shotgun shot in the dark | getaway car v grunts (day 2)

Sera had information on what had happened to Portia. Deciphering the sincerity in someone’s face was never an easy task…almost an impossible one. Her words wore a cloak of almost sorrow. The emotion nothing more than a human reaction with not all too much behind it. I shook my head as she continued to fabricate a tale where the career from one was already dead, sentenced to early. The gamemakers could not have been that stupid to kill off one of their star tributes too early into the games. Portia would have been ruthless, focused on victory but they had robbed her of that chance.

Injustice if I had ever seen it. But still so stupid.

I could not believe it. Sera could not be that naïve to think I would believe a lie with little to no proof to back it up. A story that was almost believable if it had not been for the little details that had not made sense. What game was district six playing? I could not tell.

When the night felt dark, the heat just beginning to subdue, the anthem started to play. Twelve faces displayed in the dark as I held my breath. It had been a long time since there had been these many deaths on the first day of the hunger games. Faces of those from lower and middle districts, including the small girl from seven who had seen me crying our first night in the training center. At least she will be taking that secret with her to the grave. I silently thanked Junie for not telling a soul, hopefully she had found some sort of peace…no longer haunting hallways she does not belong in.

The thirteenth face finally shined bright in the sky.

Portia Maybach. District one.

Sera had been telling the truth (or maybe she had killed her herself when we were separate). The patterns were recognizable in my behavior. Once someone understood where I came from, it became predictable. Paranoia always haunting my shadow, lurking where it did not belong. I myself knew it would always be whispering it’s influence in my ear, but it had also always been my savior. Never letting anyone get the best of me as I always was two steps ahead. Seeing through the backhanded plans of my mother and uncle Nicky. Paranoia kept me alive, and I would have been a fool to ignore it in a game of survival.

Another lesson I had learned from my mother’s affair with my father’s brother. You cannot win on your own, in fact keeping someone in your corner would always benefit you. Make sure they can trust you, but never allow yourself to trust them. To my despair it had worked for her, and I hated her for it. There was no describing the loathing that was only a millimeter away from love.

I knew I had to apologize to the blond giant from six, otherwise she would leave me quicker than I could comprehend. Writing her name on the long list of people who could have not cared less if I were to die. Someone had sent me a large weapon with spike coming out of it, a thoughtful gift if it hadn’t been basically my size. Besides heavy weapons had never been my style, I needed something light, something I could carry with me to sea.

I hoisted up the spiked blunt making my way over to sera with a softer expression on my face. Still approaching her with caution I laid the blunt before her.

“I’ll trade you…the blunt would suit you better anyway.” I eyed the glaive laying in her pile of items. A peace offering. This was the closest thing to an apology she would ever get out of me.

+++

I had fallen asleep with simplicity. The heat exhausting my body and mind as I laid my head down on a pillow made of sand. Strange dreams of back home plaguing my mind, my siblings chasing me through the hallways of our house with pitchforks. Jabbing at me as I did my best to run away from them in the torn-up dress I had worn during the opening ceremony. Chanting in unison “We are going to get ya” as I continued to run as fast as I could.

“Circe, get over here now”

A new voice called out shaking me awake from the nightmare. The chanting however had not stopped. It continued but it was no longer the angry voices of my siblings. Instead, the voices were filled with juvenile joy. There was not much time to process their glowing red eyes and wires crossing across their bodies building a system not for me to understand.

As one of them lunged down towards where I was lying, I rolled in the sand crashing into the wall where I only had a short second to catch a glimpse of Portia’s initials painted in a breathtaking purple.

There was no time for a moment of silence. Sera retaliated against the mutt that had attacked her, swinging the weapon with a strength I had not been expecting. A smug smile was planted on my face, knowing I had been right about her and what weapon would suit her the best. A little triumph amidst the ongoing battle.

“I told you the weapon would suit you!” I laughed a little bit before lunging after another one of the mutts. There was something so effortless about combat, there were no mind games to play in the moment of sheer brutality. “Where did you get that kind of strength anyway” I questioned Sera. Now may have not been the right time, but if not now then when would I get the chance to ask?

[circe attacks Ashe; glaive]
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[3.5 ]