Hey guys! I know that today isn't Saturday and that I shouldn't be updating lol. However, I changed the updating schedule for this book, and now it updates every Friday. I hope you enjoy!
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Katara slipped out of the crowd in the ballroom and nearly ran toward the open doors. She didn't want anyone to see her escape from this nightmare. The Games already had their claws wrapped tightly around her throat, holding her hostage. Each claw dug into the skin on her neck, almost drawing blood. Almost, but not fully. It was like it wanted to give her some freedom, but it would still take control of her life at a moments notice.
She burst through the doors and fell into a crowd of people standing around the front of the hotel. The crowd shifted around her, blocking her from view at all angles. These people didn't notice the clothes she was wearing or the look of fear on her face. They were too busy trying to peer through the glass doors, to see the Tributes. What they didn't know was that one of the Tributes was in their midst.
Katara shoved her way through the throng of people. She felt like they were converging on her because they knew how much of a monster she was. She had to get away now or else she would explode.
She was finally free from the crowd, so she walked briskly down the street. Cars and motorbikes and other vehicles were honking at each other as they tried to get to wherever they needed to be. Even though it was night, it still looked like day because of all the lights from the vehicles and from the hotel. It seemed like every single light was burning in the hotel.
"Look, it's one of the Tributes!" a man shouted, pointing directly to Katara. He had bright blue hair that shone in the bright headlights.
She didn't think that these people would already know who the Tributes were since they were just announced, but apparently they did. She ducked her head and hurried down the sidewalk; she didn't want to get mobbed because she was a Tribute.
There was a break in people flooding toward her, so she took that moment to slow down and get a good look around her. Multiple shops were still open at this time of night. They were all glowing from the lights, but one was very dark. It had lights on, yes, but they weren't as outrageous as the rest of them.
Katara decided to go into that building. For some reason, she felt like she had to go in there or else she would miss out on something. There wasn't much of anything in the main room, just a few cushions on the floor. A light wood wall blocked the rest of the large room from sight, so Katara said, "Hello? Is there anyone in here?"
A short girl peered around the partition. Katara was surprised to see two pigtails sprout out from her head. "Do you have an appointment?" she asked in a nasally voice.
"Um, I have no idea what this place is," Katara said, backing up toward the door. "I'm sorry. I should leave."
Another woman appeared from behind the partition. She had gray hair that was significantly shorter than Katara's. A gold pendent hung in her hair, resting on her forehead.
"No, don't leave," she said gently. "We have no more appointments tonight, so it's okay if you stay."
"I didn't want to stay outside any longer because they started to recognize me," Katara said awkwardly. She glanced around and saw few decorations on the walls. It was really bare in there except for the partition. "What is this place?"
The old woman smiled. "I am a fortuneteller, dear," she said with a nod. "My name is Aunt Wu. Would you like to know your future?"
"If it could help me in the Games, sure," Katara said with a shrug. "It's not like I have a bright future ahead."
Aunt Wu gave her a wry smile. "I'm not so sure about that."
Katara followed the old woman behind the partition. She was surprised to find a fire pit in the middle of the floor. She glanced up to the ceiling to make sure she wouldn't kill her with smoke inhalation, and she was glad to find that there was a hole in the ceiling.
"Sit down, dear," Aunt Wu said. Katara hadn't realized that she had sat down in front of the fire pit. Katara sat down in front of her on the opposite side of the fire pit. "Do you have anything you want to know first and foremost?"
"Not really."
Aunt Wu nodded. She reached out and took Katara's hands in her own. "Your palms are so smooth," Aunt Wu said with approval.
"I"m not sure how they're smooth when I've been working with them since I was little," Katara said with a slight laugh. "I rarely used any sort of lotion, either."
Aunt Wu laughed. "Many people in our country do not have that luxury."
"No, they don't."
Aunt Wu inspected her palms with an intense scrutiny. Katara felt awkward but she couldn't move now. "You have an . . . interesting future," Aunt Wu said, glancing up at Katara for a second. "It's a little blurry, but I can still see some things. Would you like to know what they are?"
"Why not?"
Aunt Wu nodded. "I see that you've had a hard time in your life." Katara nodded, her throat tight. "This darkness will not let up yet. It will go on for the time being." Katara sighed. "But it will allow the sun to rise on your life. You will be transformed into the person you are meant to be."
