stay golden, darlin'

xx

Haymitch’s P.O.V

  “Did you have to make this so rough?” Johanna huffed, rubbing her forehead before looking up at you

  “We had to shift”

  “Because Lover Girl decided she wasn’t leaving without him?” she scoffed, you looked at Delly quickly, who was off in her own world. She seemed lost, different from the Delly you saw at the start of the Games. 

  “DON’T YOU DARE!” she yelled when Asher’s name was mentioned by Johanna. This was going nowhere. You had other things to think about. You let the children yell what they needed to before trying to wrangle them

  “We need to talk about what’s going to happen,” you sternly told Delly to sit down, “when those doors open in District 13, you’re all going to keep your mouths shut and do what you’re told. They’re not your friends. They may not be the Capitol, but they don’t know you. They don’t trust you anymore than you trust them.” You leaned against a wall, folding your arms, 

  “And they are?” Johanna crossed her arms, almost mirroring you

  “The reason you’re alive”

  “Comforting”

  “Not supposed to be,” you took a deep breath before continuing, “they’ve been hiding longer than most of you have been alive. Successfully, mind you. They’re disciplined, suspicious and very particular. Every calorie they eat is counted. Do not expect hugs”

  “And medical?” Finnick glanced at Beetee

  “They’ll take Beetee first,” Beetee tried to protest, “you don’t get a vote,” you cut in, “your hands are practically burnt off. If you pass out before we get there, they’ll carry you in anyway.” He nodded reluctantly, and you nodded back. “Good,” you said, “thank you for your cooperation.” You didn’t mean to say it, but as soon as you did, Katniss came into your mind

  “They’ll separate us?” Finnick asked

  “For a while” you replied, coming back to the present. You looked over at Delly, who was staring ahead. “Medical exams. Questions. Security checks. Making sure nobody has any Capitol trackers shoved somewhere unpleasant.” Johanna groaned

  “I know I don’t” she said

  “It doesn’t matter. They’ll check anyway” she rolled her eyes and you looked around again, “you’ll be quarantined”

  “What?” Finnick said

  “Nobody’s just walked out of a Hunger Games before. They don’t know what to expect,” you explained, “they don’t know what’s on you or in you. If Snow planted something somehow. They need to test everything. To be as careful as possible.”

  “Wonderful” Johanna muttered

  “How long?” you said toward the cockpit, trying to get a break from explaining everything. From answering all the questions 

  “Seven minutes” Delly finally came back, walking toward the cockpit. Shit, you sighed to yourself

  “Delly,” you tried to stop her, “Delly, stop” but it was too late. She saw him and you rubbed your forehead. She just stood there, shocked at who she was seeing

  “I can’t bring him back,” he finally said, his voice echoing through the metal container, “but they didn’t kill him. Which means someone still needs him.” You leaned on the balls of your feet just enough to see if she was going to say anything; nothing. “So, it’s not over…” he added.

  “Where are we?” you planted your feet back on the ground

  “We’re almost home” you sighed

  “Home?” Delly asked

  “No-,” you had to correct yourself, “somewhere Snow can’t reach…”

  When the craft finally landed, you had to remind the group of the rules

  “Did you hear anything I said?” you asked a still shocked Delly

  “Hmm?” she blinked

  “Did you listen?” she shook her head, “didn’t think so,” you sighed. “Just don’t try to be friends with anyone. Maybe that goes against your nature, but this isn’t District 12”

  “Why can’t we just go home then?” she looked at you

  “District 13 will protect us,” everyone was quiet around you, the door not opening yet. “Eventually, they’re strict, they follow the rules and that means we have to, too. No wandering, no fighting, no sneaking out. Do as they say, and as they do, and we’ll all make it through.” You took a slow deep breath, waited for the door to open and said one last thing, “they’re going to ask you to help”

  “Help with what…?” Finnick asked

  “Changing things,” you hesitated, “they won’t ask right away but eventually, they will ask. They want to know where you’ll stand.”

xx

Delly’s P.O.V

  The doors finally opened and there was nothing there. It almost looked like District 12, the outer woods, but there was nothing. No roads, no smoke, just overgrown grass and silence. Until a section of the forest started to move, rattle, like an earthquake and you weren’t the only one who thought they were back in the Arena. There was a similar mechanical grinding as the ground slowly opened and the trees sank below, lowering everything like an elevator into a concrete world under the ground. Where the Capitol brought bright colours and showmanship, District 13 brought camouflage and uniformity. The first thing you saw after your eyes adjusted to the low light were the soldiers; grey uniforms and serious faces and then the doctors close behind bringing a stretcher for Beetee. 

  “There’s no air,” you said, unexpectedly

  “Shh,” Haymitch hushed, wanting you to play by the rules, and you nodded your head quickly. Even though you didn’t mean to say it, you couldn’t stop seeing it. There was no air, there was no.. life. Everything was chemical, clean. District 13 had survived this long but this survival was full of fear. Without anyone noticing, we’d moved out of one danger into a new one. 

  When they brought you into a medical room, you couldn’t concentrate on the questions they were asking you. There 

  “Name” they started

  “Delilah Cartwright”

  “Age”

  “17”

  “District”

  “Twelve”

  “Any difficulty breathing?”

  “No”

  “Can you stand?”

  “Yes”

  “Loss of consciousness?”

  “Yes”

  “When?”

  “When the tree fell”

  “How long?”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Approximately”

  “Maybe 2 minutes?”

  “Allergies”

  “No”

  “Medications”

  “No.” They started examining you, noticing scrapes and bruises and burns, then they moved onto their next step; Everything was very thorough

  “Did the Capitol implant anything?”

  “Like what?”

  “Anything to monitor you? Tracker?”

  “Not that I was told”

  “Did you consume any unidentified substances?”

  “No.” They turned to X-rays, blood tests, scans. They had separated all of you. You had no idea what they were asking the others, if it was the same as them or specific to you; but you did as they asked. Like Haymitch wanted you to. Then the interrogation came

  “Tell us about Beetee’s plan”

  “He figured out the structure of the Arena. Noticed the barriers and how and when the lightning hit the tree. He used the forcefield to… attack the Arena? I don’t know how to explain it. He like made the lightning a weapon” your hands were miming the explanation you were trying to give

  “When were the structural weaknesses noticed?”

  “I can’t remember”

  “Can’t remember?” they sounded surprised for the first time in all the testing, like somehow this hadn’t been tested

  “So much happened in that Arena in a short amount of time. I don’t remember exact moments. Other than the really awful ones”

  “Was there Gamemaker intervention?”

  “No..” you hesitated, “I don’t think so. Seneca was in the hovercraft when they took Asher away,” you confessed, “does that count?”

  “Which traps were manipulated?” they ignored your question

  “Manipulated?” you furrowed your brow, “I don’t know what that means”

  “What traps were made to disorient you?”

  “All of them?”

  “Did Snow send any direct messages to you?”

  “No”

  “To anyone else?”

  “I don’t think so”

  “Anything through a sponsor?”

  “From Snow or from a sponsor?”

  “Did Snow send you any messages through a sponsor?” they corrected with a sigh

  “No”

  “Did anyone in the Capitol send direct messages?”

  “No”

  “Did any of the Gamemakers alter the Arena due to your actions?”

  “They moved it around a bit when I realized the clock system”

  “Anything else?”

  “I don’t know..”

  “Did anyone in Capitol Command help you?”

  “No”

  “You said Seneca Crane was in the hovercraft,” they repeated, “did he give you anything?”

  “No,” you said, “he just stared at me”

  “He didn’t speak?”

  “Not until the hovercraft took me out of the Arena” 

  “And what did he say?”

  “That they took Cato alive…” they scribbled in their notebooks

  “Why did the Capitol take him?”

  “He was too far away from us”

  “Would he cooperate with the Capitol?”

  “No”

  “Can you be certain?” you paused. Darting your eyes back and forth. He wouldn’t. Of course you were certain. But what would they do to him? How were they interrogating him?

  “Yes” you finally said

  “How?”

  “Because he’d never choose them.” More scribbling. They moved you to a different room. A more gentle evaluator this time

  “Hi Delly,” she started, “have you slept?”

  “Not recently,” you replied, not even knowing how long it’d been

  “Can you remember today’s events?”

  “Yes”

  “In order?”

  “Slowly. I’d have to take my time”

  “Do you know where you are?”

  “They told me it was District 13…”

  “Good,” she smiled, “only a few more questions. Have you experienced any hallucinations?”

  “I don’t… in the Arena, I was in a glass dome. There were images on the walls. I don’t know if they were hallucinations but maybe that’s the closest thing?”

  “Good, good,” she continued, “what is your biggest concern right now?”

  “Cato.” Your answer nearly came before she ended her question, but there was no doubt. “Cato,” you said again

  “Why did you form an Alliance with Cato?” you didn’t know what to say. Could you trust them? If you weren’t in the Arena anymore, and they brought you out, then something must be safe

  “I met him before,” you admitted, “we… became close”

  “Close how?”

  “I was sent to District 2 to spend time with him,” scribble, scribble, “there was an agreement…” You stopped yourself. If you said anything else, it might make Cato seem guilty. They wouldn’t understand.

  “When did he stop being an enemy?”

  “He was never an enemy”

  “Never?” you shook your head, “why did the other Tributes trust you?”

  “I met them before, too,” you said slowly, “briefly. But they.. somehow knew why I was there”

  “In District 2?”

