temporary robot prison (t)

I had half expected for the two of them to throw whatever objects they had in their hands as I removed myself from the situation. One of my better qualities, depending on who you asked, was not getting myself into unnecessary trouble. It had kept me alive this long, knowing where I was welcome and when it was time for me to leave. A lesson learned the hard way. For once upon a time, I had been too trusting of people. Starry eyed in a world full of demons ready to claw at your skin. All of them wanting to take a bite out of you if you were not careful enough.

So, I left, and I left with my held high- and most importantly, I left with my head still attached to my shoulders.

The rest of the day I had secluded myself to the library. A building equally not meant for me as the training center but the tributes lurking in the corners of its majestic walls, underneath the light of grandiose chandeliers were much better intentioned than the careers. Inviting to dive into the pages with them – headfirst into a world better than the one we had found ourselves in. Beautiful pictures filled with color, enticing one to believe in a better world.

A short break from what the world really was. Nothing good can ever last, as the sun set it was time to return to the alluring prison the capitol kept us caged in. I didn’t want to leave the library, but I knew better than to believe in anything good.

It seemed as if I had been one of the last ones to head back up, the corridors quiet from the hauntings of unruly tributes. I could have closed my eyes and fallen asleep on the spot. No one would ever have to know, but of course they would have found out.

I could have sworn what happened next was a threat from above. The early blond girl from four standing in the elevator as I was about to get inside. For a moment I thought of taking the next one, avoiding her at all costs. Now, what kind of message would that send? That their intimidation tactics this morning had worked? It was too early in the ordeal to let them think they were exactly who they believed they were.

With arms crossed over my chest I stood next to her; it wasn’t long until she spoke. Introducing herself and it took all my willpower to keep a confused expression off my face. Instead, I continued to stare in front of me, my vision blurring out of focus as I tried to ignore the sound of her breath.

Three or four seconds,

and that is when I broke.

“What the hell do you want?”

(I was too tired for any of this. )

I was trapped in a metal box with a career who seemed to be a double-edged sword – I think I am using that correctly. Smile on her face and a friendly demeanor when it is just the two of us. I should have seen it coming from a mile away. This morning, the first red flag appeared with a smile that should have lasted longer than it had.

For her to say we got off to the wrong start was an understatement.

Never had I ever been one to take something so lightly. Whether in this moment she came with good or bad intentions were close to irrelevant and she must have not noticed. For she continued on to try again. Her own words and not my own. Two options presented themselves to me; I could ignore her for the elevator ride would not last forever (even if it felt like it). Or I could indulge in another career game. Having left the morning situation so abruptly had not offered me a good idea on just what the girls were capable of.

Not that I was very sure I would even want to know. A nagging thought on my mind that it would be better to find out now than to find out in the arena. How many seconds had already passed in my deliberation? Hard to know but whatever time I had left was not much, not enough. The possibility that a second first impression might help in the future was enough for me to respond to her.

Hopefully this would let me sleep well tonight, I did not need anything else keeping me up at night. Not when I just began to sleep through the night again.

“Fine.” The words floated off of my lips. Still keeping my distance, just because I was willing to hear her out did not meant that I was ready to be tied to the hip. “Then let’s start with your name, only ever got your friends.” I used the word lightly unknowing to what the two of them were capable of. Probably had just met this very day, only she chose what she knew over something else. The more I thought, the more it made sense. Stick to your own kind, stick to what you know. “Then you can apologize for the way you acted”.

Her turn, her choice.