It had been twenty-one days.

Twenty- one days of enduring the humidity of the swamp. When she had volunteered she had hoped that the arena wouldn't be a desert, she hadn't considered what other terrible arenas the Gamemakers could have brought to life.

Luella-Anne Finley also hadn't expected her games to have lasted as long as they had.

Nine tributes had killed each other at the bloodbath on the first day. Luella had killed the girl from Five and the boy from Eleven on that first day.

She had killed five more in the twenty days that followed. After the girl from Five and the boy from Eleven she had lost track of where the rest were from.  But she could still see their faces as the life drained from their bodies.

It until last night it was only the careers that remained. Both tributes from Districts 1 and 2, then a girl from Four. There had been a thick tension between five tributes, all of them waiting from the first person to turn against them.

They knew that it would happen soon. That there could only be one that remained. Neither Luella or Nero wanted to be the first to turn on the group, but they quickly found that they wouldn't have to. That they wouldn't even have to turn against each other in the end.

In District 2 there was a strong sense of comradery and kinship amongst it citizens. Luella knew that had she been placed in that position she would have never been able to kill Nero, she had know him since she was just a young girl. He had been older than her, and everyone in her district expected him to be the winner.

Maybe he would have been if it wasn't for the pack of lizard mutts that had attacked them over night. They had killed most of the careers leaving only Luella-Anne and Satine, the girl from District 1. Satine was sixteen, one year older than Luella, but just as eager to volunteer to be tribute of her District.

Even a day after the attack the two girls didn't dare speak of it. The mutts alone were enough to ensure that they would never find peaceful sleep again. Luella could still hear their screeching and feel their pale skin as one sunk it's sharp talons in her side.

Satine had worse injuries, maybe that was why Luella was finding it so difficult to do what need to be done. How could she possibly kill someone who couldn't even defend themselves? Even the medicine given to Luella from one of her Sponsors couldn't help the girl. Satine would die in a matter of hours.

"Just do it." Satine said her voice barely a whisper as they both sat at the edge of the Cornucopia a couple of feet away from each other.

Luella had heard the words clearly, they had caused her heart to stop in her chest. "What?"

"It has to end." The girl from District 1 stated her voice more firm even though it was clear that the simple act of speaking had become difficult for her.

They both became silent, Satine waiting for her answer. But Luella couldn't help but be confused. Did Satine want to be killed?

Would killing her now be an act of mercy? Or would it just be cruelty?

Did it even matter anymore? Luella had killed seven others before Satine, what made her any different? She would just be another kill on Luella's list. In some dark twisted way she had to admit that she had enjoyed the first couple of kills. Then killing became a necessity, something that she had grown numb to. She didn't know when she had slowly began to feel some level of shame.

What Luella did know was that she wanted to go home. She wanted to return to District 2, she missed the lavish meals she ate everyday at home.

She had never gone hungry in the arena. She had never needed anything. Somehow Enobaria and Brutus had gotten her plenty of Sponsors that provided her with food, water and medicine.

Who she truly missed was Atticus. Her little brother was waiting for her to come home, he was only nine and didn't fully understand that concept of the Hunger Games. He hadn't understood why she had chosen to go.

Luella had been so entangled in her thought that she hadn't felt when Satine had stood up, not until she say her shadow from a couple of feet away.

Instinctively Luella stood up reaching for her daggers, it was as if her need for survival entirely took over and she was throwing the knives in the air.

The two knives hit their target, they always did. Luella rarely missed. One had found its home in Satine's shoulder while the other was buried deep in her chest. But that didn't stop the girl from Disctricy one as she confused running forward towards Luella spear in hand.

In two swift motions another two daggers had found themselves in Satine's chest, they should have taken her down but she continued forward spear in hand.

Satine had been strong, but she was slowing down. She was losing too much blood and that made it's easy for Luella-Anne to twist the spear out of her hand when she had gotten close enough. In the same motion Luella thrust the spear forward into the chest of the girl from District 1. There was no doubt that it had gone through her heart from the way that blood fell from the other girl's lips.

