PART I - Tale of Two
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"Now we, returning from the vaulted domes
Of our colossal sleep, come home to find
A tall metropolis of catacombs"
'Doom of Exiles'
Sylvia Plath
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Five years before the 74th Games,
"Do you want to run away?" Carina asked as she stretched out her hand towards the sun that peeked through from the foliage. Her light brown eyes shone brightly almost like gems, almost if the black specks were not there. She turned her head away as the rays momentarily blinded her.
Grinning, Gale covered her face with his hands and tried to stifle a laugh. Carina swatted his hands away and looked at him with her bright eyes. She wanted an answer from him. "Rina, you know we can't." He got up and sat up, plucking a daisy and twirling the stem between his hinges. "I want to, I really do but we can't."
Carina let out a frustrated sigh and looked away. "You keep saying that but I don't see why we can't just leave. We'll take our families and run. I only have Ron and my grandfather." She pulled at the grass in front of her and grabbed a fist full of grass, ripping it out. She let the blades of grass go and watched as they escaped from her hands, being lost in the Spring air.
"And I have three younger siblings and my mother, not to mention Posy's barely one. You also forgot your grandfather's pretty old. We're not gonna make it very far."
"We got lucky this time but what...what if we get called next time? What if next year, mine or yours or Ronan's name gets picked out?"
"It won't. Let's try to look on the bright side." Gale got up and dusted himself, holding out a hand for his only friend he had. Carina and he grew up side by side, the two were there for each other every step of the way and he promised himself that if she was ever reaped, he'd volunteer to go with her. She didn't know that. No doubt if she did, she'd be furious.
"There is no bright side to living here."
"Or anywhere in Panem. I'm sure it's the same everywhere."
"Not in the Capitol." She bent down to pick up her coat which was really her mother's which was originally her grandfather's. The old black leather coat had seen its better days. "We could live out in the woods, you know, I've heard that back in the day there used to be a whole community of people that lived out in the woods, between the districts. Maybe they're still out there,"
Gale shook his head. Carina was being idealistic again. She was imaginative and he liked that about her but sometimes, she was too much which led to her being disappointed more times than he could count.
Her shoulders slumped and her eyes drooped. "You don't believe me, do you?"
"No, it's not you, I don't believe. I just think...you should stop listening to old man Clerk's stories. He's not exactly the voice of reason and I just know one of these days, he's gonna croak."
"Gale!" Carina turned around and lightly punched her friend in the stomach. He dodged her punch and grabbed her hands, laughing. "It's not funny. He's one of the oldest people in 12."
"And that's an achievement! Congratulations to him, but come on, you have to admit, he's a little...senile." Carina rolled her eyes and punched Gale again, walking off but not before grabbing her satchel bag, filled with a rusty ax and a few traps that she and Gale had been working on.
The sun was still up and the air was getting warmer. She could hear the light buzz of cicadas in the air. Summer will be here in a couple of weeks. That meant, summer fruits like strawberries would start to ripen and be ready for harvest. She and Gale could sell those for some extra money.
"I'm just saying, you hope too much and you'll be disappointed, like always." Carina turned around to glare at him but the small smile of her face gave her away. He was right. She was easily disappointed. "We should check on the traps."
Carina nodded, leading the way but she stopped, pulling Gale down. The two quietened down and tried to stay still as they heard the sound of leaves crunching. The steps were slow and careful as if the person was looking for something.
Gale turned to her and mouthed something, Carina shrugged. The two stayed like that for a few minutes before Gale got up first. He left their hiding spot and bravely ventured out to check, signaling to her stay put.
Breathing out, Carina waited for Gale to come back while keeping her ears open for any other sounds. "Clear." She heard her friend say and she carefully left her hiding spot to find Gale leaning over one of their traps. He didn't look too pleased.
"Someone tried to open up our traps." He pointed to the half-covered trap on the ground that she had set up for a rabbit or a deer. "The rabbits look like-"
"Someone was pulling at them. It's fine. They didn't manage to get it out."
"That's not the problem, Rina." Carina nodded. She understood what he meant. "Let's hope the meat's not ruined."
