Like the Days Before (open)

Peace for Crystal had always been in the routine of training for the games. The common patterns for shooting long distance weapons, running, even hand to hand had been soothing when she was able to separate them from the death involved. Lucky for her, that was her life now. Crystal always thought that her training would be leading her to her death, now all those little career tricks where what kept her alive. Not so lucky, her life had become The Games.

She stood off to the side, no reason to notice her. Her gym hopping meant she always knew where to find an empty shower, meant she didn't look like she had been living on the streets for who knew how long now. The change rooms where always good for finding clean clothes too.

She found a bench. Nights where cold, getting colder everyday. She was nocturnal now, freezing to death was not an option, finding somewhere safe to sleep during the day was difficult though. Back before all this madness Crystal was foolish enough to believe District One had no homeless. It turned out there was one staking their claim of the best spots all around the districts, enough for hundreds of little niches and back allies.

It was too bad Crystal couldn't keep to a good spot when she found one, but staying still meant getting caught. Never mind that she didn't do anything. No turning back, wasn't that the cliche? Of course there was the real truth, so long as she wasn't back in those retched woods this was preferable to her old life.

Here she was nearly killing herself to stay alive, before her whole life had circled around her inevitable death. Life on the streets left no room for the for panic, no time to think about the future beyond staying alive. Crystal Smith had nothing but felt calmer, happier, then she ever had.

Yes defiantly no turning back. So long as she remained anonymous, so long as no one noticed her.