Flares | Johanna Mason

IV. Repair

Ethan

The atmosphere around District 7 was very different from when he left. It was almost suffocating just to walk around the marketplace. People weren't as subtle as they thought they were when they looked at Ethan, trying to make it look accidental or sneaking a glance at the latest victor. He knew what they were looking for, they were looking for any signs that he was about to snap, that his demons were seconds away from consuming him like they had done in the arena.

Ethan wouldn't let them see anything. He was good at that, creating a facade, letting people see only what he wanted them to see, even using it on his family at times. The logical boy he made himself out to be during his interview was a character to drum up interest in him. The Reaper, partly was a character he played, turning that dark side of him up to eleven. There was only one problem, well one and a half, depending on how Ethan looked at it. When Ethan came up with the Reaper character for the arena, he knew he had to give in to his demons, but he didn't mean to be that vicious, that brutal. He knew that he needed to kill but he intended that it would be a quick kill, not at all like what happened. The other thing was Johanna, the only person who saw through his carefully created facade. She had seen him at his worst and at his lowest.

He still wasn't sure what to make of it, whether or not it was a good thing. He couldn't put up another facade in front of Johanna, she would just see straight through it.

Ethan didn't like to be vulnerable or seen to be vulnerable because someone would be waiting to use it against him. Some would probably call him cynical and paranoid but he saw it as being realistic. However, it just felt right to have someone else see it, to see him vulnerable, to not have to hide it.

"Come on, keep up." Shouted a small voice in front of him, snapping him out of his daze. Ella. He had took his niece out, for Ella to see him again and he got caught up in his own head. He wondered how his mum and dad were getting on with Johanna, it seemed to him that his family and Johanna would most likely have a clash of personalities.

Ethan sighed, catching up with Ella. She looked nervous and he knew that it was his fault. She had seen him kill nine people, it wouldn't be easy to see him as the same person that she did. She always told him that she looked up to him, and now he knew he had dissapointed her.

"Uncle Ethan?" Ella said, her voice slightly shaking. "Could you teach me how to fight?"

Ethan got one down on one knee and looked directly at Ella, slightly confused. "Why do you want to learn to fight, Ella? You don't need to, you're six."

Ella's eyes dropped to the floor, "In case I get reaped when I'm older. I'm scared that if I do then I won't be able to compete and you know how to fight, I've seen you fight."

Ah. She wasn't scared of him, she was scared that she would end up just like him.

Ethan sighed, "You won't get reaped El-"

"You did and your name was only in the bowl six times." Ella fired back.

"You're right, my name was in six times and it got pulled out. But you are still years away from having yours put in. You don't need to worry about these things now."

"I had to watch as you were in the arena and you're telling me not to worry when that's all grandma and grandad have been doing for two weeks."

Ethan gently nodded, he knew that there was no winning this one. "Fine, I'll teach you but no complaining."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Ella went in for a hug but stopped short due to a sudden violent coughing fit. Ethan winced because he knew what this meant and it was confirmed when he could see the traces of blood around his niece's lips.

-

He rushed back into the door of his home, Ella in his arms. "MUM! DAD!"

His dad rushed around the corner to the front door where he saw Ella. "Give her here, kid. I'll do it."

Ethan quickly passed Ella to his dad so he could get her the medicene she needed as his mum appeared from what seemed to be from thin air.

"What happened?" His mother said panicked.

"It's started again."

His mum looked at her feet and Ethan immediately caught the meaning of it.
"It's not the first time it's happened again, is it?"

"No, it's happened while you were in the Capitol."

Ethan's hand shaked. Not again, it couldn't happen again. Then he remembered something. "Where's Johanna?"

"She went home about half an hour ago. Speaking of what did you do in the Capitol?"

Ethan could hear the accusation in his mother's voice. He knew what she was talking about. Johanna wouldn't have told them, he was sure of that.

"Johanna's not as good at hiding things as she thinks she is. So I'll ask you again, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything."

"Bullshit. You did something, so what was it?"

"I've already told you, I didn't do anything so I don't know how's that not getting into your fucking head." Ethan snapped, his anger quickly rising and slamming the door behind him as he stepped back outside, a destination in mind. He was lying through his teeth but it was better than telling his mother that he tried to throw himself off the training centre's roof before Johanna caught him and that he starved himself on the train back home.

---

Johanna

Thank god the interrogation was over. She knew that Ethan's parents would have questions but did they have to make her feel like she was the one in the wrong. She did nothing wrong for fuck sake.

Johanna strolled through the forest as she tried to rid herself of the loneliness she felt from the visit to Ethan's home. Ethan had a supporting family around him, she had no one, not anymore. Her family was just like Ethan's; supportive, caring and wanting the best for them. Her family were patient with her as she pushed them away to save them for the horror of her nightmares only to lose them to an seemed like a simple choice at the time. Hopefully Ethan wouldn't have to go through the same. He was so similar to her but hopefully this is where they differed.

Johanna's head shot up as she realised she didn't know where she was. It seemed like her body had just kept wandering further into the forest while her mind was occupied. There was the river that she knew but there was also a grave. Out of curiosity, Johanna looked at who could possibly buried near the river. Her body went cold and her breath left her as she read what was on the gravestone.

Alesia Wynters

Beloved daughter, sister and mother

Johanna was so caught up with the revalation that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her.

"Johanna?"