Goodbyes: Absolutely

District Ten:

Levi Corriente's POV:

"Please pay your respects to this year's tributes, Alyx Parker and Levi Corriente."

Our escort's words rang solemnly throughout the town square as people clapped politely. Never in my entire life had I heard an escort sound so somber and respectful during the Reaping. It was slightly unsettling… And as if being reaped wasn't unnerving enough.

Without needing any poking or prodding, I immediately walked towards the Justice Building. I cupped my hands together and strode exactly the way I knew the Peacekeepers wanted me to. I moved briskly, but not too fast as to appear as if I was trying to escape. I held my posture straight, but not too perfect as to present myself as cocky. No, I kept the mannerisms of a compliant, well-mannered girl just like my Mama raised me to be. It was only the constant focus of keeping up this charade that kept me from breaking down into tears.

The Justice Building was as simple as any other building in District Ten. The halls were wide and inviting. Light streamed through the open windows as a slight breeze ruffled the curtains. I could hear the distant sound of people mulling about as they readied themselves to head back to their ranches. It was as if not a single thing changed, and as long as I observed these small details I could fool myself into believing it to be true.

My district partner, Alyx, was a different story. He matched my strides perfectly and walked by my side as the Peacekeepers hovered around us. However, he was shaking so badly that you would think there was a snow storm instead of blue skies outside. I couldn't help but be confused. Shockingly, he volunteered for this. Why was he acting like any other reaped tribute?

Alyx was the same age as me, and I remembered him in my classes before he dropped out completely. It had something to do with his mom and money. We weren't really friends, but we did have some in common. We had spoken several times, every now and then. He seemed really nice, albeit quiet. He didn't seem like a trained killer, and he certainly wasn't currently acting like one.

I was led into an open sitting room. Two chairs and a couch took up a small portion of the space. The rest of it was filled with plants, bookcases, and a large fireplace. I glanced behind me as I took a seat in one of the chairs to see that three, bulky Peacekeepers created a blockade in the tall archway. Apparently they were concerned with a meek, fifteen-year-old girl attempting to escape. Granted, two years ago there was a girl who tried to run away after the ceremony. Rumors said she almost escaped too, but she was older and much more intimidating than me. While she stood tall and muscled, I was short and soft. I was easily crushed, which was something that was never a problem until today.

I was a young girl who came from a well-off ranching family. Although I helped around the estate, I wasn't expected to become strong and manually toil in the fields like my brothers. It simply wasn't needed when my future was to get married and be a housewife. My father and two brothers could easily handle our cattle while I cooked, cleaned, and went to school. I was allowed the opportunity to learn about so many different things…

And now that was being taken away from me.

The Peacekeepers parted and my older brothers, Abel and Nox, walked in. Although we loved each other, there was always a distance between me and them. My parents made it very clear that they weren't meant to rough me up like they did each other. I was a girl and they were boys. They were to respect me, and I was supposed to be thankful that they did all the things I didn't have to do. These ideas caused bitterness on both ends. I longed to have more responsibility on the ranch, and they longed to be able to pursue what they wanted. We had what the other wanted, but we couldn't get it because of our sex.

"I can't believe this is happening," My eldest brother, Abel, said as he sat down.

"Neither can I," I whispered.

We never had to take out tesserae, but many in District Ten didn't have to. We all got by because our resources were valuable and regenerative. Those of us who had less got help from those who had more until rough times were over. There were always jobs and no one had a problem making an honest living. The only times problems arose were when illness struck or tragic death occurred. If no one could work, then a family couldn't make money. Sadly, we weren't wealthy enough to support an entirely different family just on good will. Work had to be done, otherwise our resources would suffer and our wealth would dwindle.

"I would have volunteered if I could have," Abel mentioned sadly.