Carina bent down and with her gloved hand opened the trap and released the dead rabbits. "Two rabbits. Not bad. You can take one and I'll take the other. We can sell them and check on the bird traps to see if-Gale." He snapped out of his daze to look at her. "Come on. Whoever it was isn't here and judging by the fact they tried to get the rabbit out, it might be someone like us, not a Peacekeeper."
"You're taking this too lightly."
"And you're being too serious." She sighed and turned to Gale while standing on her toes trying to get to the bird trap. "Look, if it was someone threatening, we'd know. Let's just get our game and leave."
Reluctantly, Gale gave in. He was still on edge and kept his gaze on Carina who was trying her best to reach the trap he'd set up. She was really struggling, reaching her hand up and standing on her toes but still not getting her hand anywhere near it. Her fingers barely grazed the trap.
"Climb the tree."
"I don't want to."
"Climb the tree."
"No."
Without another word, he stood over her and took down the trap before handing it to her. He heard her mutter something under her breath. "Hey, it's not my fault you still haven't grown an inch since we were twelve."
"And it's not my fault you're freakishly tall at fourteen." She countered with a sarcastic smile. Her friend was really tall. He towered over her and was one of the tallest boys at school. At times, she envied him but then she saw him hit his head on a branch multiple times and she was glad that she was short.
"That's what short people say."
"At least I look my age." She bit back. "You look like you're ready to go work down in the mines."
Gale took the trap from her hands and took out the birds, holding them upside down to drain them of their blood. "You think they'll take me? Aw, Rina! What was that for?" He almost let go of the bird in his hands, letting it fall to the ground when Carina punched his arm.
"You know exactly what that was for. Why would you even want to be down there?"
"It's not like I'm gonna have much of a choice."
"Still. It's too far away to think about it."
He rolled his eyes, putting the trap back where he first hung it. "It's only four years away and you know how quickly time flies."
"Forget it. It was my fault. I shouldn't have joked about it in the first place." She handed him his share of the strawberries and looked at the sky again before looking down at their shadows. The two needed to get back soon.
"Yeah, it was your fault." He said while smiling. "Come on, let's go home."
The two left the forest and headed back to the fence. Carina strained her ears trying to listen for the quiet hum of the fence. When she couldn't hear it, she gestured to Gale. The two ducked under the fence and Gale split off to sell their finds for the day while Carina went to find her younger brother first to hand over her share of the day.
Carina took off her stretched leather coat and hung it up. She craned her neck towards her grandfather's room and strained ears for a sign of him. Good. She couldn't hear him, he was still out.
She glanced at the mended clock on the wall and carefully walked to the shabby kitchen, keeping an eye out for her grandfather or her younger brother. Stepping into the kitchen, she made a beeline for the old half-broken fridge and opened it.
The strawberries and raspberries were already washed at a nearby stream. She just needed to put them away before her grandfather saw her. She scanned the fridge and saw space on the top shelf. Gathering the berries in her hand, she placed them carefully into the empty half-rusted metal bowl before sliding it back into the fridge.
"And where have you been all day?" Carina jumped, hitting her head on the door of the fridge at the sudden appearance of her grandfather. "Oh, look at you." He carefully dragged her away from the fridge and pried her hands off her head. "You're lucky it wasn't that serious."
"Well, I didn't know you were at home." She complained, holding her head. Her grandfather clicked his tongue and moved to take his seat next to her on the couch. "Shouldn't you be out at work?"
"Shouldn't you be at school?" He countered. His aged tan face was rolled into a scowl as his gray eyes glared at the rotting wood floor.
"I was."
"And then you went...past the fence." He dropped his voice to a whisper as he looked around before glaring at his granddaughter. "Carin, what were you thinking? Why do you always have to go against what I tell you? You know what'll happen if you and Gale get caught." Carina nodded.
She knew all too well.
"Your age won't matter. They don't care and no matter how lax the Peacekeepers here are, you don't let your guard down. Ever." Her grandfather finished breathing heavily before he placed his hand on his hand, breathing in and out loudly. His hair, once the same soot black as his grandchildren's, was now a pale gray that contrasted against his tan skin.
