#Lia Havelock

[savannahawthorne]

TASK ONE | THE REAPING

“Red skies at night, sailors delight; red skies in the morning, sailors take warning.”

When the memories came, they often came in fragments and pieces. They were like the dream Lia could never quite pin down with words. Even if she could, what words would she choose? Dreams were just destined to exist in your subconscious; the secret the wakeful were not privy to.

Yet, as she sat there toes in the sand, the sun started to break over the horizon. The clear waters reflecting the reddish tint that had painted the sky beautiful to everyone else, but they were not sailors. District Four had been founded on the backs of water-loving people and every member of District Four knew what that meant...

“Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning.”

Lia could hear her grandfather’s voice as it replayed the advice with a chuckle attached to the end. “Remember that my little starfish.” And remember it she shall. Today was not going to be a good day for District Four and Lia’s soul was heavy with the truth the world had allowed anyone awake for the sunrise to glimpse.

Still she got up and sauntered back to her home, eager to return before anyone was the wiser she had snuck out to watch the sunset. It was silly. At nineteen, she was an adult and perfectly capable of walking out the front door, but she still stealthily slipped out the back. Solitude was something she craved on Reaping Day.

Just like the truth in the sunrise, District Four citizens could tell you another universal truth, rubbing salt in a wound hurts like hell. Wasn’t that what the Alma Coin had set out to do when she stripped District Four of their honor and pride? Not that you could take what wasn’t readily surrendered.

District Four was not home to those who surrendered easily. All they needed was someone to remind me of the fighting spirit that had lived and dwell in their District and in the memories of those that passed before them.

“If I go, let it be with fire in my heart and a chip on my shoulder.” Lia reminded herself mentally as she slipped into her finest clothes and walked downstairs.

Before she knew it, Lia was standing in the vast open square of District Four. Even from there you could smell the salt on the air. It was heavy and licked at your skin and caused your hair to frizz if you were unlucky. The soft breeze was a buzz with the quite din of whispers and discontent as the ceremony started.

All Lia could think about during the ceremony was how everything in Panem had changed except this antiquated tradition. What did it say about the Rebellion if they were doomed to repeat the errors of the past? Well, her grandfather had always said they were fickle beings cursed with a poor memory. Rebellion was bound to come again, even if it took another seventy-five years.

Her thoughts were interrupted with the gasps and loud stares of her peers next to her. Right, she was Cordelia Havelock. Ugh, why had her parents given her such a lackluster name? This was the first impression she got to make to Panem and it was as Cordelia. She was already starting behind the eight ball, wonderful.

If her own name had numbed her, the next time stole her breath away completely it was as if she had been punched in the stomach. Not unlike the time the mean girl from school had given her the privilege of being her punching bag. It had taken her ribs weeks to heal. Lia was convinced neither her brother or her parents bought her excuses over where such an injury came from.

How could she fight when fighting meant forfeiting the life of her brother? District Four deserved a Victor that would put them on the map again, bestow some of the lost prestige again and show Alma Coin she had wrote them off too prematurely.

Could she let her brother be a casualty in her personal war with the government? No, she couldn’t.

Defeated, Lia let the Peacekeepers escort her towards her destiny knowing there was no fighting it. Fate had dealt her a losing hand and now mocked her for it.

It appeared that the sunrises in District Four would stay rosy a little longer.

[capitolgames]

CONGRATULATIONS TO ‘CORDELIA ‘LIA’ HAVELOCK’, WINNER OF THE 99TH ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES

JOIN US FOR OUR RETURN ON FRIDAY MAY 21ST. GOOD LUCK, AND MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOUR.

[fortwest]

Fenn/Cordelia Interview

@liahavelock

The two interviews before him slipped by quickly – Fenn was paying little attention to them, truth be told – and he stood almost robotically when prompted by an avox, who led he and Lia to the bottom of the stairs. He shook himself out of it and grinned at his sister. “It’ll be fine. We’ve dealt with worse sirens than Dora Tales.”

Dora leaned forward to the audience. “Between you and me,” her voice seemed to bubble up from her chest, like a burbling stream, “this next couple is one of my favourites.” She winked performatively and giggled, raising goose-bumps on Fenn’s bared chest. “I think we can all agree they’re a couple to watch. Please make them feel welcome. It’s our favourite seaside duo. Cordelia and Fenn!”

Wolf whistles, screams, and raucous applause assaulted Fenn’s ears as he strode confidently up the stairs, his suit attracting gasps and further applause from the audience. He bowed to the audience cheekily and batted his hand their way, as if to say – Oh stop it, you – they loved that. A glint in his eye and a broad grin on his face, he turned to Dora Tales and shook her hand, firmly, whilst bending in to kiss her on both cheeks. As he pulled away, her eyes met his and Fenn returned the searching gaze and superficial smile.

As he and Lia sat on the sofa, Fenn offered his hand to Lia. She looked up at him and took it into her lap. Dora looked admirably upon the two of them, sighed and shook her head with a smile. “I’m sorry to stare, but you two really are beautiful. What do we think of these outfits, ladies and gentlemen?” The audience roared. She leant forward and squeezed Fenn’s leg, who laughed and leant back on the sofa. “Oh I know,” he giggled. “I have genius stylists – I usually wake up looking like a blobfish.” Dora then booped Cordelia’s nose, and Fenn squeezed Cordelia’s hand, praying she wouldn’t bite Dora’s finger off.

As the crowd died down, raptly watching Fenn and Cordelia – already baying for blood, Fenn thought with a sick twist in his stomach – Dora Tales began to work her magic. “Well now. I must admit to being starstruck. You two have both gathered quite the following in the capitol – we really feel as though we’re a part of this little family.” Tales beamed at them.

“We’re happy to welcome you into the Havelock clan,” Fenn opened his arms to the audience and to Dora, chuckling.

Lia concurred. “Yes,” she forced a smile, though Fenn felt it was only because he knew her face so well that he noticed its falseness, “You’ve welcomed us very warmly – and we’ve managed to find a few home comforts here.” Fenn squeezed her hand again – nice one.

“Ah District Four,” Dora sighed. “A humble place but so beautiful, and such a rich culture – so rooted in mythology. Tell us a story from home – it seems you both spent a lot of time playing them out as children,” she added with a wink.

“If you’re referring to the clam shell bras, Dora,” Fenn chuckled, “I’d rather reserve comment.” Fenn held a hand up jokingly, and forced his face to flush redder. “But we can tell you a story if you’d like – I believe Lia knows the best ones.” He indicated his sister and extricated his hand from hers to give her the floor. “I never paid much attention in school,” he whispered and winked at Dora.

Cordelia accepted graciously, her eyes sparkling brighter than her dress. Fenn sank back, grinning at his sister as she spoke. The room was eating from the palm of her hands; the way Fenn commanded attention was loud and charismatic, but when Lia commanded a room it was with a soft power, her voice like the smell of coffee grounds permeating the air, wiring everyone’s brain. Masterful, he thought as she flipped the coin into the air. He was glad to see Tales smiling uneasily. He had never promised her District Four stories were sweet fairy tales.

