𝙷𝙾𝚄𝚂𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝚂𝙴𝚂 | 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝙾𝚍𝚊𝚒𝚛

𝚃𝚆𝙾

Valeria woke up screaming, gripping the sheets in her fists as her surroundings became disoriented. Deep breaths filled the air as she struggled to catch her breath, her grip on the sheets never loosening even as she regained consciousness. Her unfocused eyes found the window in her apartment, the only source of light from the late-night partiers who refused to sleep even at such an ungodly hour.

She pulled her legs up to her chest, hugging them close to her body as her body shook from her nightmares. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to block out the creeping nightmare to no avail. No matter how hard she tried, her nightmares always found her even when she wasn't asleep.

Knowing sleep was fruitless, Valeria slipped out of her bed and left behind the warmth her covers provided. The stone floor was cool against her bare feet, but she welcomed the uncomfortableness of it all as she headed into the main living area of her apartment. She squinted her eyes at the bright lights of the buildings outside, wondering how it could be so bright outside when it was the dead of night. She silently closed the curtains, blocking out the light as her apartment became pitch black.

Valeria didn't mind it as she entered the kitchen, pulling out a kettle as she prepared herself a cup of tea. As the water boiled on the stop, the kettle heating up to a dreadful red color, Valeria felt her hand reaching forward before her rational thoughts could stop her.

The metal burned against her skin, a familiar feeling as she held it against the kettle until her brain forced her to pull away. She held her blistered hand in front of her, biting her lower lip hard enough to draw blood as her hand dropped back to her side.

Valeria stood there for a few more moments until she left the kettle on the stovetop as she made her way to the closet, rifling through her things until she found the burn cream that was quickly running out. She'd have to go out to buy more again.

Ignoring the way her hand throbbed with pain, she rubbed the smooth medicine onto her blistering skin before tossing it back into the closet. It would only take a few hours for it to heal, Valeria knew from many past experiences, and she didn't give it a second thought as she reentered the kitchen.

The whistle from the kettle signaled the water had been ready for quite some time, and Valeria didn't waste any more as she pulled it from the heat before pouring it into a cup. When she finished making her tea, she slowly made her way back to the living room. She set the tea on the table for only a brief moment, walking back up to the window to open the blinds.

Valeria returned to her tea, cupping it into her uninjured hand as she settled into the cushions. She sat there on the couch, sipping her tea until the sun came out to signal another dreadful day of existence. It was reaping day, the worst day of the year. Perhaps not the worst, Valeria thought to herself as she watched the sun rise above the tallest of buildings in the Capitol, but it definitely wasn't a day of celebration. At least for her.

Eyes would be following her all day, holding on to every reaction she had for each of the tributes reaped that year. It was pathetic, how the citizens held onto her every word and thought. If she showed a certain interest in one tribute, there was sure to be an array of Capitol citizens fighting to sponsor the tribute no matter the cost. It made it easy to manipulate them, Valeria had to be thankful for that, but it became tiring nonetheless.

It took a while for her to get ready, pushing through the dozens of dresses she owned until she found the right one. Being the president's granddaughter meant always dressing to impress, and that took time no matter how much Valeria hated it. She settled on a simple dress, at least by the Capitol's standards, as she slipped into the lush red fabric.

Valeria ignored the way it suddenly became harder to breathe as she slipped into her new pair of plumps shipped directly from District 1. Her steps were wobbly at first, but she soon slipped into her regular routine as her strides became smoother and she hurried to the bathroom to finish getting ready.