Carina got up and went to get him a glass of water that she placed in front of him. He drank it without looking at her. "You should watch your health."
"And you should listen to what I say." She tried to protest, only to be cut off. "I lost my son in the mines, I'm not losing you and Roan as well. I get why you're going but enough is enough, Carin. I'm going to work, I know it's not enough for all three of us but we have to manage without breaking the rules!"
"We'll starve if we don't. It's just little things like strawberries and sometimes some game meat. Look, I get it you're worried but please, please understand."
Her grandfather stared at her for a second. He couldn't let her go. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't. Barely a year had passed since he lost his only son. It wasn't enough that he lost his daughter-in-law to childbirth but tragedy had to strike again and take his only son from him. His own wife followed soon after, leaving him to be the sole carer for Carina and Roan.
The shock of tragedies forced him to go back to work. He was too old to go into the mines but he was just the right age to manage the equipment. It wasn't hard work. The pay was decent, not too much but not too little. It was more than what Hazelle Hawthorne made through washing clothes. Still, at times it wasn't enough but he thought it would be if he put more time in at work.
One thing he'd forgotten to take into account was Carina and Gale. The two were close since they were babies just like he and Gale's grandfather, who sadly passed away long ago. Carina's father and Gale's father had also been close friends. The two friends died side-by-side at the accident in the mines.
Gale's father was completely turned to ash while Carina's father's charred remains were found near the entrance. They said he was trying to go back in for the others. His son was a fool to the end.
"I'm sorry." He murmured, shaking his head as he searched for the remote to the television. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost time for today's Hunger Games update and it was mandatory to watch even if no one in the house wanted to watch it. "Don't go into the woods! I don't care what Hazelle's boy does-just stay out of trouble."
Carina tried to think of a way to argue but in the end, she decided against it. She was still going tomorrow and day after. Next time, she'd be more careful.
"I'm home." Roan hung up his jacket and closed the door behind him. He paused when he noticed the tense atmosphere inside the house. The twelve year old hesitantly took a step back, thinking of leaving again.
"Don't stand at the door, lock it and go wash yourself. You too, Carina." Their grandfather didn't meet their gaze. The television played quietly in the background. Even though electricity was a rarity in their district, the Hunger Games was the only time it was always running. Almost always. "I'll make dinner, hurry up. The games will start soon."
Roan scurried off to his room but not before throwing a fleeting glance at his older sister who had her back turned to him. She was told off again for going into the woods. He didn't blame her. She was trying her best to help out. He would do that same thing if he knew how to hunt or even set traps but unfortunately, he didn't.
After washing up, Carina was the first to return back to the dining and living room. She started to set up the table while her grandfather worked in the kitchen to make dinner. Though he would never admit it, a part of him did appreciate what Carina brought him and the additional money was a bonus.
"Sit down." He brought a pot of the rabbit stew with some potatoes he had dug the day before from their makeshift garden. Roan quietly took his seat next to his sister. He started to pass around the slices of the coarse and hard bread that Carina had baked using the grain from her tessera. "Roan, are you tutoring those merchant kids again?"
Roan stilled and Carina looked at him. Her face etched with concern. "...I enjoy teaching them." He quietly answered, nibbling on the hard bread before dipping it into the stew. His grandfather sighed loudly and placed a hand on his head. "How many times have I told you-"
"Not to draw attention to myself. No one should know how smart I really am or I'll get on someone's bad side." Roan repeated the words his grandfather had drilled into his head. He caught the eye of his sister who tried to cover up her laughter but failed to cover up a smile.
"You two will be the death of me." Their grandfather muttered harshly under his breath before he dipped his bread into his stew. "Last time. This is the last time you tutor those kids. I don't care how much you enjoy it. People are starting to notice you."
"But-"
"No. You're tutoring kids older than you. That looks suspicious."
"I think that's enough. Let's just calm down." Carina was going to say something else but a knock from the door stopped her mid-speech.
