w w w. setinstonehg. blogspot. c o m

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Liora Marcette
District Six Female, 16 Years Old
Victor.

"May I present to you the Victor of the Seventieth Annual Hunger Games – Liora Marcette of District Six!"

I deserved to win.

Standing up from my knees, I balance myself, my head starting to hurt a little. I shake it, rolling my eyes to adjust my blurred vision. And when I look back down at Cerise's body, a chill is sent down my spine. This was my doing. I killed her.

Why did I do this? How could I do this?

So she wouldn't kill me. That's why. I did it to win.

In the air above, I hear the hovercraft arriving to take me out of the arena. I exhale, feeling relieved that I finally can leave. I might be going back to the Capitol, but it's better than this arena. When I feel the clasps of the hovercraft wrap around my body, I close my eyes, letting my body go limp. I lean my head to the side, feeling myself getting lifted up into the air. I don't resist… I just want to get out of this arena.

Will I ever leave it, though? How could I forget about any of this?

I won't. This is who I am now… Not the person I used to be.

I'm leaving myself behind in this arena…

I don't want to be that girl anymore.

"She's waking up! I repeat: Liora is waking up!"

In front of me, I hear the bustling of feet from too many people to count from. One, two, three people speed passed me, and as my eyes are still shut, I don't see anything. It's all black… That's how it was when I left the arena. My eyes went black, and as the hovercraft carried me up into the sky, I let the black take over. I didn't resist.

And, now, I can open my eyes. To see again.

"What?" I mumble, trying to bring my hands up to my face, but I feel wires wrapped around them. I struggle in the seat a bit, groaning as I try to open my eyes, but can't because my eyelids feel too heavy. I can't open them… Did something happen to my sight? Did I go blind?

"Why can't I see?" I mumble again, my voice raising. I try to kick out my legs, but they're constrained too. I can't move. I feel helpless, like when Taima was on top of me… I don't like this.

"One second, honey," a woman says, the cool touch of her hand on my skin making me cringe. Finally, after removing the wires on my arm and the ties around my legs, I can open my eyes. There she stands, hovering over me, the bright colors of her outfit making me blink. "Welcome back."

"Why… Why couldn't I see?" I ask, my voice trembling.

"We didn't want you to see yourself!" She answers in a voice too peppy for my liking… What happened to my face? Why does she not want to see myself?

I've lost everything else in the arena.

I can't lose my beauty. My appeal.

"Voila!" She exclaims, spinning me around in the chair. It takes me a moment to register what I'm looking at, and when I do… I realize it's me. I'm sitting in the chair, but for some reason, I look different. This isn't what I looked like before I got here.

My hair seems longer now, as well as being much more blonde now. It's a lighter tone, but it doesn't look artificial. They plucked my eyebrows and when I look even more closely, I see that my skin is tanner. Not by much, but it's still a change. I scrunch my face, trying to see if it hurts or anything.

Why did they change me? Why did they alter my appearance?

"Why?"

The lady smiles widely, patting me on the shoulder. "It was in your favor, Liora. You were pretty beat up when we received you. Look how beautiful you are now!"

"I was beautiful before," I snap, pulling my shoulders away from her. "You should have asked me for permission."

"We had to change you," another man inputs, but I disregard him.

I find myself getting angry at this, the notion that they can just do whatever they want to me. I might have been beaten up, but so what? Everyone knows what happened to me in the arena, anyway. Why would they try to cover that up?

This is my body.

And I am my own person.

I can make my own decisions.

"May I introduce to you Liora Marcette, Victor of the Seventieth Annual Hunger Games!"

Forcing a smile onto my face, I step onto the stage, being welcomed by a roaring sound of claps and whistles. I close my eyes for a quick second, trying to take it all in and get used to the sound already. It's deafening, and as I walk towards Caesar, he greets me with an open hand. I place mine in his, and he leans forward, kissing it gently.

"Welcome, Liora," he says, looking up at me from my hand. "I'm glad you can join us."

I didn't have much of a choice.

"Now, sit, sit."

Taking a seat across from him, I fix the bottom of my skirt and shift in the seat a little. He stares at me, probably looking at all of my new features. My hair. My skin. My eyes. I am now the Capitol's creation.

"Do you like what you see?" I force out, wanting to gag on my words. The audience laughs and Caesar blushes. "You can thank the Capitol for this."

"I think we all can," Caesar replies, waving a hand at me. "Truly stunning."

That's all I am to them. That's all I've ever been to them.

Stunning.

