"Go ahead Snow." I cuss.
"Miss Mason as feisty as ever. What an absolute privilege it is-"
"Cut the bullshit Snow. What the fuck do you want?"
"My my girl. You do have a mouth on you. However that is not what I wanted to discuss. What I wanted to discuss was your tributes this year. Braedon and Haiden right? Boy, they're just as much trouble as you are Johanna. And this poses a problem for me. See, normally I wouldn't ask a mentor to purposely kill off their own tributes, as it just wouldn't be fair. So let me phrase it like this. I ask you now, you do not let your tributes win. Do you hear me?"
"Oh I heard you alright. Why can't they win?"
"Do not question my motives Young Johanna. Go with them."
I begin to open my mouth to question his motives but he's already cut me off.
"Who was that Jo?" Una calls.
"Uh, no one! I'm tired Una. I'm off to bed. Goodnight!" I call, all while scurrying back to my room.
Why can't they win?
-
Crawling on my hands and knees. Deep red blood seeping from uneven cuts which sting almost as much as my head pounds.
He is there. Waiting for me in all his vain glory. Waiting to kill me. Waiting to end me. Waiting to obliterate me.
Snow.
My head wants to turn back round and get away from him as fast as I can, but my body doesn't want to move at all. It inches forwards until I'm looking directly into his snakelike eyes.
"Hello Missss Masssson." He hisses.
I try to open my mouth but it doesn't budge. It's like it's taped shut.
I don't even have time to scream before he plunges a silver plated knife into my chest. Moving the knife in circular directions, churning up my insides.
Screaming wakes me up from yet another pointless slumber.
Sleep is fitful as always. Haunted by my demons. Plagued by the unsettling times. Horrified about what's to follow in the coming days.
I don't even attempt trying to go back to sleep and just throw myself up out of bed and I walk round the empty rooms. My feet hitting all different colours of plush carpet. Ivory, burgundy and cyan.
A light tap on my shoulder makes me jump and I grab the closest item to me to use as a weapon.
I mean a pillow might not be my first choice but I'd rather be safe than sorry, bitch.
An avox, a girl, opens her eyes wide showing she means not harm. She's a pasty white colour with almost blood red hair that slips out of her bun placed at the nape of her neck. I give her one last eye up before dropping my pillow.
"Sorry." I mumble as she shakes her head.
She reaches out for my hand, which I hesitantly give to her, and she takes me to the bar in the kitchen.
I watch her hands make light ease of some milk and spices. She pushes the drink towards me and I gulp it hungrily.
She shoots me a small smile as I whisper a thank you. She bows and exits the room as swiftly as she entered.
I walk to the dining table and take a seat at the very empty mahogany table.
It just me and the sounds. The sounds of the rain hitting the very few windows. The sounds of my breathing. My heart beating fast against my chest.
I giggle a little thinking about everything that's gone on. Who'd have thought being alive is causing me more trouble? It would've been a hell of a lot easier if I died in the Games.
"Hi Sunshine," Blight calls softly, rubbing my shoulder as he walks past. "Couldn't sleep, huh?"
I shake my head in response. "Today is the day they go Blight."
He pulls a contorted face and grimaces.
"Is this how it felt when you let me go off to fight last year? Like you want to protect them? Or at least her." I ask.
"Yeah Sunshine it was. Not a nice feeling, is it?"
I shake my head. Remembering how I felt when I was in that position.
A silence makes me stop.
I shouldn't tell him.
Snow would find out.
Snow would then find me.
And probably suck all the the blood out of my body like the fucking leech he is.
Yolo.
"Blight I feel a little hot here." I say nonchalantly.
"So take off your jumper?" He laughs, not taking any of the hints I'm throwing down.
"No like I need to get fresh air hot!" I use my eyes to indicate up.
The rooftop.
"Oh? Oh! Yes. Right. Um. Let's get you cooled down then Sunshine." He takes the crook of my arm and the small of my back and leads me to the shiny metallic elevator.
He punches in for the top floor which leads to the rooftop.
We see no one. It's practically dead in the building.
Nobody in the Hunger Games is safe. There's not any teams or allies as much as we wish there are, there just isn't. You can't become friends with a person you ultimately want to kill. Yet the night before the arena, there's an almost calming buzz. A place where, for maybe just twenty four hours we stand united.
We stand together in the hope that something, just something, will change.
Yet, it never does.
Someone needs to incite something. There needs to be a someone to change that.
The door pings open bringing me back to the cold dark night we stand in front of.
It's pretty up here. Pretty much everything in the Capitol is pretty. Nothing like District Seven's shabby chic.
We walk into the huge garden type place and make our way to the furthest point we can get to without being hit with a force field.
We have to get away from prying eyes and ears.
"Now what?" Blight demands, care and attention all wrapped up in his eyes.
"Snow wants the tributes to die."
"Doesn't he anyway? Isn't that the point of the games?"
"No! Not like that. I mean, he wants us to do nothing for Braedon or Haiden."
Blights eyes enlarge. "If he's asking you this I wonder how many other mentors have been asked to do the same? Everyone is supposed to have equal odds on winning, not it being fucking screwed up!" Blight heaves like he's going to be sick.
I don't blame him. The room is spinning for me.
I can't let snow defeat me like this. Defeat Haiden. Defeat Braedon.
"So what do we do Blight?"
We both sit down on the cold, stony floor. Sending chills from our bottoms right to our very ends. It's freezing out here.
We don't say anything. Yet both of our body languages speaks up. Blights tense body feels like a heavy stone next to my slumped one. The slump of defeat.
Blight mumbles something I don't quite catch.
"What was that?"
"Snow will not. Will not! Fucking win."
Now we're on the same page we can get talking.
"So what do you suggest Blight? I can't openly pop round to his mansion and be like "So sorry to interrupt President Poop but I'd seriously be so overjoyed if you let me stick this bread knife into you're back, you back stabbing little rat. Thank you. Greatly appreciated.""
Blight rolls his eyes so hard I fear they might roll to the back of his head.
"Alright Miss Sarcastic. We have to do it more subtly. Sly even."
"And I think I have a plan."
"Go on?" Blight leans in slightly all ears and eyes on me.