304Incense Vasquez, 17, Victor of the 110th Hunger Games
It's actually strange seeing my fingers without candle wax on them. They're so smooth to touch, actually. It's strange seeing myself look almost like a doll at all times, but as Eurydice says, a Victor always needs to look her best.
I realize I'm starting to annoy Eurydice and Belle as I force my hands to stop rapping nervously on the polished table. My breakfast sits in front of me untouched, the spoon still inside the unbroken bowl of oatmeal. Even the little raspberry garnish is still intact. Part of me doesn't want to ruin this cute little art form, but it's mainly that I don't want to pit in my stomach is too painful. Belle notices me spacing out, and clears her throat.
"So, are you excited, Incy?" she asks me, smiling. I look up at my Mentor, returning a smile just as fake.
"Yes, I'm excited to go and say hi to the families of everyone who died in that arena," I say sarcastically, stirring my oatmeal. "I can't wait."
"I know it's hard. But the Tour itself isn't even two weeks. And you hardly knew the tributes from District 12." she informs me. District 12 is our first stop. Where we will be visiting the families of Henerik Sarafian and Lizereth Onne. I am slightly relieved I barely remember the two of them. I recall Lizereth a little better, but only because her abysmally low training score, a 3. Lyndon scored lower, but he was blind.
A tinny voice tells us that we are approaching the outskirts of District 12. I press my face up to the window, taking in the forests blanketing the outside of Twelve. Several picturesque mountain ranges peek above the tall trees, overlooking the crystal clear lakes. This place would almost be a good vacation spot if it wasn't the poorest District in Panem.
As we pull into the train station, guarded by swarms of Peacekeepers, I sigh, somehow already exhausted. I don't know how the Districts do this every year. I know that last year, the Victor from 5 was a terrible public speaker and even generated a few laughs at this somber event. Oh, gosh, what if that's me? What if I make a fool out of myself?
Surprisingly, when I stepped onto that concrete stage, overlooking a somewhat meager crowd of coal miners, the words just slipped out naturally, even though I had barely memorized the words and phrases the Capitol prepared for me.
"I am honored to be here today, and to recognize the fallen tributes of these Games and their families. I send my regrets to the family of Lizereth Onne, the District 12 Female, and of Henerik Sarafian, the District 12 Male." I mutter, my voice amplified. I glance over to the pedestals set up for the families. A mean-looking woman is the only one at Lizereth's area, and I'm almost shocked to find not a single person for Henerik. Holding back tears, I continue my speech in a monotone voice. I nearly want to jump for joy as the final round of applause is given and I dash offstage.
The dinner reception was okay. It was nice chatting with the Mayor of District 12 and her daughters. They even took me back to their large house and showed me their expansive library, which I nearly drooled over. The eldest daughter, Marianne, even let me have a few books to take home after I got engrossed in them, and I was forced out of the library for taking too long. I stepped back on that train the next morning in a surprisingly good mood.
But it didn't last. Next was District 11, and I did in fact know people from here. In fact, I killed their only shot for a Victor in years.
I started off the speech okay, but when I made eye contact with a little girl crowded on Galvan's pedestal with a least a dozen other kids and their parents, I started stuttering and barely made it through the rest of the speech without fainting. After dinner I was shown the various crops District 11 grows and given a tour of the orchards. When I thought I was actually starting to relax, we were rushing out of the area because one of the Peacekeepers spotted a tracker jacker nest. I am deathly afraid of those insect Mutts, I'm just glad there weren't any in my arena. By the time we left District 11, I was shaken and uncomfortable.
District 10 flew by in a breeze, but I nailed the speech almost perfectly, and I even got to pet some farm animals in the evening. But as that day came to an end I realized where I was going to go next. District 9.
The second I stepped onstage, I was met with a chorus of boos and jeers. I tried my best to quiet them down, but a Peacekeeper eventually had to fire a gun, startling both me and the crowd. I wipe my sweaty palms on my silky yellow dress, exhaling sharply.
"Thank you, citizens of District 9."
As I almost robotically went through my speech, I noticed that only one woman stood at Citlali's area, and she looked around 60 years her senior. I would probably conclude that she's her grandma, but her and Citlali have almost no similar traits, the two probably couldn't be more different. I had already forgotten what Citlali looks like, but luckily a large banner of her face hangs above the lady. But when I look at the family of Citlali's partner, who is named Atticus, I nearly want to cry. All I can see are three sniveling children, holding each other tight. The oldest-looking one is covered in bruises, poorly concealed by makeup. I knew before I even finished that I had to at least talk to these children.
Afterward, I asked the Mayor if she knew where the children lived.
"They're orphans. So they'll live in the district orphanage around fifteen minutes away from here." he says gruffly.