Dora laughed effervescently as Cordelia caught the coin, and applauded. “What a story!” Dora exclaimed. “The myths of District Four are legend, of course, but I wasn’t prepared for them to be quite so sinister.” The hint of menace in her voice was not lost on Fenn – she didn’t appreciate command of the room being taken from her. Tales was trying to point out to the audience that beneath the golden couple lay something darker.

Fenn smiled and lent forward. “There’s nothing to fear about death,” he spoke gently. “Living by the sea teaches you that we are helpless when presented with it.” He grinned, “I think, though, Dora, that you’d have more to fear from the kids playing pirates back in District Four than the scary stories they tell.” Fenn chuckled, and Dora graciously accepted the shift in direction of the conversation.

“And speaking of your dastardly deeds back at home, Fenn,” Dora laughed airily, “You’ve had quite the young love right here in the capitol. Do tell us about Valentine, Fenn. How did you feel when you saw what he said to Valkyrie? And what,” she grinned, “happened on the train?”

Fenn chuckled, “Oh I never kiss and tell, Dora. Although I’m not sure that applies when you all saw the kisses anyway.” His voice was edged with a warning. Don’t ask me again. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, and opened his mouth to evade the question – he’d been preparing for this, but Dora clearly saw what he was trying to do and cut in before he could say anything.

“Come now, Fenn. We’re all desperate to know!” She looked round at the audience, and Fenn became conscious of how close she had come whilst talking, her knees mere centimetres from his own. “Aren’t we?” The audience roared, some of them practically frothing at the mouth.

Fenn raised his hands in defeat, and they fell silent at once, waiting for the story. “Well as to what happened on the train – I think it’s fairly clear that we clicked pretty much straight away,” Fenn grinned sadly and held his hands in his lap, looking down at the floor and pursing his lips. He knew how to play an audience. “We sat up and talked for hours most nights – same as when we got here, really.” He looked back up and shook his head. “I remember being so nervous when I saw him in the training centre. ‘What if everything’s changed now we’re here’, I thought. But you know between the dates and the singing and the sleepovers… and the baths,” he added, grinning at the audience. “I sort of settled into it.”

“I guess I felt a bit of an idiot. I can’t have expected him to seriously fall for me in a place like this. I should have trusted myself at the start, I suppose.” He held his hands up as if to signal that there was nothing more that could be done, and looked out into the audience, pleased to see a couple of people dabbing at their eyes. “Lucky I have my sister with me,” he grinned. “You know I always used to go to her as a child, too. She used to spray ‘magic sea water’ on my leg when I’d cut myself, or over my heart when I was feeling upset. No magic water here, of course, but she’s still here for me like no one else can be,” he placed his arm around his sister and squeezed her in towards him.

Dora leant closer and spoke in a false whisper. It was softer than her usual soaring voice, but loud enough to echo around the room. “And is that why you chose your beautiful sister here over Valentine?”

Fenn smiled and looked over at Cordelia. “Well, Dora. I think I always knew I would be with Cordelia in these games.” The audience loved that. “Valentine was fun, but family is the most important thing in the world.”

 Tales moved on from Fenn to Cordelia and asked about Onyx. Fenn used the opportunity to assess the audience more closely – he had heard the story a thousand times from Cordelia, so didn’t need to listen, though he made sure to nod sympathetically from time to time. He was pleased to see that the audience were enamoured. Cordelia’s hot-headedness made them look like serious contenders, but the sharp edges of her fire were softened by Fenn’s charm.

Dora’s laughter soared above them all, and the audience laughed along. It was infectious, though not to Fenn and Cordelia, who smiled politely. “Well we certainly have a charming pair here, don’t we? You’ve been quite the golden boy and girl independently, of course, but to be in here together.” She whistled through her teeth. “Well, I think we can all say we were heartbroken to watch your reaping.” The audience agreed fervently, but Dora ploughed on. “But to actually be in your position, I can’t imagine what that must be like.” She almost choked on her words with emotion, though Fenn noted her eyes were dry. “How did it feel to see your sibling get reaped?” Dora asked the two of them.

Fenn glanced at Cordelia, who was flipping the coin nervously, and nodded almost imperceptibly to Fenn, encouraging him to take the lead. “I don’t think words could do it justice, Dora.” He spoke softly, directing his words out to the audience. “You know – on some level it’s almost a blessing in disguise, to have Lia here with me. A small slice of home goes a long way. But equally, my stomach dropped when I heard Lia’s name get called, and it hasn’t gone back to normal. I’d do anything for my sister here.”

“You know – I just can’t stop thinking about our parents. They’ve been through such tragedy already,” he sighed sadly.

“Tragedy? What’s this?” Dora reached out her hand, which Fenn took – almost comforting her rather than her comforting him. He looked at Cordelia to check this was okay, and she nodded a small nod, looking at the floor.

Fenn began. “Cordelia and I have already lost a sibling. My parents have already lost a child. Cordelia’s twin.”

By the time Fenn had finished telling the story of Atalanta, how they would spend days out on the boat as children, how she had died, and how it had felt going from a trio to a duo, the room was silent. The loudest sound was the breathing of the three people on stage, amplified over their microphones. “Now this is unprecedented,” Dora leant back and brushed at her eyes, again tearless. “Well, my dears, I think we can all say we hope you make it home to your poor parents. They must be sick with grief.”

Fenn shifted, taking this as the end of the interview, but Dora used the hand already on his leg to press down firmly, telling him not to move. He glanced at Cordelia, who looked just as confused as he did.

“Speaking of people back home who must be worried. We contacted some people back in Four, and my they had some lovely things to say about the two of you.” Dora indicated the screen behind her, on which people flashed, saying how sorry they felt for the Havelocks, how Lia and Fenn were good kids, always brightened a room, and how they’d grown from kind and funny children into even kinder, funnier adults. Allium’s face appeared briefly, and Fenn smiled sadly at his voice. He hadn’t forgotten its sound, but it was nice to have his memory refreshed.

When the video reel ended, Fenn exhaled heavily and wiped at his eyes, which had moistened. “Thanks for that, Dora. It was nice to hear from them.” He looked over at Cordelia, who smiled and nodded.

“We miss you all,” Cordelia said into the camera. “We’ll be home soon.”

The audience roared and stood on its feet as Dora bowed to Lia and Fenn and kissed their hands. They waved solemnly at the audience, but with winning smiles, and left the stage.

Fenn embraced Lia shakily the minute they were out of sight, though the cheers of the capitol still wracked his head. He couldn’t find the words to say how he felt, but from the trembling of her breath, she understood.