I nodded, knowing he was earnest when he said that. Most citizens wouldn't volunteer for their siblings, but our entire family had a strong sense of duty. We followed the structures and rules set before us. That was the reason I hung on every word my parents said ever since I was a little girl. No matter what I wanted, I did what I was told. When I wanted nothing more than to stop schooling and work on the ranch full-time, I did what my Mama said and continued my education. I learned to sew, knit, clean, and cook. I learned how to read and write eloquently, something no one in my family knew much about. I became the perfect mix of a future housewife and educated woman at the age of fifteen… I didn't realize how wrong that felt until this very moment.

"Are you going to say anything, Nox," Abel said with a hint of annoyance as he elbowed my slightly older brother.

Nox had always been the black sheep of the family. While Abel and I excelled at what we did, he had never really found his talent. Abel was great with the ranching, and I was good at running the household. Nox… was just Nox. Always a step behind, never saying much of anything.

"Be careful, I guess," Nox sighed as he fidgeted uncomfortably.

The Peacekeepers motioned that it was time for them to leave and we stood up simultaneously. Abel drew me into a hug, and I closed my eyes. I found comfort in his physical touch since our family had never been one to be overly touchy-feely. All of us were always so busy that the time we did have together was fleeting. While the men were out working, I was at school. Once I finished my daily formal education, I returned home to our estate and completed whatever lessons or chores Mama had planned for me. Mama or I would prepare dinner while the other balanced the books and looked at the family's finances. Once the men came in to eat dinner, I would usually take care of small things that none of the men had time for. Sometimes this involved restocking the pens, branding, or finishing up butchering some meat. After dinner, Mama and I would clean and eat by ourselves while the men finished taking care of the herds. I'd usually knit or sew until I was tired and then go to bed, preparing myself to start it all over again. The repetitiveness of it all was exhausting, but I knew I had to get used to it. Even once I got married, I would be stuck in the same routines just replacing Mama's role.

As soon as Abel and Nox disappeared, my parents came into the room. As soon as I saw Mama in tears, my eyes filled to the brim. I couldn't manage to hold my composure anymore as she led me to the couch, and we cried together. She was the one person in my family that I spent the most time with. Out of everyone I knew and all the friends I had, my own mama was the closest person in my life. No one could make the mundane house activities fly by like her. She sang, laughed, and danced about. Still, she was also the main enforcer of the etiquette that had been ground and beaten into my very being. Whenever I displayed the same behavior in public or in front of the boys, she was the first to reprimand me. She made it clear that there were very strict ways a lady was supposed to act, and that the only time one could break them was in the company of other trusted female friends.

"Just cry it out, baby girl," she wept as she stroked my hair, "I know I've told you to always bat away the tears, but this is a very special exception. Get it all out, darling."

Even though she gave me the permission to sob, I managed to reign myself in very quickly. I knew we didn't have much time, and I didn't want to waste it.

"Mama, I don't know what I'm going to do," I admitted as I wiped my nose grossly.

She wiped away her own tears as she said, "You're going to spend the next couple days wowing everyone with that brain of yours. You're going to show them how spectacular you are."

I shook my head, "They don't want spectacular. They want bloodthirsty and strong."

"Leave that to the kids you get close with," Papa interrupted as he spoke for the first time, "Let everyone else do the fighting. You stick to the sidelines."

"What?" I asked as Papa got on his knees and held my hand.

"You've always had a knack for making friends and now's the time to bust it out. Just make some friends, and let them do the fighting. Then let them do the dying."

I was shocked at what he had to say. He didn't… he didn't want me to fight?

"I'm going to have to fight if I want to come back," I managed to splutter out.

"Just put if off as long as you can. The longer you do that, the better your chances are."

I felt a small burst of anger in my gut. He didn't think I was capable of taking care of myself? I was able to be a student, housemaid, and rancher on a daily basis, and he thought all I could do was smile and look innocent? He thought my best option was to put my life in everyone else's' hands and hope for the best?

I wanted to yell at him. I longed to tell him what I really was capable of. I wanted to say something horrendous like that I had butchered cattle before and a human couldn't be that much different. I wanted to show him just because I was a fifteen-year-old girl didn't mean I was helpless or less capable than every male who was reaped this year.

