Rebellatis | PJO

Chapter 5

The days turn into weeks, weeks into months. We spend our time endlessly prying, poking and gossiping like these stupid Capitol girls in order to get our work done. Devinelle and September were relatively easy to get close to, and Gabriel is coming along nicely.

But something is off.

We're gaining information - everything's coming on well in that respect. But we haven't heard from Artemis in forever and Perse has been very vague as to why. We're all very worried that something is up, so we're working harder and harder at our targets.

But although the work seems to be calming Annabeth and Zoe, it's not convincing me. I'm worried that the Capitol is onto us in some way, that Artemis has been captured and Perse and her husband are at risk. Although I hate the Capitol with a burning rage, it also scares me. I can only dream of what they could do to us if we're caught.

After all, it is innocents subjected to the Games.

But I soldier on, making friends with Gabriel's girlfriends, squeezing them for information about his family life. They never know much but I'm slowly getting a picture together.

Annabeth and Zoë have already been over to Devinelle and September's house, been shopping with them and even slept over. It doesn't tell us much though. Getting information about their father isn't easy but word spreads easily here, at least.

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It's a few weeks later, and the whole Capitol is buzzing about the approaching Games. Is sick, the way we have to pretend like this is all fun. Annabeth is here because of her experiences in there, and me and Zoë both lost siblings to the Games. I start to think that maybe it's that that seems off - Artemis must be getting ready to mentor another pair of district children. Maybe there's nothing in it.

But as the weeks progress, and the Games start, I start to get really scared.

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It's not the Games - they just make me feel sick. This time it's a desert and the suffering is making me scream.

It's Perse.

When we first came, we trusted her implicitly. We had to - we were under Artemis's orders. But I've realised that some things don't quite add up here now. It's little things, like her impeccable Capitol attitude and her habit of leaving us as alone as much as possible. She never breaks character to help us out apart from when Artemis sent her briefings at the beginning, and those have tailed off now, even the progress reports.

Her husband's another thing - we were told he was a cook at the President's Mansion. Yet we have never seen him anything but pristine and smelling of perfume, and certainly not cooking. He barely talks to us, and when he does his voice is scratchy and low, as though his throat is injured. Annabeth and Zoë don't seem to be finding anything strange with our hosts, even now.

Because as the Games started, both of them seemed to get very excited. They have been watching them non-stop, glaring when we interrupt. I understand that keeping character is important, but falling asleep in front of the screen because they were up late watching the Games is excessive. And very very nerve wracking. They seem to be enjoying it, cheering as people die.

It's scaring me, and I need answers.