Break The Rules But Be Smart About It: The Second Quarter quell

chapter sixteen

12:31

As I slide through a black curtain that enters the expo.

"HAYMITCH ABERNATHY, THE WINNER OF THE 50TH ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES!" I hear Ceaser Flickermen. As I am walking in, I wave and attempt a pleasing smile back at the crowd. I am on-top of the whole world, well, it feels like it. A breeze of cold minty air hits my face. Am I on top of a podium like an arena? Like one they used to use in the olden days... that's it! Where in the first Arena ever used. old, rustic but full of history,.... Bad history. Millions of people are on the stands, and all of the cheerings, some say "MAGS!" Some say "WOOF!" It is quite strange to be in an open arena with people yelling unknown names. Still, as I continue to walk straight to my designated seat, I notice behind me are all the tributes from previous games, ages ranging from teenagers to seniors. "wow," I whisper to myself, the crowds all saying my name at once and all the tributes looking at me, the attention I don't deserve. I look back to the crowd and give a good wave as I sit down next to the 49th hunger games winner, Lily Tomson.

Lily smiles and waves to the crowd, her eyes look calm, and she appears to be a pro with the cameras. Lily says, smiling and waving and between her teeth, "so how's it been, any nightmares, have you almost killed yourself?" her hand buzzes, and a shock hits her first, and she says "ow!" I say as we are waving, "What's that" she says, "if they don't like what I say," she points at her golden bracelet, "they shock me" I say, "oh wow, smart".... She says, "so answer the question," I say, "your upfront and personal. All I got is some panic attacks and mental stuff," she says, "you've become addicted to something, right?" I reply, "well, I wouldn't say," says "Chaff, 45th hunger games, he has an alcohol problem, Jon Loi 48th... drugs, Wiress and Beetee and just insane. Everyone has something expect mags," I reply, "who's mags," she says, smiling but pouting at the screen where they display a 50ish-year-old lady with dirty brown hair with gray roots coming out, she points at the screen "sweetest person alive" I reply "ok?" She says, "no, she's really good, she helps," I respond, "taking note."

The anthem continues, but we all stop waving as we all sit down. Lily fixes her dress, and I glance at her arms for a second, and I notice that there are scratches on her forearm.

They look like they are from a cat, but a cat wouldn't directly scratch her on her inner forearm. I say to her, bluntly, "cat?" She replies, holding a very thin needle that is as sharp as a knife, between her fingers.... She says, "this little thing..." I reply, "so no cat?" and says, "we all have something, Haymitch Drugs, Alcohol look at me, self-harm. We always tell ourselves 'just this one time' but that one time turns into two times the four times, then eight times. Here in the capital, they will bring you every freaking doctor and ay you are on the train for recovery, but far be it from that we are on the train to hell." She says all this with a smile, and still portrays to the crowd happiness. I can't believe it.

My mother taught me to value others. My Mentor taught me to lie to others. The Hunger Games taught me how to kill others.

The only lesson I value from all this is, no one is coming to save you. You have to save yourself.

I say back to Penelope, "nothing they ever teach us is real, isn't it?" She says, "it's all one big lie, or a joke," I say back to her, "what keeps you going" she replies, "my grandfather, he will die any day now, but I don't want him to go because of me" I reply 'and after?" She says while the music softens "cannons fire."

We all sit down, and the bright lights shine on the 49 Victors. A children's choir sings the national anthem, and we all are forced to sing it. I sing the melody with the words "stupid capital, stupid capitol," and soon enough, Lily says to me, "shut up my bracket, it buzzing me! It should be buzzing you!" I laugh but continue to sing the melody. Adolf Heavensbee stands upon the old podium and says, "welcome, today we honor the victors that we have with us, today we celebrate the rebellion and the war, how we fought and how we got!" I can't make up the words he just said, but the millions of people applaud and cheer for him. Plutarch continues, "I would like to ask Adam McFarland to stand up." The first victor of the first hunger games, an older, shorter man that is going bald. Around his later 60s. Adolf introduces every tribute one by one and explains how they won the games and who was president.