Liberosis - The Hunger Games

27

We left Lorelei and Atlas in District 5 with strong hugs; Lorelei left me her phone number to call if I ever needed to. Victors had more access to landlines and inter-district communication, Atlas left me with a kiss on the head and a silver flask full of alcohol. "Take care of yourself, Rory, we'll see you in six months," he told me, he and Lorelei waved us off from the train station.

My heart sunk at the realization that we would skip my home District, heading straight to 3. District 3 had a sort of futuristic air to it, the sky was covered in thick smog, lights in the houses were purple and green. Large factories painted the horizon, overall, it was not the worst District we had visited.

Like District 5, District 3 had smiled at me when I had arrived, they had whispered and cheered and run up to me with excited smiles. Looking back on the previous Districts I noticed a similar difference in the crowd with 11 and 8. Atlas was right, perhaps I was their 'Nightlock'.

Finnick and I had spoken as we drove out of District 3, like everything was back to normal he had clambered into my room and collapsed on the bed beside me after drinking more than his fair share of alcohol. "I wish I could tell you everything," He had slurred as the tracks whirred on the floor.

I sat up in my bed, turning to face the boy, "You can tell me anything you want Finnick," I told him softly.

He laughed, the sort of cold laugh that he never directed at me, whenever he brought up something forbidden or unfair, he would laugh that way. "I can't," He said, rolling onto his side, "To keep you safe,"

"I can protect myself," I argued, rolling over to face the wall.

"No, you can't, nothing stands between Snow and his victors, especially the pretty ones," Finnick responded, it was like it was personal to him, the spite in his voice had the bite of ice, but before I could turn around to question it, he was fast asleep.

We woke in District 2 the next morning, Finnick's arm was wrapped securely around my waist as the bitter cold air wafted through an open window. In comparison to the other, District 2 reminded me most of the Capitol, the air had a clean smell to it, every building was embellished in gold and silver, the hum of technology was heard throughout the city streets.

I had made my speech apprehensively, the District 2 people glared at me, I noticed Sage's family glaring at me maliciously from their podium. I had been escorted everywhere by peacekeepers during my tour, for my own safety. It was fair, Sage's death had been a merciless one, it was personal and yet it was the one I regretted the most. Even unwillingly, Sage had my back in those games, as if something kept holding us back when we had our blades drawn. Whatever connection it was, it snapped when Thorn died.

I let myself slip out of the building during the dinner party, purchasing a single rose from the florist and following the city signs to the large cemetery at the right side of the District. The cemetery was separated into sections, peacekeepers were buried to one side, honoured citizens were buried at one side, 'disgraced citizens' were in the back right corner and at the very front were the bodies of fallen tributes. Sage and Lark's graves were the cleanest burial sites in the graveyard, I had killed them both.

Sage's grave was littered with flowers, knives, medallions and jewels, tributes in 2 were highly decorated, even in death. Their most famous tributes had training centres and masonries names after them. I stopped down to read the headstone, placing the single red rose at the centre of her grave before slipping back into the night.

I had met the District's tributes, to which there was a large handful. Enobaria had greeted me with a cold sneer of her fanged teeth, she had been Sage's mentor. We ate and drank and tried to laugh through the uncomfortable air rising in over the crowd. Mags had been greeted like an old friend, with hugs, smiles, gifts, and letters. Even the most diligent followers of the Capitol regime respected the woman heavily.