  “Yes”

  “Was the Alliance planned before the Reading?”

  “How could it be?”

  “After the Reaping?”

  “No”

  “Delly,” she leaned forward, her arms over her notepad, “why did the Capitol keep filming after Asher died?” The question caught you off guard. How do you answer that? You didn’t know what the Capitol was thinking. You imagined the Capitol wanted to just film everything, especially the traumatic moments, because it was better than filming the Tributes walking from one spot to another. 

  “Maybe they didn’t have anything else to film?” you shook your head, not even believing yourself. Scribble, scribble, “or,” you whispered, “they wanted everyone to watch…” She looked down at her notepad, then at you one last time, taking a deep breath

  Scribble, scribble.

  Your eyes watched her pen move across the paper and you waited for her next question but it never came. 

  “Okay,” she finally said, “you can go now.” The soldiers surrounded you, one lifting you up by your arm and directed you to the room that would be yours, closing the door once you were inside. It almost felt like you were trapped, locked inside a prison, and the only way to get out was to let them keep you there. 

  “Delly,” a whisper came through the slot in your door, “Delly” it repeated. “My dear,” you finally heard the twinkle of Effie’s voice, though it was a little dimmer now, “I just want you to know that you’re not alone in there…” you couldn’t think of anything to say. You were still trying to get used to this place. Trying to do as Haymitch said. Trying to focus on something good. “I understand if you don’t want to talk,” you moved closer to the door, “that’s okay. I just..” she hesitated before clearing her throat, “I brought you some fresh clothes. They’re terribly grey, I did ask if they had anything with colour but everything must be uniform down here. Including the camouflage. I’ll just leave those right here, outside your door,” you could hear the pained smile on her face before her footsteps began moving away. “I cried, too,” her words were quiet, but you could tell she had come back to the door. “So did Haymitch, though he’d never admit it,” she paused, “but he did.” You placed your palm against the door when you got to it, “I’ll be right here, my dear. I’ll be here when you need me…”

  You wished you could say something but your mind was blank. Effie had always been so sweet to you, so worried for you and about you. She had so much love for Asher and you could imagine how devastated she would have been. You sunk down onto the floor

  “Effie,” your voice was raspy

  “Yes, my dear,”

  “I don’t know what to do in this place,” you said, “I know I should be grateful that we’re not in there anymore, but they’ve locked me in here. I can’t see anyone. I can’t go anywhere. I don’t know what to do…”

  “It’s okay, my love,” she cooed

  “What’s gonna happen to us?” you whimpered, “what’s gonna happen to Cato?”

  “I–” she hesitated, “I don’t know…” you appreciated her honesty and her kindness, even if it didn’t make you feel better in the moment. The two of you sat on the floor on either side of the door for a while until you heard someone direct Effie to get away from the door. The steel door was pulled open and you saw more grey uniforms, Effie in her own grey uniform, makeup gone and hair hidden away, a shell of herself. 

  “Delly Cartwright,” one of the soldiers said sternly, “President Alma Coin needs to speak to you.” You followed the soldiers through the concrete hallway until you got to a long table, opposite a woman with a blunt hair cut and a silver streak framing her face

  “Hello, Ms. Cartwright,” she said, “my name is Alma Coin.” You took a spot at the end of the table, slowly, awkwardly, “you’ve been told where you are,” she stated, “you’ve been through all your exams. You have been shown to your room, where you’ll be quarantined.” You crinkled your brow in confusion as you listened to the facts she was stating. You studied the room as she spoke. The same as the rest of the building. No windows, no colour, just steel and concrete. Built to last. “I’m the President of District 13. The leader,” she corrected herself. You blinked slowly, waiting for something more.

  “Where’s Cato?” was the only thing you said

  “He’s in the Capitol”

  “I need to get to him”

  “I understand” she nodded

  “I don’t think you do,” your voice cracked. President Coin stood perfectly still, “they’re going to hurt him”

  “Yes” 

  “So we have to find him. We have to bring him back”

  “No”

  “No?” you challenged her callous statements

  “It’s not possible,” she added, “there’s nothing we can do”

  “You haven’t even tried”

  “We have,” she finally stood up, stepped toward you in silence, “Cato Berenger is in the Capitol. And that is where he will stay”

  “W–”

  “Until the opportunity arises,” she interrupted you, “I cannot sacrifice hundreds of lives to save one,”

  “He’s not just one,” you whispered

  “No,” she nodded, agreeing instantly, “he’s important.” You felt a breath release from your lungs and your heartbeat lower. Thank you, you thought to yourself. “He is invaluable to the Capitol,” any hope of kindness you had for this place had vanished, “as such, his survival has significant strategic value.” You looked away, down at your hands, President Coin noticed, and you were sure she noticed everything in this place. Down to the last piece of dirt on the floor, “the Capitol believes they have leverage,” she continued calmly, “they’re right.” She waited for you to say something but you… just didn’t want to. She sat down in the chair next to you, waiting in silence for as long as she could, 

  “I don’t care about leverage,” you muttered, “I care about him.” 

  “And that is why President Snow took him,” she smiled, “you can take her back.” 

xx

Haymitch’s P.O.V

  Coin leaves the room where she had just spoken with Delly and finds you and Seneca waiting in the hallway.

  “Well?” you leaned against the wall. She was thinking about her answer

  “She isn’t interested in politics,” she finally said, putting her hands behind her back as she walked down the hall; you and Seneca following close behind

  “Told you,” you snorted, “let me guess, she doesn’t want to be a symbol either?”

  “We didn’t get that far,” she admitted, “but I imagine not.” The soldiers had brought Delly back to her room through a different hallway, but there was a small observation window that Coin began to watch her through. Seneca looked through it first, and then you. Delly sat at the end of the bed, picking at the hem of her sleeve, where Asher’s blood had dried, and stared blankly at a pile of grey clothes, small tears falling down her cheek. “She may prove more useful this way,”

  “What does that mean?” your expression hardened, Coin finally turning to face you, glancing quickly at your features

  “It means, Mr. Abernathy, people don’t follow symbols because they’re asked to,” she looked back at Delly, “they follow people they believe.” She left without another word and you watched as she disappeared down the corridor. The hallway was quiet again. A loud quiet that you didn’t think you’d ever get used to

  “I don’t like the way she looks at her,” Seneca exhaled quietly, keeping his eyes on Delly, who still sat at the edge of the bed. 

  “No,” you replied, taking a drink from the flask you’d snuck through security, “neither do I.” Seneca rubbed the bridge of his nose after a stretch of silence, turning his body to you

  “I thought getting her out would be the hard part”

  “It was,” you let out a dry laugh, “but…” she was still staring at the pile of clothes like she was trying to make it come to her. You reached up and slid the small metal cover across the window. She wasn’t going anywhere, even if she knew where to go, they wouldn’t let her out - giving her privacy was the least that you could do. You crossed your arms as Seneca took a seat on a concrete bench, “just because she’s here doesn’t mean we succeeded with anything,” you sighed. “She still has to survive everything that’s going to be thrown at her,” you added, “now she has to survive people trying to tell her who she is supposed to be.”

  “I… made a promise,” Seneca said, “to Asher.” You looked at him, it caught your attention because you couldn’t imagine what he was talking about

  “What’s that?”

  “When I took him,” he swallowed, “I told him I’d look after her”

  “She’s stronger than she thinks she is,” you examined his expression. “Maybe that wasn’t your promise to make,” you said after a while,

  “I know”

  “No,” you corrected, “you don’t.” He looked confused. There was a beat of silence that was becoming all too common between the two of you, “you lied to yourself.”

  “She’s going to hate me”

  “What makes you think she doesn’t already?” he shrugged

  “Delly doesn’t hate people,” he said and you shrugged, “but I would deserve it…”

  “You do,” you cleared your throat, nodding at him to come with you. “She keeps asking about him…” Seneca doesn’t answer, but he leans in closely, “not Asher. Not her parents. Just Cato” 

  “I know,” he finally said

  “Do you?” you looked at him, “because if Snow figures that out before we get him back…”

  While the two of you walked back to the Mess Hall, you noticed officers and guards exchanging files. Reports. One was marked Medical. Another, Psychological, another simply read Observations before disappearing under someone’s arm. “They’re moving fast,” you frowned, trying not to stare, “they’ve been waiting for this”

  “For what? Survivors?”

  “No,” you took another sip of your drink, “for their moment to hope.” He nodded, “they’re not watching her,” you continued, “they’re watching everyone around her. They’re looking at everyone who watched her. Those people are their chance at something bigger than all of this.”

  “I think you need to get some sleep,” he scoffed

xx

Delly’s P.O.V

  “Get ready!” Beetee yelled, taking his place by the tree, “we have 60 seconds. Is everything ready?”

  “Cato’s not back, does he need to be?” Finnick asked

  “We can’t just leave him…” you said. Yes, you were hurt and confused, but watching him run down the beach brought back every feeling you’d ever had for him. 

  “He’ll be back in time,” Beetee reassured, “but we’re down to thirty seconds now. We have to make sure we’re ready.” He began counting down. Thirty, twenty nine, twenty eight… You saw the wire still being pulled

  “Cato,” you whispered to yourself, worry seeping into your bones now

  “Twenty,” Beetee continued

  “DELLY!” Johanna called out

  “What does he do when he gets to shore?” you yelled to Beetee, who was triple-checking that the wire was tied around the base of the tree 

  “He knows…” was all Beetee said

  “What does that mean?”