"You've truly surprised us all, Liora," Caesar says, and I know what he's referring to. They all thought I was weak. That I was dependent on the Careers. That I couldn't do it.

"Why is that, Caesar?" I say jokingly, winking at him.

Caesar's eyes widen because we all know the answer to that question. He gives me a look while smiling. He throws his hands up in the air, leaning back in the chair.

"You've shown us that a pretty face can be dangerous," Caesar says, and as the screen behind us begins to roll down, I know that the recaps of the Games are coming now. "Now, let's see this pretty face in action, shall we?"

Haven't they all seen this before?

Why do I have to see it again? I lived it. I experienced it.

The Capitol anthem begins to play, and on the screen, white flashes across it. Slowly, colors fills in, showing the arena that I only left about a day ago. I still remember it clearly. The stone, the rock. The gray color of it all.

It flashes several tributes' faces across the screen, including my own. When I look at myself, I gulp, wanting to look like that again. That's who I was. That's the girl I know. Not this one – with the longer hair, the tanner skin. Why did they change me?

I still don't understand.

Was I not good enough for the Capitol? Was I ever?

They show me standing next to the girl from District Twelve and the boy from District Five. There are a few more seconds of the camera showing some of the arena, but to me, it all looks the same. Nothing has changed about it.

And then, the gong sounds. The Games begin.

The crowd gasps as the camera focuses on Caelia, and when the District Five girl tackles her down, even Caesar gasps. A perplexed expression slips onto my face; haven't they seen this before? What's new?

The Five girl taunts Caelia, and then they begin to fight. Caelia gets a good hand grasp around her neck, and with one little flick, snaps her neck. The girl's body falls to the side, marking the first death. I remember what I did during the Bloodbath.

I ran away. I hid.

I tried to find Trent.

The camera then goes to Larron. The District Twelve boy is approaching him, a hand wrapped around his wrist. Larron hesitates for a moment, and when the Twelve boy gets closer, the spear is thrown right into his chest. Larron abandons the boy's body, leaving the spear where it is.

I would have never thought Larron would kill. He was too nice… Even to me. He wasn't like Caelia.

The next death is quicker than the others. It shows Darya right before she releases the spear that she's holding in the air, aimed for the back of the District Eleven girl. The girl curls up and begins to cry. This elicits some reaction from the audience; you can hear a few sobs.

Their feigned sympathy just irks me.

The boy from District Five and Eleven pop up on the screen now. The boy from Five is trying to get away, but Trevor, the one from Eleven, brings down his sickle, tearing through Five's leg. He rips out the sickle and brings it down again into his neck.

The boy from District Ten is the next one to go. This time, it's Salya attacking him. She throws the boy down to the groun and slams her foot down on his chest. After one more kick, Salya brings down her axe right into his skull. Just as it comes into contact with the skull, the camera switches to Trevor again.

This time, Darya is also on the screen. Trent is there too.

Trevor goes after Darya, but before he can attack her, Trent steps in. Trent slices at Trevor's face with his trident and kicks him to the ground. He almost killed Darya, but Trent protected her.

He would have protected me, too.

He did protect me in some cases.

Now, I remember that this was the last death of the Bloodbath. It shows the boy from District Eight stuck between two pieces of stone. I shake my head at his stupidity. Caelia walks over, and although the voice is edited out, she speaks to the group of us. I see myself lurking in the background.

I was always in the background.

Not anymore, though.

After she kills him, the image fades away. After a few more shots of the arena, it shows Darya and Larron. I never did know exactly what happened here. All I remember is that after this, only Darya made it out alive. Larron and Ines ended up dead.

Ines lunges at Larron, but it had to be too dark for her to see who she was really attacking. Did she do it on purpose? Would she kill her own District partner juts like that?

In retaliation, Darya hurls her spear at Ines. She gets impaled in the stomach, the sound of her body hitting the ground being the last thing you hear from Day One. Day One – over. Next, Day Two. Only six more days until this is over.

The next faces they show are of Taima and Zimmer. Zimmer… My District partner. I never interacted with him much – or at all, really. I was unaffected by his death, but what will happen when I return home? How will I deal with his family?

What will I tell them?

Taima and Zimmer are surrounded by wires of some sort. But, when I look more closely, Taima looks different. She seems more reserved, nothing like she did at the Finale. What happened to her?

Taima walks away with a remote in her hand. When she presses the button, that whole area explodes, killing Zimmer instantly. For the audience's purpose, I close my eyes, faking the pain of seeing my own District partner dying.