The Semor family stared at each other for a second before the head of the family got up to get the door. The knocks became a little more desperate and frantic.
"Hazelle?" Carina heard her grandfather address. "Oh, it's your little one again, isn't it."
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what's going on with Posy. I was gonna take her over to the Everdeens for a check up." Mrs Hawthorne spoke quickly and breathlessly while she carried her youngest two in her arms.
Carina's grandfather sighed and looked back at Carina, gesturing to her to come over. Pushing her chair back, she walked to the front door to find Gale and his family gathered around her porch.
Gale held onto Vick and Rory while Posy was nestled in her mother's arms. When the two friends saw each other, they nodded in greeting with absent smiles.
"I'll warn you in advance, she won't be of much help." He was speaking of Mrs Everdeen who had become a shut-in since the death of her husband. Carina pitied her but she pitied her daughters more. Her grandfather ushered in the three Hawthorne boys inside. "Her husband's death has been hard on her."
"Ah, I know but I don't know where else to go."
"Understandable. I'll look after your boys and feed them, even keep them for the night, if need be."
"You don't have to go that far, Mr Semor."
Mr Semor waved her off. "Nonsense. You'd do the same for my grandchildren. Now you should hurry, Posy doesn't look too good." Mrs Hawthorne nodded and hurried off into the evening.
With her gone, he turned to Carina to tell her to get more chairs but Carina was faster. She and Roan sat around the table with the Hawthorne brothers waiting for their grandfather to take a seat.
After dinner, Carina and Roan set up a large makeshift bed for all of them with Gale offering to help only for Roan to force him to sit down.
The limited furniture the Semors owned were pushed to the sides of the room, away from the center and Mr Semor had rolled out two flattened large old mattresses, laying them down on a tarp on top of the rotting wooden floor.
Mrs Hawthorne returned and had to leave again, leaving her children behind after coming back from the Everdeens. Like Carina's grandfather had warned, Mrs Everdeen wasn't much of a help, though she tried her best to do something, it just wasn't the same as her treatments before.
Disappointed, Mrs Hawthorne came back, only to leave again citing that she had to go to work late at night. Gale had to quickly put Vick to sleep and tried to feed Posy with the help of Carina and her grandfather while Roan helped Rory with his homework.
Gale patted Posy as she slept quietly on the makeshift bed on the floor of the Semor living room. Vick was already fast asleep. Next to him, sat Rory and Roan. The two boys sat up with their eyes glued onto the screen showing a recap of the Hunger Games that year.
"Here." Carina walked into the room with two rusty metal mugs in her hand. She handed one to her grandfather and one to Gale who took it with a smile. "It's just some lemon water." She told him before sitting down next to them.
"It's a good thing that the lemon tree at the back is still alive." Gale took a sip of his drink and looked at Carina who nodded tiredly. She struggled to keep her eyes open as the lights on television flashed quickly.
"We could hardly let it die." Carina's grandfather drew out. "My wife and I planted it when we first got married, back when her store was running-you know, the perfume store. A shame nobody really needs perfumes 'round here anymore."
"Well, nobody can afford it." Carina replied before she went back and got herself a mug of lemon water of her own. She came back and took a seat next to her grandfather, putting her head on his shoulder.
The screen roared to life once more as bright lights flashed onto the screen. "Here comes Caesar." Roan breathed out as Gale ruffled his hair.
"Welcome! Welcome!" Caesar Flickerman appeared on the stage wearing a flashy and bright emerald suit with matching hair, brows and lip color. His eyelids were also painted an emerald green. "Ah, we're back at the most exciting time of the year; the season of the Hunger Games!"
The crowd went wild, cheering and clapping wildly. They looked a little more dead than last year. Some bored faces snuck into the picture. Those people feigned excitement as the camera panned to them but it was too late.
Carina guessed those people were tired of the games. Who wouldn't be? A game of death that repeated everywhere. Only the victims, the place and the winner were different. The rules and everything else stayed the same.
"This year celebrating the end of another marvelous decade of the game, I'm joined by five amazing former victors." He clapped his hands and four silhouettes appeared behind him.
