𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐘 & 𝐆𝐎𝐑𝐄. ᵀᴴᴳ[1]

19

        SAGE HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO SLEEP FOR DAYS. He wasn't sure exactly how long it had been. But he knew it had been longer than what was healthy. So the moment his eyes were able to close and stay close, he didn't dare even try adjusting his position against the tree. Even with a piece of bark jamming right into his spine. At that moment he didn't think anything of what could happen, another tribute could walk up on him and kill him before he was able to really open his eyes. But being able to have his eye's closed was so peaceful, and it felt good to actually feel himself drift off into some sort of sleep. Whether it was peaceful or not, well he didn't know. It definitely didn't feel like he was in Twelve, or even in the penthouse. But for a split second, he also didn't feel like he was in the arena...

         The brief moment of much needed rest was cut short though. His satchel of arrows that he had sitting across his lap began to move. As if they were being pulled from his legs. Without even opening his eyes he reached over to grab whoever it was...

"Sage! Sage!"

          Sages' eyes shot open abruptly, and instantly he filled with panic as he saw just wear he was. In his own room in his new house in Victors' Village. And his hand was gripped around tight his sister's small wrist. He could tell it wasn't any tribute just from the feeling of how thin and fragile it felt. He quickly let go and shot up into a seated position and looked over at Prim who stood next his bed only for a brief moment, her eyes had been wide and filled with absolute terror before she quickly turned and ran from his room.

          He felt like his worst nightmare about going home after the games had come true. For nearly a week, he had been doing fairly well at acting normal. At least around Katniss and Prim. At least he thought he had. But it that instant, he knew he had showed Prim exactly how he was really doing. And it had been Prim, of all the people it could have been– it had to be her. She was terrified of him right then and there, absolutely horrified. When she had just been trying to climb up onto his bed as usual.

           Sage kicked his blanket off of him and sat up on the edge of his bed. He could see a light on in the hallway, their mother had gotten used to leaving one on at night for Prim because she either thought she heard something in the house that scared her or she was going to go to Sages' room. So Sage slowly stood up and made his way across his room and down the hall to the room Prim and Katniss shared. He poked his head inside, and heard the snoring that Prim complained of (and now hearing it, Sage didn't blame her for not wanting to share the room) and absolute silence coming from Prims' side of the room. But thanks to the light in the hall, Sage could see a lump in Prims' bed as Sage made his way over to her and sat on the edge. 

"Prim?" he whispered, nudging a bit. "Hey," he added quietly when she didn't budge. He gave her a moment, but she didn't show any sign of uncovering her face. "Prim, listen, I'm sorry." he whispered putting a hand on her shoulder, but she only moved away from him. "Prim, I'm really sorry. I was having a bad dream and...and you startled me is all."

No response. 

          When Prim didn't budge or mutter any type of response, Sage rose to his feet and left the room. However instead of returning back to his room, he went downstairs and into the kitchen. He flipped on a light and made his way over to the fridge where he had seen the bottle of whiskey on top. 

"I hope you know what you're doing, Haymitch." he said to himself as he grabbed the bottle and spun it around in his hands before he set it down on the counter to look for a glass.

          Once he found one, he filled it up with the golden liquid and instantly regretting it. It smelt how Haymitch had alway's smelt. An obnoxious smell that Sage had gotten used to since being reaped. In one way or another, it must have helped Haymitch. Otherwise he would have found some other method. At least Sage assumed he would have.

        As Sage drank from the glass, the whiskey burning his throat a bit as he swallowed it, he couldn't help but wonder if that was what he would going to end up being. A drunk that people saw emerge from Victors' Village just once in a while. A mentor that people dreaded having if they were unlucky enough on Reaping day. Because it would always be him and Haymitch. Districts with more than two Victors, some years Victors' got a break. They wouldn't be dragged back out for the games. But District Twelve just had Haymitch and Sage. So until there was another victor or two from Twelve, it would be the two of them. Every year from here on out. Sage didn't know how he could do it, he didn't understand how Haymitch had done it every year. And until this year, he had left with two tributes and come back with none. He couldn't even keep himself together at home, and it had only been a couple days. 

"I thought I heard some walking around." 

        Sage felt his heart drop, of course he couldn't just have privacy right then when he needed it. He listened to his father's footsteps get closer to him. But Sage didn't bother to even look over his shoulder at him. Instead he just quickly poured the rest of what was in the glass into his mouth– the subtle cinnamon in the drink burned his mouth almost immediately.

His father let out a heavy sigh, "Sage..." he muttered, "what are you doing?" he questioned watching Sage fill his glass again without even lift his eyes to look at him. 

"Getting ready to go back to bed." he stated simply, turning and taking the bottle and freshly filled glass to the table where they would be eating breakfast in a few hours. "Wondering if it was worth winning. The usual."

"Wondering if it was worth winning?" his father echoed, astonished that Sage would even say something like that. 

"You told me if anything came up to talk to you, well, that's it." Sage replied, "I don't think it was worth it at all."

"Sage," his father began sternly as he pulled out the seat beside him. "Of course it is-"

"That's pretty for any of you to say." Sage snapped quickly without letting him finish. "You weren't the ones who had to win to get you any of this."

Finally Sage turned towards his father, "I wish I didn't win," Sage stated, this time his words didn't come out angrily. This time they were incredibly shaky. "if I hadn't, I wouldn't have just terrified Prim in the middle of the night."

         Soren barely skipped a beat. As soon as the words left Sages' mouth, each word a bit more uneven than the last he pulled Sage into a hug.

AUTHORS NOTE;
Two more chapters of Sages' story! At least the first part of it!

Stay classy!

*unedited*