somewhere in the haze || coriolanus snow

4

DAYS BEFORE THE 10TH ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES

I was officially 9 months pregnant. I was supposed to be giving birth soon and it was scary knowing that I could go in labor at any moment. It wasn't just that, the hunger games were starting soon. I had been watching since the tributes got selected a few days ago.

Coriolanus was the mentor to the district 12 female and she was lovely. Her name was Lucy Gray and she had the voice of a a nightingale, I was sure that Coriolanus was enchanted by her, she was the most popular tribute this year so that definitely helped him in some type of way. "What's happening right now?" I asked entering my family's living room. "Just the mentors talking to their tributes at the zoo." Maxilian answered. Maxilian had moved to the apartment next door to my family's so he visited a lot. I didn't mind because I viewed him as a friend but nothing else. So it was nice to have a friend in this time that I was seeing nobody.

I sat next to my mother who was opening a box of lipsticks that she had received from a Cosmetics store. "Here, this one would look cute on you." My mother suggested, passing me a light pink almost grey lipstick. "Thanks." I replied as she smiled. Something that I did appreciate about my pregnancy was how close it got me with my mother. She had also gotten pregnant at an age that was unacceptable, she was 20 and now I was 18. I wished that we would've connected under different circumstances but what was done was done.

"Are you betting Mr Smoronada?" Maxilian asked my father. My father raised his eyes from his journal as he took a second to think. There was a new betting system that was rumored to be created by Coriolanus. I debated believing it at first but now I could definitely imagine him coming up with the idea to Dr Gaul. "I'm not sure, I feel like that girl Coral has a good chance, but Lucy Gray might have some sort of luck." My father replied. In that moment, the camera shifted to Coriolanus and Lucy Gray. I wouldn't say it, but it did bug me. He looked at her in the same why that he used to look at me, and as much as I hated it I knew that I shouldn't. My mother placed her hand on mine as she gave a tiny squeeze. I gave her a warm smile as I turned back to the television.

In the matter of seconds, just next to Coriolanus and Lucy Gray, Arachne was stabbed in the neck by a piece of glass from her tribute. It happened so fast, I screamed immediately as Maxilian turned the television off. "No turn it back on!" I yelled, my eyes almost watering at the sight that I had just witnessed. It couldn't be real, there was no way that a tribute had just killed Arachne. "Please! That's my friend!" I yelled, my voice shrieking worse every second as Maxilian grabbed the remote to turn the television on. Immediately, the cameras were zooming in on Arachne, her pale skin now grey as the blood exited through her neck. Tears escaped my eyes as my mother placed her hand on her mouth. Me and Arachne weren't close, but we friends. Coriolanus was my boyfriend, and Arachne and Clemensia were my friends. My father stood up as he dialed the phone immediately.

I sniffled as the television featured Lucky Flickerman explaining what had just happened. Just behind him. You could see the peacekeepers picking Arachne up, her grey corpse her red ribbons slowly slipping off. I stood up as I left the living room, walking to my bedroom so I could cry in peace. I sat on my bed as I let a few more tears flow. I hated death. I hated knowing that I wouldn't be able to see that person again. I hadn't seen Arachne in months because of my pregnancy and she would never know why I disappeared for months. Of course she didn't bother to call, but I knew that if she had known what happened she would've been so happy. I heard a knock on the door as I raised my eyes to see Maxilian.

"Did you know her?" He asked me as he took a seat next to me in my bed. I sniffled as I wiped my tears, "She was a friend, not a close one but a friend." I replied. "The tribute was shot dead as well, I don't know what they have planned for the others." Maxilian answered as I nodded. "I just can't believe that it happened so fast, I know that Arachne wasn't the best person especially to district people but she didn't deserve it." I spoke as I rubbed my forehead. "None of them do." I continued.

He moved a hair stand from my view as he tucked it behind my ear. "I'm sorry it's just, it hurts that im not gonna see her again." I spoke softly as he played with my hair. This was weird. I sniffled again as I rubbed the tears off my eyes before  looking at his eyes. Then out of nowhere, he pressed his lips on mine. I opened my eyes as I looked at him while he kissed me, what was he doing? And why now? Was he taking advantage of the fact that I was emotional and vulnerable right now? I pulled away immediately as I wiped my eyes. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Kissing you." He replied. Before I could ask why, I heard my name being shouted from my living room. I stood up, walking out of my room the quickest I could as I entered my living room.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my father was rubbing his chin and my mother was staring at the window. "They're hosting Arachne's funeral in two days." My father spoke as I nodded. "Well, we can send a flower arrangement or something. From the Smoronada family." I suggested as my mom shook her head. "We are required to attend." My mother continued.

"Well you guys can go, I'll stay back." I replied calmly as I grabbed a cup of water. "That's the thing, you have to attend too. They want us to attend as a family as a way to stand against the rebels in union." My father replied. His answer went through my brain, how could I make this happen? "Well what could we do?" I asked as my father sighed. "Well, one solution is calling the doctor to put you in labor tomorrow or later today." I gasped at this. "I don't think so, I'd be scared to have the baby forcefully."I replied as my father nodded. "Then there's only one thing, revealing that you're pregnant at the funeral." My father proposed.

"Not exactly." I heard Maxilian's voice as he entered our living room. I still couldn't forget the fact that he had kissed me when I was crying. "What are you implying Maxilian?" My father asked. "There's this new pill, each pill takes your appearance back two months. So if Erica takes one pill, she will look like she did two months ago." Maxilian began explaining. "Yes but if we want to keep this a secret, she needs to look like how she did 6 months ago." My father replied.  "The more pills you take, the more time is flashed. So if she takes three pills, she will look like how she did 6 months ago." Maxilian replied.

"However, it is painful, there's no risk it's just a painful procedure and experience." He continued. "I thought it was a pill?" My mother asked as she sat next to me. "It is, however a doctor is needed to supervise the pill." Maxilian replied. I took a second to think about it, I couldn't possibly attend the funeral pregnant, I didn't want to take attention from Arachne's mourning.  "How long does the pill last?" My father asked. "The whole day, it just has to be done late tomorrow so Erica's body is ready for the funeral." Maxilian continued. My father looked at my mother. "What do you think Erica?" My mother asked. Everyone in the room turned to look at me as I inhaled. "Well we don't have any other choice." I responded as my father nodded. "I'll call a doctor." My father spoke as I nodded. I stood up to leave the living room.