𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟕𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ✔️

𝕏𝕏𝕍𝕀

I drift in and out of consciousness. I'm in an all-white room surrounded by doctors, but they all talk so quietly that I can't hear what they're saying. My room has a beautiful view over a park, and I can see all the people below me walking around like ants. There's a tube down my throat so I can't talk. There's nothing I can do but drift back to sleep.

I don't know how many days pass, but it's been at least two before I'm released. Almost like magic, my leg is healed. All that remains of Phoenix's attack is a thin scar down my thigh.

The doctors have taken the tube out of my throat, and I can finally talk, but I have no words to say. Every time I think I've forgotten, the crushing weight of everything reappears, and I'm unable to move.

When I'm released from the medical ward, it's Salacia that is waiting for me. She shrieks, enveloping me in a hug before I have any time to react.

"You were fabulous!" she tells me as if that's what I'm worried about. "The Capitol will just love you."

"Thank you, Salacia," I say. I have no other words to say.

"You may be wondering where Nereus is," she says, even though I couldn't care less. As long as I get to go home, I couldn't care less. "After your Victory, he's a celebrity in the Capitol. He's touring the Capitol right now! Isn't that so exciting?"

"So exciting," I echo mindlessly. Of course Nereus wouldn't even bother to greet me after surviving the Hunger Games. I don't know what I expected from him.

Salacia leads me down the winding corridors of the building until we reach the basement. "Your interview with Caesar is tonight," she explains. "I'll leave you with your stylist now."

I sigh with relief, throwing the door open and slamming it behind me without saying a word to Salacia. If anyone will just let me be myself, it's LeeAnn. The tiny woman is already inside waiting for me. She gives me a small smile as I enter the room. "Welcome, Griff," she says warmly. "Have a seat."

I sit in her styling chair as she pulls products out of a drawer. "Congratulations on surviving the Games," she congratulates me. "I know how played-up the Games are in here, but I can imagine how hard it is for you."

I'm surprised to hear these words come from a Capitol woman, but maybe they aren't all brainwashed. I sigh as she begins trimming my hair.

"I feel like I shouldn't be here," I confide to her. "I always knew one of us was going to die, but I didn't know it would be so..."

I can't even finish my sentence. All I can think of is Aurora's body falling to the ground. I was unable to move, unable to stop her.

"Let's talk about something else," LeeAnn suggests, ruffling my hair a bit. "Who are you most excited to see at home?"

"My sister," I respond almost immediately. "Clarissa. She made me promise I would come home. I didn't mean it when I said I would, but here I am."

"That's sweet," LeeAnn sighs. "I'm sure she's so proud of you."

We sit in silence for a while before LeeAnn asks me another question. "What would you have done if the roles were reversed?" she says quietly. "If Aurora had fought to save you and killed Phoenix, and she was laying on the ground, bleeding, what would you have done? I'm not supposed to mention it, but you know you couldn't have pulled the same trick as Katniss did."

My whole body throbs as I think of Aurora's last moments. The thing that hurts the most, though, is the fact that I would have done the exact same thing. I would have killed myself to let her live. When I see it from that perspective, I see how Aurora could have killed herself. She has nobody other than me. I have a family to go back to. I can rebuild my life without her. But do I want to?