[savannahawthorne]

LIA HAVELOCK | THE DAY OF THE VICTORY TOUR

Back before the modern days, there lived a time even before the ‘once upon a times’ present in our lore. It was a time of glory, wisdom, and a time of much adventure. It was a time when the peril was real as well as the ethereal glory of the celestial crown upon the Earth’s head. This was the time that the maiden, one who was as fair as the morning dew and as lovely as the springtime blooms, dwelled and lived…

Slowly, the sky overhead lit with the fiery red paint strokes of the dying day gave to the subtle tones of purple and inkinesss that would accompany the darkness of a moonless night. After all, District Four was a dark place when the moon did not shine and these days, the pale ribbon of moonlight was long sought after as the moon ventured on it’s trip away from the Earth. Still, there was a steady scratch of the pen long into the darkness with only the small lit orb of the flashlight (a haunting gift from a gleaming Capitol City) to accompany it.

For this maiden was a wondrous sight to behold; her golden hair was made of the purest sunbeams for it gave off the warming glow in which the blooms sprang into being. In her eyes, eyes that were so cerulean even the sky was jealous, you might have expected to see puffs of cumulus clouds frolick. So special was this maiden, when she pranced around flowers bloomed in her wake as a humble offering from the Earth in celebration of her glory and virtuous nature inherited from her mother; Mother Earth.

One fair day, forest breeze flowing through her hair tangling it gentle knots and the sweet aroma of petals kissing the air, that Persephone wandered lost as a gentle fawn guided her way. A fawn whose spots had begun to fade in favor of the tiny velvet horns erupting from it’s head as the creature made its way into adulthood.

How Persephone favored this creature as she followed it blindly, because it knew the way. The creature was her own sun and guiding star separate from the ones her father had created in the starry heavens above, to guide the mortals trapped in the mortal realm.

“Oh!” Persephone called out as the ground gave way below her feet. What was this horror that had come to encompass her world of flowers, greenery, and frolicking? This new world was dark, jagged marble that glittered in the darkness, fed by the River Styx which flowed through it.

Still she was not afraid, for her fawn had leaped down the hole in the Earth as a newly appointed soldier at her side. Looking at the creature, now stalwart and calm, Persephone christened it Virgil, a pure soul destined to guide her journey.

Lia stopped for a moment, tears now wetting the pages in her hands as the tide lapped at her toes buried in the cool sand. Over her shoulder her constant companions, pale and transparent, watched silently as they urged her to continue her tale.

Somewhere in the darkness of this grand city, the City of the Underworld, her imprisoner waited with bated breath. For it was his darkest ambition for the fairest maiden to arrive in his city and be his own treasure to claim. It did not matter that her father, the mightest of the Gods, had denied his request. He was the mightiest of all, for Hades, ruled the land in which none could escape. After all, he was the light that cared for the souls of the land providing them with nourishment and a place to rest their immortal souls once the short flesh of mortality had been shed. No, it was Hades that should be worshiped above all.

Seeing the path behind them was blocked by stone as immovable as the past bricks molded by the sands of times, Persephone knew the way forward was their only option. “Come Virgil, we shall go forth and join this panem et circeneses.” Surely if they were victorious they would be allowed to return home to the forest of their youth and free to rejoice in the sun once more.

Pausing, Lia chewed her lip, her hand weary from a day’s work, but she knew the time was running out as the stars shifted across the sky. In the morning the time would come, a time when the light would be forced to rise until it surrendered to the darkness. It was with urgency that she went back to the task at hand and Persephone’s siren call.

Back on earth, the sun had slowly dipped in the sky and Mother Earth, Demeter, called her only child back from the forest. “Come my child, come and be well for we will dine on the harvest feast as we always do.” Only the sun slowly vanished behind the horizon and Demeter’s table remained empty. There would be no feast tonight or for many fortnight’s to come.

With lamenting tears, Demeter called out to her husband, the King of the Gods. ‘Oh where has our child gone? Our maiden of the springtime and the flowers?” She asked as she surveyed the area around them. Already the flowers had begun to wilt and give into the heat of the sun, baking the Earth in the glorious worth of summer.

Without the reassurances of her husband, who hadn’t a clue, Demeter called out again to the all-knowing God of the Sun, Helios. “Oh! My wisest friend, tell me where my daughter has perished because my heart aches with incurable sadness.”

Slowly, Helios paused his chariot in the sky hearing the desperate pleas of Mother Earth, causing an endless stream of sunbeams to shine down on the Earth. For this was not part of his journey, but he could not leave Demeter in such anguish.

“Sister Demeter, your child is not lost.” His voice called down laden with sorrow and regret. “She has been claimed by Hades, God of the Underworld, and shall not return to this land ever again as pentenace for your Husband’s wilful denial of his request for her hand in marriage.”

Demeter cried out in desperation for the words of the Sun God could not be true. Her child would one day return to her as it is a mother’s will to be with their children. Her daughter, Persephone, was far too fair and good to be damned to the pits of Hell. She would see to it that all should be set right again in the world…

Heavily, Lia sighed as she looked up, her blue eyes finding the first light of the day breaking on the horizon. In another time, this would have been her most cherished moment of the day. The moments in which a new beginning was born into life and when it was as if the world took a breath and began again, but the world had died months ago.

Yet, Persephone persisted in the dark despair of that grand city below having made her way to the gleaming City of the Damned. There her and her fawn, Virgil, who had now grown, were imprisoned in a palace that would even shame her father’s. Daily she was showered in expectations, but also gifts Hades believed her heart would desire.

With persistent tears, Persephone continued to bath the Underworld with her misery no gifts could cure. Gifts could not quell her longing to return to her mother and the green earth above, for she was not meant to be of this world. The glamour and glitz held no appeal to her as did her would-be-lover's pleas. Trials and tribulations were not her way, though, if she must, she swore up and down she would do as needed. For surely successful completion meant returning to the warmth of Demeter’s embrace.

Hastily, Lia finished the last pages of her writing and slammed the book shut with a resounding thud. The call of obligation rang out with the incoming tide and she knew she could not resist it’s call any longer. Life was like the tides after all, they came and went, and you were powerless to fight them. A lesson she had learned all too well in the days that had passed since the ‘fated’ one that hung still above her head like a guillotine.

Even as she stepped foot on the train, Persephone’s tale remained with her. A whisper under the blankets kind of tale that you could not help but pass along, even to a now phantom chaperone.

Back on Earth, Demeter mourned her child and swore there would be no warmth until all was set right. So, the Earth fell into a fitful slumber. Gone were the warm winds and sunbeams of the glory days. Her fits of rage had long banished Helios from the sky and a white blanket of snow, ice, and silence enveloped all the lands. It was then the cries of Zesus’ beloved mortals joined in the chorus of Mother Earth begging for Zeus to bring them relief.

Try as he might, Zeus could not convince Demeter to permit Helios to continue his journey across the sky. For what did it matter? The Earth would not bloom again in greenery and flowers until the Maiden of the Springtime returned, or was he so callous he had forgotten his daughter already?

“Hades!” Zeus called out in a fit of anger summoning his brother to his side. “I order you to return back what you have stolen.”

Haughty and with a laugh full of zeal, the God of the Underworld laughed at the request bequeathed to him. “Now brother, you have thrice denied my request for the hand of the fairest maiden, and now she is mine. All is as it should be.” Hades reasoned.

