31. Recovery

Machines hummed all around her. Not loud enough.

Chell hummed meaningless tunes over and over, looking nowhere. Doug sat next to her.

"I'd recommend you talk in the next interview. Silence was cute… before. But you… belong to the Capitol now." His pauses were long. "I'm sorry I couldn't… I'm glad you're…" He stopped.

She coughed, whispered in his ear.

"Caroline? That was her name… family's name. Before she was taken… trained." His cold hands passed her a pink heart on a chain. "Cissy's mentor wanted you to have this."

Chell stared, blinked, coughed – and at last, the tears came.

32. The Lab Rat

"In my Game, it was a swamp, full of gasses. Some you could see, some you couldn't. Some kept you from sleeping, or made you sleep. Some stole your vision, some your mind. It was very entertaining, lab rats acting against their natures. Only one lab rat thought to dig beneath the swamp and sabotage the nozzles that produced the gas. He was so pleased with himself. Idiot.

"He didn't go home. He lived. He never left the arena.

"Chell, you're stronger than I ever was. They won't forgive you that trick, but you will survive. I swear you will."

33. The Homecoming

Chell knew her time was borrowed. Don't ask how. But the time she now divided into music did not feel like her own. The arena was never so far away that it couldn't take her. One day, the Capitol would make her pay…

But for now, borrowed time was enough.

Cheers filled the air. Her District was screaming for her, yelling "CHELL! CHELL!" filling the air with their joy and pride and love for her. Under the endless sky, one face was clear, and visible, and so close. Chell reached for her friend, laughing, and crying, and called her name.

The End

Thank you so much for following along with this little story! I hope you enjoyed it. If you could leave a review, that'd be great. This was a fun challenge for me, and a great way to explore two extraordinary stories that have a surprising amount in common. Thanks again!