"We are simply ash."
•••
It had been five years since Autumn's Hunger Games. She now lived with visions and voices that haunted her every night, watching her district partner die right in front of her eyes. Only one good thing came out of the Games...
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•••
Autumn and Finnick didn't leave the bedroom until they arrived at the Capital. They had no need to talk to anyone except each other. They mostly spent the whole time cuddling together as an attempt to comfort each other.
They waved to Capital people out the window and pretended to be happy. Sponsors were still important.
Before the Reaping, they both knew that if they were to go back into the Games, their top priority was to protect Katniss and Peeta and keep them both alive. But now, that has all changed.
Finnick and Autumn both swore to themselves to keep the other alive at whatever costs. Finnick would kill himself for Autumn and Autumn would do the same for him.
In Finnick's mind, if Autumn died, he would have nothing. Nobody else he cared about. He would never recover from her death. Finnick knew Autumn was the love of his life and he would never be able to move on from her death.
In Autumn's mind, Finnick deserves to live. If she dies, he can move on and have a normal life. He will be kids fine without her. But if he died and she lived, she would have nothing. She would go completely insane. It was like Tyson all over again.
Tyson. Autumn had kept her mind off of him for a long time, although she often had nightmares about his death. If Finnick died, her nightmares would consume her.
They got off the train hand in hand. Autumn was squished up against Finnick's side, trying to keep from being touched by all of the Capital men in the crowd.
Autumn looked up at Finnick and saw his smiling face as he greeted the Capital citizens. She knew this look was fake, however, as she could feel how his fingers trembled in her grasp.
Autumn placed the happy look on her ace, trying to keep up the facade as they left the train station and entered the Training Center.
Finnick and Autumn were quickly whisked away from each other, taken to be cleaned up and prepared for the parade.
Finnick looked over his shoulder at Autumn as he was being taken away to be cleaned up, seeing that Autumn was already looking at him. She gave him a single nod before turning back around. Finnick was grateful for that nod, feeling reassured.
Autumn was laid down on one of the beds in the square room. It was barely a room, though, as the walls were made of curtains.
The stylists waxed her from head to toe and cut the ends of her hair. They threaded her eyebrows and scrubbed her body until a layer of skin cake off. Autumn was then brought into a small, dark room where her stylist would find her.
Autumn got a feeling of deja vu as she watched the door open and her stylist walk in. Autumn hopped off of the metal table and ran up to the stylist, taking him in a hug.
Everlee happily hugged Autumn, having missed the girl. When they broke apart, Everlee smiled at the girl.
"How have you been, Autumn?" He asked her. Autumn smiled back.
"I've been fine," she replied. Although Everlee knew that wasn't true. He had seen the way she acted when he styled her for the interview after the Games. He knew she was broken.
But he was also happy to hear that Autumn and Finnick officiated their relationship and few years ago. And it seemed to show now as Autumn was much happier and healthier looking than she had been when he last saw her.
"So, what are we doing today?" Autumn asked.
"Something simple," Everlee spoke.
"Simple is good," Autumn shrugged with a smile.
Everlee brought Autumn into the dressing room, leaving her to get dressed in the costume that was left for her.
Everlee was right, it was simple. And a lot less revealing than in the seventieth Hunger Games, although still much more revealing than Autumn wanted.
The outfit was two pieces. The top was a tube top design that was tight around Autumn's chest. The top went down just far enough to cover her breasts but it revealed her stomach.
The second piece was a skirt that reached just above her knees, but it had a slit running up the right side that reached her upper thigh. She was given sandals as shoes in an attempt to make a beach feeling.
More stylists later came in to do her makeup and hair. They made a large mermaid braid that fell over her right shoulder. They then gave her light blue eyeshadow and winged liner along with a nude colored lipstick.
She looked beautiful, but also dangerous. The slit in the skirt and the top showing her stomach made her look and feel like an Amazon warrior from ancient stories.
Autumn was sent out of room and into the area with the rest of the tributes where they waited before the parade. All eyes were on her when she walked in, the Capital citizens screaming her name as they watched her from above.