  “It doesn’t matter now,” Johanna said, “we’re almost out. Can’t you feel it?”

  “What does he do?” you asked, an intense glare toward Beetee. You looked back at Cato, noticing something shine in the moonlight

  “Ten seconds,” he says, looking up at the sky, “wait.. wait..” Everyone stopped breathing for a moment, “nine…” he continued once more

  “Beetee!” you said but he didn’t reply

  “Wait…” Beetee called out to Cato, who you now noticed was planting his feet in the ground, not to keep the wire taut but to make sure he was firm in his stance, just as the lightning cracked through the sky. “NOW!” Beetee yelled. Cato grabbed his sword, dropped the wire and threw the metal weapon through the air - the sword and the lightning following each other like a race - until they both met the wire at the bottom of the tree. You heard the humming of the watch, Beetee’s eyes went wide when he realized it was too much for the capacitor to handle. The wire glowed bright white before Beetee quickly grabbed it

  “BEETEE, DON’T!” you yelled but there was a look in his eye that said he couldn’t, or wouldn’t; the tree finally erupted as electric arcs lash outward as the forcefield began to collapse, throwing everyone so far back that you were too disoriented to move. There was small scuffling around you as you finally came to but the lightning strike had caused the Arena to be bright white and you couldn’t make out what was happening around you

  “Beetee!” he didn’t answer. Finnick reached him, kneeling down beside him. Beetee’s grip on the wire was unbroken. You could see Finnick trying to pull it away, but even unconscious, Beetee was still holding on. 

  “You can let go now” you heard him say, finally able to gently pry Beetee’s fingers loose. Everything next happened so quickly, all at once. A hovercraft appeared. Silent, almost hidden, it was just the darkness removing the light - coming through the small fracture in the sky, the one that Cato threw the sword at, 

  “CATO!” you gasped, turning everywhere to find him, but he wasn’t there. You couldn’t find anyone. “Asher..” was the last thing you said before you felt someone pick you up

  “Take her up” a voice said matter-of-factly into a radio,

  “No,” you tried, your throat dry and your words barely distinguishable. You squirmed enough to get away - you couldn’t leave the rest of them - that’s when the cables started coming down.

  “Beetee?” you whispered as two masked men attached him to a cable and brought him up slowly into the hovercraft. You shook your head, the arms around you still trying to pick you up but you wouldn’t let them. You couldn’t let another person go. Where is he? you began to panic when you didn’t see anything, that’s when a hovercraft appeared over the water. Cato? He was trying to stand, he looked at you, then up to the hovercraft above you and smiled. More cables, but these were different, shinier, more pristine, and they were automatically wrapping around his chest. The last thing you saw was him looking at you as he accepted his fate. Finnick wrapped his arms around her waist, like he had no choice,

  “We can’t stay here, Delly,” he said, “they’re here for us”

  “Stop! LET ME GO!” you insisted, trying to get to Cato, trying to reach him somehow

  “We have the last two,” the same voice over the speaker spoke, placing a cable around you and Finnick, “coming up now”

  “NO!” you screamed, seeing Cato being raised into the hovercraft opposite yours. You clawed at Finnick’s arms, even once you got into the hovercraft.

  “What are you gonna do? Jump off a giant flying machine hundreds of feet in the air?” you heard a voice say dryly. Haymitch. You moved to the back of the hovercraft, banging on the door to let you out; you couldn’t stop your tears, they hadn’t stopped since this all started

  “Four secured,” the radio said

  “Where the hell is Cato?!” he asked the voice, the beeping of the walkie halting the answer

  “Capitol got him” a different voice answered

  “Shit!” Haymitch said sharply, slamming his fist into the wall

  “We have to go back…” you replied, shaking your head quickly, “turn around.” No one spoke

  “Turn around,” you repeated, running toward the pilot, “WE HAVE TO GO BACK!”

  “Delly–” Haymitch sighed, everyone else panting alternately as they watched you

  “I said take us back.” Nothing. No one moved. “I left him. I left him there…”

  “Delly,” Finnick said as he kneeled in front of you, “look at me.” You didn’t, looking straight ahead as if it would make him magically appear. Finnick tried again, saying your name softly, a tear falling from your eye, “Cato would’ve dragged you onto this hovercraft himself.” You finally looked at him, “you know he would’ve.” Your eyes were brimming with tears that you couldn’t hold back any longer. 

  “Wait,” you sniffled, “that voice said the Capitol has him. What does that mean?” Silence again. No one would look at you

  “Aren’t you the one who said you wouldn’t have chosen him?” Johanna argued

  “What? No.. I.. I didn’t…”

  “Did you have to make this so rough?” Johanna switched, looking up at Haymitch

  “It was supposed to be smoother than that,” Haymitch sighed, “but we had to shift”

  “Because Lover Girl decided she wasn’t leaving without him?” Johanna scoffed, “I knew we should’ve left her there,” she said to Haymitch, “as soon as she and her brother kept sticking to their own corners. As soon as she kissed Cato..”

  “DON’T YOU DARE!” you yelled, her voice finally piercing through, “don’t you dare talk about Asher! None of you tried to save him, you don’t get to talk about him like he was some kind of burden…” Everyone was quiet. Beetee the most of everyone, he closed his eyes

  “Delly, if there had been another way…” he stopped, “I’d have found it.” He looked down at his hands, “I couldn’t save Wiress, I couldn’t save Asher…” You felt a pang in your chest and your chin quiver as he spoke, “I won’t waste what they gave us”

  “Okay,” Haymitch said, rubbing his forehead, “we’re not getting anywhere. We need to discuss what’s going to happen next. Delly sit down.” You shook your head, small quick shakes that felt like a child disobeying their parents, “SIT DOWN!” You finally did as you were told, surprised by his intensity, and avoided everyone’s eyes as you wiped your tears away. You couldn’t pay attention to anything that was happening. All your mind was stuck on was Cato. 

  He’s waking up alone, somewhere cold, believing you hated him. Believing the last thing you ever said to him was true. Believing you’d never forgive him. That you’d blame him forever. That the last memory he’d have of you was your fists against his chest instead of your hand holding his. You squeezed your eyes shut, please don’t let him believe that.

  “How long?” Haymitch looked toward the cockpit

  “Seven minutes” a voice says, Haymitch nods. It’s a voice you recognize but.. not enough if you couldn’t see the face

  “Delly,” you moved toward the cockpit, Haymitch trying to keep you back, “Delly stop!” And that’s when you saw him. Again. 

  Seneca Crane.

  Flying a hovercraft. 

  Saving you from the Arena he built.

  “I can’t bring him back,” he says quietly, letting the words linger in the air before he says anything more, “but they didn’t kill him.” You looked at him, blinking slowly, “they took him. because someone still needs him.” You continued to stare at him, silent, shocked, “so, it’s not over.”

  “Where are we?” you turned back to Haymitch

  “We’re almost home,” he replied, nodding to Seneca to get back to the controls,

  “Home?” you said, he finally met your eyes

xx

Mrs. Cartwright’s P.O.V

  Every time Delly and Asher were on screen, you held your breath. Delly being hidden away in that Crystal Dome, nothing being shown to the Audience, and Asher, your baby boy, so young and naïve - all of it made your mind race. But you still hoped they would make it out. There was something that made you believe that you could hope for that. Maybe it was how Cato had been keeping your children so safe, you felt like they were protected even though that was the very opposite of what the Games intended. 

  “Delly’s kindness seems to have rubbed off,” your husband laughed, “I shouldn’t be surprised”

  "That kiss didn’t put a target on her back after all,” you snickered to your husband, who only shrugged in response. He would never admit it, but Tom had the same hope as you, that he would see his children again, but you also knew your husband - it was better to not give an opinion until all the facts were presented; so for now, it was quiet hope, but hope nonetheless. When the time came to watch the broadcast, you thought about heading to the square, to watch it with everyone else but Haymitch and Effie knocked on the door and insisted everyone come to Haymitch’s house in the Victor Village instead

  “It’s just as easy to watch it here if we’re going to stay at home,” Tom offered

  “It’s not quite big enough for everyone,” Effie said politely, “and, Haymitch actually tidied up for everyone.”

  “Well…” you smiled, “how can we say no?”

  “I invited the cousin,” Haymitch said, referring to Gale, “but he said he’s busy. Something about his mom? I don’t know, but he won’t be coming - his brother, though, he’ll show up.” You were sure everything was okay but you were happy to have some company watching this broadcast

  “It’s getting so close to the end,” you said nervously, stopping yourself from saying anything more but thoughts still rattled inside your brain. Effie offered you a spot on the couch, Tom taking a seat next to you when the doorbell rang and Rory came in, apologizing for being late and rushing to where everyone was sitting

  “It’s only the Capitol seal right now…” Haymitch sighed, taking a sip of his drink and Effie rolled her eyes, shaking her head when you looked at her, as if to say just ignore him. The anthem started to play and the screen panned across the Capitol elite, who were packed into the square, ready to watch everything unfold

  “It seems like this Quell has really caught everyone’s attention,” Effie said excitedly, “those children of yours are captivating!”

  “That’s one way to put it,” Haymitch scoffed.