But when I looked at his stern, saddened expression and Mama's devastated face I crumbled. All I could do was nod and promise to do just what they said… Just like I always did.

They left as swiftly as they entered, and I couldn't stop myself from sobbing all over again. I couldn't even see their last expressions through the watery haze. Time flew by once they left. Friends came and left. The entire time I couldn't pull myself together like I had for my parents. I couldn't' stop the fountain of tears that cascaded as each friend left and another came to take their place. Even when my closest friends Sable, Merone, and Talon came; it might as well have been as if they weren't there at all. I couldn't get a single goodbye out before they were taken away from me just like my life.

My sobs only began to halt when I realized that these pair of arms weren't leaving my sides like the many before them. This person had been holding me for longer than anyone else had been allowed to stay. When I pried my neck away from my lap and looked up, I saw the distorted face of the most recent victor through my tears.

When I realized Charlotte Fern was holding me, I immediately sobered up and furiously wiped away my tears. I was completely mortified to be such a wreck in front of not only my future mentor but someone as strong and well respected as a victor. I scrambled up from the couch and walked towards the window.

"Oh! You don't need to…"

Her words trailed off as I turned around and gripped my sides. She had stood up as well and seemed quite unsure and uneasy.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, "I came in to introduce myself and give you some advice… Then I saw you in this state and I… I shouldn't have tried to comfort you. That was crossing boundaries that you don't seem to be comfortable with, and I should have thought of that. I apologize."

I nodded, accepting her apology without a word as I sat down in one of the chairs. Charlotte sat down on the couch and picked at her nailbeds. Charlotte was someone I had seen around District Ten even before she won the Hunger Games. She was the only child of one of the wealthier ranching families in our district. However, instead of flaunting it or staying in school full-time, her dad allowed her to work with him on the ranch and truly do whatever she wanted. She was always so full of life every time I saw her, and she seemed so happy even though she was unladylike in almost every way. She didn't need hordes of friends or expensive things, all she needed was herself. But seeing her in front of me now in a pale blue dress struggling to find the right words to say, she seemed like a completely different person. Still happy, but no longer truly free… She looked broken.

"It's weird to think I'm only two years older than you," she blurted as she gripped the cushion she was sitting on. Her faced turned bright red as she continued, "Not to say that it's weird because you're going to die! People usually say something like that when someone's tragically died, but that's not what I meant at all! I only meant that…"

She bit her lip and looked away. Maybe she wasn't all that different or broken after all… Just a little lost.

"I know what you meant," I shakily said as I regained my composure, "People usually see mentors as a lot older and more experienced than the tributes they look after."

"Well, everyone has to have a first time," she responded before turning red again and blurting, "Not that it totally ruins your chances or anything! I know some things, and Wolf will be around to help a lot too!"

"That's reassuring," I politely smiled as I tried to say it as honestly as possible.

We looked at each other for a second before Charlotte said, "You live on the east side of the District, right? By the woods?"

"Yes, I do."

"Right, I remembered seeing you at big functions with your family, but never at any parties."

"I didn't go out much unless there were special events… I had a lot of things to do."

"Like what?" she asked, digging to see if I had any skills I could use in the arena.

"School, cleaning, cooking, and other chores. Nothing really special."

"And you never skipped out on it? You didn't go out and have a little fun?"

"No," I responded, "I had a responsibility to my family."

Charlotte laughed, "You're literally my mother's dream daughter."

I smiled at her compliment as she continued, "You obviously also listened to your mother when it came to manners. That's going to help you when it comes to sponsors."

My mind immediately went back to Papa's words as I sadly replied, "What sponsors? Who's going to want to bet on a little rich girl who can't fight?"

"Maybe no one, maybe everyone. It depends on how you play it, I guess. Not a single person betted on the silly rich girl who played with rope and she went on to win the entire thing," Charlotte encouraged.

"That's very true," I smiled, trying to hide my heart as it plummeted into my stomach.