“This is my wish!” Zeus cried out in anger as he stomped his foot and pointed a thunderbolt at the God of the Underworld.

“No, this is the wish of your wife.” Hades pointed out. It had been longed known that Zeus, God of the Gods, long favored his daughter Athena above all others. “I have promised to bath Persephone in the finest riches of the Earth and care for her all the days of eternity.” He continued despite the anger resonating from his brother. “I can make her a queen, now that she has passed my trials and tribulations, and the souls of the Underworld will worship her as their own. Tell me, how is this not desirable?”

Frustration furrowed Zeus’ brow as he listened to the words of his brother. “You shall return the maiden to her mother before fortnight’s end.” He demanded as he settled into his lofty Olympus throne knowing the mortals would perish if Demeter’s anguish was not abated. “In return, I shall promise her to you for six months of the year as to permit you both what your hearts desire. I rule this as her father and as the Gods of All Gods on Olympus. This is final.”

The words swirled in Lia’s head as she embarked, tired and frazzled from her own fortnight’s journey. Ahead of her laid the gleaming city of marble and stone, but would forever be cloaked in darkness and misery. Here the wail of the Lost was the strongest and frequented her without relenting. Here the call of what might have been and could have been blurred until she could no longer untangle the ball of string they had become and set the world right.

If she turned her head to the right, Lia could almost hear the whispers of the fawn now grown in the wind urging her to keep going. The next part of the story playing on repeat was his favorite. His voice was soft and eager, much like it had been when they were children hushed by the silence of the night and the fear of being overheard and whisked back to bed without the story’s ending.

Eyes choked with tears, Lia had no other option than to allow the movie in her head to come to fruition. 

And so it was deemed that Perseophone should be returned to her mother Detemer. With a fit of joy and happiness, the maiden burst forth from the ground. In her wake, the flowers bloomed and the verdant grasses sprung up in a happy celebration of the return of the Springtime Maiden, easing away the cold light of winter.

Overjoyed, Demeter called out permission to Helios to continue his chariot ride across the sky and return the sun to the Earth. In all the days that followed, warmth and joy filled the earth and blossomed in their fields. Once again there was peace and prosperity until the fateful day Persephone would return to the under dwellings of the Earth and Demeter’s sadness would again envelope the Earth robbing it of its riches.

“Do not fear mother,” Persephone assured her mother as she gently wiped her tears from her cheeks with her thumb. “For I will be back before you know it. Until then, I shall do my best to comfort the souls of the departed. To brighten their world with the mercy you have shown me, your daughter. I shall bring forth the flowers and the bounty your love has bestowed upon me and bestow it upon them. I can be a wondrous Queen because I was created in your image and have grown in your love.” Persephone quietly told her mother hoping to alleviate her worries.

“Rest easy and take solace in the fact that we will meet again soon,” Persephone assured seeing the tears of Demeter had not slowed. “For the circle has no end and comes around again and again. As we are blood we are of one circle we cannot be truly parted, only temporarily parted and rejoined again and again.”

Knowing the final sand grain of her time had come close to slipping through the hourglass, Persephone slipped a golden halo of olive leaves onto her mother’s head. “May this continuous crown of golden leaves remind you of our circle and of my never ending love for you, my mother, my blood. Soon we will meet again and bask in the glory of our love for each other.”

Nodding, Demeter wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled softly. “And as my tribute to you, my only daughter, forsaken by her father, I shall weave golden circle crowns for all the Gods and they will wear them for all eternity as a symbol of your glory and sacrifice. When one thinks of golden crowns, they will know not only the strength needed to wear such a token but of the sacrifice it demands as you have demonstrated so grandly.”

With that proclamation, Demeter gifted morals the golden crown to wear upon the heads of those deemed worthy or to the children that frolic in the meadows or by the seaside dreaming the wild unkempt dreams of childhood.

With a snap Lia closed the book, the one embossed with the fallen golden crown resting upon a duo of silver coins, and slid it upon the shelf made of the finest mahogany. Staring back at her was the fine golden print adorning the side of the spine that simply said, “The Forgotten Lore of District Four” penned by Lia Havelock.

And while her book would no doubt be an unprecedented success, Lia knew the words were just that, words. Tales that were meant to be shared in times of joy, strength to draw from in times of hardship, and most importantly, to be acted out on the beach by children envisioning a future of bliss and growth.

Lia would also tell you there were no words more important than those simply stated on the first page of her book:

For Fenn and Atalanta, Our circle is not broken.

[savannahawthorne]

TASK 003 - Mortal Bonds

There is always light behind the clouds.

Even sodden with the weight of the water the flower crown floated, surfing the gentle waves of the ocean. It kept bobbing as if a merry token of a childhood game and at one time it had been. How many hours had Lia spent with Atalanta making those crowns? It had been a long time until their fingers had become numb with the work and their chests sore from all the laughter.

Now two crowns bobbed on the water, destined to be carried out to the sea with the tide. Two crowns and a broken heart.

Sobbing, Lia hugged her knees tightly to her chest oblivious to the grit of the sand on her bare legs and the tide lapping at her body. If she was lucky the tide would take her out with it and allow her a moment of peace. Instead all she had was her tears and the lonely cry of the seagulls to keep her company.

Death wasn’t a stranger to Lia, her grandparents had died when she was younger. They were faint faces in her memory and her grandmother’s sugar cookies had been a delight. Her grandfather, well, her father assured her he was a great fisherman, one all the men were jealous of. As most things when you were a child, however, they were painted over rosy and you were sent on your way. Not unlike when the tide toppled your sandcastle, you just came back tomorrow and rebuilt it.

Why sweet Atalanta?

When her breath came, it came in racking sobs that shook Lia’s petite body. Why Atalanta? Why? It was the endless question that had plagued her since that fated day six months ago. Why? Had she had a voice now she would have shouted it to the Heavens and demanded an answer.

You see it had been a day like any other, that July day. The Reaping had come and past and like usual, the Havelocks were free for another year. In celebration Atalanta had insisted they go down to the shore and harvest a feast for dinner. Clams. Fresh sushi rolls wrapped with seaweed and if they were really lucky, some fine fish freshly caught from the ocean. Imagine it Atalanta had told her. Imagine how happy everyone would be.

Laughing, Lia had agreed and watched Atalanta run ahead of her with her wild blonde hair fanned out behind her in the salty breeze. Her laugh had been carefree and tinkling, bright with life and a zest she only hoped to match some day. It was easy to be carefree when Atalanta was around. She knew none of the weight her namesake had endured.

When she had fallen, Lia had laughed only to be pulled down into the sand with her, both of them laughing. Sand was soft and forgiving and the blonde had always been a clumsy child. When they had been children she had joked they needed to wrap her in bubble wrap, you know that soft stuff they had in the Capitol they wrapped their fine porcelain and china in.