When they show Lavender hiding behind a rock, I also notice Gage and Emery in front of it. Emery walks over to the rock, unaware that Lavender is behind it. Emery gets closer, and swiftly, Lavender leaps around and stabbing Emery in the back. Gage and Lavender then fight, with Gage tackling her down to the ground. Gage slashes at Lavender's face with his machete, the blood squirting out to the side.

But, Emery wasn't dead. Gage walks over to Emery, and as she lies there dying, the image fades away. Why don't they show that? Why don't they show the tributes helping each other? Bidding each other good-bye?

I ignore my thoughts, realizing that I know what day is next. The day the Careers fell apart.

I hid during that.

I knew Caelia would come after me. I knew I had to get out of there.

Trent creeps up behind Darien, and when he grabs ahold of his hair, I shift in my seat. Trent never meant to do any of that – he even told me his plan. He just wanted to kick Caelia out. He didn't want her there.

The blade slices Darien's next, and when Trent lets go of his body, Caelia prepares to go after him. Caelia launches herself at Trent, and after a long fight, Caelia gets the upper-hand. She stabs him in the neck, and in the background, I see myself appear once more. This was the day they let me go. The day they let me survive, the one where they let me run away.

I look at myself.

That doesn't look like me.

I was a different girl back then.

Quickly, the day changes, and I am relieved. I don't want to look at myself anymore. On the screen, there is Salya, Dalton, Ardell, and Riel. They're all standing there, and when Salya tries to attack Ardell, Ardell swings around, digging the knife deep into Salya's abdomen. Salya falls backwards, and when I look at Riel and Dalton, I see Dalton has a grasp around Riel's wrist.

He lets go of it, though, and when Riel tries to get away, Dalton runs after him. He tackles him to the ground, kicking and punching each other. Dalton swings the axe, lodging itself in Riel's stomach. When Ardell sees this, she sprints to Dalton. She barges into him, knocking him down to the ground forcefully. She stabs him in the head. Again and again.

She keeps stabbing him in the head.

Riel and Ardell exchange a few words again, just like Gage and Emery did. And when it's obvious that Riel is going to die, the image fades away, not showing their final good-byes, either. It's disrespectful.

When another scene pops up on the screen, it's Taima approaching Ardell. Taima runs after Ardell, instigating the fight. Taima stabs Ardell in the shoulder, and as she falls to the ground, Taima kneels in front of her. Taima covers Ardell's mouth with her hand, not letting her scream or try to escape. When Taima presses the knife against Ardell's throat, I avert my eyes, not wanting to see the blood.

I've already seen enough.

It's now Day Six. On the screen, there is Darya and Gage. They exchange a few words, but after a while, I see Darya tense up and become impatient. They begin to fight, and after a few hits, I see Caelia in the background. What is she doing there?

Was she following them? Why wasn't she going after me?

Probably because you were the weakest link.

Darya stabs Gage in the stomach and Gage stabs her in the stomach. Darya leaves her spear in his, but Gage rips out his knife, and then they both fall to the ground. Darya might have died, but Gage is still breathing. Barely, though. Caelia walks over, and when Gage closes his eyes and shuts his mouth, Caelia brings down her sword into his chest.

That was her last kill.

On the next day, she dies. When it shows Cerise chasing after Caelia, I grip onto the arm-rests of the chair. Cerise is throwing knives at Caelia, and when Caelia gets to an open area, she jumps down and waits for Cerise to come. The fight goes on, and when Cerise throws another knife at Caelia, it lands in her upper-body. After she throws one more knife, it lands in her chest.

Caelia falls to her knees. Cerise kneels in front of her.

Even after Caelia is about to die, Cerise keeps going. She takes another knife, shoves it in Caelia's throat, and then walks away. Now I see why Cerise was the way she is. Why she fought the way she did.

Why she wanted to kill me so badly.

I know what comes next.

The fight between Taima, Cerise, and I. The Finale.

It begins with Taima and Cerise. I remember what Taima and Cerise were screaming about while I just stood there. I just stood there while they fought. Just like Caelia, they didn't come after me. They didn't want to fight me yet because they thought I was weak.

Cerise gets the upper-hand when Taima tries to strike her with her machete, and her sword is implanted into Taima's shoulder. When she pulls it out, she aims for Taima's chest. She strikes it, too. She cuts her chest deeply, and as Taima drops to the ground, I see myself gasp in the background. Cerise goes on to shove her sword all the way through Taima's chest.

And, then, it's just me and Cerise left.

Honey. That's what she called me.