Somehow, Katara knew that her life would still continue to be hard. It had been difficult for almost her whole life, and it would continue. She wasn't sure if she believed that her life would get better, though. She didn't think life had good plans for her.
"And . . . I do see romance in your future," she said on a lighter note. "You've already met the boy that you will love."
Katara blinked, saying, "You really think I'll have time for romance? I'm going to be hunted in the Hunger Games. When is there time for me to fall in love?"
"It will happen simultaneously," Aunt Wu said with a nod.
Katara pulled her hands out of Aunt Wu's and stood up quickly. "I don't need any more false hope, okay?" she said with a frown. "I'm done with hope because it never helps. It makes me think things will get better when they won't."
"Now, dear -"
"I'm sorry, but I don't want to listen to this anymore," Katara said to her. "I'm really sorry for being so rude. I'm just done right now, okay?"
Aunt Wu didn't say anything as Katara turned on her heel. She walked outside and sucked in a fresh breath of air. That didn't last long because someone grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the alley. Katara used her left arm to try to hit the person, but they seemed to know that she was going to do that because they grabbed her other arm.
"Get off of me!" she said, lashing out with her feet. She struck a leg with her feet, and the person's grip on her arms lessened. "Who do you think you are?"
Suddenly, something sharp pressed up against her throat. The blade flashed in the light from the building in front of them, and Katara immediately stopped moving. Fear rose up in her throat as the boy whispered, "If you tell anyone about seeing me in District 4, I promise that I'll kill you before we even get into the Games."
The scar on his eye was the thing that gave him away. It was Zuko, one of the other Tributes. And just like that, she knew where she had seem him before. Something had nagged at the back of her head when they danced, but now she knew why. It was the same guy with the mask she saw back in District 4.
"It's not like I recognized you," she snapped. "If you wouldn't have said anything, I wouldn't have known. So, thank you for telling me."
He pressed the knife closer to her neck with a snarl. "I'm being serious. If anyone finds out, I will hunt you down."
"It's not like it's going to happen in a couple of days," she said, laughing without any humor. "Soon enough, we'll be hunting each other for fun." She stared at him for a second before asking, "Where'd you get that knife? No one is supposed to have any weapons, especially not Tributes who bend."
"It's my girlfriend's knife," Zuko said, his eyes flashing. He pressed the knife against her neck as hard as he could without drawing blood before shoving her away. "I will be watching you to make sure you don't tell anyone."
Katara really wanted to attack him right now, but she didn't want to get caught. She glared at him before stepping onto the sidewalk again. Nothing about that encounter scared her, though. For some reason, it made her even angrier with how her life turned out.
It didn't take long for her to find the hotel again. It was the brightest thing on the block. She quickly walked through the doors and headed into the ballroom again. Many people were dancing together while others sat at their tables, eating. Katara scanned the room for her brother and found him chatting with some of the other Tributes near their table.
When she made it over to him, he gave her a look. "Where have you been?" he whispered to her, pulling her away from the Tributes. "I've been looking for you!"
Katara flicked her eyes toward the entrance of the ballroom. Zuko emerged from the crowd outside and headed toward his table. "I needed to get a breath of fresh air," she whispered back. "It's so stuffy in here, and I'm a little nervous right now."
"Is that it?"
"I also got threatened," she said with a quick nod. Sokka's brows lifted in shock. "Don't worry, I'm fine. It was another Tribute that threatened me."
"I can go talk to them if you want me to," Sokka said, squaring his shoulders. "I'll give them a reason to not mess with my little sister."
Katara grabbed his hand before he could walk away from her. "Sokka, stop," she said quickly. "I'm fine. I'll be fine. It's okay. I promise."
"If this happens again, tell me, okay?" he said, staring into her eyes. "I'm not going to let you get hurt."
"We're Tributes in the Hunger Games," she said, deadpan. "There's no way you can do that."
"Oh, there are ways."
Katara rolled her eyes. Here he was, talking about this nonsense again. She really wanted to know what he was talking about. He wasn't the only one who had said weird things lately or who had been acting strange. There was that one girl who had acted strange when she saw Katara's necklace. That girl also acted a little strange when she saw Sokka after getting off of the train. There had to be something going on that Katara didn't know about. She just hoped it was something good.