Buckets full of clams and spirits high, they had trampled all the way back to the village. Their journey had been full of laughter, gossip, and plans for the summer. They were freshly sixteen and it was about time they got to take the sailboat out on their own right? Maybe if Lia asked nicely Fenn would go too. Atalanta could pack the food, Lia would pack the snorkeling gear, and Fenn would surely bring the laughter.

The trip had been the highlight of the summer! They had dove off the boat over and over again until Lia was sure they were one with the ocean. When they got tired they simply floated along the waves and marveled at the fish under them dancing on the brightly colored corals. Atalanta had declared she was jealous of the mermaids and wished she could live in the ocean forever. Then they wouldn’t have to go back home to a gory recap of the games they should be watching. They wouldn’t have to be the laughter of Panem with their fallen grace.

And when Atalanta said she was tired, they had simply crawled out of the water to watch the sunset. Soon the moon would be high and would guide their way back to port. They had promised they would do it again soon once the Hunger Games was over. Maybe next time they would try to find that little secluded piece of shoreline with the waterfall the older kids were always talking about.

If Lia had known this was their last time, she would have insisted on them staying there forever.

Only the bruise never went away. Atalanta had brushed off her concerns with it simply being a curse of her fair skin. Didn’t Lia know that? In other Districts people longed for fair unblemished skin and here in District Four it was a curse. Forever being reddened by an angry sun and unable to keep a secret. If she fell, as she was prone to do, her skin would give her away. It was fine, don’t worry.

But Death was a persistent hunter as they would soon find out. As the summer slipped into autumn, Atalanta’s strength went with it. At first they thought it was simply a remnant of a crazy summer; too many days spent in the sun and on the ocean. Even teenagers got tired and worn out. All she needed to do was rest. Rest the simplest cure in the world and the magic tonic that healed most aliments.

Then came the pains. First they were barely there, so much so, Lia had teased they were simply growing pains. That was what her parents had told her when she was a child. Growing pains. 

Soon the pains turned into screams haunting the night with the ghosts of District Four. Atalanta had screamed that her bones were on fire. Someone had ground glass up and shoved it into her legs, her hip, her back. Only the doctors morphling seemed to ease her trouble sleep once in a while.

Didn’t they know? This was blood sickness such as some of the kids came down with in District Four. Something wasn’t right between the red cells and the whites. The doctor had shrugged. He did not have access to the medicines in the Capitol. These things unfortunately happened once in a while.

The Havelocks had been left with his blessings and assurance he would do his best to secure more morphling. Lia had punched him.

Surely someone would hear their plight and rescue them? Only as fall gave way to winter, her sister continued to fade. It was not unlike the eclipse they had witnessed a children; the sun had been bright until it had been eclipsed sending the sands into darkness, the dark in the middle of the day. Then it had passed and the sun had remained bright and luminous as ever. Surely this was what was happening to Atalanta. An eclipse, scary, but temporary.

With the breath of the new year came Atalanta’s last. It was as swift as if someone snuffed out a candle leaving only the faint smell of smoke. 

No one had magically swept in with a cocktail of medicines that could have saved her young life. No one had answered their pleas and begging. The life of one child, one sister, one life in District Four was hardly noteworthy. After all, these were the people that sent twenty-four individuals to die in the arena without much thought. Life was disposable and not the cherished commodity it should be. Would it have been different if Atalanta was a child of the Capitol or from one of the beloved Districts?

Pulling herself from her memories, Lia screamed into the darkness that had fallen around her. A lament meant for no one to hear but the ocean. A scream that told the world of her pain, of her wish to die and be reunited with the one she had lost.

Lia had never known life without Atalanta, right from conception. Two souls born of one egg and predetermined to share a single destiny until they were old and gray. The joked had always been that the seven minutes she had been apart from her sister, the time between their births, were the loneliest of her life. Her parents had agreed often telling them how Lia cried nonstop until her twin sister had been born and laid in the bassinet beside her. Their lives had been intertwined since the start, so how could she live now without her?

When her voice gave out, Lia’s cry continued only in silence until she collapsed over into the sand. The tide was coming in and if she just laid there a little longer she could see her sister soon. Would she be happy to see her or angry?

Only, her sister’s ghost would never allow it. Whispering in her ear, her voice carried on the wind, Lia could almost hear her. Hear Atalanta telling her it would be alright.

Lia needed to fight. Lia needed to make her death mean something, because how else would things change in District Four? How else would things change in Panem? Someone needed to make a world where no one’s child, no ones sister, or brother had to die a preventable death.

With that, Atlas’ burden had been dumped on her shoulders. Somehow, someway, Lia would find a way to fight the fight that had been entrusted to her.

It took more than 10,000 years for the coral reefs to form in District Four and like their long formed marine counterparts, they would endure and Panem would know their beauty once again.

[savannahawthorne]

TASK 002 - Tribute Parade

You know it's all the same, another time and place Repeating history and you're getting sick of it But I believe in whatever you do And I'll do anything to see it through Because these things will change

A heavy sigh left Lia’s lips as her stylist kept tugging on her jeweled skirt because it wasn’t hanging just right. If she was being honest, it looked the same as it had two hours ago when she put it on. The flamboyant Capitol citizen, however, was not convinced and wanted everything to be perfect for the grand reveal during the parade. The dark mermaid scales were only a cover, meant to keep them hidden, until the right moment. Not that Lia minded, a little water never scared her. Not as a kid and not as a teenager now.

A lot of people loved the tribute parade, but Lia hated it. They were all a bunch of charlatans parading around pretending to be something they wanted. The tributes were all from the District, a fact that shouldn’t mean something but it did. It meant they were burdened with The Hunger Games. It meant they were burden with anything those in power did not want to deal with or do. Over the years, first with Snow and then Coin, had said was their punishment. Yet, who was going to save the souls of those who deemed this children like her to die in the arena? Who was going to forgive them for their sins? Lia would go to grave with a clean conscious, but would they?

Shaking her head, she tried to push her thoughts from her head, because who cared what she thought? Who cared what a little girl from District Four thought? Panem had long forgotten about District Four years ago. It made her angry, yes, but it also broke her heart. This year could be different and could be the year District Four made their mark.

Silently, she turned and looked at her brother trying to read his emotions, but it was hard. It had been years since they had been close and privy to each other’s secrets. Perhaps that was largely her fault. Lia had been a bit distance since that fateful July... Now she regretted it in the pale light of their likely shortened life expectancy.

Instead, she squeezed his hand as they climbed into the carriage. Her stylist had told her again and again how critical this moment was, but Lia had shrugged it off. The Capitol had many dolls and they were just the latest twenty-four in that collection. Her twisted realist mind would have pointed out how pretty they would all be too when they sent them home under their death shroud, but she ignored it. Not today. Not today.

Smiling, she stood tall in her chariot as it pulled out into the din of the Capitol street. It wasn’t unlike the great ancients, the Romans, she thought her father had called them. This parade leading them to the Colosseum much as those gladiators had done many years before them. The history book was truly bound to repeat itself.