Charlotte stood up and offered me her hand, "I don't want to rush you, but it's about time we headed to the train. Are you ready?"

I stared at her outstretched hand, knowing it was going to lead me down the path of my impending death. No matter what I did, it wasn't going to make a difference. I was bloodbath fodder by myself and a deadweight for an alliance. Either way, I was going to get cut down and die. I was a cheap pawn in a powerful match.

And even with all these horrible thought swirling through my mind, I controlled my emotions and painted a smile on my face as I replied, "Absolutely."

Alyx Parker's POV:

Even now as my escort held my wrist tightly, I couldn't stop the shivers that shook my entire body. I had planned everything out methodically. I planned how I would shout out those two words when I volunteered and how I would make my way to the stage. I put thought into every step, every breath, but I never expected these tremors. Even though my mind was prepared for this, my body was physically rejecting going into the Hunger Games like an illness.

It was trying to tell me that what I was doing was wrong.

A Peacekeeper nudged me, and I saw my district partner as well as my escort walking away. Knowing the cameras were still on me, I walked at a fast pace to catch up with them. We reached the Justice Building, and I fell into step with Levi as we walked down the hallway. I stared at Levi, shocked at how well she was able to keep her composure. Not a single aspect of her body betrayed any kind of emotion. She appeared as if she was walking to the market to buy some milk or going home from school. I had no clue how she was so calm after being reaped… Especially when I knew what I was getting into and couldn't control myself at all.

I didn't know much about Levi personally, but I had only heard good things from her many friends. Everyone talked about how she was smart, loyal, hardworking, and kind. The only thing that ever disappointed all of them was how distant she was. They said they felt as if she was never truly there with them… That her mind was somewhere else entirely.

I caught her glancing at me several times, but her eyes landed on my trembling figure. I gripped both of my elbows and held them tightly against my body. She probably thought I was crazy, weak, or both. Everyone in the all of Panem thought it after watching my performance during the Reaping. I was the boy who volunteered and then acted like a sniveling baby. A fifteen-year-old boy who stood only five inches over five feet. I was barely a man, if one at all. I was written off as bloodbath material by even myself.

But the Hunger Games were my only option.

Levi branched off into a large sitting area as I was escorted further down the hallway. Once we reached the very end, I was directed into a simple room with three chairs and a table. The door shut behind me with a thud, and I was left completely alone. Apparently I didn't need a bodyguard since I came here of my own free will. They didn't expect me to run or try to kill myself.

I sat down and gripped the arms of the wooden chair. I tapped my feet against the floor slowly in tandem, one right after the other. I listened to the sound my boots made against the wooden floorboards. I found the rhythm of it relaxing, and my grip began to loosen. Anxiety was something I had always struggled with. Whenever something stressful happened, it didn't matter how prepared I was for it. My body always went into overdrive. I would shake so hard that my knees would sometimes buckled out from under me. It was only through years of dealing with this that I had found a couple tricks to help get the shaking to stop. One of them was centering my feet on the ground and raising my heels back and forth. It was as if I was sending my tremors down through my feet and back into the earth where they belonged.

The door opened and Laurel entered. Laurel was someone I had known my entire life. Her family lived on a ranch right next door to ours before we had to sell it to stay afloat. We grew up together as we played in the fields and attended school. Before my life was sent into complete disarray, both of our parents made it clear they thought we should get married once we reached the appropriate age… That it would be good to merge two small ranches into a large estate. It was something I thought would happen since I was a small child… And then it all changed several years ago.

"What the hell are you doing!" she exclaimed.

"I volunteered for the Hunger Games," I answered.

"Don't treat me like an idiot!" she hissed, "I'm asking why."

"Take a wild guess," I sighed.

"Your mother wouldn't want this, and she'll tell you that herself." Laurel growled.

"Please don't yell at me," I murmured as my arms began to tense up once again.

Laurel's face changed immediately from anger to regret. She rushed to the chair next to mine and placed her hand over mine.

"I'm just scared for you, that's all. I don't know what you're thinking," she begged.

