𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

LEAVES CRUSHED UNDER HIS BOOTS, CEDAR FEELING THE BACKPACK HE HAD UNWILLINGLY ACQUIRED PULLING HIM DOWN. "Hurry!" The girl called, sprinting a few steps further. Lia Johnson, a year younger than him, had decided that their strategy would be to steal. And the only tributes that came to her mind were the 'Careers', who were among the many tributes he didn't care to remember the name of. Ergo, Cedar was left running with the supplies of the strongest competitors in the entire arena. Her motivation behind the stupendous act was 'asserting strength', or somewhat along those lines, Cedar was half asleep once she threw a backpack upon him and demanded he ran for his life. He knew the cameras were on him right now as he ran, the people of the Capitol like leeches as they probably awaited his response or next action,

like he was a movie character.

The districts watched too, yet their eyes were eating the content less starvingly than Panem's. The viewing was mandatory, Cedar undoubtedly feeling his sister's eyes on him. Katniss was always so nosey, and the fact her fourteen year old brother was fighting to the death would allow her to get front row seat of all the monstrosities. It was unhealthy, sure, yet it had become a norm after her twelve years of annual viewing. Cedar's eight year old sister, Primrose, not so much. He bet upon his own life she was hiding behind her father's leg and awaiting the evening where he'd discuss what happened over their dinner rather than her having to see it herself. Cedar was happy about this, as if he had been slaughtered, which he had a much greater chance at being right now, he would keep up the mountains of purity the girl held. "Why didn't you tell me before you stole the stuff!" Cedar grunted out, dodging trees in his wake. One of his good attributes was running, which was the only reason he liked her plan.

"I thought you'd agree so there was no point!" Lia yelled, Cedar huffing as he glanced back quickly. The footsteps were loud behind him, Katniss' eyes never leaving the large television ahead of her. "I don't agree!" Cedar shot out, rearranging his backpack. He was sure that would have emitted a laugh from Panem's audience. Not that he had cared, anyway. He had no remorse nor inch of bother for any of them. The trees quickly vanished, leaving the two in the open field they had started in a week before. Cedar's chest rose rapidly, hearing the yell of the two behind them. "Oi!" The boy yelled, Cedar ignoring the burning in his calves as he rose his arms, using them to help him run faster. Something flew onto him, the boy ducking messily. "Shit!" He let out, knowing his mother wouldn't care about his use of profanities in his instance. A butcher's knife had fell out of his back, leaving his blood coating the metal. The bag had split, Lia glancing back at the sound of clattering bottles falling to the grass.

"The supplies!" Cedar had no time to recognise the girl's motives, once more, before she acted, sprinting back and grabbing the bottles messily. "Leave it, Lia!" The boy yelled, rushing back to grab her as he felt the cut on his back open wider. "Then our plan was useless!" Lia spoke, Cedar watching the much older two tributes bolt towards them. "It was a stupid plan anyway-" Cedar gasped, scrambling back as Lia stilled, her body thudding the floor beneath her. The axe stayed lodged into the crown of her hair, Cedar breathless as he continued to pull himself back. Primrose had felt her father's jolt, along with Caesar Flickerman's words. No remorse, of course. A simple "Ouch!" to keep the crowds of Panem entertained. The Careers had reached them both, Katniss hearing as Lia's mother and father sobbed from the spot beside them. Cedar choked out gasps, watching the Careers simply snatch the bottles back, stuffing them into their own backpack as if they hadn't just killed the girl for it.

"She was so stupid." The girl laughed, the boy chortling along with her. Cedar took this time to stand himself up, starting to leave. "Nope." He felt a blade at his neck, the boy behind him twice his size. Of course they had allies, the supplies were way too much for the two of them. "Where do you think you're going?" Cedar had no response prepared, blinking rapidly as if to come to terms with what had just happened. His head was spinning, yet his eyes steadied upon Lia's back. Her dead back. "What else have you got in here, huh?" The boy had asked, Cedar never feeling the pain of his back injury as the bag was ripped from his shoulders, the dried beef Lia had stolen pouring out. The other two tributes had caught up, Cedar's breath slowing. "Are you gonna say something?" The girl from District One had snapped first, the three watching Cedar's lips tremble, as if reaching for the words. They had slipped out of his grasp, leaving him speechless as his eyes glazed with salt tears.