𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐑𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐕

This all started to feel more and more real as I watched the door to our train car slowly screech open from my spot next to Mizzen. I crawled over to shake Otto awake as the bright lights of the world outside blinded us.

"Get out," a gruff voice demanded harshly. I squinted into the light and I could see the outline of a Peacekeeper standing there, his gun aimed at us. I thought about how he needed to chill out, it's not like we were going to do anything in the state we were in. 

Coral jerked into a standing position and blindly walked to the edge. She hopped off the car and nearly face planted but managed to grab onto the side of the train to steady herself. I let Otto go next, guiding him towards the opening and then handing him over to the Peacekeeper who grabbed him by both his arms and tugged him to the ground. I looked at Mizzen and gestured for him to go and he did, sliding off the edge, stumbling into Coral when he landed causing her to growl at him like a rabid animal. He whimpered and shuffled backwards from the redhead. He then turned and held out a hand to help me down from the train and I didn't even have a moment to think about how soft and comforting his hand felt before the Peacekeeper assigned to our car was shoving the butt of his gun into my back, leading us to stand together somewhere else. 

The four of us stood there waiting for our Peacekeeper to clear out our train car, making sure there weren't any tributes left behind. Something particular caught my eye, someone to be exact. There was a boy dressed in a red school uniform standing with a white rose, eyes darting around the station, beads of sweat dotting his forehead. He sure didn't look like he belonged there. 

I nudged Mizzen who was standing beside me. "Do you see that boy over there?" I whispered. He nodded and cocked his head to the side in question. 

"What is he doing here?" he asked. I shrugged and the two of us continued to watch him stand there. Suddenly, a girl was helped out of the car a few cars down from us, the one the boy was standing by. She had beautiful, dark brown hair and a rainbow dress with poofy ruffles on the bottom. 

The girl looked around before spotting the boy with the rose who was approaching her. I couldn't make out what they were saying from here and before I could tell Mizzen that I was going over there to see what the boy was doing, a Peacekeeper gripped my arm hard and dragged me towards a dingy old truck. 

"You could at least make it so I had circulation in my arm," I said sarcastically. That resulted in him gripping even harder onto my arm so with my free arm, I flipped him off. As the guy dragged me along, I watched as a tribute in front of me tried to escape, running away from the truck. My Peacekeeper unhanded me to help chase the boy down and I debated running away myself while the rest of the Peacekeepers were distracted, but decided against it, seeing it to be too stupid.

Thankfully there were steps to get into the truck so I didn't have to waist precious energy on hoisting myself upwards. I sat down next to Mizzen and self consciously slipped my hand into his. He took in a breath but I don't hear it. Instead, I watch as the boy with the red school uniform hops into the truck while the Peacekeepers are busy. He scurries to the back, by where the girl with the rainbow dress is seated. 

The Peacekeepers toss the tribute who tried to escape into the truck before slamming the door shut. All of us stare at the blonde boy like he's a fish out of water. He turns to face us. "Hi," he says shortly, eyes darting around the truck, widening at how outnumbered he is. 

"What's the matter Pretty Boy?" a dark skinned guy says from the opposite corner of the truck. "You in the wrong cage?" I resist the urge to chuckle and instead watch intently. 

"No," Pretty Boy says, his voice wavering. "This cage is delightful." The next thing I know, the boy who had made the sarcastic joke is storming towards Pretty Boy. The boy has on a light brown hat and looks like he can easily snap this Capitol boy in half like a twig. My grip on Mizzen's hand tightens as the boy with the hat slams Pretty Boy against the wall and Mizzen scoots closer to me. 

"I'll kill you, right now," Hat Boy threatens, Pretty Boy grunting under his grip. 

"He'll do it too," says the girl next to me. She has light brown hair that is frizzy and poofy. "Reaper killed a Peacekeeper back in eleven." My eyes widened. 

"Quiet Dill," Reaper shushes, turning back to Pretty Boy. 

"I say we all kill him," says a blonde boy with no arm, standing up. I make a decision, not thinking at all. I stand up and let go of Mizzen's hand. 

"I'm in. Got nothing to lose now," I say coldly. I don't know where this hate came from. Maybe it was the fact that none of this is fair and I'm taking it out on this boy or it's the fact that he's Captiol and probably helped with the Games. 

"You got family back home?" Rainbow Dress Girl speaks up. I think of Everett and Eliza. Eliza might not be family by blood but she has done more for me in a few years than Persephone and Willis have my entire life. "They'll kill them if you hurt him. Then you." I picture Everett getting hung in the middle of the square. Eliza getting shot dead. I blink away the tears forming in my eyes, I can't let anyone see my cry. I'm not weak. "Besides, he's my Mentor. I might need him."

"How come you get a Mender?" Coral snaps. 

"Mentor," Pretty Boy corrects. "You each get one." Reaper slams him against the wall again and I sit back down next to Mizzen, my hand gripping his arm. 

"Well how come our Menders aren't here?" Coral says, ignoring the fact that the word isn't 'Mender'. 

"Just not inspired I guess," Rainbow Girl says airily. At that moment the truck screeches to a stop and the next thing I know is the flat floor turns into a ramp, almost like slide, as the truck tilts further and further. People are screaming but I'm too frightened to move. I just grip onto the bench I was sitting on like it's a lifeline. It ends up being too much and I lose my grip on the bench, sliding down into who knows what along with the other tributes. 

I tumble and land on the hard ground. I sit up slowly, blinking hard for my eyes to adjust to my surroundings. We are outside now. There is a tall fence surrounding the area we are in, enclosing us and there are people of all ages crowded up close to the bars. 

I hear a man saying words too fast to make out. I squint and see the person speaking, a guy with an ugly mustache wearing a suit. He has a microphone and is facing a camera. I can make out two words; "Capitol Zoo". 

They must be joking. We aren't animals, we're humans, even more human than the Capitol freaks that thinking children killing each other is entertaining. Maybe they are the ones who should be caged inside.

I spot Mizzen sitting on his knees, mouth agape as he takes in our enclosed area. I crawl over to him and pull my knees up to my chest. I watch as all of the people surrounding the bars point at Pretty Boy, him standing out in the crowd easily. 

"Excuse me!" Ugly Mustache Man calls out to him. "Sir! Who are you and why are you in there with them? We're live." I simply roll my eyes. I watch as Rainbow Girl whispers something to the blonde boy before he tucks a white rose behind her ear. They grab each other's hands and start making their way towards the bars. "Well that's something you don't see everyday. They're holding hands," Ugly Mustache Man remarks as if they did something more rare like 300 backflips in a row. 

I stretch out next to Mizzen to watch the scene unfold and he does the same, each of us propping up on our elbow so we can see the duo's interaction. I watch as the two go straight up to two little kids, completely ignoring Ugly Mustache Man who is desperately trying to get their attention. 

The two talk more with the little kids before 'finally' noticing the reporter. They talk for a while before some Peacekeepers barge in and practically kidnap Pretty Boy, dragging him out of the enclosure. He will probably get punished and for that I am glad. I have a bad feeling about him and lately, my super strong feelings have been right.  

⋆. ݁⭒ 𝘚𝘖𝘗𝘏𝘐𝘈 𝘚𝘗𝘌𝘈𝘒𝘚 ⋆. ݁⭒

Guys Aurora is now officially my spirit animal. GUESS WHO SHOULD BE ASLEEP RN BC I HAVE SKL TMRW??? MEEEE!! idk abt u but I'm rlly liking this book so far, and it's also easier for me to update for some reason. anywayssss buh bye for now my friends :)