act one , chapter four ...
the ripple effect !

( now playing ... i'll sleep when i'm
dead ─ warren zevon ! )

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PANEM WAS SLOWLY GOING INTO AN UPROAR . It starts with Caesar Flickerman and his group finding out. Clyde Mulaney, the survivor without winning. It was a huge story for them. The Presidential Party has made this official. He was alive and well, and he had survived the games without managing to win at all. No one had ever heard of that before. It's never happened. It could've easily been entertaining news to everyone. Caeser Flickerman wanted to get this man on his show. He needed to get an interview with him. It was business after all. He tried to give the people the entertainment they deserved.

Somehow, he finds the cabin-like house that the Mulaneys lived in. Clyde didn't even know that he was expecting him. He didn't even know anyone could even find this place. The only person who knew where he lived was Effie. And he doubted that Caeser told him information such as this. The knock on the door makes Clyde suspicious because Effie just walks in.

"I'll get it!" Clyde calls to Tabby as he arrives at the door.

Clyde slowly opens the door. With a squint of his eyes, he slightly looks at the show host, barely showing his face. He opens it a little bit more, confused as to why Caeser Flickerman of all people had been at his door.

"Oh. Hello," Clyde says to him, a little awkwardly, "Can I. . . Help you?"

"Clyde Mulaney," Caeser gasps in amazement, "So it really is you. You're really alive."

"Yes, I am," Clyde responds back, "I really am alive─ can I help you?"

Clyde's social skills weren't the best. They weren't what they used to be anymore. He pretty much kept hidden behind the door, other than his face. He knew that the show host needed to see his face.

"Can I come in?" Caeser asks.

Clyde was quiet for a moment. He was in thought. He eventually let him inside. He moves out of the way, and Caeser walks in, looking around at the place as Clyde closes the door behind him.

"Well, this seems like a cozy place."

"How did you find me? What do you want?" Clyde asks as he crosses his arms. He's still standing by the door.

Caeser gave him a slight nod. "Straight to the point," He replies back, almost satisfied, "It was the only house along the outskirts. Figured you were hiding in it."

"Sure," Clyde mutters, before walking away from the door. He walks over to the kitchen table, before sitting down in one of the chairs, "Have a seat."

Caeser sits across from him, almost proper while Clyde had slightly leaned back in his chair. As the other sat down, he began to speak.

"Now you know, finding out that there is a survivor who we thought lost the games. . . That is a story we can tell the people," Caeser starts, "It can inspire hope. It shows that even the ones who seemingly don't make it, make it towards the end."

"Trust me. I don't see it that way," Clyde replies, "I survived, sure. Was it really worth it, though? That's the question."

"Any life is worth living."

"Not this one."

Caeser leans closer to him. "Not everyone sees it the way you do."

"That's because no one has ever done this before," Clyde replies, slightly agitated by the guy sitting in front of him, "What is it that you want from me?"

"I want to interview you," Caeser answers fairly quickly, "Put your story out there for the people to hear. You have the voice. You'll be the star of the interview."

A shocked expression appears on Clyde's face. A thought ran through his head, but it quickly disappeared. He didn't think that Snow would even accept something like this. He looked at Caeser with a look that told him that he was out of his mind.

"Snow could kill us for this and you know it," Clyde told him.

"He won't if he deems this entertaining," Caeser responds, "Just think about it. Just envision this for a second. Everyone knows about Haymitch. His story. You get to tell your side of it. You get to tell everyone what happened. What dwindled between the two of you."

This really makes Clyde think. He hadn't done an interview in so long. Not since he was reaped into the games. He was quiet. Still thinking about things to consider and things to avoid. Was it really worth doing? Talking about his experience on national television. That was something that scared him half to death.

"So? What do you say?"

Clyde looks at the TV host, nervously tapping his fingers on the wooden table. "Could I think about it?"

"Sure. I need an answer by tomorrow," Caeser answered.

"Fine."

Caeser gets up from the table. So does Clyde. They walk with each other towards the door. Clyde opens it for Caeser, and he walks out. The TV host turns back to Clyde. "I hope you make the right decision," He tells the other. It makes Clyde slightly roll his eyes before he closes the door.

Tabby comes out of the room after the door closes. She looks at her father. "Who was that?"

"That was Caeser Flickerman," Clyde answered, "He wants to interview me."

"He wants to what?" Tabby replies back, shocked and appalled, "Don't tell me you said yes."

"I told him I would think about it."

"You're not actually going to do it, are you?" Tabby asks, now sitting in the chair that Caeser has been sitting in earlier, "Because of Snow finds out? You know it's dangerous."

"I know," Clyde says quietly, "Something will happen, I know it. Because he's gonna find out with the rest of the general public. But he won't kill me."

A sigh escapes Tabby's lips. "You're actually considering this. . ."

