( 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚'𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒔 ).
two.『 goodbye sister, hello mentors 』
𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌, 𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐍𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐋𝐘. Her breathing was uneven as she walked back and forth on the wooden floorboards, not ready for the train to come to pick her up. For three years she had managed to slip by, and now she was going to be marching to her death the second her time with her sister and anyone else who came to visit her was up. The thought of the train that would take her away by itself scared her. She'd seen the most gruesome ways someone could die in there. The dying part wasn't her problem. Part of it was. But the main part was how she was going to die. Her sister wouldn't be there to soothe her in the arena. She'd be alone. Alone and afraid.
The door opened rather quick and her sister sprinted through to wrap her arms around her tightly and Indie returned the embrace with just as much ferocity, vaguely hearing the guard say five minutes, but it didn't pass through her mind. All she could make out was her sister's tight, warm hug that enveloped her. The way she smelled like flowers and salt. The way she had tears that dried on to her face, indicating she'd been so fearful for Indie that she had indeed been crying. Indie melted into her arms and held back tears wondering if this was the last embrace she'd get with her sister. Was she going to make it back home?
"Indie, I'm so sorry." She whispered and Indigo didn't understand why. It wasn't her fault that the capitol was talking her away from her. It wasn't her fault she was being forced to do this. To compete in a game to the death so people could watch and cheer and act sad about her death. "I'm so sorry, Indie." She repeated as more tears slid down her face, her voice raspy. Indie clutched onto her sister harder, doing her best to not let tears fall from her brown eyes, burying her face into her sister's shoulder to stifle the sobs threatening to spill from her lips.
Finally, Katherine pulled away and Indue got to see her year filled eyes that had tears on them, red and puffy from crying. She set a hand behind Indie's head, cradling it and wrapping her hand in the locks of brown hair. Indie felt her chin wobble slightly as she fought the oncoming tears. "You can win, Indie. I know you can. Please. Please win for me." She said and caressed Indie's cheek slightly. "I don't care what you have to do, and maybe that's selfish but I just need you to home."
Indie sniffed slightly, reached her hand up to wipe away Katherine's tears that lay against her cheek, rubbing her eyes to rid them of any signs of tears before saying, "I will. I promise. I will, Katherine. I'll try to come home." She reached down to take hold of Katherine's hand, pulling it to her chest and holding tightly, "But the odds aren't in my favor."
"Just be strong, be tough. I lo-" she tried to say something put the door open and in walked a couple of peacekeepers.
"It's time to go."
"What, no no-" Indie said as they walked farther in, waiting to escort Katherine out as she looked tearfully back at them. "No, that couldn't have, that couldn't have been five minutes." She denied quickly as Katherine looked back at her sister, and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "Katherine. . ."
"I love you."
Indie nodded as a peacekeeper walked up and took ahold of Katherine's forearm, taking her away. "I love you," Indie called out but it was too late as the door closed.
She bit her lip feeling tears burning her eyes and remembered what her sister had said. Just be strong, be tough. Indigo looked up, staring forward and remembering her promise to her sister. She was going to survive.
Whatever it took.
۞
The tears were gone from her eyes and she stared forward, almost blankly at the empty, velvet blue armchair that rested in front of her. It was as though there wasn't a soul inside her. But sooner or later that was bound to vanish. Because no matter what her sense of mortality of the sick game would get in the way of surviving this. Because there was a sickly pale, skinny boy sitting next to her, who was in no way prepared to fight with whatever it took.
He was trembling slightly, and like her no tears had escaped his eyes, nor had he talked either. Just stared forward, sniffling every now and then nervously and rubbing his nose that was red. She glanced over at him before looking away knowing for fact that no one had visited him, not even his parents who couldn't bare to see their only child be sent away to be murdered like a pig set up for slaughter. If she looked at him she would only feel worse that he was going to die, as she had made the resolution to outlive him, and if necessary, kill him.
Just then the door slide open automatically, revealing the five victors who were supposed to now become their mentors. There had been more but they had either died from old age. Two had committed suicide, Indie remembered seeing Katherine upset about seeing that her friend had killed herself from the very idea of having been in the games. Mark stood up to greet them, almost eager to get their approval and attention but Indie just looked back down at her lap to finish with her fingers nervously.
"Well look at the two of you, sitting all goodie two shoes like you're supposed to." Stephanie Winters commented lightly, taking a seat across from Indie who glanced up at her. "First rule of the games, don't be afraid to get your hands a little dirty." She said, lighting a cigarette watching it carefully before placing it between her lips. Indie watched carefully, making a face as the smell of smoke hit her nose and she fanned it away from her face. "So the two of you the lucky ones to be slaughtered this year, huh? Bad luck. But we've all had bad luck and there's nothing much you can do there so as long as you survive you should be fine."
Another person cleared their throat and Indie looked to see Jasper Walters, the youngest of the lot who had won the Hunger Games in the 68th tournament, a legend around the district as he had cut down a burning tree which killed a total of eight people, making him a victor for five. "Don't listen to her. I think it looks like we have a good lot right here. Two strong very capable young people, who are both capable of surviving. Ain't that right?"
"That's very optimistic of you, seeing as you don't even know us." Indie said father coldly, watching him carefully. She knew he was just trying to encourage them but it wasn't working. They all knew their odds of survival. "I'd like to hear the advice you have to give us, instead of false hope."
"See," Stephanie said leaning forward slightly. "Girl wants to hear my advice, not yours so scoot along, Mr. Optimist." She said and lied her feet on the table as a little bit of ask feel from the end of the cigarette she used before she looked up and pointed to Indie, "I like you, girlie."
Indie raised her eyebrows at the newly found nick name but shook it off, letting it go. The mentors would have to like her to help her get sponsors. So she ignored it watching as the other woman, the only other female victor still alive, took a seat across from Mark, the three men took a seat over at the dining table and Mark, feeling uncomfortable around the girls (he'd been called a girl once when he had sat with a bunch of them alone and ever since stayed away from being alone with a group), got up and walked away to sit with the men. Indie watched him go before looking back to the two female victors as Freda Lang worked to wrestle the cigarette out of Stephanie's hand but the woman had a tight hold on it and was keeping it far away from Freda.
"It's bad for you," Freda said disgusted. "And bad for the young ones. We can't have you killing them before the Games even start." She said before glancing to Indie who raised her eyebrows slightly at her comment and said, "I mean. . . Not like you are gonna die but-"
"Yeah, I get the idea." She said and Freda grimaced, letting her hands drop and letting Stephanie won the small battle. "But you're here to help right? So have any life saving advice? Or at least advice that will get me through the first five minutes?" She asked leaning forward and looking at the two expectantly.
Stephanie looked over at Freda a smirk working its way onto her lips as she said, "I've said it before and I'll say it again. I like her." Freda rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna miss you if you die, kid." Stephanie said nonchalantly causing Freda to pull a face next to her, and slowly Indie started to relax in the unfamiliar setting. "Well, we've got two days to burn." She leaned forward and smirked at Indie. "Let's get started."
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐓.
1,609 words
the capitol is coming up, and things are running smoothly. not a lot more to say, still deciding what I'm gonna do about mark if he does within first five minutes of she has to kill him. anyway, votes, comments appreciated, good day / goodnight!
. . . 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 . . .