Back to Normal: The 35th Hunger Games

Chapter 24

Estrella Vasquez POV

I didn't envy Kazuo, stuck with an untrained prissy boy who could barely tie his shoes. Olivine was more my style. Nothing's set in stone, but I was pretty sure I'd see her again.

"Remember, do this for you," I said. "Not for the Capitol, or for the other Careers. They don't matter. You made your plan, and it's a good one. You don't need anyone but yourself. I expect to see you again," I said. Olivine hadn't looked nervous before, and she only looked more determined afterward.

"I'll be back," she said, and she said it loud and strong. No matter what, she was going to do great things.

Pray Jager POV

I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later in my mentoring career. Cierra was getting cold feet. She stared at the tube with terror in her eyes and hyperventilated.

"I shouldn't have volunteered. I don't want to die. I just wanted to be unique," she said. She looked to me for assurance, which was a bad idea.

"Too late. You wasted our time and you wasted your life. You'll be unique. First Career to die in piss-stained shorts. Get out of my sight," I sneered. I turned my back and tuned out her sniveling. The room grew quiet. Maybe she was snapping out of it. Then I wouldn't be quite so disgusted.

Acee Hal POV

Soleil had his brave face on. I'd seen so many faces from him I didn't know if he had a real one. I didn't like him, but I still didn't want him to die. I also didn't particularly like Elyssa. She was sharp, but it's usually better to seed dumber rather than smarter than you are. Of course, I didn't want her to die either. I was supposed to be loyal to my Tributes, but all of them deserved to live. In my heart, I was hoping Alice would get a miracle. More realistically, Troy would come back. I'd seen so much death it didn't seem to matter anymore.

Shelle McDan POV

Elver was pumped and ready to go. He was dressed in a black t-shirt, tan pants, and a thin jacket, suggesting an outdoor but temperate Arena. He paced restlessly as he waited for the tube. Exasperating though he was, I gave him one last sendoff.

"You have successfully ignored everything I have told you and been nothing but a thorn in my side. That being said, go out there and get killed," I said. He stopped pacing and broke into laughter.

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me," he said.

Erwin Jackson POV

Logan was already a killer. There wasn't much I could teach him. I didn't hold it against him, though. He was a product of his environment, doing what he had to in a merciless world. He was agitated but not scared. I'd seen that look before. It was the look of someone who never wanted to kill, but wouldn't hesitate. I'd never gained that look. It may have been good for my soul, but it was torture for my mind.

"I hope it's easier for you," I said.

Toby Cash POV

I was mentoring again. It seemed so long since the last time I saw a tribute off. Everything hurt, not just my heart. My arms ached and my head was pounding. Velvet found my stash a few days ago and threw them out. It was tearing me apart, but I owed it to her to stay clean until she was gone. The second she left, the pain would be unbearable. I knew I'd never forget her, though.

"Are you okay?" she asked, and she hugged me. I never wanted to let her go. She was like my own daughter, and she deserved a far better father.

Sequoia Wilson POV

River looked naked without her hair. She looked both older and younger, and her beauty seemed hardened into cold austerity. Something so small seemed like a tragedy, and I knew it paled in comparison to what more she was likely to lose. I expected her to cry or at least be afraid when the tube came down, but her face was blank. She stepped into it without a word and disappeared.

Tillo Peters POV

Alice was kneeling beside the couch in the launch room. She had asked me to pray with her and I pretended to go along with her, but I stopped after she closed her eyes. God and me had a strained history. All I ever heard about him I heard from my father. He was great at reading the stuff about women staying home. He never talked about the part where Deborah lead the charge into battle or Jael killed the warlord. God didn't stop the Games from happening. What did he ever do for me? I had to break his laws just to keep living. Alice was different. If God was like she thought he was, maybe we could pick up where we left off. But Alice was going to die. He wouldn't stop that either.

Chimera Ilium POV

This was going to be our year. I said that every year, but this time it was true. Tariq and Lanie were both strong, fine Tributes. One of them was sure to win. Then I could just be an escort and not worry any more. I took the job to make Tributes look fabulous and show them all the Capitol had to offer. It was supposed to be fun, not depressing.

Tariq seemed more nervous than Lanie. He held her hand until the tubes came down. He repeated the names of his allies as he stepped in. Lanie leaned back against the glass and wrapped her arms around herself. They were such fine children. One of them had to come back.

Cornflower Fields POV

Bambi walked into the launch room holding a squirming poodle puppy. I had no idea how he got that past the Gamemakers, but maybe they just didn't care. He handed it to me and took it reflexively.

"Can you take care of Labyrinth while I'm gone?" he asked. There's no way to say no to that, so I didn't. After Labyrinth started whimpering I set him down and he sniffed around the room, making it a little less dismal.

Eve was quiet as she waited. She didn't seem to notice the danger. I'd been the same way before I went into the tube. She'd find out. After she got in, she tapped at the glass and peeked at the mechanics of it. Bambi, who was calm until that, started to shiver and pull at the seam where the door closed. He's claustrophobic, I noted. Good thing he wouldn't be in there long.

Peppermint Wilson POV

He's not Apollo. I repeated it over and over in my head as Olivier and Anise waited. Before, it was always exciting when I saw the tubes. It reminded me of how undeinably badass I was in my Games. I hadn't seen Apollo in his, since Mars mentored him. But now, I never wanted to see them again. Anise snuck looks at me and tried to think of a way to comfort me. Olivier obviously knew what was up, since he sat across the room and tried to stay out of sight.

It was better than last year. Every time a wound reopens, its scars over more. Someday I'd be able to remember the good times with Apollo. If they ever did the horrible resurrection Games again, I'd get a new layer of scars. They say scars give you character. I already had enough.

Demi Bottle POV

I'd done all I could. I'd told them about weapons, trends, strategies, survival, and alliances. Krunk seemed prepared and confident. He wasn't even scared, and I desperately hoped he knew what he was doing. Calley... I didn't know what to do for her. She was a volunteer from Twelve. That didn't instill confidence. She seemed so defeated already. She didn't even react when the tube came down. I suspected she joined the Games as an attention grabbing form of suicide. I hated how selfish I was, resenting her for lessening our chances of victory. The girl was so sad she couldn't bear to live, and I was a Capitolite. My life was painless. I was weak. I wanted one of them to come back for my own benefit. I wanted one to live because it was so wrong what was happening, but I wanted to give them the life I hated so much. I couldn't bear it anymore.

It's always the last people I suspect that end up developing. Demi used to be the biggest ditz in Panem.

In the books, each Tribute had their own launch room. I put Tributes together if they had the same mentor so the mentor could help them both equally.