"President snow... what an honour" I say.
His beady reptilian eyes a trained on me I feel sick.
I hear a key turn in the door.
"Clove!" I hear Cato shout after a few seconds.
"Up here!" I shout back calmly never removing my eyes from the man sitting behind the office desk.
Cato comes bounding up the stairs
"Something-"
He stops mid-sentence catching eyes with president snow.
"President snow.what an honour" Cato says the same I did
The man rests his elbows on the desk. Commanding the room. Cato and I hesitantly move into the room. Sitting on two chairs placed opposite him.
As I get closer my nose twitches at a strong rose scent. A rose aplimfied. I think to cover the stale scent of blood. I can see his full face now. It should be somthing you see from a distance. Up close it looks wrong. His lips are cracked and puffy, his skin pulled back to show no wrinkles and you can see small wisps of grey in his perfect white hair. All of this together makes him terrifying.
I sit down on one of the carved Woden chairs the chairs are made for somebody taller. My feet dangle from the floor making me feel even more powerless against this man.
What is he even doing here I'd never even seen him outside the capitol before. I think back to all the reasons he could be here. There's a lot. But not such a big of a deal that I thought this man might be here.
We had undermined the whole system, meaning we had defied the capitol. We had defied him and his games, and by the look. No the smell of him he is not the forgiving type. I hadn't thought of my family in the capitol for a while they probably hadn't bothered to think of me. But now I question their safety.
We shouldn't have both lived. And snow knows it too. But they had disguised our sacrifice for eachother as a fight. Had he seen through it so easily. He must've seen everything. Including the kiss we shared. He must've seen watch Finch seen, the undeniable connection beetween us.
Cato breaks the scilence. "You could've had us killed. Why not?"
Snow laughs menacingly "I was going to say we should make a promise not to tell a lie to eachother, but you already seem to know that."
He seems unfazed by Cato. Whereas I feel the opposite. How could he say anything to this clearly deadly man.
"My advisors informed me you two might be difficult. Do you plan to being difficult today?" He asks quizzically
"No" I say simply. Not trusting Cato to recognise the situation were in.
"No" Cato says following
"I thought as such. I told them Any two people sacrificeing their life for one another would not be willing to throw other Innocent lives away. Ecpessily when there's so many. And so young" he picks up a framed photo of Aurora and Leo laughing together on the desk. "Would be a waste of a life"
This was a clear threat. We both can see that. I can see the rise and fall of Cato's chest beneath his shirt. I want to clutch his hand maybe to hold us both steady. Snow knows anyway. But i feel if I reach for Cato he'll instantly turn venomous and kill us both on the spot.
"I have a problem" he hissess "a problem that started the moment you two met Finch Crossly and you sacrificed your lives for eachother"
This was the moment where the game makers had to choose between letting us both drown and having no Victor or saving us both and having two victors. I have a feeling that snow would've sooner had no victors then two. And Finch, she never played his games and now I take her with me everywhere in the form of her district token
"Unfortunately head game market had a sentimental streak, if it where me I would've have had you blown to smithereens then and there, can you guess where Seneca Crane is now?" He says
He talks like a teacher questioning a student.
"Dead" I say. The word comes out calmly shocking myself.
He doesn't confirm what I said but nether does he deny it. He just continues "after that we had nothing else to do but let you play out the angle you were in fact trying to win the games. And you were good at it too. The people in the capitol were quite convinced. Not everyone in the districts brought the story we portrayed."
What could this mean? I look across at Cato and see the same unknowing expression on his face.
"But you wouldn't know" he says "you can't see the actions of the other districts. They saw your necklace and figured out you weren't ruthless killers"
I instantly reach for my necklace from Finch with the golden C for Cato also on it.
"Finch Crossley has unfortunately created a problem for you. The moment the words came out her mouth and the people heard her say you two were in love. We edited it out but it wasn't good enough people already saw it" he says "fox face has become a symbol of rebellion and you openly defied us when you continued to wear this."
He notions to the orange necklace.
"And if a couple from district 2, loyalist to the capitol, out of all the districts. If they can turn on the capitol, why can't the others?What is to prevent an uprising?"
I spin the word in my head. An uprising. I had neglected to think an uprising was even a possibility.
There have been uprisings?" Cato asks
It suddenly hits me. Uprisings. The thought almost brings a smile to my lips but I'm carful to control it. Maybe that's just what we need.
"No. Not yet" starts snow "but there will be if things don't change. Uprisings lead to revolution. Revolution leads to wasteful death, worse living conditions, then ultimately no change. If the capitol released its grip on the districts for even a moment the whole system would collapse."
This sounds like the same information forced down our throats in school. Propaganda leading us to be brainwashed by the capitol who apparently provide so much for us. He sounds so genuinely caring for Panem it's no far stretch to believe the people will believe anything he says.
