𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟕𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ✔️

𝕏𝕏𝕍𝕀𝕀𝕀

The excitement dies quickly. There is no big planned event for my return. Once everyone sees me leave the train, they disperse back to their jobs, content with the fact that I am in fact still alive. I get it - I used to be a member of the working class, and I know more than anyone else that every hour at the worksite counts.

Salacia leads me and my family down gravelly roads to the Victors' Village. I'm desperately curious to see what the Village will hold for me; District 4 citizens are not allowed within the gates. A crowd of District 4 citizens, mostly wealthy women with no work to go back to, follow us to the gates. Only Cassandra, my parents, and I follow Salacia any further.

The Village is strikingly beautiful. As we pass through the gates, the road turns from gravel to cobblestone. As we travel down the road, a row of houses come into view. I count twelve, all in a semicircle. At the center of the semicircle stands a large fountain, ornately carved with fish, birds, and more that I can't make out yet. The location is amazing - based on the location of the sun, I can tell that it'll set right in view of the houses around me, which are located at the top of a cliff, with nothing obstructing the view.

"Well, here we are," Salacia says, releasing a breath. She must feel more at ease away from the poor people of District 4. I roll my eyes a bit.

"This is the Victors' Village," Salacia tells me as if I don't already know. "Nobody is allowed unless invited in my you, Griff. You are to be the Village's first occupant, so please make it your own. It is customary that Victors choose whichever house they please, so take a moment to choose. Each house is identical inside but can be customized."

I glance around at the houses. Something pulls me to one house in particular: the house second-to-right. I want to be at the edge of the village, but not the very edge, you know? It sounds silly. I hate to have to make trivial decisions like this when I've had to survive something like the Hunger Games, but this is my life now, I suppose.

I move into my house, which is easy since Cassandra already packed up all my things in suitcases. All of a sudden, she's more than glad to help me move out so she can move herself into my bedroom. Funny.

It's not until everyone leaves - Salacia to the train station and my family back home - that I realize how lonely this house is. I'm all alone in this giant house, the only occupied house in the village. It reminds me of Aurora. If only she was here. This house, the location, the sunset... everything reminds me of the dreams we had together.

My heart aches. I want to cry, to let everything inside of me out, but I can't somehow. I'm so mangled that I can't even cry. I'm just numb.

The phone rings in the kitchen, a shrill beeping noise that I know I will never get used to. I stumble to the kitchen, swearing as I fumble for the receiver. I realize that I don't know how to use a phone - do I have to press that red button before I pick it up, or will it just work by itself?

I elect to pick the phone off the wall and see what happens. "Hello?"

"Griff, can you hear me?" it's a woman's voice, but I can't place who it is. Who could be calling me right now who owns a telephone?

"Yes, I can hear you," I confirm. "Who is this?"

"It's Irma Bradshaw, calling from District 6," she says. I recognize that name - Irma was a Victor from before the war.

"I wanted to call and congratulate you on your Victory. As Victors, we have to take care of one another, and I want you to know that."

"Thank you," I say. "It feels... odd to be here. This house is lonely."

"It's designed that way," Irma tells me. "Don't let it get to you. You've been through the worst of it, but trust me, once you get Reaped, you never truly leave the Arena. The Capitol is always watching."