"I'm thinking that I have nothing to lose," I whispered.

"You have everything to lose," she burst out, "Your life, for one! Even if you beat the horrible odds and win, there is no guarantee that the Capital can save your mother."

"I have to try… For everyone involved," I replied as I tried to avoid discussing it further.

I would rather face Laurel and my mother's anger than their pity.

"You've sacrificed everything for her," she whispered as tears began to roll down her cheeks, "I'm just heartbroken you're giving up your life for her too."

"It's my life to give."

She nodded as she wiped her tears away. She pulled out a thin rope that encircled a single fang. I remembered that necklace well. I had made it for her after I trapped my first wolf with my brother.

"I hope this brings you luck," she smiled as she placed it over my head.

"Me too," I whispered as the Peacekeepers opened the door.

She stood up and hugged me one last time, "Love you Alyx."

"Love you too."

She brushed shoulders with my next visitor as he entered the room.

"Your district partner? She's got quite the line of visitors out there. You'd think they were handing out free bags of sweets," Zirco laughed as he practically fell into the chair, "You on the other hand have nobody. Just me, your childhood friend, and your mom. It's kind of sad, really."

Of course Zirco would point out my lack of social life in a moment like this. Being unsympathetic and blunt was what comprised most of his personality. Zirco was a close friend of my brothers. I met him when my brother first started teaching me how to hunt and trap. I still couldn't believe it was five years ago when I first started to learn how to make all sorts of contraptions.

It was even more unbelievable that only three years ago my brother died.

"Sorry I didn't make time for parties in between every job I took," I smiled as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm just saying it wouldn't have killed you to live a little before you died," he joked.

"You're probably right."

Zirco was there for me the second my brother died. He took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew. Whether it was about traps, hunting, or wild plants; he made sure I knew it. Zirco had lived his entire life without a family and ran away from our very small orphanage at a young age. Most people had family to take them in if their parents died, but not Zirco…

Not me either.

He had lived in isolation in the woods for a good portion of his life, until he met my older brother, Brass. After they became close, he started visiting my family frequently and even began to work with the traders, merchants, and ranchers just like my brother and me.

"Your brother would be proud of how well you've taken care of your mother," he said seriously as he clapped a hand on my shoulder, "He'd be proud of you."

My eyes began to sting as I blinked back the tears. Whenever I thought of my brother, my heart ached. I knew Zirco's did too, otherwise he wouldn't have come back to help me once Brass died. He thought helping me would soothe his heart just like mine did when I helped my mom.

"He'd be proud of you too… For taking care of me... For taking care of my mom while she's still alive if I don't come back."

He looked away, fighting back the same tears. We had never talked about it, but I knew he and Brass were more than just friends. I knew their love ran deep, and I never cared. Although it was unheard of and extremely taboo in District Ten, I could never bring myself to care. If someone believed the love between two of the strongest, most amazing people I had ever met was supposed to be wrong, then they needed to open their eyes and look around at all the other horrible things that already existed in Panem. We needed all the love we could get.

"You'll do good, just remember what I told you. Stay under the radar and survive until there's only a couple left. Then let the hunt begin."

We talked about a couple other things, such as how I should act from here on out and what I was going to say to others, before he was forced to leave. My next, and final, visitor was the one I dreaded seeing the most. The door opened and in came my mother. The wheels on the rusty chair scraped against the wooden floor as her part-time caretaker pushed her into the room. Her shoulders were hunched forward and her arms laid limply on the chair. Even beneath the large skirt, I could see her shriveled legs turned inwards and scrunched together. The only part of her body reminiscent of the mom I once knew was her face. She smiled at me sadly as tears trickled down her face.

"What have you gotten yourself into, dear?"

Life wasn't always like this. Originally, I started out with a close-knit family. We were like every other family in District Ten. My father tended the ranch, and my mom worked in the house. I remembered her always being weak, but she waved it off. She acted like it was because of her small frame and thin limbs.

