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FEELINGS AND CORA simply did not go well together. When her emotions became too much to handle and were threatening to send her spiralling, she did what she always did best and ran away. Normally, she'd flee to the safety of her bedroom and hide under the sheets, allowing a few tears to leak out before locking all sorts of feelings away. She feared the longer she let them stay, the more they'd grow in strength. Cora wouldn't let the guilt or sadness suffocate her - she refused and she fought hard to keep it that way.
But here on the train, Cora feels on edge. There is no safe place and there is nowhere to run. If anything, it's the train of literal death, transporting her to her very own twisted graveyard. She predicts that the Gamemakers have a cruel twist up their sleeve for the Arena this year, and she dreads imagining what it could possibly even be.
Johanna and Torres are just as at a loss as she is, everyone too choked up and miserable to try and make plans for the Games. Eventually, they all just gave up after Amethyst tried to get involved and provide unhelpful suggestions that sent Johanna on the brink of throwing a knife at the escort. Amethyst had sullenly gone to her room in response, announcing that she was going to take a nap.
Torres and Blight went off together to talk, leaving Johanna and Cora to mull over things in silence. Neither feel like talking, contenting themselves with the quiet as the train sped through the Districts, the blur of fields and endless trees appearing in the glass windows.
Cora helps herself to a scone on the table. She figures she might as well enjoy the little things in life whilst she still had the chance, even if the awful, metallic taste of fear on her tongue ruins it.
"Are you mad at me?" Johanna breaks the silence, looking over at Cora. She's sitting with her knees up on a plush navy couch, leaning against a yellow pillow. "Because I didn't, like, volunteer for you like Blight did for Torres?"
Cora cocks her head to the side. Is she mad? The thought hasn't really crossed her mind. She never expected Johanna to try and take her place, nor would she have ever asked for it. If Cora had been in her position, she had a feeling that she would've reacted the same and kept her mouth shut if it meant escaping the Arena.
"No," she replies, after taking a moment to answer. "I don't blame you. And you shouldn't feel guilty for it either—"
"But that's the thing," interrupts Johanna. "I do. And it makes me feel sick inside. You have a whole mother, Cora. I have no one to go back to but you have people wanting and waiting for you to come home. Even your dad, however troubled the guy is. Maybe if I had just spoken up then—"