We sit in the scilence he seems to be waiting for a response.
"We didn't mean to start anything" says Cato "we just wanted each other to get out the games"
"We played your game. And we won" I added
Snow seems to consider this "Liar. You were playing Finch's game. And Finch was playing Beetees game. Do you not reconise the quote on the back of that necklace you hold so dear?"
He reaches forward over the desk touching the necklace. I'm scared he might just rip it off but his spins it and drops it back on my chest.
"No weapon can ever beat a brain" he says "and no district can ever beat the capitol. So I suggest you stop playing games and enter the real world"
Goosebumps full my body. I rember back to Beetee another Victor from district 5 saying that line his interviews. I barely watched his games, they were boring.
"No matter wether intentional or not you have started a spark that can burn into a fire and destroy panem." He says. "Convince me"
"Convince you what?" I ask
"Convince me you are still the same kids who volunteered at the start of the games" he hissess
He looks directly at Cato "Believe me Mr Hadley. I can easily kill off your love. Convince Panem that she contracted some sort of sickness."
He turns to me and I'm still in shock of his words
"It wouldn't be much make believe, but a fact. When people see your emancipated body they won't even question. And Cato can go to being the Victor they wanted" he says.
I'm trying to catch my breath. This man threatened to kill me. This time Cato reaches across and grips my hand defiantly. We had been stupid to think the capitol would just leave us alone after all the cameras have gone. And now my life is in the balance. At least it's not Cato's life I think. But I don't want to die. Sometimes I ponder if it would be easier. But then I think of everything I've been through. How I'm not dead now.
We should've been careful. Met in secrate. Instead it must look like we're mocking the capitol. Seeing eachother everyday. I think of the pool in our. No my. back garden, and how we almost both drowned in a pool in the arena to save eachother. I should hate water. But I don't. I feel like I should hate what that pool of water caused, the revolution, I should be drowning compleatly out of my depth. But I taught myself how to swim.
"This tour will be your only chance to turn things around. Take it, stop the revolutions. Because I'm sure nobody will miss your family's. And I'm sure as long as Mr Hadleys distracting them, they won't miss Miss Kentwell." Says snow
"We will, we'll convince them, we'll make them all believe we're indifferent to each other. We won't fail" says Cato
Snow rises from his chair. "No don't convince them... convince me"
He walks past. Both of us are paralysed unmoving and only let out a breath when we hear the door click behind us. I move into Cato. Sitting on his lap and curly my knees twords my chin. He wraps his arms around me and clings on tight. I can feel a wet patch forming on my shoulder. I lift my head to look Cato in the eyes, salty tears stream down his face.
I wipe them from his checks and brush my hands through the top of his head. I don't know if there's anything I can do to comfort him. I don't know if I'll ever be able to fully process what just happened. But I know that he knows everything. And a revolution? With Finch being the face of it. A fox face. A cunning creature. But it's not just Finch it us.
I hear running up the stairs and the frantic call of our names coming from Luna. She flings open the door and comes in, enclosing us in a tight embrace.
"Are you ok?" She asks not letting go yet
"Yes... No... I don't know" I say.
I can feel Cato shift and his eyes cloud more with anger. His mother let's go and turns to face him.
"Cato you'll be ok" she says
"No!" He shouts "nothings ok!nothing will ever be ok! And we've been lying to ourselves! I won't let him kill you! I won't!" Angry tears stream down his face he turned to face. "He threatened the kids mum. They're not safe. Where are they?" He asks
Luna draws in an Audiable gasp clutching her hand over her mouth. "My babies, why did I ever let you go in them games" she cry's
"It's not your fault" I say "we all thought the games would be a good thing" a weak attempt at comforting but it seems to work
"The kids" she exclaims "they're at the training academy. They told me I needed to leave the house. I thought they were doing some deep clean before the camera. But then I saw the president come out. We need to get the kids!"
I say in my head over and over that'll they'll be ok. They have to be there just kids. But weren't we just kids? Aren't we still just kids?
I tell the two I'll be fine by myself as they set off in a jog to the academy I used to train at. I stand alone in the Hadleys house. Feeling like intruder after the visit. I walk down the stairs and put the key in the dining room. If we're really being watched it's better I don't have it on my person.
Getting rid of they key felt like getting rid of part of Cato. I step out into the bitter cold walking across the road into my house. I walk stiffly into the kitchen. Why can't I just be with him? Can I not just have one thing in my life? They've already taken so much. I can't let them take Cato too.
