Deadly Game - Chapter 9

Here's another chapter for you guys!!! I bet you didn't except this twist :)

I'm gonna put a picture of Aria in Chap 8, just so you know. Pic is how I'd imagine June

<3 Anna

Chapter 9

The lift takes us to the fourth floor, our new home. Apparently, there are twelve floors; one for each district. My room here is probably ten times bigger than our whole house back home. After a relaxing shower – which takes long, because I can't decide what smell I want on the water - smelling of orchids, I go hunting for normal clothes in my wardrobe. Then, when I have a blue shirt and black trousers in my hands, I realize: this is Capitol. I might die within a week. Why not dress nicely? No point in using the same everyday clothes.

I look at the dresses for about fifteen minutes, then I've picked a few favorites. I hang them up beside my bed, and decide that I will wear each and every one of the dresses before I die.

I try them all on, and chose a blue one for tonight. Blue clothes make me feel more close to home, to the ocean. This dress is made out of blue raw silk, and it comes to my knees.

When I'm ready, I realize that I want to wear heels. I liked the feeling of being so tall. So I search my room for the shoes I wore today, and find them under my bed. My huge, massive, and soft bed.

As I walk down the corridor towards the big dining room, I hear voices from there, already. The others are there – except for Rino – and they sit around the table, talking about something in low voices. When I step in, the conversation immediately stops. My curiousness awakes, but I keep it in check, and put my poker-face in place. I act like I didn't notice.

"Do I suck at choosing clothes for myself?" I twirl a few times in front of Caro, and she smiles approvingly.

"Nice choice, Cassi. It looks really good on you." I smile back, and sit down opposite Caro.

Rino comes in, and we start eating. We – or they – celebrate our great first performance, eating cake and drinking red wine. I eat of the delicious food, most of it I have never tasted, and try to keep up with the conversation. That is, until I get bored, and start watching the silent servants around us while eating my crayfish.

Maybe it's 'cause I'm watching the servants, or maybe it's just luck, but either way, I see how Caro goes perfectly still as she meets the gaze of one of the servants. They stare at each other for a few seconds, and it looks like Caro is about to start crying. The servant leaves the room, and shortly after Caro excuses herself.

"I need to go find Aria," she says, and walks out. I don't buy it for a second. Alarm-clocks immediately sound in my head, warning me that something is seriously wrong. So I stand up too.

"I think I'm leaving now also. It's been a long day, and I want to go to bed early." The others nod, not suspicious at all.

As I sneak into the hall, I catch a quick glimpse of Caro, who slips through a door. Silently, I follow. The door leads to a staircase, and I have no idea whether to go up or down.

Then I hear faint sounds of footsteps from above, and hope it's Caro. I decide to go upwards, and follow the sounds all the way to the end of the stairs, and cautiously peek out of the door.

I'm on the roof.

The wind whips my carefully styled hair around my face as I cross the dark roof, going to the little garden on the other side. The tinkling sound of wind chimes fill my ears as I walk across the flat surface, hiding in the dark. I use the shadows as cover when I step closer to the lonely figure standing in the garden. Suddenly, when I'm about to step out of my hiding-place, another shape appears. It's the servant I saw Caro watching.

It's dark, but I can still make out the features of the servant. She's about Caro's age – nineteen – and is really pretty with blonde hair and green-brown eyes. The two girls stare at each other for a moment, and I creep closer. Soon I'm just one meter behind the girl, hiding behind a flower pot.

I can't see the girl's face, but I most certainly can make out Caro's devastated expression.

"Oh God." Caro's voice is barely a whisper, almost to low for me to hear through the wind chimes, even at this distance. "This is my fault. They caught you! I knew it was to dangerous. Why did I do it?" Caro sinks down on her knees, clearly in pain. I'm confused. The girl is here, whole and unharmed. The only thing that bothers me a little is her silence. Couldn't she say something to explain this whole situation a little? What is really going on?

"I'm so sorry, June. I should have never let you do that. And now you have to suffer, all because of me!"