Forced smile and all, Lia waved to the fans for a moment knowing she had to, her face painted in false hope and optimism. For this was all a game in the Capitol, wasn’t it? Well, Lia was good at games. She could smile and play along because she wanted to live. She wanted Fenn to live and these people held the cards. It was these people that would be sending them gifts in the arena to aid in their fight.

Atlas had been born of the sea and he had held up the weight of the world with pride and dignity. If this was her fate too, Lia was going to bear that weight proudly, although in a much sparkly costume than Atlas had surely worn.

Again, she squeezed her brother’s hand. They could do this. They could and she needed him to know that.

[savannahawthorne]

LIA HAVELOCK LOOK-BOOK | TRIBUTE PARADE

Seaglass is formed from pieces of the past, tumbled in the ocean until it was made beautiful again. Not unlike those in District Four. They have weather the storm and are ready to be made beautiful again in the eyes of the citizens of Panem. Lia Havelock longs to be the one to bring about the change redeem her District.

Many in the Capitol will think the reflective hues of green and blue symbolize the waves, constant and tranquil, but the stylists had other ideas. How many will see the message lingering beneath the surface? The building tsunami born in District Four’s oceans?

[capitolgames]

CHOICE COUPLE - APHRODITE AND COSIMA: If you carry on like this, the Capitol will someday write poetry about your love.

UNDERDOG - ALANI: The people of the Capitol know you’re a lost cause, but they hope that with the right pair you’ll still go far.

VILLAIN - VALKYRIE: Our will they/won’t they pair is no more, and the Capitol thinks there is only one person to blame.

THE ONE TO WATCH - JADE: For the second week in a row, all eyes are on you as your time in the arena grows ever closer. Don’t lose your momentum and you’ll go far.

FAN FAVOURITE - FENN: You’re funny, kind to everyone, and easy on the eyes, and everyone in the Capitol is talking about you.

WILL THEY/WON’T THEY - ONYX AND LIA: We saw sparks fly between this pair from the second they met, now the Capitol is just hooping they see it too.

THERA SERILDA, you have somewhat faded into the background. The Capitol would most like to see you partner up with ASH.

APHRODITE CIRRELO, your star shines just as brightly as ever, but the Capitol is losing their patience waiting for you to choose your partner. Their current pick is COSIMA.

TAI WALKER, the DAPHNE/TAI saga is old news. You’ll have to do something drastic to get back into the fray. DAPHNE is still the Capitol’s first choice for you.

VALKYRIE MADDOX, the Capitol is tired of your mind games. The real you has been uncovered, and the Capitol doesn’t like what they see. As far as they’re concerned, you and LANTHAN deserve each other.

FENN HAVELOCK, the Capitol doesn’t want you to change a single hair on your pretty little head.  VALENTINE is the only person they could see you with.

VALENTINE DONAHUE, the Capitol’s patience wears thin, and they want to see you put in a little more effort, especially with FENN as your potential partner.

COSIMA SILAMIDE, the Capitol knows that with APHRODITE by your side, the two of you will be unstoppable. Their choice couple for you is APHRODITE.

ROWAN TORWYN, what you lack in smarts you make up for in shirtless moments. They’d like to see you partner up with ALANI.

ASTRID PORTER,The Capitol are glad you seem to have quietened down a bit, but their hearts are set on your partnering up with VALENTINE.

CORDELIA ‘LIA’ HAVELOCK, the Capitol has enjoyed seeing your more playful side, and they think they’d get to see more of it if you were to partner up with ONYX.

JADE AMETRINE, you are making a name for yourself through skill, but the Capitol wants you to loosen up. They are rooting for you and ONYX. 

ONYX FELDSPAR, the Capitol has a soft spot for you, but they’re in two minds about who they’d like to see you partner with. The top choice is currently JADE.

ALANI HEYWOOD, the Capitol wants to see you step out of your shell and get to know the other tributes a little better. You and ROWAN are a match in their eyes.

[capitolgames]

The sound of another canon.

THERA SERILDA is killed by FENN HAVELOCK and LIA HAVELOCK.

[capitolgames]

One last canon.

ONYX FELDSPAR was killed by LIA HAVELOCK.

[capitolgames]

The battle commences, and after a difficult fight, the first canon of the final day goes off.

JADE AMETRINE is killed by FENN HAVELOCK and LIA HAVELOCK.

[capitolgames]

CHOICE COUPLE - FENN AND VALENTINE: The Capitol have been watching the darling pair since the second they left the train, and they’re happy to see that the Games have brought two soulmates together.

UNDERDOG - THERA: Your sweetness and kindness in the face of such terror has made the Capitol fall in love with you, but they know better than to get too attached. 

VILLAIN - TAI: The bombshell dropped by DAPHNE did you no favours, and all eyes in the Capitol are on you as they eagerly await what’s bound to be a very interesting storyline.

THE ONE TO WATCH - JADE: Everyone knows you’re as lethal as they come, and they’re pretty sure you’re going to be leaving the Games unscathed no matter which partner you pick.

FAN FAVOURITE - ROWAN: You’re the full package - or so the Capitol say - and there’s nothing anybody can say or do to convince them otherwise.

WILL THEY/WON’T THEY - APHRODITE AND VALKYRIE: This pair just can’t seem to get enough of one another - The Capitol is just waiting on them to realise it.

THERA SERILDA, the Capitol views you as quiet and compassionate. They would most like to see you partner up with CALIX.

APHRODITE CIRRELO, the Capitol enjoys watching all the fun you’re having, but are split when discussing who they’d most like to see you couple with. Their current pick is COSIMA.

TAI WALKER, the Capitol is furious with you, but there is a strong undercurrent of people rooting for your redemption arc. They would like to see you see out the games with DAPHNE.

VALKYRIE MADDOX, the Capitol isn’t quite sure what to make of you. They want to see the VALKYRIE that stepped off the train - smiling, waving and blowing kisses. They would most like to see you couple with LANTHAN.

FENN HAVELOCK, you are in high demand in the Capitol - and one of their favourites. They believe VALENTINE should be your… valentine.

VALENTINE DONAHUE, while the Capitol adores your relationships with the other tributes, they sense a dark side to you that is slightly off-putting. They would like to see you couple with FENN.

CALIX CREED, you have a small but devout following in the Capitol that wishes to see you succeed. They would love to see you pair with ARA.

COSIMA SILAMIDE, the Capitol adores your quick wit and sharp mind, but they’re unsure of whether you’ll survive the fight. Their choice couple for you is APHRODITE.

BEVERLY HOLLYHOCK, the Capitol thinks you’re as hilarious as you are cute. They want to see you and ATTICUS go all the way.

DAPHNE WILLOW, when it comes to you and TAI, the Capitol are rooting for you. They want to see the two of you make it out in one piece. 

ROWAN TORWYN, there are plenty of people in the Capitol who are swooning over you. They’d like to see you partner up with ALANI.

ASTRID PORTER, you are not in the Capitol’s good books, but they would like to see you partner up with APHRODITE.