  “WELCOME EVERYONE!” Caesar exclaimed as he popped onto the screen, “much has happened since the last broadcast, so without further ado, I think we should get right into it…” The square erupted into cheers and applause, and your eyes stayed trained on the screen, searching for Asher and Delly, eventually finding them while the others were being careful about what traps were ahead, joking about what it could be - from ghosts to all you can drink buffets, - keeping spirits high; until the actual trap would eventually arise. The broadcast consisted mostly of the group continuing to the Tree but there was some moments of Asher appealing to Cato’s love for Delly, asking if he would save her

  “Look, I don’t even know if it’s possible but I just need… I want” Asher stammered

  “Please, don’t” Cato said, shutting his eyes tightly before rubbing his forehead

  “I need you to get Delly out of here.” The group had been whispering about a plan for a while now, and you weren’t sure how far they would get with it, especially when all of Panem was watching, but Asher asking for Delly to be the one to get out made it seem like the thing they were planning might not actually work. 

  “So much for captivating, huh?” Haymitch scoffed when he sat down in the chair beside the couch where everyone was sat

  “I mean they’ve all decided to trust each other,” Rory said, “it’s not like they’re going to kill each other”

  “Anything can change in there,” he almost slurred, “turning on each other is a typical outcome of any Hunger Games”

  “Haymitch!” Effie gasped and he jokingly brought his hand to his chest and dropped his jaw before going back to watching the broadcast - which cut to Caesar and Plutarch for a moment 

  “So, both Delly and Asher have asked Cato to save the other. Delly has asked him to save Asher, Asher has asked him to save Delly. It’s a lovely sentiment, but I don’t know how realistic it is..” Plutarch said, “but Cato and Delly seem to be in love, or close enough to love anyway, that he must be thinking about saving her”

  “But,” Caesar raised his hand to interrupt, “would she accept Cato not saving her little brother? I don’t know. It’s a tough choice”

  “But choices have to be made, don’t they?” Plutarch asked and the camera, again, panned over the crowd in the Capitol square who were nodding their heads in agreement with Plutarch. “Oh, we have something happening!” Plutarch chimed, which made it clear that the two hosts were stalling because there was no action on screen, but when they went back to the Arena cameras, they showed Delly and Cato holding hands with Asher following behind. 

  “Bwoooooog” the next hour was signalled and the terror would be soon. You took a deep breath, watching as even Haymitch paid close attention to the screen - the group was walking slowly, hesitantly, but there was nothing that was being shown on screen. Delly was the first one to react, asking Cato if he felt something and when he shook his head no, she looked around the space. Everything that happened next, happened so fast that you couldn’t keep track - glass shot down from the sky, everyone ran for cover 

  “Ouch,” Delly hissed as she tended her wound. The glass kept falling, everyone stayed hidden and then it stopped… It was as if someone had muted the sound, the Arena was still and quiet, like it is after a storm, and no one spoke. Why aren’t they showing them? you thought to yourself, why aren’t they showing anyone?

  “Delly just come this way,” you heard Cato’s voice, you must have looked away just long enough for you to miss the camera’s finding the Tributes

  “Cato, stop,” Delly insisted, fighting his grasp and there was a small glimmer of light that shone across her eye - the camera still not showing anything. “No-no-no-no-no-no,” Delly said, voice trembling as she ran across the screen. You could feel everyone staring at you, the silence that started on the screen now permeating Haymitch’s living room. Effie’s hand that had been absent-mindedly holding yours had fallen to her side, Haymitch’s drink was pouring from his glass, Rory was frozen where he sat - Tom was the first to make any sound. A soft intake of breath, not a gasp, just a breath and a whisper

  “Asher,” he said, at the same time as Delly yelled on screen. You weren’t sure why everyone was so silent, why there was no movement, why Tom had breathed so sharply. Asher? you thought, Asher is right there. Why are they acting like this? You heard Delly’s whispers on screen but you couldn’t make out what she was saying

  “Asher, please,” you heard, Delly sounded like she was pleading, and you were shaking your head in confusion

  And then she screamed. 

  It was a horrible scream you’d never heard before and it forced you to finally admit what you were seeing on screen. Delly was holding her brother, your baby, rocking him back and forth as he lay there motionless, breathless; and then came the apologies. 

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she sobbed, the others standing around her, covering their mouths or dropping their heads. It wasn’t until the hovercraft came down to the ground to take Asher’s body that you finally made a sound - it was like your brain was protecting you from what was so vividly on the screen. It was your turn to breathe sharply, tears uncontrollable as your eyes took in what you were seeing

  “He’s fine,” your voice trembling, knowing it was a lie, but trying to convince yourself otherwise, “he’s fine. Just wait, he’ll wake up…”

  “NO!” you heard Delly shout, karmic timing, her clothes and skin as covered in his blood as he was, “I won’t.” She was talking to Beetee, trying not to give up her brother, trying not to let him go. Your tears were blurring your eyes but you noticed your daughter staring into the hovercraft as Cato laid Asher down gently, letting Delly place a hand on his chest and her forehead on his.

  “Come on, baby,” you whispered to yourself. Tom rubbed your back gently, Effie took your hand again but Haymitch stayed as still as he ever was. The hovercraft flew away so quickly, you’d forgotten it was even there. The noise that came next felt like you were being stabbed with the same shard that had taken your son from you. A cannon for Asher. Your scream ripped from your body like your heart was being torn out of your chest, leaving everything else in District 12 in silence. You heaved, clamoring for air as seconds passed, tears flowing from your eyes so heavy you didn’t think they’d ever stop. You didn’t even hear Delly speak to the camera, you just fell apart, your body giving out as it tried to contain the wails that erupted from you. 

  The hum of the TV caught your attention. It was as if the broadcast forgot how to speak. For several long seconds, Panem heard only the Arena itself; the cameras zoom in on Caesar, focusing on him but his face is blank, pale, stunned. 

  “Sometimes,” he finally says, forcing you to sit upright as he clears his throat and swallows, “we are reminded that these are more than just Games…” Another silence, achingly quiet, Caesar turns to the Arena feed, “we’ll allow the tributes a moment,” nods once and turns back to the camera, “we’ll return when they’re ready.” The screen remains on the Arena.

  No music.

  No applause.

  Just wind.

  Water.

  And grief. 

xx 

Cato’s P.O.V

  You’d never not hear her scream. It was burnt into your bones. That raw primal scream that only grief can bring, echoing through the Arena even now; you would never unhear it. 

  Just like you’d never unsee Asher lying on the ground lifeless, with Delly folded around him, begging and pleading for him to wake up. For it not to be real. Apologizing for something that wasn’t her fault, something she couldn’t stop. Something the Capitol would’ve done a thousand times over because it was all theatre to them. You wanted to protect Asher, even in death, making sure he was safely put on the hovercraft, instead of swiped up like he meant nothing. He did mean something, to everyone here, and to everyone watching, to Delly most of all. Seeing her fall apart broke your heart, especially when she tried to pretend like she wasn’t falling apart. Carrying him onto the still-whirring machine felt wrong but you didn’t know what else to do. This was already more human than the Gamemakers had ever been. Finnick, Johanna, Beetee and you all stared blankly at Seneca Crane who was hiding in a dark corner of the hovercraft trying to hide himself. But Delly kissed her little brother’s forehead then stared directly at Seneca. 

  She wanted him to know what she’d lost. All he could do was lower his head, a simple gesture that you were sure he thought was an apology, but he wasn’t even being seen by the audience. He was in the shadows, the background, the same way he’d always been. Delly kept her eyes on him as long as she could, until the hovercraft slowly flew away and she crumbled onto the ground again. 

  “Is this what you wanted?” she whispered so softly that it almost felt like it was just for her. You knew they wanted to break her, you just didn’t think they would leave her with bloodstained skin to do it. Then again, the Gamemakers didn’t shy away from heavy-handed symbolism. 

  “Delly,” Finnick said softly, placing himself at her side as you followed closely behind, “I’m so sorry…”

  “Please… don’t,” she replied, her words catching at the back of her throat, “I can’t.. not right now.” Finnick nodded, continuing to walk alongside her but glancing back at you once with an uncertain look. You had the same uncertainty - would she be okay? At this point, there was nothing left to do but walk.

  “Maybe you should say something…” Johanna, who had been so quiet up until now, nudged your shoulder, “the two of you are like… each other’s person or whatever”

  “I don’t really think she’s up for talking right now,” you said, making sure you stayed back, “she’ll talk when she’s ready.” It being so silent made everything more real. Until another gong left the Arena hollow as it sounded - everyone but Delly looking in its direction. She remained steadfast in her mission; get to the tree. Nothing else mattered. There should have been a trap as soon as the gong went off but there were no signs of anything, so you followed after Delly as a wall of water began pushing everyone out of its way.

