie Grey walked in…

 I was sixteen years old. Jonah had already passed away, and I felt like the loneliest person on earth. Just to get out the house one Saturday, I went around town offering to run errands. I approached the baker and he asked me to deliver a cake to the Grey family, who had not been to collect their purchase. As a thank you, he gave me a small iced bun. It was burned around the edges and a little stale, but I didn’t care. Having eaten my bun, I arrived at the Grey’s house in high spirits. It was a large house in the Victor’s Village, as Eddie’s auntie is Valeria Grey. I knocked at the door and Eleanor Grey, Eddie’s mother, answered.