The moment that Luella pulled the spear back the canon went off. Satine's body hadn't even hit the ground yet, and she was dead.

Satine was dead, and Luella-Anne was all alone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victor of the Sixty-six Hunger Games, Luella-Anne Finley!"

Claudius Templesmith's voice echoed throughout the empty arena and yet Luella couldn't quite believe it to be true.

Brutus had told her that when she won that she would feel a great sense of victory and pride. And she waited in the silence to be washed over with joy at her success. To feel eager to return home and for her glory to be celebrated.

To feel like she had won. To feel like the winner that Claudius Templesmith had announced her to be. But that feeling never came.

They all praised her as if she had done something that truly needed to be admired.

It didn't feel as if she had won. In fact it felt as if she hadn't left the arena at all. It felt as if she wasn't herself anymore.

Luella- Anne didn't even recognize herself when she looked in the mirror anymore.

When she had woken up after being taken out of the arena the had performed alterations on while they took care of the wounds she had collected in the arena. They were slight alterations, but even the small changes made her feel like an entirely different person.

The slight gap in her front teeth had been closed, all the scars from years of training were gone. Including the small scar she had on her chin since she fell as a baby. But the worst of all was that her breast were fuller than before, it made her feel as if her body was no longer her own.

And she couldn't help but resent her Escort, Callida, for having consented for the alterations while Luella- Anne had been unconscious.

She had cried herself to sleep that night. Whether it was the alterations or what she had done in the arena Luella was not sure.

Now she was being paraded around the Capitol like a pet, and she had to continue the act of the confident and charming Luella- Anne Finley that the Capitol citizen knew before she had entered the arena. She had Brutus and Enobaria walking her through everything and telling her that she needed to pull herself together. That she needed to be what they wanted her to be, that what she felt didn't matter.

And Luella-Anne followed their every direction perfectly, after all she had trained her entire life for exactly this.

The party in her honor had just begun, and Luella felt overwhelmed by all the Capitol citizens that approached her. They would reach out and touch her as if she were an exotic animal that they could pet. And they repeatedly told her how beautiful she was as if that was the only thing about her that had any value.

They were also all fascinated by the dress that she wore, it clubs delicately to her body like liquid gold with glittering diamond across her bust. Luella's Stylist, Willow, was one of the better stylist for the games. Many of the outfits the Tributes and Victors from other districts tended to be tacky but Willow tended to rarely disappoint.

Luella attempted to remain by the side of either Brutus or Enobaria throughout the night, too nervous to even meet previous years Victors that were also in attendance. Luckily for Luella both Brutus and Enobaria tended to keep to themselves seeing the Victors from other Districts as beneath them.

"Come here girl." Callida ordered as she approached the three Victors from District 2. There was a bright smile on the woman's face, no doubt continuing to be overjoyed to have another Victor on the team. "President Snow would like to speak to you privately."

Despite the bright smile on her Escort's lips Luella-Anne could help but feel dread. It was not customary for a Victor to meet privately with the President, and least she had never heard of it.

"I'm sorry little one." Enobaria said with a look of guilt and shame in her eyes, looking up at Brutus she could see the same reflection in his eyes.

Luella didn't have a chance to further question either of her mentors as Callida began to tug her away through the crowd of victors.

Callida was speaking and Luella was sure she had never seen the woman so happy before, there always tended to be a permanent scowl on her face whenever she wasn't in front of a crowd or camera. But none of the words her Escort was saying registered in her mind, Luella only followed silently hoping that it would be over soon.

Of course she was aware that meeting the President was a great honor, but she found no real excitement in the idea.

Walking through President's Snow mansion felt surreal as if she wasn't entirely present. Callida and Luella stopped before some grand white wooden doors that had roses carved into the wood.

Two Peacekeepers opened the doors, and as they did she could see the elegant and meticulously decorated office. There was a strong scent of roses that came from the office and it took her by surprise.

"Luella-Anne Finley." President Snow greeted once she had stepped into the room. There was a smile on the older man's lips but Luella could help but feel frozen in place as the large Ivory doors closed behind her. "I wish to personally congratulate you on your victory. A true Gem of Panem."