ATTICUS FORETVENI, you and your District Partner have taken the Capitol by storm. They would like to see you stand by BEVERLY.

CORDELIA ‘LIA’ HAVELOCK, the Capitol thinks you are the daring sort. They would like to see you and your brother FENN make it home together.

JADE AMETRINE, everyone in the Capitol agrees that you’re a force to be reckoned with. They are rooting for you and ONYX. 

[capitolgames]

CHOICE COUPLE - APHRODITE AND COSIMA: Let’s hope this love story doesn’t have a tragic ending.

UNDERDOG - ONYX: We had such high hopes for you. But with Jade as a distraction we can’t see you going far.

VILLAIN - JADE: Onyx is blinded by his love for you, but unlike him - we see the truth.

THE ONE TO WATCH - LIA: Your training score gave us all the reason in the world to pay more attention to you. We will not underestimate you again.

FAN FAVOURITE - FENN: For the second week in a row, we’re just as enamoured by you as ever.

WILL THEY/WON’T THEY - VALKYRIE/LANTHAN: There’s something more to this story than meets the eye, and we think Valkyrie should give Lanthan the chance he deserves before it’s too late.

THERA SERILDA, you have a little more fire in you than we anticipated.

APHRODITE CIRRELO, now that you’ve chosen your partner, we want the two of you to go all the way.

VALKYRIE MADDOX, where you go, trouble follows. We want to see you make something of your life.

FENN HAVELOCK, you have a lot of people rooting for you. Don’t mess it up.

COSIMA SILAMIDE, now you’ve secured one of the most formidable tributes we’ve seen in the Games, we can’t wait to see the ride the two of you take us on.

ROWAN TORWYN, we love you, so dearly, but we’re just not sure you can make it through this alive.

ASTRID PORTER, no one likes you.

CORDELIA ‘LIA’ HAVELOCK, we adore your choice to go into the arena with Fenn. You’ve done nothing but impress us over these past two weeks.

JADE AMETRINE, we don’t trust your intentions with Onyx. We’re worried about what you’re going to do to him.

ONYX FELDSPAR, we’re still head over heels for you, but with Jade by your side we’re starting to think you might be a lost cause.

ALANI HEYWOOD, whatever love we had for you melted away during your interview. We see the real you now: bitter and alone.

[savannahawthorne]

PRIVATE TRAINING SESSION -- LIA HAVELOCK DISTRICT FOUR

The dusty pages of a long forgotten tome had painted the floor of her grandparent’s library when she was a child. Lia could still hear their voices as they told her to look past the forgotten words and instead focus on the future. She was a child and as such, she should be outside frolicking with her siblings and basking in the warmth of the sun and sand. What good were forgotten words anyhow? It was not like Panem was a place that acknowledged the past and that was why the history book would keep repeating itself.

And yet, here she was standing in front of the men that would have a resounding hand in her future. They were not sitting on a pearly throne cloaked in the cloth of forgiveness and grace, but drinking revenge out of a cold chalice. Panem’s elite meant to pass judgement on the District’s children with very little chance at redemption and entrance into the garden they had been long denied and banished from.

Instead, Charon’s song rang in all of their ears calling from the sandy shores where Archeron and Styx meet. Soon they would all be paying the Ferryman that silver coin in their pocket.

With the resolve of the Titans, locked away and resolved to seek retribution from the Father that had locked them away, Lia walked into the training room with an absolution of determination. If she stopped to think otherwise the tide of fear and apprehension would wash over her and drag her back to where she could still hear the song of the Ferryman.

The Gods of Panem had banished District Four to the lowest rung of the ladder, but that day had come and passed. Now was the time for the uprising that would restore some dignity to the proud citizens of her District, but more important her family. Lia knew her brother’s thoughts on the train and the people that wondered if her heart was in it or not.

Now was the time for harnessing all the Hellfire she could muster, which is what she reminded herself as she politely bowed to the Gamemakers. Her name had been read out of the book and the time for Judgement was now...

With that, Lia sauntered over to the plant station taking a moment to run her hands over the smooth stone of the bench as she looked for her desired objects. A mortar and pestle, a vial, and a concoction of herbs known to any child who has competed in a District Four science fair. Her potion brewed, there was only a few things to walk around the room and check before she started.

She could do it she reminded herself. Even the Gods on Olympus could be unseated.

“Lia Havelock, District Four,” she called out serenely to the agents of her Judgement with another respectful bow. Ten minutes, that’s what she had left.

Carefully, Lia pulled a requested sash of dark cloth from a table and held it up for the Gamemakers to see. It was as dark as the moonless night; inky and unforgiving as no light could penetrate it’s depths. A more perfect blindfold could not have been prepared for a tribute seeking to block out the world.

Lia’s steady hands tied a firm knot in the material as soon as it was placed over her eyes. She knew she should pray for accuracy, but her mind was still numbed with the absolute certainty she needed. So, she reached to her left where she knew the tray of throwing knives had been laid for her.

Thud.

A resounding thud had told her she had hit her first target, the dummy twenty paces to her left.

Thud.

A second knife had hit the one from her left. No one would be laughing at Lia, the poor girl from District Four that was too petite to properly handle the fishing spear. They had all mocked her for her weakness. Only one sailor had told her of the women of the past who wielded the knives instead to spear the fish. District Four was not only strong in their strength, but they knew how to harness their strengths to their advantages. A lifetime of cleaning and spearing fish had taught her the subtle art of the knife.

Thud.

A knife had found the central dummy across the room from her as she reached up and pulled the blindfold down so she could face those that were both accuser, judge, and jury.

Pivoting on her heel, Lia threw her last knife knowing it would easily find its target. You see, because there was a method in Lia’s systematic walk around the room prior to her demonstration. Had the Gamemakers caught the slight of hand where she had slipped her vials into the sandbags that held their ropes and pulleys into place? If not, they sure were going to be aware of it now.

As the rope was severed the bags came crashing down and releasing the fury of sand, dust, and anyone that had ever built a ‘volcano’ as a child. With the manufactured wind from the exhaust system in the room, the fans, and cooling system the fine dark particles were whipped into the air blocking sight and blowing particles into the eyes of anyone unprepared.

In the now darkened room, Lia Havelock slipped from the room undetected. A final disappearing act before the grand stage awaiting them in the arena. The die had been cast and all her cards left on the table. Only time would tell the conclusions of the Gamemakers’ Final Judgement from their lofty perch.

[capitolgames]

Below are the training scores for your indivdual training sessions. For those of you who submitted, under the cut you will be able to see a little insight into what the Capitol made of your performance.