I try to look away during our fight, but I know everyone is staring at me now. They all want to see the anger in my face still. The anger I fought with. The emotion that drove me to kill her. Forcing myself to look at the screen, I see Cerise falling forwards and me slamming my foot down on her wrist. My blade cut her neck in an area, and as the blood rushes down her body, I grab her by the hair.

Was that really me?

And then I stab the blade through the bottom of her chin all the way into her head. I stabbed her… Just like that. Like an animal. Like a savage.

I had to, I remind myself. It had to be done.

When Cerise is officially declared dead with a cannon, the screen goes black. The crowd erupts with clapping, screaming, and whistling. I shift in my seat, glad that they can't see my face right now. That they can't see the disgust on my face for them and for myself.

All of the things I have done on that screen… Is that really who I am? I let that happen.

The clapping doesn't stop. It gets louder if anything. I shake my head, wanting to sprint off the stage and to get away from this all. From all this attention. They're all staring at me, idolizing me now because I'm a Victor. A murderer.

That's who I am to them now.

Stop whining. Stop your bitching.

This is the attention you've always craved, isn't it?

I shouldn't be ungrateful now.

This is everything I've ever wanted.

"Do you remember what you told me, Lennon?"

"Of course," he says, clearing his throat. He looks down at me from the bridge of his nose, then glancing back outside the train window. "Don't try to make me like you."

Chuckling, I nod my head, folding my hands over one another and place them on my lap. I stare out the window with him, and as the doors behind me slide open, I shoot a glance behind me. It's Emmert, Zimmer's mentor. I give him a polite smile, and when he returns it, his eyes avert immediately.

And, just with that gesture, I feel insecure again. Just from that smile, does he think I'm trying to make him like me? It wasn't to be flirtatious, or to lead him on… I was just smiling to be polite. I begin to get antsy, playing with my thumbs incessantly.

"What's up?" Lennon asks, noticing my erratic behavior now. He sees me biting my bottom lip, looking more uncomfortable now. "Did something happen?"

I shake my head, but something did happen. A lot happened. Bringing my finger up to my eye, I trace it along my eyebrow, feeling the real thing, not the one that they used to draw in for me. "I don't want people to think that I'm the same girl that left District Six. The one that volunteered."

"Why do you say that?"

Forcing down the tears, I open my mouth, but my voice croaks in my throat. I don't want to cry in front of him. He doesn't need to see me like that. "Because I am not that girl anymore."

"People change," he adds, only echoing what I'm saying. I don't expect him to understand. "Everyone will accept this new you, Liora."

"I hope so."

I hope that they do accept the new me.

The girl that learned from her mistakes. The girl that's suffering the consequences.

I'm not the whore I used to be. I'm not insecure anymore.

I finally respect myself.

I'm better than who I used to be. Than what I used to be.

I always was.

There's a knock on the door.

Walking down the staircase, I trace my finger along the railing, heading towards the door. I don't think I'll ever able to get used to the opulence of this house; I don't ever want to. I'll wake up everything, still amazed by the luxuries the Capitol has provided me with.

None of this changes a thing, though. I just know my place now.

Opening the door, I see Elise standing there. I shudder at the sight, gulping down any aggression towards her. She might have put me into the arena, but I survived. I shouldn't hold a grudge; I told myself I'm over any petty drama.

"Hi, Liora."

"Hi, Elise."

"How are you?" She asks, the same condescending look in her eye. It was one thing I never missed about her.

"I'm good," I say, giving her a sweet smile.

"Are you sure?" She replies, irking me a little. Am I sure about what? Being 'good?'

"Yes?" I say, questioning her own inquiry. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I just saw what you went through and all, but whatever. If you say so!" She says, her voice perky. "I was wondering if you would like to come out with me and the girls?"

I shake my head. "Not particularly."

"Why?"

"I just want to be alone now, that's all," I say, smiling again. "Maybe some other time."

"Do you think you're too good for us now? Is that it?" She sneers, snapping at me. "Surprise, Liora. You aren't. You're just a Victor now – that's nothing special."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Liora," she says, rolling her eyes. "You've changed. Why can't you be the same girl that used to hang out with me?"

"Do you know what lengths I had to go for you?" I ask, dumbfounded. I cannot believe this. "The shit I had to sacrifice just to make sure you weren't up there?"

Elise shrugs with a smug look on her face. I would rip that smirk right off her face if I still lacked any self-control. But, I remain calm, keeping myself restrained. "I appreciate that, Liora."

"You appreciate it?" I ask, throwing my hands up in the air and tilting my head back dramatically. "You appreciate it! It's my pleasure, Elise!"

