A Whole New Game: A Hunger Games Story

Chapter 21: Nothing Left to Lose

Athena

Beeeeep! Beeeeep! Beeeeep!

"You have got to be kidding me!" I hear Eleanor shriek. Suddenly, I see a pillow fly towards the alarm, though it continues its harsh blare. The lights switch on as they have every day for the past two weeks.

Instead of getting up, I just lie still, staring up at the ceiling.The tears that drenched me last night do not appear. It's as if my eyes have completely dried up. Sorrow is replaced with a hollow feeling, as if a hole is gaping through my chest. And I know exactly what is missing, or rather, who.

Samantha consumes my thoughts. I miss her more and more every day. She didn't have the red hair like my mother and I, but shared the same brown waves of my father. Her eyes, like mine, were green, but had flecks of yellow, almost like sparks.

Before my parents died, she was just my sister, but the more I took care of her, the more she became like my own child. My own child that was ripped away from me.

Eleanor is already up, and has already gone by the time I climb down from my ladder. As I enter the dining hall a few minutes later, I find that I am the last tribute to arrive. I glance over and see them all sitting quietly, poking at their food. Everyone except for Clove. Marvel continues to send wary glances toward the door, waiting for her.

It is obvious the moral in the District is low. We all receive pitying looks from the citizens. I walk over to get a tray of food. I must be distracted walking back to a table, as I suddenly clash into Eleanor, causing some of my food to spatter on the floor and some on her clothes, adding streaks of color to her gray shirt.

"Hey, watch it, Freak!" Eleanor snarls. She shoves me to the ground.

I bite my tongue, holding back several remarks. "Sorry." I get up and brush myself off. I don't want to cause anymore trouble than I already have.

"You don't sound very sorry," she taunts.

I try to ignore her and kneel down to pick up my tray, but she kicks it several feet away. She's in an especially bad mood, even for her. Something stirs inside me.

"Well I am," I say through gritted teeth. Anger continues to boil up in me, but I suppress it. I note that people are watching us now. "Just leave me alone."

"Or what? You think your so big and tough with that freakish arm of yours?"

My hand instinctively curls into a fist.

"Just leave her alone Eleanor, she didn't mean to run into you." I glance over and I am surprised to see that the voice belongs to Cato, seated at a nearby table as he gestures her back.

This only seems to make her angrier. "Oh, so now you're on the Freak's side?" She faces me again and gives me another shove.

"Come on Freak!" Again, another push. "I want a real apology." She shoves me a fourth time, and I slam into the wall.

The anger that I was suppressing bursts into rage. I grab Eleanor by the collar of her shirt with my prosthetic arm and whip her around so that she is the one against the wall, dangling at least two feet off the ground as I hold her by the throat.

She just stares back at me, shocked, nearly choking. I don't usually get easily offended-it takes a lot to really get to me. It may be just because of what has happened. I find myself angry with so many things, and Eleanor is just the final straw.

She dangles there, struggling to get down and coughing on her words. "Get.. me... down... you...little... bitch! ...Get me down or I'll-"

"Or what? you going to cut off my nose and carve your name in my face? We aren't in the Games anymore. I used to think it was just an act, but now I know you don't care about anyone.You may not care about any of the families, but I do. I didn't have to save your sorry ass back there in the hovercraft, but I did. Because like it or not, we are going to have to work together. So stop harassing me, or anyone else who doesn't deserve it. Because if anyone deserves it, it's you."