Three males and two females.
"First up, you know and adore him Panem. Give it up for the 'Victor of Victors', Augustus Braun!"
Augustus Braun appeared on the stage. He wore a dark silver suit which had a marbled pattern on it. He strutted towards his seat and sat down, crossing his leg over the other. Shining golden hair that was cropped to the side and sapphire eyes that most went wild over. His chiseled handsome face looked happy but his eyes said otherwise.
"Thank you! Thank you for having me here tonight, Caesar. It's good to see you again." Augustus Braun reached out and shook Caesar's hand. "I'm excited to meet you all." He turned to the crowd and flashed them a beaming smile. "And most of all I'm excited to meet my fellow victors."
The crowd went wild. Some shouted their love and admiration for Augustus while others nodded in approval.
"Ah yes! What a start! Next up, our very own shining star, Cashmere!"
A blonde woman with cascading curls appeared in a rose-colored smoke. She wore a gold lamé dress with straps that fell off her shoulders. She blew kisses as she took her seat, leaving two empty seats in-between.
"Thank you!" She blew a kiss that men and women jumped out of their seats to catch. "Thank you for having me, it's soo good to see you again." She winked at the crowd and turned to Caesar.
Caesar's face was stretched into a smile as he nodded. "No, thank you for being here, Cashmere." He took her hand and placed a chaste kiss on it, quickly letting it drop before moving on.
"Do you think Caesar will ever retire?" Roan asked, his hands wrapped around an old metal cup with what remained of his drink. "I mean he's been around for a while."
Another victor appeared on the stage. He trembled and his eyes darted around like a prey looking for predators. His eyes were drooping, darkness cupped the skin underneath them and he looked more skinnier than the other victors so far presented.
"District 6." Gale and Carina said at the same time.
"Must be a morphling addict." Carina heard her grandfather mutter in pity under his breath.
Carina felt bad for the victor of Six even though she was not in the place to pity someone, she pitied the victors, forced to kill people and then paraded around like prized mares. Carina hated that idea. All the more reason why she wanted to run away. If she or Roan were ever chosen, she knew that Roan could survive but as for her, she'd let herself die than live on like the pale, hollow-eyed and gaunt-looking man.
Finnick appeared on the stage next. He smiled at the crowd and the crowd swooned at his presence.
Trying to hold a laugh, Gale turned to look at Carina who looked less than impressed with the young victor who was only a couple of years older than the two. He scrunched up his face and shook his head, when Carina didn't react the way he wanted her too.
"Thank you, Caesar. It's good to see you again." Was all Finnick said before he took his seat next to Cashmere. He shifted in his seat, pulling his chair in. He adjusted his chair a little towards the only empty seat while Caesar addressed the crowd.
"Last but not least. Give it up for our last year's victor and the 'Flower of Panem', Seraphine Reza!" He bellowed as lights and smoke filled the stage once again.
A little excited, Roan leaned towards the small television. An action that wasn't missed by anyone else in the room.
"Since when are you such a fan of Seraphine?" Gale inquired, throwing Carina a look. She shrugged in response. She didn't know either.
"Since she started the anti-Career pack and tried to cure her teammate of accidental poisoning that she might have caused."
Rory frowned. "She didn't poison her teammate." Carina's grandfather tiredly corrected as Rory agreed.
"That's why I said I 'might've'. She did heal a bunch of her allies, well tried anyways. I think she's the third most interesting victor."
"Whose the first?"
"Haymitch Abernathy from our district." Roan noticed the skeptic gazes around the room and shook his head. It was obvious what everyone was thinking. Haymitch the crazy drunkard, the shame of 12 but to Roan, he found him to be quite intelligent and admirable for using the Capitol's tricks against them. "Second is Beetee Latier from District 3, he's not much of a fighter but he is really smart."
"Seraphine's not a fighter and she knows waay too much about flowers." Rory piped up. "Their meanings mostly. I didn't know flowers have meanings."
"Most didn't. That's what makes her so interesting. I'm telling you all she's smarter than she looks."