  “Where is that coming from?” Finnick, who had fallen back with you, said as he looked back where you were looking, you shrugged. You stumbled into the next section after escaping the wave that soon crashed on the beach below; the air so calm that you could finally let yourself breathe. Shit, you thought to yourself, eyes wide with worry, as you ran into Delly, causing her to lose her balance just for an instant

  “Delly…” you broke the silence

  “No,” she sighed

  “Delly, please,” you said, “we’ll have to talk about everything soon…”

  “Will we?” she snarked, you nodded but she shook her head in return

  “Delly, I miss him too” you finally said 

  “Don’t!” Delly yelled, finally stepping towards you, “don’t”

  “Delly…” you said, hand outstretched to her trying to comfort her

  “He died because of you,” she said through angry tears, “I told you to save him”

  “And he told me to save you!” you challenged

  “It doesn’t matter!” she said as she punched your chest. You let her. You took the angry, grief-ridden punches that she threw at you, hands banging on your chest until she couldn’t any longer. Her head fell onto your chest for a minute before she spoke again, catching her breath from her tears, “you should have listened to me! I told you what I wanted and you didn’t listen.” Something had broken in her when Asher died and you worried that you’d never be able to fix what you felt you’d broken 

  “I made the choice he wanted to me to make,” as soon as the words left your mouth you knew it wasn’t the time

  “Oh please,” she scoffed, still keeping her distance from you while the other three watched from afar, “you made that choice”

  “I didn’t expect to make the choice” you insisted

  “But you still made it”

  “I CHOSE YOU!” you exclaimed

  “AND I WOULD’VE CHOSEN HIM!” she yelled back, tears escaping her eyes as she tried, unsuccessfully, to steady her voice. She finally came back to you, invading your space again, and you wanted so badly to comfort her. Maybe she’ll let me, desperation creeping into your thoughts, maybe I can hug her and that will show that I’m always here for her. “He was my brother and now he’s gone and you–” her breath was shaky, while her eyes darted back and forth between yours, “you could have stopped it. I wanted you to stop it…”

  “I’m sorry” was all you could say. She stepped back and wiped the tears from her cheeks, her eyes red and irritated. 

  “Cato,” Beetee whispered, breaking the tense silence, but no one answered. “Cato…” he repeated

  “What?” you sighed

  “We’re out of time” Beetee said softly. That’s not possible, you thought, scrunching your eyebrows together as you tried to follow his thought. He knelt in the sand, which stopped everyone and they watched him try to explain his plan

  “The lightning strikes here,” he said, circling the tree he’d drawn in the sand, “the wire runs to the shoreline,” drawing a line from one point to the other, “the forcefield is weakest there.” He whispered as he tapped the edge of the circle he’d drawn. 

  “So,” Delly frowned, “we’re blowing it up?”

  “No,” a tiny smile appeared on his face, “we’re tricking it into thinking the lightning belongs somewhere else.” Finnick blinked

  “That’s somehow more confusing…” he said

  “It only has to work once” Beetee emphasized before opening the watch he’d been gifted

  “What’s the trinket for?” Johanna asked. There was a small click and everyone leaned in close to see

  “It’s not a trinket,” he smiled,

  “Sorry, the watch,” she corrected. Beetee shook his head

  “It’s a capacitor,” he said. Silence. Johanna looked at Finnick, Finnick looked back 

  “I understand…” Finnick started before ultimately scoffing, “none of that”

  “They gave you a watch inside a watch?” Johanna questioned

  “No,” Beetee replied sadly, his eyes moving to Delly unknowingly as he said his next words, “they gave me time.” He removed the copper contacts, “they knew I’d recognize it…”

  “So the rich actually do solve everything” Johanna huffed but Beetee didn’t reply. 

  “What happens if you’re wrong?” Delly said, her voice timid but intention clear. Beetee looked at the tree and the rest of you did the same

  “We die…” he said plainly; Finnick’s eyebrows raised as he held his breath for a minute, puffing his cheeks as Johanna smirked as she shook her head

  “Well, let’s not die then” Finnick said as he let out his breath

  “We need to run the wire,” Beetee continued, “the entire length of the wire has to be taut but it can’t snap or everything will fall apart.”

  “I’ll run it,” you volunteered, Beetee looked up

  “It’s dangerous,” he said

  “So, is everything else,” you scoffed, letting the pause sit with everyone. “Look, I’m the only one who can keep that wire tight.” You looked at Delly, “let me do one thing right…” No one argued.

  “You have to go down the beach as fast as you can,” Beetee said, “we only have 20 minutes until the lightning strikes”

  “We have one chance, Mr. 74,” Johanna reminded you teasingly, “don’t waste it.” As you turned to leave, Delly looked up. For the first time since Asher died, she looked afraid. Not for herself, but for you. It only lasted a heartbeat before she looked away again, but it was enough.

  You wrapped the wire once around your forearm, adjusted your grip on your sword, then looked back one last time. Delly wasn’t watching Beetee anymore, she was watching you. The anger was still there, so was the grief, but beneath both - fear. You gave her the smallest nod you could imagine, a promise you weren’t sure you could keep.

xx

Cato’s P.O.V

  “Why, hello there,” Finnick teased when you bumped into him, before noting the heaviness between you and Cato, “oookayy,” he said, raising his eyebrows awkwardly and attempting to escape it

  “Why did we stop?” Beetee yelled from the back of the group, he and Asher still catching up

  “I think we need to watch our step,” Finnick said, “we don’t know how close we are to whatever’s coming…”

  “What do you think it is?” Asher asked, curiosity and fear mixing together while he thought about what would happen when the next bell tolled

  “Let’s hope for something good,” Johanna huffed, “maybe like an all-you-can drink buffet”

  “We could always use the spile for water” Delly chuckled

  “I was thinking something a little… darker,” Johanna joked back, “Whiskey, Bourbon, that Special Capitol mix,” Beetee smirked. “Just something to take the edge off. Kinda like a little treat for being so good”

  “Of course,” Delly blushed, “I knew that.” Johanna chuckled, making a comment about how innocent Delly was before you all kept trekking toward the tree. You tried to guess what the next trap would be, Mutts maybe, something specific for you? Maybe they’d use the water somehow, it would make sense for this Arena. No matter how much you thought about the possibilities, nothing really felt… evil enough; but maybe it was because you weren’t in the Control Room. You weren’t a Gamemaker. It wasn’t your job to create the horrors in here, only to survive them. You hadn’t realized that you had fallen back, standing closer to Asher than Delly now but your mind must have wandered enough that you weren’t paying attention to anything else

  “Hey, Cato,” Asher said, “everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” you said unconvincingly, something that Asher picked up on. He smirked as he looked at you, asking you to be honest. There were moments when he looked so much like Delly and you could finally imagine what Delly was thinking about not coming home. For her parents to look in her eyes and see Asher, but not have him in front of them, would break their heart - and Delly would crumble. “I’m just trying to think,” you finally said, “like you, what the next hour will bring”

  “What did you come up with?” he asked, before jumping in with his own, “here’s what I have: they’ll bring in all of the things so far - like a memory lane kind of deal - the Sirens and the Jabberjays will lead us somewhere and the monkeys that we saw will corner us, that Glass thing that Delly was trapped in will get one of us and the Fog will blend with the Heat…”

  “That seems like a lot to put in one wedge…” you scoffed, “don’t give them any ideas” you nodded up to the camera that was inevitably following you

  “What do you think is gonna happen?” he asked again

  “Nothing good,” you said. The sad expression on Asher’s face led you to try to lighten the mood, “probably ghosts” was all that you could come up with. Beetee stopped for a minute when everyone got to the top of a hill to look at the sun and the tree

  “We’re getting closer,” he said with a smile, “if we don’t stop, we’ll get there in plenty of time.” There was part of you that couldn’t trust it. The plan was too exposed now, the Gamemakers knew that something was being planned, even if they didn’t know exactly what it was, they still knew that all of you were up to something. Which could only mean they were going to do something to make sure that didn’t happen, so you tried not to get too comfortable with the outcome that everyone thought was inevitable

  “Do you love my sister?” Asher said suddenly and you just looked at him, not realizing you were blushing, “I know you do, I can see it, and I’m sure everyone watching can see it, too, but I guess I just want to hear you say it…”

  “Why?” you asked, looking forward, making sure Delly was keeping up with Johanna and Finnick

  “I don’t know,” he let out a small laugh, almost a scoff but not quite, “it might make me feel better about you trying to steal her away from me”

  “I’m not–” you started to explain but he just turned his head to give you a knowing look, “I can’t steal her from you. But do I love her?” you thought about it for a minute. If you were being smart, you’d say ‘no, not yet,’ because it would be too fast to fall in love in the Arena. If you were being honest, you’d say it proudly; you do love her. More than you thought you ever could. But that love didn’t happen here, maybe it grew, but it didn’t start here. “I’m starting too, maybe,” you replied, “I could see myself being in love with her, someday, if we were to miraculously survive this together”

  “Crazier things have happened” he said, grimacing the same way Delly had when she said she’d always worry about him

  “Not where the Games are concerned,” you said, “sorry, buddy.” Just then, there was a small ting, a parachute, floating through the air. That sound was almost un-mistakeable, but everyone was cautious because it could still be a trap

  “Wait,” Johanna said as Beetee went to grab it, “we don’t know if it’s real”

  “There’s been no bell, Johanna,” he said confidently, “it’s fine.” He grabbed it, looking at everyone as he opened it slowly. When the little container the gift was opened, everyone leaned forward to see what it was - it was a watch.

  “Who’s it for?” you asked

  “Who’s it from?” Johanna laughed, “don’t they realize we already figured out how to tell time?” Beetee seemed to focus on it as if he recognized it somehow. He didn’t say anything, just stared at it until a small tear fell from the corner of his eye, “Beetee?” Johanna asked, her tone changing when she saw his reaction

  “We need to, uhm, we should just keep walking,” he said, clearing his throat, “I said we shouldn’t stop so let’s not stop.” You gave Asher a confused look but followed Beetee as he moved along the path. You thought it might be something a bit more practical, and it was clear you weren’t the only one, but it was important to Beetee - you had gotten your own message from your dad, so you just assumed that was the case here. It was a personal gift and those were difficult to trust with other people, so Beetee knew something the rest of you didn’t. 