She couldn't hide it any longer when she was having trouble walking.

I didn't remember the progression like my brother did, but between him and Mom I pieced together the story. Apparently, this condition had been happening for a long time. When she married my father at eighteen and gave birth to my brother, she was perfectly healthy. Then, as the years went on she slowly began to get weaker. She had problems with her shoulders and hips. She couldn't lift her arms or legs as high as she used to. She had issues picking up large things or walking long distances. Her muscles weakened and decayed until she couldn't even support herself at times.

It was around that point that my father left. He didn't want to be burdened by a practically bedridden wife. He didn't want to put in the effort to take care of a grown woman and two young children. Brass told me he offered to take him too, but Brass refused. He wasn't going to leave Mom and me to speedily descend into destitution. So, at the age of nine, Brass was left to take care of his own mom and his four-year-old brother.

The switch from everything being perfect to life being awful was sudden. Brass and Mom did all they could to take care of the animals. Father couldn't take away the ranch or the animals because they were never his to begin with since he married into them. However, Mom couldn't do the labor-intensive tasks and Brass was only one boy. As the years went by, we slowly sold all our resources until we only had the land and our home. Brass took odd jobs around town, including dangerous ones. Wolves were always a problem in District Ten. They went after livestock and, occasionally, people. Peacekeepers put down the ones who came near the town, but they never traveled to the outskirts of the district. For those ranchers, you either had to deal with them yourselves or hire someone. Luckily for us, it was always easier to hire someone to trap and kill them than to risk your own life with a pitchfork.

When I was old enough, Brass would take me with him when I wasn't in school. We kept up this apprenticeship until he died… I was only twelve when I saw my brother's trap fail for the first time.

It only took one mistake for an angry wolf to maul him to death. Thankfully, Zirco was there otherwise I would have likely died as well. Zirco stabbed it to death, but by then the wolf had already inflicted too many deep wounds. Brass bled out before we could get him to any physician.

After that, we lost everything. I dropped out of school and did everything my brother did. I trapped as many wolves as possible with Zirco's help, as well as hunted other wildlife. I sold the skins and meat when I could, although most people were not in need of the gamey meat. By then, Mom was completely incapable of walking, and I had to pay someone to be there with her when I wasn't home. Zirco and Laurel would try to spend time with her to save us money, but it wasn't enough. The frequent physicians, medications, caretakers… It all added up. We sold the ranch and moved into a small shack near the town. It wasn't fancy, but it had enough room for the two of us and was wheelchair accessible.

"No trouble I can't get myself out of," I lied, trying to convince myself more than anyone.

"How did I end up with such selfless children," she whispered as she gazed at me, "What kind of mother has both of her children sacrifice everything just so she can live longer?"

"A mother who wasn't given the choice to control what her children decided to do," I responded.

She nodded and murmured, "I love you. I love you with all my heart."

I smiled, memorizing her simple words. That's what my mom had always been… Simple. She said everything plainly and honestly. She cared for everyone openly and only had kindness in her heart. She accepted what life had planned for her and never placed blame on anyone else. This included my asshole father. She wasn't mad when he left, just heartbroken for herself and her children. She wasn't even gleeful when she heard he died of some illness several years after he remarried.

I hoped he was looking down from somewhere seeing that she was actually dying from a broken heart. Her condition started off in her shoulders and hips, but it crept slowly outwards and inwards. It traveled down her thighs until it hit her knees… Down her shoulders until it found her elbows… Across her chest as it crept into her rib cage. It was already weakening her heart. Soon that muscle would atrophy to the point it gives out… Then it would be just me…

I wasn't going to let that happen.

"I love you too," I replied as I got up to wrap my arms around her.

I knew she couldn't return the hug, but the tears that stained my shirt were the only reminder I needed of her love.

"Don't ever give up," she cried as she was being wheeled out, "Keep fighting, but do it for you."

I smiled and nodded as the door was closed between us. What she didn't know, what no one knew, was that this wasn't just for her.

I was doing this for me.