DISTRICT ONE: ONYX FELDSPAR: 6 // JADE AMETRINE: 12

DISTRICT TWO: LANTHAN SHALE: 10 // VALKYRIE MADDOX: 9

DISTRICT THREE: CALIX CREED: 7 // ARA KNOX: 5

DISTRICT FOUR: FENN HAVELOCK: 8 // LIA HAVELOCK: 9

DISTRICT FIVE: ZEUS KARRAX: 9 // APHRODITE CIRRELO: 11

DISTRICT SIX: ATTICUS FORETVENI: 8 // BEVERLY HOLLYHOCK: 4

DISTRICT SEVEN: ROWAN TORWYN: 8 // ALANI HEYWOOD: 6

DISTRICT EIGHT: JAE GODET: 6 // COSIMA SILAMIDE: 7

DISTRICT NINE: ASH CORMAC: 5 // THERA SERILDA: 7

DISTRICT TEN: ARTEMIS THERON: 9 // ROSALIND EOWYN: 4

DISTRICT ELEVEN: TAI WALKER: 9 // DAPHNE WILLOW: 5

DISTRICT TWELVE: VALENTINE DONAHUE: 6 // ASTRID PORTER: 2

Reporting their findings to PRESIDENT COIN, Gamemaker Strike and Gamemaker Polad had the following to say:

ONYX FELDSPAR: STRIKE: He can fight well. We’ll have to hide that. POLAD: We have to hit wrong-doers where it hurts.

JADE AMETRINE: POLAD: This one must die. STRIKE: We cannot underestimate her.

VALKYRIE MADDOX: POLAD: She showed great skill. Brutal. Quick. STRIKE: Not very theatrical, though. I do love theatrics.

FENN HAVELOCK: STRIKE: Seems the golden boy might actually stand a chance after all. POLAD: Yes - his skills will serve him well.

LIA HAVELOCK: POLAD: We were right not to underestimate her. STRIKE: She’s a good shot with a sharp brain to match.

APHRODITE CIRRELO: STRIKE: She’ll be expected to go far. POLAD: It was a risk to play it the way she did. But risk reaps rewards.

ROWAN TORWYN: POLAD: If he can keep his head on straight he might just make it. STRIKE: He’s more deadly than he looks.

ALANI HEYWOOD: STRIKE: She showed promise. Potential. POLAD: Potential alone won’t get her very far in these games.

COSIMA SILAMIDE: POLAD: What she lacked in skill she made up for in charisma. STRIKE: And that charisma could get her far if she plays her cards right.

THERA SERILDA: POLAD: She’s got some nerve, I’ll give her that. STRIKE: Yes. Not quite the underdog we pinned her as.

ASTRID PORTER: STRIKE: She needs to know we’re watching her. POLAD: She doesn’t deserve the satisfaction. We must disregard her completely.

[fortwest]

Fenn’s death - one shot

The seconds after Jade dropped to her knees, her face frozen in shock, passed almost imperceptibly, so slow it seemed time had stopped dead in her tracks to see what was going on. Fenn let go of the handle of the scimitar lodged in her stomach, repulsed by what he’d just done and in disbelief that he’d managed it. By all accounts she was winning the fight, and his torso and arms were littered with cuts and his nose was broken and bloody. He stared into Jade’s face and watched the life leave it, his eyes wide and his breath catching in his throat. “I –“, Fenn spluttered. He almost apologised to her, but it was too late. He could remember the first time he had spoken to Jade, by the pool in the tribute centre, and felt the dissonance between that moment, back when the games had just been about flirting in front of the camera, and this moment keenly.

The cannon went off.

~

Allium stood bolt upright from the sofa, his jaw clenched and one hand gripping Mrs Havelock’s hand tightly, the other intertwined with Cassia’s. The silence after Fenn sunk his scimitar into the girl from district one was palpable, the air thick and heavy. In the distance he could hear the remnants of the storm, large waves crashing against the cliffs. He knew Fenn’s face better than anyone, but they could all see that he was aghast.

Everyone’s eyes were glued to the screen, not daring to believe it.

But they might come home. Mr and Mrs Havelock’s son and daughter might come home. Allium’s Fenn might come home. His heart pounded at the thought of being able to climb trees with his best friend again, and of being able to take the boat out with Lia. He could already feel Fenn’s arms around him. He and Cassia had done their best to support the Havelocks with all three of their children gone, but it had meant pretending he was okay. In truth his heart and lungs had collapsed the day Fenn and Lia were reaped, and he hadn’t been able to breathe or feel anything since. Like all the air and blood had drained from his body. Like his anchor had been severed.

~

Fenn turned to Lia, his face aghast. But when they locked eyes, he realised they were down to the final three. He and Lia were the last remaining couple. They had never been more likely to make it out alive. Never more likely to go back home to mum and dad and Allium. Never more likely to hear the sea again. And with Lia by his side –he’d almost lost Lia before the games, after Atalanta’s death, but in a perverse twist of fate if they won this then he’d have won a sister back as well.

The final three.

He heard a whimper behind him, remembering Onyx. He had half turned to face him, his arms reaching out to comfort him, when Onyx shoved him aside to get to Jade. He stumbled back and lost his footing at the edge of the arch. He saw Lia’s face drop and her arms reach out to him, but he had already fallen too far back. Onyx too, realising what he’d done and his mouth open in horror, reached out.

~

The screen showed Fenn falling back, a curious and puzzled look on his face, caught in the crossfire between the elation of almost winning and the shock of falling. His fringe flapping out in front of him gave the curious impression that he was in water, where he belonged. Lia and Onyx were both reaching out, she anguished and he in disbelief at what he’d just done. Nobody moved as he fell. Not Lia or Onyx in the arena. Not Mrs and Mr Havelock. Not Cassia. Not Allium. And then a sickening crunch which even the cannon didn’t mask as Fenn hit the ground, the same bemused expression caught on camera a moment before the mutts pounced on him, his limbs sticking out at odd angles.

~

Fenn’s stomach lurched as he plummeted. His eyes traced over Lia, her mouth open as though calling his name, but he heard no sound over the whistling of the air past his ears, and then fell on the sky. He could see faintly shimmering stars lingering from the previous night, and spotted what he thought was Pegasus, and thought of the small ceramic figurine gathering dust on the mantelpiece at home.

~

A further cannon sounded almost immediately, and Onyx’s body fell just moments after Fenn’s, wearing the same confused expression of a deer caught in headlights, but this time dead before he hit the ground.

The announcement of Lia’s victory and the capitol music which followed sounded dulled and hollow and distant, as though underwater, and even Lia gave no sign of having heard it. A slant of pale watery light broke through the cloud cover outside the window as the dark clouds receded. There was a heft to the light. It fell heavy across Cassia’s back, hunched over as she looked away from the screen. It fell heavy across Allium’s face, illuminating the tear track that ran down his cheek and his throat as it tensed against the inevitable tears. It fell heavy across Mrs Havelock’s lap, where her hand had stopped shaking and was now slack in her husband’s. It fell heavy across the two empty chairs, the cushions of which Mrs Havelock had plumped every morning before her husband woke in the hope that maybe having a place to come home to would bring her children back. It fell heavy across the small ceramic winged horse on the mantelpiece, which Mr Havelock had purchased for Lia as a child and had dusted every night once his wife had gone to sleep, in the hope that Pegasus would guide his children home.