  “You know what a crazy thing would be?” you said, returning to the conversation you’d just had with Asher before the parachute dropped, “if that watch was from the Gamemakers”

  “That’s not allowed, is it?” Asher said surprised

  “Like that’s ever mattered,” you snickered, “but wouldn’t it be a twist? Great for television,” you smirked as you looked toward the fake sky, knowing that both the audience and the Gamemakers, including Snow, would get the message.

  “That’s true!” he said excitedly, a moment of levity before the clock strikes. “Hey,” Asher said after a moment of silence, “can you do something for me?” Oh no, you thought, don’t say it Asher…

  “I don–” you stammered before he interrupted

  “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he continued, “I haven’t since we got in here-”

  “You’ve surprised everyone here” you said, interrupting him and trying to get him not to ask the question you knew he would ask

  “But,” he said sharply, “I know that someone has to get out. What’s great for television may not be what the world wants…”

  “The world wants everything, Asher,” you sighed, “they want great television because it fits the status quo but they’re as guilty as the people creating it”

  “What does that mean?” he asked

  “Even if they know sending a bunch of kids to their deaths is wrong, they can’t say anything because they’re watching it,” you said, “they’re watching us kill each other and they won’t stop. Maybe they have their reasons, maybe they’re scared, maybe they just want their entertainment, but at the end of the day, we’re here and they don’t have to worry about ever being here…” You could see him thinking about what you were saying but he quickly pivoted back to what he was thinking

  “Look,” he shook his head, “I need you to just… I don’t even know if it’s possible… but I just need.. I want..”

  “Please, don’t,” you whispered

  “I need you to get Delly out of here”

  “Asher,” you sighed, rubbing your forehead in disappointment, “I don’t know if I can do that”

  “You love her,” he insisted, “if you love her as much as I know you do, you’ll get her out of this place. Get her back home”

  “What makes you think we have a choice?” you almost snapped

  “The plan will work,” he said, “I trust Beetee. He knows what he’s doing. But if something goes wrong and only one of us can be saved. Choose her. She’d tell you to save me and I can’t let that happen. Choose her.” He and Delly were exactly the same. Aside from just asking for the same thing, it was their intense desperation for the other to survive that connected them. You couldn’t say you ever felt that in your life and you envied it, 

  “It won’t come to that,” you said, “even if it did, any choice I make would be too late.”

  “If the time comes,” he continued, “when the time comes, just do the right thing, please.” You reluctantly nodded your head, at the very least to make him feel better, but you didn’t even know what the right thing meant anymore. You didn’t know if the right thing was possible. They were both asking you to save the other, choose between them, and either choice you made would hurt the other. 

xx

Delly’s P.O.V

  “Beetee?” you said after a long silence, smiling softly when he finally looked at you, “are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, Delly,” he smiled back, “just.. determined”

  “It seemed like that watch really got to you” you said, craving an explanation but not demanding it

  “It, uhm,” he stammered, looking at the watch, “it’s an important reminder, that’s all.” He smiled and you noticed something in his eyes - there was a glow that felt like pride emanating from him; you smiled back and kept walking.

  “Do you think it could help?” you asked, before whispering, “like with the plan?”

  “It might,” he whispered back jokingly and you smiled with an eye roll, “I don’t know how, but it might”

  “Is there anything good that came out of winning the games for you?” you asked after a moment more of silence and it seemed to catch him off guard

  “What an interesting question…” he said thoughtfully, “I met some really strong individuals. Strong-minded, strong-willed, there was a community of us. I guess that was a good thing”

  “What about you, personally?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean you’re saying that for everybody there was this good thing of having a community and I believe that, that’s a great thing,” you explained, “but when you came home, or to the Capitol, was there a moment of ‘this is amazing’ or was it all heavy and bitter and awful?” You wanted to know what to expect, if you actually made it out, if they’d actually let you live because you knew it wasn’t good for Cato and you saw that when you first met him, during his Victory Tour. Cato said it wasn’t at all like he thought it would be, that it was lonely, but if one person could tell you that it felt… bearable to be home, then maybe it would be okay…

  “I didn’t know what to do with myself,” he admitted, “even though I didn’t physically kill any of the Tributes, I used my skills, my mind, to do it. And that might have been worse. It was something I took so much pride in and now I’d used it for something terrible.” His face shifted between sadness and anger and guilt before staying on sadness the longer he spoke, “and for what? Survival? Money?”

  “I’m sorry,” you said, “I didn’t mean to b–”

  “It’s okay,” he replied, “honesty is the best policy they say. To answer your question plainly, I suppose it wasn’t good. It was good for my District, for food and supplies but they didn't last long. But you’re right, it was heavy. The knowledge of what we saw and did in our Arena’s, it will stay with us until the end”

  “Delly Cartwright,” Johanna interrupted, “who would’ve thought you’d be the one to keep bringing down the mood?”

  “I’m sorry, I j-just wanted to,” you stammered, “I guess I’m curious”

  “Chill, Sunshine,” she chuckled, “it’s all good. Let’s just keep moving”

  “And maybe change the subject,” Finnick added, winking at you to ease your mind. You did as Finnick suggested and switched to what everyone’s favourite meal was. It was the first thing you could think of but at least it was filling the air with something lighter than the previous conversation. Finnick joked that Asher’s favourite meal was anything free from the Capitol, referring to Asher’s comment during his interview

  “Nothing from the Capitol is free” Johanna said to herself and, when no one else acknowledged it, you let it lie with her. Cato finally made his way back to you, seemingly wanting to walk with you but your request from earlier was still hanging in the air. You gave him a small smile as he interlocked his fingers with yours, before noticing him look to Asher for just a minute, your brother nodding as if he approved and you chuckled. 

  “What’s that about?” you asked, bumping your shoulder into Cato, looking back at your brother once and sticking out your tongue mockingly. He did the same.

  “Bwoooong,” the bell finally knelled, resonating through the Arena once more. 

  Everyone looked toward where the sound came from but there was no sense of the terror just yet making the entire group cautiously and warily continue to the tree. Then you felt it. A single cold droplet grazed your skin. Wasn’t there already rain? you thought to yourself

  “Did you feel that?” you asked Cato, who just shook his head and you looked around to see if anyone else was reacting but it seemed to be just you so far. Soon, there was small flickers of light refracting on the ground, Beetee was the first to look closer - picking it up and examining it

  “What is it?” Johanna asked

  “Glass?” Beetee said, confused. They started falling slowly, the way rain normally would, but the shine was familiar to you, and it was obvious to you that it wasn’t glass. A piece finally landed in front of you, when you picked it up you caught a glimpse of yourself. The Dome, you thought, it’s the same. The iridescent sheen on the smooth surface was exactly what you’d remembered from being inside that place, but before you could stop to think what it meant, shards began plummeting from the sky, piercing the ground as they fell. You and Cato began running to the closest thing to give you shelter, his arm protecting you like an umbrella. The others finding their own spots to hide and wait it out. You and Cato managed to find a large enough tree to keep the two of you safe; you looked for Asher who seemed to be close enough that it felt like one less thing to worry about before a piece of Crystal cut your arm

  “Ouch,” you hissed quickly, covering the cut and wincing at the pain

  “Are you okay?” Cato asked, his hand on your back as the glass rain fell faster. You were disoriented, the same way you were in the Dome, staring blankly at the blood falling down your arm, and somehow you couldn’t see your brother anymore. 

  “Wait, where’s Asher?” you asked, eyes wide as Cato shook his head, both of you searching the space around you

  “There!” Cato exclaimed, pointing to a spot too far away from you to get to now, but Johanna was near him and the covered hollow would give them shelter. The shards of glass were falling faster and getting bigger now that you couldn’t see anything ahead of you. Not Beetee, not Johanna, not Finnick, not Asher. Not even the sun was coming through and the only thing you could think to do was move closer to Cato as the rain continued, thinking the closer you were the more invincible you’d be. Suddenly a large piece fell right in front of you. Close enough for you to catch your reflection as it fell. But it wasn’t yours. 

  “Your fault,” it whispered. Your eyes went wide as you realized what it meant

  “Asher,” you said under your breath as the shards finally stopped. As if it were a real storm, the sky cleared and the sun appeared, bringing attention to the shifting colours on the falling pieces of glass. The glass in the Dome had all disintegrated when you tried to keep a piece from it but this was all staying here. As if there was something it wanted you to see.

  “Oh my god” you heard Johanna say quietly, true disbelief in her tone. There was a small shuffle as Beetee and Finnick walked toward her, while Cato managed to get there before you - you were walking slowly down the small incline where the tree you’d been under was on, careful not to hurt yourself. Everyone was so silent but when a twig snapped under your foot, Cato stood in front of you

  “No,” he said, trying to push you away, “Delly just come this way.” He directed you back further, closer to where you’d started than where everyone else was

  “What?” you scoffed, squirming from his grasp, “what’s going on?”

  “Delly” he repeated, still holding you tightly as he walked you backward

  “Cato, stop!” you demanded. You were able to see past him just enough to confirm what your mind already knew. Your eyes landed on Asher, lying on the ground, one single piece of iridescent Capitol Crystal piercing his heart.

  Everyone was frozen in shock.

  Cato tried to keep you close to him but once he knew you saw your brother, he knew he couldn’t hold you back. 