"Yeah, but she's sickly."
"So is Posy." Gale commented quietly, glancing at the sleeping form of his baby sister. "Come on, be nice Rory."
"I'm just saying, she's..." Rory dropped it and turned back to the television.
On the screen, Seraphine gracefully floated to her seat. Her iridescent floral embroidered gown reminded viewers of a tranquil spring day. Her pale gold skin had light glitters scattered on, that shone brightly every time she moved.
Seraphine slid a few strands of her hair back and thanked Caesar with a soft smile. Her silvery eyes glowing brightly with kindness.
Her silver eyes were so different from the dull gray eyes that most in the Seam had. Carina glanced at Gale whose eyes were glued onto the screen. His eyes were not that bright.
"She's kinda pretty. Not Cashmere pretty but just pretty." Roan commented. "Her hair's really black."
Gale and Carina nodded in agreement. The two stared at each other and examined their own hair. Theirs was definitely not that dark. Carina's appeared more mud brown than actual black.
Back on the screen, Seraphine and Finnick quietly traded some words before turning to Caesar. The two were the youngest of the five and it was obvious that everyone had their eyes on them.
Seraphine, despite her kind smile, looked a little lost and detached while Cashmere and Finnick looked bored. Only Augustus seemed truly focused on Caesar at first.
"Oh, yes. This is my first year as a mentor." Seraphine answered, sliding another strand of her dark hair behind her ears.
"You're taking over from Leora, aren't you?" Caesar asked as Seraphine nodded. "Well, congrats. Big moment for you." He turned to the other victors. "Maybe the others can give you some pointers."
Cashmere threw her head back and coyly laughed. "Oh of course, we can. Why wouldn't we? Now, Seraphine. Remember to listen to your tribute." She advised her.
"Listen to your tribute? That's so obvious." Rory complained.
Carina stopped watching and listening to the television. She had enough for the night. She moved to the floor. Her grandfather passed her a pillow. She laid it down, pulled out her blanket over her and shut her eyes, hoping to get some sleep.
Her eyes shut. In the forced darkness, her mind wandered around. She thought about her father. The last time she ever saw him, she went to hand him his lunch, just hours before the incident. Her grandmother was alive then too, she made him his last lunch.
She missed her grandmother and her father a lot. There wasn't a day that passed where she didn't remember them.
Now her grandfather's words from earlier that day floated in her mind. He was right, she and Roan were all he had and vice versa but she still didn't want to sit still and watch as he wasted what little life he had left in him, away.
"You're not sleeping, are you?" Gale quietly whispered as he leaned over her.
Annoyed, Carina forced her eyes open and glared at him. "What do you what, Gale? I'm trying to sleep."
"Okay. Okay. I just wanted to say I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For mentioning...you know." Carina nodded. "I was just trying to cheer you up."
"Well it didn't work."
"Yeah, I noticed. I'm also sorry about your grandfather." He muttered, keeping his gaze on Carina.
She shook her head with a ghost of a smile gracing her lips. Her tired eyes fluttered open and closed like the wings of a butterfly. "My grandfather's just worried...like always. You know him. He's just very afraid that something will happen to me or Roan."
"He's not wrong."
"...I'm sorry I can't give you what you want."
"It's just an idea, Gale." It wasn't but she didn't want Gale to stay hung up on her foolish desire to run away from their home. Besides, it wasn't like she was ever going to take that chance. Roan and her always talked about it in hushed whispers away from the ears of their grandfather but all it was, was an 'idea'. It was impossible to leave for anyone. "Just forget about it."
"Rina..."
"Forget. About. It."
"Fine, just be careful. I worry about you."
"You have enough to worry about, don't add me to that list."
"I can't help it."
"Gale, forget what I said."
He sighed and reluctantly agreed but kept it in his mind. Carina shut her eyes again. Gale patted her head and started to comb his fingers through her hair as he turned back to watch the commentary on the games just as another day in the game began.
When he glanced back at Carina, she was fast asleep. Noticing this, he pulled up her blanket on her and left her alone.