The Seed is Strong (Hunger Games Fanfic)

Farewell

Ela had found saying goodbye to her parents harder than she had thought.
Even her mother, a normally emotionless woman appeared distressed that her daughter was being sent to the slaughter house.
Both of her parents told her to do her best, but it was clear that none of them expected to see her again.
Glen came to visit Ela once her parents had left, and he instantly threw his arms around her.
"Are you OK?" He asked.
"I'm fine. Nothing has happened to me. Yet" replied Ela.
Glen removed his arms and Ela had to hold back the tears that she could feel wanted to flow out of her.
"What are we going to do?" She asked as her hands drifted to her belly.

"I don't know... This has never happened before, because the tributes are always children" admitted Glen as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"I won't be able to hide this for very long. My stylist will be choosing my outfits from now on, and they won't know about this until it's too late" replied Ela.
"Being in this condition might help you. It might get people to send you things, that could help you survive"
"Glen, we both know that I have no hope of surviving"
"That's not true. I've seen you with a knife. You're incredible".

Ela bit her lip awkwardly. The pair of them often snuck underneath a part of the fence that wasn't electrified to be together. They never went very far into the woods, just far enough so that they could be alone.
But they didn't waste their time, as they almost also brought home a kill or two to feed Glen's family.
Ela was good at throwing knives, but she had never killed anything big before, and certainly not a human.
"Being good with a knife won't save me. I won't be able to run very fast, or climb trees because I'm like this. Being pregnant puts me at a big disadvantage to my other opponants" Ela said sadly.
"Perhaps the other tributes won't want to kill you because you're carrying a child" suggested Glen.
"That might be the case for some people. But I can't see any of the careers going easy on me, just because I'm pregnant" replied Ela.

"You can't give up Ela" insisted Glen.
"I won't. I just want to prepare you for what is to come. Hopefully if I'm killed, the people in the Capital might still be able to save our baby and return it to you" admitted Ela.
"I expect they will do everything they can to save our child. And maybe Haymitch will feel inclined to help you too, because of your condition"
"Haymitch is a druken fool, and I expect once he sees that I'm pregnant he will believe that I'm a lost cause"
"Well you'll have to rely on Tomas then"
"I barely know him-"
"He will help you, don't worry. I have already spoken with him and told him to keep you safe".

A knock at the door signaled that their time was up.
Ela threw her arms around Glen and held him tight.
"I love you" she sniffed.
"And I love you" mumbled Glen as he pushed Ela back and wiped away a tear that had escaped from her eye.
A Peacekeeper then entered the room and escourted Glen out. Leaving Ela alone.
With no one else to be brave for, Ela allowed her emotions to escape. But once she had started crying, she couldn't seem to stop.

Ela cried for several minutes, until someone came for her, to take her from the Justice Building to the trainstation.
Once inside the train, Ela's jaw dropped, as she had never seen anything so glamerous in all her life.
Even though she had come from a merchant family and not one from the Seam, she had still never seen anything as incredible as what was in that train carriage.
Plush sofas and chairs filled the room, and in the centre was a large table full of food.
Ela doubted that even the Mayor's house was this nice, as nothing this amazing had any place in District 12.

Ela looked over at Tomas who she expected was just as awestruck as her, if not more, since he was from the Seam. But his face was blank, so clearly he was not one to show his emotions on his face.
"Isn't it amazing?" Effie Trinket asked.
She had accompanied the tributes onto the train. Although Ela noticed that their mentor Haymitch was absent, but she knew that he must be around someone.
And soon enough the drunkered arrived and immediately set himself down at the table, without acknowledging anyone else.
Effie rolled her eyes at his behaviour and ushered for them to sit at the table.

Ela didn't know where to start as she had never seen so much food in her life.
Certain things smelt funny and made Ela feel queasy, so she knew that she needed to avoid those foods as she didnt want to throw up everywhere.
Since she was so occupied with the food in front of her, it took Ela a moment to realise that Effie was talking.
"- and then you'll get to meet your stylist, you have one each you know. I do not know what outfit they have chosen for you, do don't ask, but feel assured that it is something incredible" said Effie with a smile on her face.

Ela wasn't sure how someone escorting two children to their deaths could do so with a smile of their face.
But she knew that the people of the Capital viewed those in the districts as nothing more than their play things. So she didn't think Effie viewed her as an actual person.
If the Capital guides had hearts then they would be a drunken mess, like Haymitch, who was sick of getting to know 2 children every year, and having to watch them die.