I walked to the window and rolled my shoulders. I had heard my mom talk about her condition for years. I had heard everything that was going on, step-by-step, my entire life from physicians. I knew what my mom was going through better than anyone else.

Because I was starting to go through it.

It started only last year. My shoulders felt as if I had them tensed all the time. When I walked, I felt extra stiff. I wrote it off as physical exhaustion from all the work I did, but the fear was constantly gnawing at me. Then it started to get harder and harder to do things. I casually asked her current physician about the condition. He said that much wasn't know about it since it was so rare but the reason it had been such a slow process was because it didn't make an appearance for her until adulthood. If it would have happened earlier, such as during her adolescence, the muscle atrophying would have been far more aggressive… That she would have died when I was far younger.

I guess we found out by trial and error that it was genetic.

This was why I had to volunteer to go into the Hunger Games. Soon, my mom would be dead. Then I would go through the same process, but at a much faster rate. Who would take care of me? Laurel? She would be married and have a life of her own. Zirco? I couldn't ask him to give up any more of his life than he already had. I would be alone. I wouldn't be able to work, and no one would ever marry me. What woman would want to tie herself down to a man who had no land, no way of working, and the capability to pass a life threatening disease to her children? No, I would die slowly, painfully, and alone…

I decided I'd rather die fighting for the right to live than let this disease take me.

As for the reason I didn't tell anyone, it was to ease Mom's mind. She already blamed herself for everything that had gone wrong in my life. She held so much guilt for what we both had gone through. It would crush her to find out that my death, whether it be here or in the arena, was on her hands too. At least now, she thought I was possibly dying for her not because of her. I was a hero in her eyes, not a victim just because she gave birth to me.

The door opened once again, and I wiped away the tears that I hadn't even realized I'd shed.

"I haven't seen a volunteer in many years."

Taking a seat was one of District Ten's victors, Wolf. Ironic that he was named after a predator, but appeared to be total prey. His games were before my time, but I had heard stories. Apparently he and I were very similar. He was reaped at a young age, and was a pipsqueak compared to the other tributes. No one expected him to be a master at traps. He won his games by laying traps wherever he went with whatever supplies he could manage to get ahold of. He created a domino effect of pain. He injured many powerful tributes, which led to their downfall in fights with other strong competitors. Those strong competitors, however, were injured from those fights and the cycle continued. It was said he never engaged in a full-on confrontation once.

"A lot of people in this district have a lot to lose," I stated as I sat down across from him.

"You don't?"

"Just my life."

"You say that so casually."

I gulped and glanced away. It had an expiration date on it regardless. I just moved the date up.

"Well, if you volunteered then you must have a plan. Let's hear it," he commanded expectantly.

"Stay under the radar and kill when necessary."

"Really? That's it?"

"I'm a trapper and a bit of a hunter," I added, "I know what I'm doing."

He looked at me with concern and uncertainty, "You may know what you're doing, but are you prepared to do it."

I felt my body tense up once more. My heart pounded and my arms began to quiver. I glared at my feeble body. I wanted to be so much stronger. I wanted to be able to crush everyone who got in my way with the flex of my arms like some tributes could, but that wasn't a possibility. I simply wasn't made that way.

I put all my thoughts toward calming down and gripped the armrest once again. After several second, the quivering stopped, and I sighed. I may not have the body of a Victor, but I knew I had the mind and spirit of one. All I had to do was believe in myself.

So I answered his question with a lie in hopes that if I said it enough it would become true.

"Absolutely."

Every time I have to write a tribute's goodbyes I get a sense of dread. I'm always scared that they are getting cheated out of the same character development that other tribute's get and that they won't get as much length. I'm then always surprised by how much I have to cut out because it feels too long.

Thank you lovelies for the nice reviews you left last time about my departure and welcoming me back. It's very nice to be back. I hope you liked these two tributes, because I certainly did. Both are very subtle, which has always been a style of writing I have struggled with.

Leave a review if you have the time!

Until next time,

Europa