"Maybe I am," Clyde answers, "Maybe my story needs to be heard. Not everyone survived the games and not win."

Tabby thought for a moment. She leaned back in her chair. She didn't want her father to do this. But she would support him through any decision that he made. The nineteen year old crosses her arms. "How long do you have?"

"I have to make a decision by tomorrow," Clyde answers.

"You know I'll support you through anything," Tabby tells him, "Even if I don't exactly approve."

"I appreciate it."

"Especially since I know you're gonna take the opportunity," His daughter says with a chuckle, standing up from the seat she's in.

Clyde smiles, shaking his head. "You know your old man way too well."

"I know!" Tabby says, voice oddly chipper as she walks back to her room.

Tabby called it, too. Clyde accepted the offer to get interviewed, by the next day, he actually had one. That day was particularly busy. And Clyde has actually struggled to let Tabby backstage with him because he felt pretty skittish. He hadn't done one of these in a long time, and knowing that his daughter was backstage supporting him made him feel at ease.

He hadn't been with a stylist either in that long. So he felt a little odd in what he was wearing. It mirrors the outfit that he had on at the party with a little bit of alterations. The collar of the button up shirt was sea green while the rest of it was blue. It seemed like all the edges of everything were sea green. The ends of the blazer sleeves and the end of the slightly flared pants were as well. He didn't have a bowler hat on his head, instead his curls slightly gelled back and a seashell earring on the right side of his ear.

It wasn't even the suit that made him feel odd. It was the fact that the stylist took inspiration for what he wore years ago and spruced it up. The shoes were oddly different. He didn't even know that he could walk in them because of how they were made. But he managed to pace backstage in them, messing with the spearhead on the chain that he had on. Tabby could notice his nervousness. And she knew that it would be readable to everyone else.

"Dad, you gotta stop pacing around─ Dad," Tabby calls as she stands in front of him, "Your nerves are gonna be readable on that screen, you need to relax."

Tabby then grabs his hand that's messing with the spearhead necklace, looking up at her very skittish and terrified father. "You chose to do this."

"Well I'm having second thoughts," Clyde replies back to her, "This was stupid."

"It was not stupid. You want your voice to be heard. You want your story to be told," Tabby told him, "I think it could be beneficial."

"Beneficial to who? Caeser?"

"The public. The people who are reaped," Tabby explains to him, "They're gonna know you. You're gonna be known as the survivor. Haymitch is. . . Indeed a survivor, but he won. That is expected. You, are an. . . Anomaly."

"Oh great. That makes me feel much better," Clyde replies sarcastically.

"I didn't mean that in a bad way you know that."

"Anomaly, a noun, something that means abnormal or different─"

"Dad, stop it─"

The music interrupts them both. It's loud enough to hear from backstage. Clyde almost turns as pale as a ghost. A shocked expression appears on Tabby's face as she looks out to see Caeser make his own grand entrance.

"Okay, you know the cue, when he says your name, that's when you go on."

"I know, Tabby," Clyde says through his teeth.

"Take a deep breath, c'mon," Tabby tells him, "Breath in."

Both of them take a deep breath in before exhaling. They do this a couple more times so that Clyde would relax. Tabby gives a small smile to her father. "Feeling better now?"

Clyde gives her a slow, small nod. "Yeah," He says quietly, "A little bit. Thank you."

"Give it up for District Four's unknown survivor. . ."

"Oh! Okay! You're almost on," Tabby whispers to her father before turning him around, "Good luck, I believe in you!"

Clyde takes another deep breath, trying to prepare himself for what was about to come. Being live everywhere. That was something that he never thought he would go through ever again.

"Clyde Mulaney!"

He takes one last breath before he finally walks onto the famous stage that everyone is familiar with. He's still nervous, but he looks way more calm than he did moments before. Clyde sends a small wave to most of the crowd. Everyone had been watching, even people who weren't even in the audience. This was filmed live. And he still couldn't believe that he was even doing this.

When he gets to Caeser, they both shake hands. Once the applause is over, they both sit down in the white chairs. Caeser wears his signature smile as he finally talks to Clyde through his microphone.

"It's been a long time since we've seen you! What's it been? Twenty-five years?"

It's a joke, the audience laughs, Clyde gives a smile and he nods. "Yeah, something like that," He answers.

"Last time I saw you, you were fifteen! What's it like being back on a stage like this?" Caeser asks.

"Honestly? Terrifying. I think being in hiding has certainly messed up my social life," Clyde responds.

"Well it seems like you're doin' okay to me!" Caeser tells him, before he changes the subject, "So, Clyde, if I recall, you placed second in the fiftieth hunger games. But you have achieved something that nobody has ever done, you survived. What was that like?"

"Honestly? Not winning is a bummer," Clyde jokes. It makes the audience laugh, "But you know what, I've put it behind me. For a while, anyways. Surviving, though, I'm grateful for it. But, trying to drown me was a mistake."