  “No, no no no no no no,” you said, Cato’s grip on you now limp as you moved to run to your brother, “Asher!” Tears began falling from your eyes, blurring your vision as you continued running. The distance felt impossibly far, like you weren’t getting closer at all, and then you were in front of him, crashing on your knees. Your hands hesitated over the shard, hovering over it as you tried to decide what to do, “Asher…” you said quietly, hoping his eyes would open and he’d answer you. “Asher,” you repeated in a whisper, cupping his face in your hands. The blood on your hands from covering your own cut stained his skin and your tears fell on his face as you pleaded one last time, “Asher, please…” Nothing. His chest didn’t rise and fall with breath. The wetness on his face was from you, not him. 

  Silence. 

  You let out a scream so fierce, so deafening, it nearly took the life out of you. Your blood mixed with his, a bitter reminder that you were eternally linked; your whimpers as you gasped for air were the only sound among the trees and your friends. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t catch your breath and you felt like your entire body was going to give out

  “I’m sorry,” you sobbed, holding your brother close to your chest, rocking him back and forth, while the four Victors stood around you, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” you continued, only to be interrupted by the whirring of a hovercraft above. Your eyes never left Asher’s lifeless body, his face calm and gentle, even has Finnick tried to pick you up off the ground

  “Delly,” you heard him say, but he sounded so far away, “Delly…” he repeated, sounding more defeated but you couldn’t let go. You didn’t want to leave him. You wouldn’t let someone else take him away. When you didn’t move, you noticed that the sound of the hovercraft was getting louder, but the basket hadn’t dropped. The hovercraft came down, crushing the trees around it 

  “Delly,” Beetee said urgently, “Delly, stand up”

  “No,” you said

  “You have to” Johanna added quietly

  “No!” you yelled, tears staining your face as they continued to fall from your eyes, “I won’t.” You wanted to be strong, but your voice was weak. You scanned the rest of them, the Survivors, but no one was looking at you, instead it seemed like they were staring at the hovercraft. It finally drew your attention, especially when Cato walked toward you, eyes still trained on the machine in front of you.

  You still didn’t stand. You still didn’t let go of your brother. But you saw what they were seeing. Slightly hidden in the corner, away from the prying lenses in the Arena, was Seneca Crane with a look on his face that you didn’t expect. He didn’t leave the hovercraft, he just waited; a sad, almost empathetic look on his face as he watched you grieve your brother before they would bring him to wherever they brought the victims of the Hunger Games. Cato was the one who slowly lifted Asher from you and you rose to your feet, knees wobbly and uncertain but you followed Cato closer to the hovercraft where he gently put Asher’s body, laying him down carefully. You placed your hand on Asher’s chest, hoping one last time that this was all just an awful trick, placing a kiss to his forehead 

  “I ca.. I d.. this is..” you stammered, trying to keep your composure - the Head Gamemaker standing in front of you needed to see your anger instead of your tears - but you couldn’t hide it. Cato gently took your hand back but your eyes stayed focused on Seneca, who just lowered his head as Asher was brought into the hovercraft like a secret they had to keep; you watched as the hovercraft slowly started to rise, and a cannon fired. 

  His cannon.

  You crashed back onto the ground, crumpled into the dirt and the broken glass, as you realized it was real. He was gone and you couldn’t stop any of it. He deserved better than this

xx

Delly’s P.O.V

  Delly’s mind raced as her conversation with Asher ran through her mind, knowing that Panem heard it too; she could only hope that they didn’t read what she read. This place, these Games, weren’t for people like you and Asher - soft people with soft hearts - but then again, isn’t that how everyone starts out? Soft?

  “You’re gonna get your face stuck like that if you don’t ease up” Johanna teased and you looked up with your eyebrows still pulled together, lines crinkling your forehead

  “Sorry,” you laughed lightly, “I just… Asher is… he’s not acting like himself”

  “How so?” she asked

  “You can’t tell?” 

  “I’ve known the two of you for all of 5 minutes,” she joked, a smile clear on her face before she turned to the fire, “he seems like the same kid. Scared, unsure, sticking to his sister like glue…”

  “But that’s just it!” you exclaimed, “that’s the thing,” you repeated, quieter this time, “he’s scared, of course, who wouldn’t be, but he’s… trying to get rid of me”

  “Get rid of you?” she said, raising an eyebrow in disagreement, “yeah, I don’t see that. I mean he’s literally right beside you”

  “Can you do something for me?” you changed the subject, Johanna nodded softly, “can you find a way to get him out of here?”

  “I–” she stammered, putting her hands out to distance herself

  “I don’t know how,” you added, you were sure it was impossible, “but there has to be a way. My parents can’t lose their baby”

  “That’s not how the Games work,” Johanna scoffed, “I mean, Beetee–”

  “Can I,” Cato interrupted Johanna, who seemed to be more than happy to let him take over, “sorry, can I borrow Delly for a second?”

  “No, no. Don’t be sorry,” Johanna chuckled, “be my guest. Just don’t do anything you don’t want on camera.” Her wink made you roll your eyes but not before your cheeks went rosy pink. Cato took your hand, guiding you away from the group that sat around the fire, the warm glow fading into the distance

  “Hey,” Cato said to you softly, like it had been ages since he’d talked to you and wanted to ease into it, “how are you doing?” You raised your eyebrows before letting out a gentle giggle

  “I’m fine, Cato,” you smiled, “how are you?”

  “I just..” he scoffed, holding your hand in his as he searched the air for the right words, “you and Asher seemed like you were having a pretty intense talk and I wanted to make sure everything was okay”

  “Thank you,” you said, “he’s… I think this is all finally getting to him. I never thought I’d hear him say the things he said. That he felt like he was giving me away”

  “What does that mean?” he chuckled and you just shrugged

  “Cato,” you sighed, “I’m scared he’s giving up. That he doesn’t think the plan will work or that our kiss changes things somehow”

  “I mean, it changes things with us, in here, but not with you two”

  “I think it’s more about it changing the plan,” you admitted, “I think he thinks that I’ll have to leave him behind”

  “Delly, he knows you’d never do that”

  “You should’ve heard him though,” you said, dropping your hand from his so you could rub your forehead, “he said if something happens, let it happen to him. That I should be the one to make it out of here, not him. I can’t let that happen. I don’t want anything to happen to him, it ca–”

  “Hey, hey,” Cato brought you close to his chest to comfort you, his arms wrapped tightly around you, as if he was trying to hide the tears that fell from your eyes. “Shh, shh, it’s okay,” he said softly, doing his best to calm your nerves, “I won’t let anything happen to him, I promise. Okay? You don’t have to worry about anything; well, at least not about that.” You chuckled as you cleaned the tears off your face, finally getting a chance to look at Cato in the moonlight again. The moments that you’d had with him, authentically, have been so few that you wanted to bring one back but, if you were being honest, you didn’t know how. The kiss came after days of tension, of charged space between the two of you, of keeping a secret that was only a secret to the Audience. Now that it was out there, you didn’t know how to make a move. Even at his home in District 2, he always initiated things but it’s different in the Arena. Neither of you wanted to put on a show but neither of you knew the right way to express yourselves - was there a way?

  “I…” you tried to say something but a noise in the distance caught your attention, “what was that?” you said shakily

  “I don’t know,” Beetee replied, still a few feet away from you and Cato, “what time is it?”

  “Not time for anything new” Finnick answered hesitantly, “it can’t be”

  “Someone must be here,” Johanna said roughly, turning to Finnick, “Gloss?”

  “Maybe,” he shrugged, “is he all that’s left now?”

  “Cashmere,” Asher added, “she’s still out there. It’s the two of them and the six of us”

  “I don’t see anything,” you said, moving closer to the group, Cato keeping his body in front of yours

  “Put out the fire,” Beetee said. It was only embers to begin with, just something to keep everyone warm, but it seemed that was enough for them to know exactly where to look. Finnick and Johanna threw sand on the fire before meeting the group where they were - everyone back to back to catch every angle. You still couldn’t see anything, and the rustling of the trees was gone, if it was ever really there. “Stay close,” Beetee continued, “just because we don’t see them, doesn’t mean they can’t see us.” Nobody moved, nobody spoke, for what felt like a lifetime, until there was a small noise in the trees; a wind moving through to prepare for the next terror of the hour.

  “There,” Johanna whispered, nodding toward the trees, “I saw something over that way”

  “What was it?” Finnick asked

  “Who was it?” Cato added

  “I don’t know,” she quietly snapped, “I saw the trees move. I thought I’d give a heads up so you could get your little sword out and finally use it”

  “I’ve used it,” Cato huffed, “just focus, Johanna.” You still couldn’t see anything and you weren’t sure what was coming next. You looked over at Asher, who was hyper focused on the area that he had in front of him and in his own little world - he wouldn’t have turned to you if you shouted his name. “There,” you heard Cato say under his breath but he only seemed to say it to himself

  “Cato?” you said quietly, leaning in to him but he pushed you out of the way harshly and you fell to the ground; you were shocked for a second until you realized that Cato was getting you out of the way of Gloss’ sword before throwing his own. There was a tenseness in the air as Gloss stumbled out of the trees with Cato’s blade deep in his chest, you couldn’t bring yourself to stand up; in disbelief, in hesitation, in a strange act of self-defence, you weren’t really sure, but you just stayed on the ground, motionless. Cashmere ran onto the beach as Gloss fell to the ground and there was a burst of panic before Johanna eventually rushed Cashmere, pushing Asher out of the way, with the axe that Gloss had been carrying. Johanna grunted as she battled District 1’s Female Victor, the axe plunging into Cashmere’s side as she fell to the ground and you shuffled backward on the ground so her body wouldn’t land on yours.