I stare at all the mugs I collected from around my house earlier. The clutter makes me indescribably angry. I may just be projecting my anger on to something else but I don't care. I don't care. I don't care. I grab a mug throwing against the wall. The another and another till all that's left is a litter of ceramics on the floor. I sink to the floor staring at the mess. Burying my head in my hands.
But there's no sadness, no tears, just anger. Pure anger. I get up and go into my untility. During the six months I had found a basement under a mat you could lift up and it's where I put all the boxes, all the unopened gifts from admires in my own district. I pull the rug aside and lift the floor board going into the darkness down the stairs. I throw all the gifts aside untill I find somthing shaped like a bottle.
I rip the paper off. As I expected a bottle of spirits. I pull off the top of it and let the liquid slide down my throat. I know this stuff can make you forget. Distract you. The clear liquid burns my throat and when I finish the bottle I'm gasping for air. It must've only taken me a minute to finish it. But the effects are already getting to me.
I climb the stairs they seem to swirl under my feet. I walk into the kitchen. The smashed mugs seem to be glittery. I want to touch them. I get closer watching them glimmer. Glimmer. Glimmers a blonde girl. A blonde dead girl. Did I kill her. No I don't think so. I don't care. I lay down onto the snow wait no sparkly cups, wait no it's defiantly snow it looks and make snow angles.
This is so fun. I can't remember the last time District 2 had snow. I can't remember it hurting this much though. The snow seems to dig into my back. I get up. The snow must've made my back damp. I feel invincible. But also hungry. Invincible and hungry. I turn on the stove. I don't know how so I just turn things until a fire lights on the hob. I open all the cupboards but there's nothing in them. What kind of idiot doesn't stock there cupboards?
Oh right yeah it's me I'm the idiot. I laugh at the realisation. Clove your such an idiot. The fire catches my eye. If I'm invincible, a god among people can I even still bleed? I hold my hand out over the stove. I don't feel anything. Nothing. I am a God these people were right. I draw my hand back and look at it. It's completely red and there are lumps on the skin. How did they get there? I should put it in the snow.
My legs wobble as I move over and a piercing alarm rips through the air. I look around for the source. Hey, has that fire got bigger. I shout at it to go away. I don't think the fires listening. I slant to the side falling onto the floor.
The fires so pretty. I watch it engulf the things around it. I hear a load bang and a voice shouting. A man voice.
"Bruce!" I shout smiling looking up at him from the floor. Wait Bruce? That don't sound right. Another person follows closely behind. Lyme? Wait no. Bruce rips a curtain of the wall, smothering the beautiful dancing flames.
Enobaria! I think. It's not Lyme with him it's Enobaria! I smile at myself. I'm so smart.
Enobaria crouches by me.
"Let's watch the world burn" I proclaim raising my arms in the end.
I sigh when Brutus lifts the curtain back up and my beautiful flame is gone.
"Thank God you were late to dinner" Enobaria says
Dinner. Cato. Wheres Cato!?
"Snow killed Cato!" I yell rapidly trying to get to my feet. But the world doesn't seem to be working and it tilts horizontally. I feel arms around me. I think Brutus'. Brutus that's the name. I'm flying in Brutus' arms it's fun.
"Wheeee" I say.
We end at the charred sink. Then I feel two fingers sliding down the back of my throat making me gag. The alcohol burns just as much coming up as it did going down. I try to slap his hand away but it falls onto the side. Missing. This alone won't sober me up. Alcohol enters your blood stream quickly I learnt that in biology. Though it might help a little. It must be I can think straight. Well straighter.
I hear another person come through the door as well I try to turn but Brutus is holding my head over the sink.
"Not him as well" I hear Enobaria.
Brutus let's go of my head and moves around to Cato. I hold myself up on the sink Turing. Brutus is shaking his shoulders.
"What have you taken!" He shouts.
Cato grins stupidly. And Enobaria moves over as well.
"His on Morphling" say Enobaria.
"I just wanted to stop feeling" he stutters "don't tell my mum"
He stumbles abit and falls to the floor wacking his head on the floor with a thump. I'm about to go other to him, but my stomach lurch's and I have to hang my head over the sink again.
Morphling. It sounds vaguely familiar. I think it's a numbing agent they use in hospitals. I laugh. Well I think it's me laughing. Both me and Cato avoided confronting what just happened. We wanted to hold on to ignorance abit longer. Enobaria and Brutus turn back in my direction.
Enobaria whispers something to Brutus and he leaves my house. Enobaria lifts me so I'm laying face down on the island in the middle of room and peels of my clothes that are wet from the snow. The snow? There's no snow indoors. The lack of clothes should make me shiver but I feel so warm.
Enobaria leaves momentarily and comes back holding a bottle, my visions blurry. I can't quite see what it is. She screws open the cap and pours it on my back. The pain is instant. The world spins and turns black.