Caged | The Hunger Games AU ✓

viii ½. insomnia

eight and a half - insomnia

- - - ➳

"so, any last words of advice?"

it is the night before the games, after the interviews, and matthias, katniss, peeta, effie, haymitch, and i are seated on the plush sofa in the sitting room. after this, we won't see our mentors and effie again unless we make it out of the arena alive.

correction: if one of us makes it out of the arena alive.

"only take the things on the outside of the bloodbath," katniss replies when haymitch opens his mouth to speak. she gives him a glare, like she knows what he was going to say. "be aware of everything around you, though. you don't want to get away from there without anything, but you also don't want a knife in your back."

peeta nods. "make some allies. avoid the careers."

"that's ironic," katniss mutters under her breath. i vaguely remember peeta teaming up with the careers for a short while last year and wonder why he, of all people, is advising us to stay away from them.

"find a source of water as quick as you can," haymitch adds.

"and after that?" i ask.

haymitch only smirks. "stay alive."

instead of going to my room like i should, i wander around our floor, knowing i'll be unable to sleep even if i try. this is unfortunate because who knows when i'll sleep next? i need as much rest as i can before the arena.

so i head to my room and pull on a thick nightgown the color of the sky during a storm. i climb into bed and lay there with my eyes closed for what seems like hours. there is no clock in my room, so i have no idea what time it is.

i sigh, turning my head to look out the window. in the capitol, neon lights are flashing and blinking restlessly, and i'm sure music is blaring, too. however, the thick glass prevents any of the sound from entering my room. i am almost sad. a little background noise would be so much better than the ringing silence that buzzes around my ears.

the capitol residents are having a party in celebration of the games. how fun. a party celebrating twenty-three inevitable deaths.

i get up and walk to the window, pressing my hand against the cool glass. i suddenly remember the remote that controls the zoom and reach for it, enlarging the city until i can see a party going on down one of the streets. the residents are dressed in their brightest clothes and makeup, drinking and eating as much as their stomachs can hold. they are chattering lively and excitedly, some even laughing.

i turn away and zoom out, disgusted. how can they be celebrating when we're going to die? the capitol really is sick.

i pace around for a while until even that gets boring. i sigh, sitting down on my bed. i stare at my bare feet and think about the games.

and that's when it really sinks in deep. i'm going to be in the hunger games. me. thalia forkshire. i won't be watching them on television in the comfort of my home anymore. i will be physically in the arena, and i have to face whatever the gamemakers throw at me.

i may never see my family again. those moments in the justice building could be the last we had together. what were my last words to my parents? to roy? i can't remember. i just hope they were good.

what if asher, carly, and matthias don't want to be allies? what if i'm alone for the entire games?

i could be dead tomorrow. i could be next in three days. i could be dead.

i think that is what terrifies me the most. not the concept of death – i know it is inevitable – but the idea of being slaughtered in an arena full of kids for the government's entertainment. the idea of just being another face that panem will forget by the time the next games roll around.