  “Delly, get up,” Beetee said, as Cashmere’s body laid next to you, her vacant eyes facing you now, “get up!” You finally followed his instruction and got to your feet, looking around and realizing both the District 1 siblings were gone; now lifeless bodies that once were fiercely determined to succeed. You ran to Beetee and the rest of the group as the Gamemakers sent in the hovercraft to pick up Gloss and Cashmere. You watched as a claw came down, wrapped the two in separate baskets and brought them into the hovercraft; you couldn’t remember actually being this close to the hovercraft when it was picking someone up, it was different then you thought it would be. It almost felt gentle for the Capitol. You were brought back to the Arena when you suddenly became very aware that there was no villain left. It was just five people you’d come to feel safe around, with one person you’d do anything to survive with and one that you couldn’t live without. As the gongs went off for Cashmere and Gloss, you couldn’t but think, with only the six of you left, would someone go against the unspoken alliance? Who would be the first to turn?

xx

Asher’s P.O.V

  As the group continued walking along the beach, you kept an eye out for any changes that might have happened. You couldn’t be the only one thinking about it - that someone still had to survive to get back home, especially if Beetee’s plan didn’t work. You watched Finnick and Johanna lead the group, Delly and Cato not too far behind them, while you and Beetee trailed at the back. There was a small moment between your sister and the tall, blonde Victor, that you wondered if you were the only one to notice - they hadn’t done much since their kiss on the beach, you weren’t sure why but when you caught Delly looking up at Cato and him looking back at her, there was a quiet peace between them. Their peace made you feel at peace and hopeful for what might happen with them. 

  There seemed to be a feeling of safety for a moment, allowing Finnick to make some joke in Delly’s direction and she said something that made the three others around her laugh before she looked back to find you. You smiled and nodded at her, she reluctantly turned back to Johanna and Finnick but you were happy that she was getting along with everyone; you were taken out of the carefree feeling when a bell tolled - a new hour, 8pm from how Delly had been counting, which was…

  “The Heat Spike?” you asked yourself 

  “I don’t think so. It was the Siren’s,” Beetee said, looking in the direction you’d all just left, “the one that drew us all in.” You nodded as you remembered Wiress walking across the beach, and the feeling as you followed her before falling into the sand. You could tell by the look on Beetee’s face that he was remembering Wiress’ last moments. “These tricks,” Beetee continued, bringing your attention back to him, “they’re wearing us down. The Games have always been this way. If the Tributes don’t kill you, the Arena will…”

  “Doesn’t that mean the Gamemakers are killing us?” Asher questioned

  “Shh,” Beetee mockingly held a finger in front of his lips, “don’t let them hear you say that.” It was clear what he was really saying. The Capitol, the Gamemakers, Snow, they were the ones killing Tributes, but they couldn’t get their hands dirty; blood didn’t come out so easily. Saying it out loud though, might be the death of you entirely whether you survived or not. The Siren Song trap didn’t stop at a barrier when you’d gotten trapped the first time, so you were cautious of everything around you

  “I think it’s getting louder…” you said, trying your best not to whisper so you weren’t mistaken for the Arena’s whispers “don’t you?”

  “I can’t tell” Beetee replied

  “Asher?” Delly called as she ran to find you

  “I’m here,” you answered, “don’t worry”

  “I’ll always worry,” she smiled before pulling you in for a hug, “that’s what I’m here for.” You hugged her back tightly as you realized her worry was real; not that it wouldn’t be but– “Did you hear anything? See anything?” your thoughts were cut off by Delly’s questions

  “No, just the bell” Beetee said

  “I thought I heard something but it seemed far away,” you said, “but I didn’t see anything”

  “What exactly would we see?” Finnick asked Delly. You shrugged as he scanned the group and Delly hesitated, scanning her mind about what might be out there

  “I don’t really know…” she finally said

  “There’s nobody else left, Cartwright,” Johanna sneered, “there’s nothing else to see. This ‘terror’ was all sound”

  “But it did bring us somewhere,” you countered, “when I followed it last time, I wound up being dragged into the ground”

  “Well, not this time,” Johanna said. She seemed annoyed when a second ago, she was laughing with the others, but it didn’t take long for her to soften her tone as she explained herself. “I know last time it drifted past the barrier that we all thought existed but it doesn't seem like that’s the case this time.” After being silent throughout the group's questions and arguments, Cato finally spoke up

  “We should get going if we’re going to make it to the tree in time” he said and the group nodded, turning back to the original direction but making sure they kept an eye on the sun for the right direction. You went back to listening to the conversations ahead of you - Finnick teasing Johanna, Johanna throwing quips of her own, Delly and Cato laughing lightly - and this time you felt so far away. Maybe the trick was still tricking you, making you think everyone was leaving you behind.

  “What’s going on in your head?” Beetee said, surprising you enough that you gasped and let out a small laugh

  “Nothing,” you replied, “just listening to them”

  “You know, they’re scared too,” he said. Maybe to ease your mind, or because he knew that it was something that could be on your mind, “that’s what getting close to people in here will do. Getting close to anyone, anywhere, really. The thought of losing them, by your own hand or someone else’s, is one you’d rather not have.” You could understand what he meant. You never had the kind of relationships back home that you did in here, you were always Delly’s brother. Yes, you had friends of your own but people knew you because of her first and foremost. At the same time, you knew Delly had always felt like she was on the outside. Between the three of you, Peeta was the centre; he made friends so easily and he brought Delly in, and you were allowed in because of Delly. Back home, Delly really only had Peeta and you, and when Peeta died, it was just the two of you. It was different here though. Maybe it was because of the interviews, maybe it was because of her story with Cato, but everyone flocked to her in here; she was important to them.

  “You’re gone again,” Beetee laughed, your thoughts clearly taking over your face, “what are you thinking now?”

  “Nothing really,” you said, “just about what you said. I get it. You all know - knew - each other in one way or another. I’ve known you for what? A week? And I don’t know what losing someone in the Arena, to the Games, looks like or feels like”

  “You haven’t lost your sister though,” he said, almost as a question, but he must have been seeing the concern on your face, “she’s right there”

  “It’s just…” you said, searching for the right words, “I’m finally seeing her go back to the Delly from home. And I think they are, too”

  “Meaning…” Beetee pushed gently

  “They appreciate her,” you replied, gesturing in front of you, “you appreciate her. I appreciate her but I’ve always appreciated her. It just seems like she has her light back, and they appreciate her light…” You hoped you didn’t sound cheesy but you could see Beetee smiling at you and you knew he thought it was cheesy

  “We do see her light,” he admitted, “I think Caesar and Cinna made sure of that”

  “You know what I mean though?” you added, “she was always that smiling girl. One of the few in District 12 that was lucky enough to be able to wear anything other than grey. That made her bright. Light. If it wasn’t for Peeta, people wouldn’t have recognized her as anything other than the girl in the yellow dress.” Beetee didn’t have anything to add and you didn’t mind; it felt like enough to you. You were happy that your sister was finally herself again. You watched as Cato moved as close to her as possible, finally taking her hand in his, and it hit you. She’s meant to get out of here, you thought to yourself, and you’re going to make sure she does.

xx

Delly’s P.O.V

  You were doing your best to keep an eye on your brother but with him trailing behind with Beetee, your attention was easily stolen by Johanna and Finnick teasing each other. 

  “Everything okay?” Cato asked

  “Yeah,” you said, “just worried about Asher”

  “He’s with Beetee,” he scoffed playfully, “nothing is going to happen to him”

  “Not right now,” you said, “not this very moment. But what about whatever the next trap or trick or terror is in store?”

  “What’s gonna make you not worry about him?” he asked, taking your hand in his. This was the first romantic thing either of you had done since the kiss and it made you feel a bit more calm

  “I won’t stop worrying until he’s home,” you said through a grimaced smile, “look, I know, I know that that’s a terrible answer. But I’m his big sister. I can’t worry about anything else.”

  “You have all this to worry about,” he said, gesturing to the Arena with a forced smile, “if that makes a difference?”

  “Cato,” you said calmly, “it’s only us left.” You took a deep breath before looking back at Asher and Beetee - you didn’t know why everyone had turned out to be so nice but, “we’re not all supposed to be here,” your thoughts came out of your mouth unintentionally but they were true.

  “I know,” he replied, looking down at your hands before bringing them to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the back of your hand, “but we are here. Isn’t that a good thing?”

  “Is it?” you questioned, “someone has to come out alive. You know that better than anyone. Someone in this group is going to be that person…”

  “Maybe,” he returned, “maybe not”

  “Let’s go, keep walking,” Finnick scoffed as he noticed you and Cato were stopped

  “Look,” Cato said as the two of you continued, “I don’t really know what happens next but I promise I won’t let anything happen to you. Either of you”

  “Cato, please,” you sighed, “can you just.. do something for me?”

  “Anything,” he said with a smile, “what do you want?”

  “If it comes to it, and I know I’ve said it before, but if it comes to it,” you said quietly, trying to hide the trembling that was starting, “leave me behind”

  “What?” he said shocked, his eyes opened wide as he stared at you. He was locked on you but he still managed to walk unfazed by everything in front of him, as if he knew exactly how to avoid it. It wasn’t until you spoke again that he finally faltered, bumping into Finnick as your last request left your lips.