Blind Hope | cato hadley ✅

three

Everything goes quiet around the girl as she's into a room, only a chair visible in the dark room as the door closes. She sits in the seat, knowing there is no one to see her. No thanks from the little girl, no goodbye from people who 'cared' at the market, nothing.

She slumps in the seat, seeing a guard come in. He yanks her from the seat and out of the room. His grip tightens on her wrist as he throws her on the train.

A moment passes as she gets herself together before standing up, looking around. She moves to the end of the train, giving her the horrific view of her district. The ground underneath gives a faint jolt, before her district escapes the girl at lightning speed. She squints her eyes, noticing dark smoke moving towards the sky. It takes a moment, but she notices it's where her house is supposed to be, making her shrug nonchalantly.

" Well, may the odds be in my favor." She turns around, finding her eyes on a boy, well a man, looking to be eighteen. She stares a moment until the door opens again. The Capitol Lady walking in, her heels clicking against the floor. She ducks down for the door frame, her hair and heels too high.

" I hope at least one of you survive this year. My name is Effie. I know your name is Marcus Aries, but will you please tell me your name, dearie?" she points at me. She too, stares at the expensive-looking lady for a moment before walking past the two. After only two carts, she sees what seems to be the dining room. It's not like the one at home; she feels like if she touches anything it'll break from how fragile and elegant it is.

In the middle of it, a drunk man sits at the table, a bottle in one hand and a glass filled with a clear liquid and a strong scent in the other. Looking at the table, she sees it's filled with an assortment of food.

She's pushed roughly from behind, Marcus moving quickly, grabbing food and beginning to eat like a slob.

" Ugh! Stop eating like you are some sort of animal!" Effie moves past the female contestant, smacking Marcus on the head, yet he still continues.

The girl sits at the end of the table, Marcus and the man, who is their mentor, beside her and across each other. She fills half of her plate before eating slowly, not wanting to regurgitate it sometime later.

 " Well, at least she has some manners." She glances at Effie, seeing her eyeing the girl before her eyes fixate back on her plate, continuing to eat. A drunk laugh distracts her mind though, forcing the girl to look at the drunk man.

 " When are manners gonna help her in the game?" he questions. She raised a brow as Effie snaps at him.

 " If they want sponsors, they need to be Haymitch! And they need to learn how to speak too!" she exclaims glaring at the girl. The latter looks at the man now named Haymitch, his blue eyes staring right back at her jet black ones.

 " So, the girl doesn't speak, eh?" She shrugs as Effie speaks for her.

 " No, she doesn't! This girl will not even tell me her name!" she exclaims again. The girl can only roll her eyes before slouching back in her seat, the fork in her hand now dropping with a clatter.

 " What's your name?" he questions. She only shrugs. " Why won't you speak?"

 " Why do you drink?" her voice sounds gravelly, as she hasn't spoken loudly for a long time. Haymitch gives a look of surprise, as do the other two. As he sees her lips become a smirk, his own follow before giving another drunk laugh.

 " I like her," he states, taking a drink from his cup. She can only shrug again, the smirk still on her lips.