Liberosis - The Hunger Games

23

I stayed by Finnick's side the entire train home, through the first night I found myself stumbling into his carriage, tears flooding down my face. He lifted me into his bed as I curled up at his side, crying to sleep as he stroked my hair comfortingly. He had told me that the first night out was always the worst, but it did not get any better for the rest of the train ride.

For the most part, the ride was silent, Sylvia respected my privacy as Finnick, and I locked ourselves in his room or my room. Occasionally I would find myself in Mags' room, keeping her company as she healed. After lunch she and I would play chess, after that I would collapse in Finnick's arms, crying until Sylvia called for dinner.

It took two days to pass through District One, the grassland turned to a coastal atmosphere as we transitioned into District Four. The further we were from the oceanfront the more I noticed a difference in the houses. The small cottages were a greyish dingy colour, large families wash their hands on taps outside with what I guessed was saltwater, buckets of fish were being gutted and cut, thrown into frozen crates to be shipped off to the capitol. A small makeshift apothecary sat at the edge of the town square.

Thousands of people were gathered outside the Justice Building, I could hear the animated chatter, the excitement that one of their children was still alive. They knew it was not supposed to be me, but they were grateful I was home, Addison would regain her smile, Andante would return to school, Asher's music would become livelier. Perhaps my parents had left the house, they would grow to be more like themselves.

The Peacekeepers opened the doors and an uproar of excited cheers greeted me as I stumbled onto the platform. My eyes flew around the crowd searching desperately for any type of familiarity. I noticed Crusty the pirate-like fish salesman, sitting on a rooftop with a pitcher of beer in his hand. I smiles in relief as he waved at me like a maniac, grinning I waved back at him.

"Rory!" I heard a loud voice exclaim, I was tackled into a hug from behind, Peacekeepers advanced on the person but Finnick pushed them away.

"She's with us, it's ok," Finnick said, the Peacekeepers nodded begrudgingly.

I pulled out of the embrace to find Asher, tears streaming down her face as she tackled me into another hug, "I was so worried, we all were, everyone else is waiting at the victor's village, they said they're setting us up as soon as you get home." She whispered, I noticed the clothes she was wearing, a yellow sundress, I remember her looking at the window shop, begging for the clothing- we had not harvested the pearls and we did not have enough money for it. Now, with our excessive amount, we could get anything we wanted.

Sylvia wrapped me into a tight hug, brushing some of the hair from my face, "Look after yourself, my dear, I'll see you in six months," I nodded, squeezing her back just as tight. She handed me a suitcase of clothing as she left, claiming Gaia wanted me to have it, though I had a sneaking suspicion she had commandeered it from the train without my prep team's knowledge.

I would miss my prep team, especially Blaze and Gaia. Gaia and I would be allowed to keep in contact briefly to discuss my clothing for the victory tour in six months. But Blaze I would not speak to until the victory tour, he had sent me off with a strong hug and a picnic basket worth of macaroons for the train ride. I had saved a handful for my family to try, though with my victor earning, we would be able to make them at home now. "Watch out for each other," Blaze had told Finnick and me, kissing us both on the cheek.

Finnick pushed Mags along on a wheelchair as we waved to the crowd past the streets when I noticed a man, a woman and two children standing a distance off from the rest of the crowd. Inexplicably, I felt myself being magnetised towards them. Finnick paused, holding Asher back as I stumbled towards them. "Mrs Castellan?" She nodded; the two children peered up at me through teary eyes. "I thought you should know that it wasn't supposed to be me that made it out, it's all my fault and I-"