He held out a single white rose to her, a rose that almost looked to perfect to be real. It had to be genetically enhanced to have a scent that strong.

"Thank you President Snow." Luella said softly reaching out to take the white rose. She was surprised by the gesture.

When she stepped forward to take the rose the smell of blood causes her heart to begging to race. It was a scent that she was all too familiar with now, she didn't know if she had imagined the scent or if it was coming from the President himself.

Everyone knew President Snow to be a refined and powerful man, he was not known for his kindness. She should consider it to be an honor that the president had gifted her with a rose.

She looked up meeting his bright blue eyes, Luella had seen him on television since she was a young child. He was much more intimidating in person that he was through a screen.

President Snow certainly looked like a man who had lived through a lot. There was one time that Luella had helped her grandmother clean out her closet that she had found an old photograph of President Snow. It had been taken long before he had become the President of Panem. The once handsome young man was long gone.

"Finally a Finley wins the games." He said a slight smile on his puffy lips, almost like the thought pleased him.

She couldn't entirely shake the feeling that there was more to his words that she didn't understand. Although he was congratulating her, it almost felt as if he was mocking her family.

Two Finley's had participated in the games before her, neither able to achieve victory. Luella-Anne still remembered some of the stories her grandfather would say about how his sister, Sabyn- Anne, had been reaped for the 10th Hunger Games. He had never spoken highly of the games, not like the other citizens of District 2.

Then there was her uncle, Sejanus, who had volunteered for the 28th games after being selected as top of the training academy. Though it seemed that the odd were not in his favor as he had died due to a tidal wave in the arena his year. Luella's father never spoke of his older brother who died when he was only twelve years old.

Luella and Atticus knew better than to speak of it, no matter how curious they were. But even with the loss of his brother to the games Anselm Finely wished for one of his children to become a Victor.

"It is a great honor." Luella replied with the words that she knew he was expecting to hear.

"The entire Capitol was captivated by your beauty." President Snow continued as he seemed to study her carefully, Luella couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. He didn't look at her with desire, that was not the reason she felt uneasy. It was the way he looked at her as if she was something of value, like something that he could use to his advantage. "Long ago your grandmother was considered the most beautiful woman in the Capitol."

She couldn't help but widen her eyes in shock at the mention on her grandmother. Being in front of the President it was becoming to difficult to maintain the act that she had been performing for everyone else. "You knew my grandmother?"

"She's never spoken of me?"

"She never speaks about her time in the Capitol." She replied honestly, although everyone in Two knew that her grandmother had once been a Capitol citizen no one ever knew why she had chosen a life in the Districts. Luella always assumed that it was in due to the live she had for her grandfather, now she wasn't so sure that was the case.

President Snow spoke as if he had some grand secret that he wasn't willing to share.

"I can't imagine why." He said as he finally stepped away from her to sit behind his grand desk. He leaned back motioning towards the chair across from him. "Sit."

It was a simple order, his voice low and yet powerful. Luella didn't even think twice as she did what he ask, like if she were an obedient pet. She was beginning to get the sense that was exactly how President Snow saw her.

"Like I mentioned before you have caught the eye of multiple Capitol citizens, it will be an honor for you to continue to serve the Capitol after your triumph."

She remained silent trying to make some sense of his words. She couldn't help but feel naive and small. "Continue to serve the Capitol?"

"Yes, by keeping its most powerful citizens satisfied."

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean." Luella replied as she nervously ran her finger down the golden seam of her dress. It was unlike her to be nervous.

Most would say that she tended to be overconfident, some would even say arrogant. Though that was how they described her before the arena. She had a feeling that she wasn't that girl anymore, that she never would be again.

Even nine years later Luella-Anne remembered the conversation as vividly as she did every moment in that arena. The smell of roses that seemed pollute the air and the slight smile on President Snows lips as he explained to her what was expected of her.

As he told her the consequences if she didn't comply.

At first she had assumed that he had been joking. But who would joke about such a terrible thing?

For a moment she wondered if maybe it would have been better if she had died in that arena. Nine years later Luella- Anne continued to ask herself the same question.