So that's the girl's name. June.

From what I Caro has said, I guess that June is a friend of hers, and that she was on some kind of dangerous mission, which Caro somehow had caused. Apparently, June did not succeed, she got caught and is now being punished.

June falls down on her knees in front of Caro, and takes her face between her hands, forcing Caro to look at her. She shakes her head, as if disagreeing with Caro blaming herself. June reaches into her pocket, and pulls out a small notebook and a pen. She scribbles something down, and I have a hard time making out what it is.

Don't blame yourself, Caro. I was willing to do this; it was my choice. No one forced me. I knew the risks.

"I know it was your choice, June. But if I can't protect you now, how am I going to be able to protect Aria when the time comes? Or Marc?"

Again June is writing, and I'm getting more and more confused. Is it so secret that she can't say it out loud?

You will, don't worry. We couldn't have a better leader than you, Caro. And this is a great opportunity. I can get many Avoxes to our side while we wait for the perfect spark to light our plans.

"But is it worth this? I'll never hear your voice again. You'll never sing, like you loved to do!" Caro's hushed whisper makes me realize the whole situation. June's punishment.

She's mute now.

June is scribbling again, and I force my eyes to form words of the tiny letters.

It's too late to regret now. And my voice is never gone, not as long as it lives in your heart. Sacrificing it was worth the fact that Evalyn made it there safely while I distracted them.

"I don't see anything that is worth losing my best friend." Caro says bitterly.

You can't lose me; I'm hiding in the shadows, watching your back, no matter what. I'm loyal to you and this mission until the day I die.

"That's all I can ask for." The words are filled with so much; pain and sadness, regret, pride and loyalty, guilt, thankfulness, devotion, trust, love and longing. A tear runs down Caro's cheek.

"You've given away your life for me. It's more than I can ever make up to you for. I'd never ask you to do this, June, never, and you know it."

I know it, but I chose to protect you at all costs. You're my best friend, and I know you'd do the same for me. I need to go now, but I'm not leaving. Not really. I'm forever with you, Caro.

"You're always on my mind, June. I love you, sister."

Both girls stand up, embracing each other. June locks eyes with Caro for a moment, rips the piece of paper she wrote on out of her notebook, gives it to Caro, and slips into the shadows, disappearing from Caro's sight.

I realize too late that she will see me, and I don't have time to hide.

June watches my face for a second. Then her fingers dance over the edge of the flower pot, and she's gone. I look at the flower pot, and three words are written in the layer of dust covering it.

I trust you.

June's words make me wonder if she knew I was there all along. I watch the three words for a few seconds. Then I wipe the dust away, destroying the evidence of June's existence. Whatever is going on here is secret, and June trusts me not to uncover their plans. And I will not do that.

I walk over to Caro. She's curled up on the floor, tears streaming down her face. She doesn't look at all like the strong and confident Caro I'm used to seeing. She's vulnerable.

As I wrap my arms around her, she sobs into my shoulder. I let her cry, just hold her, familiar with the excruciating pain that is inside her right now.

When she finally stops crying, I help her up, and to a nearby bench.

"You heard everything, didn't you, Cassi?"

"Yes." There's no point in denying it.

"I'll tell you, but if you betray me, it's the end of many lives. Mine, Evan's, Marc's, Heart's, Sizza's, Aria's, June's..."

"I understand."

"I'm not who you think I am, Cassi. I'm the President's grand-daughter, and I hate him. I poisoned my own parents, 'cause I hated them so much. At the age thirteen I was murder. Of course President Snow knew about this. He thought I just wanted to get rid of all competition for the place as President when he died, and that made me look good in his eyes.

"So he taught me how to use different poisons, taught me how to assassinate, thinking I was on his side. He still thinks I am. When in reality, it's all an act to protect me and Aria. In fact, I'm most definitely not on his side. I'm one of the leaders who organize the whole plan against him. I've seen how he treats the District's people, and that needs to stop. As does the Hunger Games.

"The biggest revolutions grow in the shadows. This is that kind of revolution."