"Ah, yes, the ability to swim. You're from District Four after all," Caeser replies.

Effie and Haymitch were watching from the couch of the penthouse of the training center. Effie could believe that Clyde has even made it on Caeser's show. She wasn't even told about the interview. Haymitch was sitting next to her, bottle of whiskey in hand, watching the District Four survivor talk. When Effie looked at him, he looked sad. He looked terrible. Stressed. She wishes that there was something she could do.

"I can't believe it," Haymitch grumbled, "Did you know about this?"

Effie froze again. You could see a bit of a fearful look in her eye. She shakes her head, denying all things that had anything to do with Clyde. "I didn't," She answers, before looking back at the screen that Clyde and Caeser were currently on.

"Now, you lost to District Twelve's Haymitch Abernathy," Caeser then starts, "Which is awful, we were honestly rooting for the both of you, in fact. . . You two were the Katniss and Peeta of your time. The career and the underdog. It was unheard of."

Clyde was looking down. He couldn't help but to think about Haymitch right at that moment. There was a chance that he could be watching this. He didn't really know how to feel about it.

"You were a dream team. . ." Caeser tells him, "Until you weren't. What changed?"

Haymitch slightly leaned in, curious to know how Clyde was going to answer his question. Effie practically watched Haymitch do so, but sh eventually looks back at the screen.

"You know," Clyde starts, "I don't blame him. He was just trying to survive just like the rest of us. I think. . . He thought I would've betrayed him, so he did it first."

A sad response is given from the audience. Clyde is now messing with the spearhead necklace that the stylist put on him beforehand. It was quiet between the two people on stage for a moment.

"Did you ever think about doing what he did to you?" Caeser eventually asks.

"No," Clyde answers. It was quick, and it was definite, "I would've never done that to him. Not in a million years. He was. . . Everything to me."

"You're a very loyal man, Clyde Mulaney," Caeser says back to him, "Haymitch missed out."

Clyde gave an awkward nod. He really didn't know what to say after that. He couldn't help but to think what could've been if Haymitch hadn't done that. But it was suddenly pushed to the back of his mind when Caeser started talking again.

"Now, Clyde, we've heard that you have a daughter."

Clyde smiles widely, "Yes, I do!" He says happily.

"Miss Tabitha Mulaney, victor of the 73rd Hunger Games! Wow! You must be very proud," Caeser comments.

"I am, I'm very proud of her. I mean, she did what I couldn't," Clyde chuckles.

When the picture of Tabby Mulaney pops up on the screen, Haymitch couldn't believe his eyes. The girl that has won the games had been his daughter. That's why he was haunted by her. It all clicked together. It all made sense and he was angry that he didn't realize this detail sooner.

"You've gotta be─"

Oh no, Effie thought. She has to do something to calm him down, and fast. They didn't need any more things destroyed in the penthouse due to Haymitch being drunk. The woman dressed in multicolor tries to put a hand on his shoulder, but Haymitch immediately swipes it away, not wanting to be touched at all. "Haymitch─"

"How did I not see this?! How did I not know?!" Haymitch asked Effie, his voice raised. It scares her. At first, she didn't know how to respond. But then she takes a breath.

"I don't know," Effie answers, "Clyde is good at hiding things. He was able to hide this."

"She has the same last name. It could've been easy to figure that shit out!" Haymitch told her.

He drinks out of the bottle again, before slamming it down on the table. It makes Effie almost jump out of the seat she's sitting in. Effie then stands up, looking at the District Twelve mentor with such worry in her eyes. This was really getting to Haymitch and everyone around him was pretty concerned about it. Even Katniss. And she barely liked him.

"Sometimes we don't think about those things so we don't make those connections," Effie explained, "Haymitch, look at me. You thought he was dead. So did I. You couldn't have possibly known this."

Haymitch rubs his forehead in annoyance. He was irritable, and he had a headache due to the alcohol finally getting to him. He really didn't say anything afterward. When Haymitch was quiet, that's when Effie grew scared. But he then looks at Effie. His expression was heartbreaking to look at. He looked like he was about to break down and cry right there.

"I need to talk to him," Haymitch told her, "We need to talk about this."

It was then that Effie's eyes had softened up. "Oh, Haymitch," She gasped, "C'mere."

His head was rested on one of Effie's shoulders. She immediately pulled the mentor into a hug. Although he didn't hug back, she made sure to do so. Making sure that Haymitch knew that she was there for him.

Meanwhile down at The Capitol was the one behind the Hunger Games. Behind all the killing, all the suffering through Panem. The mastermind of it all. Coriolanus Snow was watching the interview from his office, a scrowl on his face. He did not look happy with this. He knew that he had to do something about this. You couldn't survive the games without winning, and Clyde managed to. But with the news coverage, he couldn't get rid of him. Not yet, anyways.