"See? That's more like it," Elise replies, the sarcasm going right over head. I stand there, wanting to pinch myself to make sure I don't go throw myself at her. "Now, why don't you come out with us?"

"Because I don't want to be your friend."

Elise feigns a frown, the pouty face irking me. "Why not?"

"Because you have the audacity to come to my front doorstep – in my home in the Victor's Village, I shall add – and completely disregard what I've gone through," I spit out, verbally attacking her now. "After everything I've done for you, this is how you treat me."

"I said thank you-"

"That isn't enough," I quip, cutting her off mid-sentence. "I don't want a 'thank you,' Elise."

"Then, what do you want? A gift? A pat on the back?"

"For once," I say, conceding. I'm done with her – with the stupidity and petty drama I dealt with before I won the Games. I don't have time for this, nor the energy. "I want to be treated with decency. I'm not one of your girl-friends anymore, Elise."

"You aren't who you used to be," she says under her breath, already spinning on her heel to walk away from my house. "You really have changed."

Yeah, I have changed. I've grown up. I've matured.

I'm not the same girl I used to be.

And I never will be that girl again.

I won't let people use me anymore. I won't let people push me around. I won't be some doormat, some toy for people to play around with. I won't hide behind this false sense of security or confidence.

I'll have some respect for myself. I'll realize that I'm here now and I mean something.

I am important.

And no one can tell me otherwise.

"You have a visitor, Miss Marcette."

Glancing over my shoulder, I see the maid standing at my door. I nod my head, smiling, and get up from the window ledge. The scenery is the best thing about this house; the Victor's Village is positioned at the edge of the District. If you ignore the wired-fence, you can see a huge lake and a forest. It's nicer than what I used to look at.

The maid leads me down the stairs, and as we walk down, I wonder who it is. I already dealt with Elise yesterday, my parents usually come and go as they please, so who else is there? I shrug; I like when people stop by and visit me, anyway.

It's nice to see people again.

The maid stops at a closed door that leads into the library of the house. She nods her head, steps away, and I go to open the door. I wrap my hand around the doorknob, and slowly, open it. When I see who's sitting at the desk, though, I resist the urge for my jaw to drop to the ground.

It's President Snow.

What does he want?

"Hello, Liora."

I curtsey. "President Snow. It's always a pleasure to see you."

"The pleasure's all mine," he says, grinning. "Come, sit."

Taking a seat in front of him, I see a white rose lying on the desk. He pokes the petals of it with his finger, the aroma drifting throughout the room.

"It's lovely," I say, making him grin again.

"As are you," he replies. "Now, Liora. I have a request of you."

"A request?"

"Yes," he says, nodding. "More than a request, I suppose."

"And what would that be?"

"To give back to Panem," President Snow says coquettishly. He traces his finger up my arm, the touch sending a chill down my spine. I look him in the eyes, not completely sure of what he's alluding to. "For all we've done for you, Miss Marcette."

No… He doesn't mean that I'll become one of those prostitutes. I've heard of the Capitol forcing their Victors into prostitution, allowing people of the Capitol to purchase their body for their own use. I'm done with that.

I'm not that girl anymore. The girl that would gladly accept that.

"I'm not sure I know what you're getting at," I say, letting my formal way of speaking slip. This is the most informal conversation I've ever been involved with.

"I think you do, Miss Marcette," the President coos, leading his finger further up my arm. He's closer to my face now, his breath smelling like some flower. A rose. "You're very beautiful."

Shaking my head, I think about taking a step back, but I know I shouldn't. I can't. He's the one in charge here, the one with the power. He came all the way to District Six for me. I can't say no, nor can I reject his offer. He makes the calls now, and that's undeniable.

I don't even want to think about what he'd to me or my family if I decline. I can't risk it.

"The Capitol would love to have you," President says, taking back his hand. He holds the both of them out in front of him, expecting me to place mine on top of his. "What do you say, Miss Marcette?"

"I accept," I say, trying to hold back from my voice quivering. Placing my hands on top of his, I feel his cold touch. He wraps his hands over mine, a smile forming on his face.

"For Panem, Miss Marcette."

"For Panem, President Snow."

Author's Note:

Well, that concludes Set in Stone!

Here is the Epilogue dedicated to our Victor: Liora Marcette of District Six.

So, like usual, I have a list of questions I'd appreciate you answering. Comments on the chapter in general would be nice too, but here are the questions:

Overall, who were your favorite character(s)? Favorite District pair?

What was the most shocking death? What was the least shocking death?

Overall, what was your favorite chapter or most memorable moment?

At any point in the story, who did you think the victor would be? Are you content with the victor?