"I would like to visit there," I request. The Mayor shoots me a dirty look, but then sighs.
"So chivalrous. Whatever you say." he mumbles. The trip was somewhat unexpected, so I had to wait ten minutes for a ride to even show up. But it was so worth it after that ride was over to step out of that vehicle and burst into that building, off-put by the melancholic atmosphere. I ask the lady at the front desk for the three children related to Atticus Faux, and she starts scanning a clipboard.
"That would be Audra, Calic, and Levinia Faux," she tells me, showing me their names on a piece of paper.
"Yes, them." I say clearly, folding my hands on the counter. This lady looks like she's trying not to laugh as Eurydice's bird-shape headpiece falls onto the floor, causing some kids to come and tear it to pieces.
After a careful walk up the creaky stairs, we reach a rotted door, one of the many doors in this seemingly endless hallway. She opens the door, revealing three children huddled up in the corner, trying to gather some warmth. Several other children are in the tiny room with them, playing or sleeping. I slowly approach the scared children, extending my hand.
"Hi, guys," I say softly, not really knowing what else to say. The oldest, named Audra, squints her eyes at me.
"You're Incense Vasquez," she hisses.
"Yeah," I reply, rubbing my neck.
"You killed by brother," Audra says glumly, refusing to make eye contact.
"No, no, no," I whimper, trying not to upset her. "I didn't. I swear. Your brother took his own life. He was very, very brave." Levinia and Calic perk up at the mention of their brother, but Audra is still grimacing.
"That doesn't change anything, he's still dead." she retorts. "Addy was supposed to come home and let us all live in his big Victor's Village house. Now we're all stuck here." I sadly hang my head, feeling defeated, but as a sort of last resort, I open my bag and fish my hand around it, looking for something, anything, to give them. All I can find are the three books I brought from District 12. I pluck one book from my bag, a non-fiction one about different breeds of dogs. All the kids come scampering up to look at it. One little girl, probably no older than four, says she can't read.
"I'll read it to you," says another, older girl, patting the girl on the head. I pull out the other two, giving them both to the rabid children who are now looking at the book I gave them. I hand some other shy kids in the back a book about fabric design and one about baseball. I'm glad I brought picture books, one of my regular reads would bore them to death.
Eurydice tells me we are out of time. I quickly say goodbye to all the kids, feeling guilty I didn't have anything more to give them. I'm ushered back into the vehicle, where I'm rushed back to the square for the usual dinner. As I'm picking at the roast bird on my plate, an idea pops in my head. Maybe I can see those kids again. If the Capitol doesn't think it's too ridiculous, it just might work.
Home was skipped and saved for the end. Next was District 7, which wasn't my favorite because the crowd just couldn't stay quiet for me, leading to several scary gunshots. I was terrified for District 6, because Styx's family was there. Sure enough, his angry parents were there, waiting for me, never taking my eyes off me the entire speech. Every second that went by felt like a million years when you're in front of the parents whose kid you killed.
District 5 was nothing special. Tyssa's parents while blubbering messes, but at Turmeric's pedestal stood his own parents, as expected, but also a sobbing girl who looked around his age. Is that his sister? Or maybe his girlfriend? Either way, he's dead.
The fish district was a little pissed for having had a tribute who made it so far but didn't win, but other than that Four was fairly easy. I also managed to memorize my speech by then. District 3 was also pretty forgettable.
But then we were onto District 2, Calix's home. I hope they aren't too angry at me here. I was doing it for my own survival, everyone knows that Calix would have won if my trap had somehow failed. But nonetheless Calix's family looked like steam was coming out of their ears, and Cerys' stand contained several elderly women who were crying silently. I even froze halfway in my speech, much to my dismay. Luckily at that point where were only a few sentences left.
The last district was District 1. I didn't know either tribute at all, I even forgot their names until they were given to me. Weirdly, five ballerinas were at Victoria's pedestal. They almost looked like swan girls. At Iridi's area stood a scary-looking woman, a tired looking man, and a sniffling girl who looks like his little sister. Bythe time I'm at District 1 seeing all these sad and devastated families is making me feel worse and worse, thank goodness it's almost over.
...
When we got to the Capitol I was tired and pale. They had to apply five coats of eye makeup to conceal the bags. That idea from when I was in District 9 is still lingering in my head. A travelling library doesn't sound too crazy, right? It would just be me travelling from district to district giving children books who don't have any, and I would pick them back up and give them new ones eventually. I pitched the idea to Belle, who liked it a lot, even suggesting it to Eurydice. She said that with some help, we could make it happen.
"That's going to get me through this damn party," I say dryly, making Belle chuckle for once. The party is uneventful. I mostly dance with random Capitolites, who desperately try to bring me home with them as if I'm some kind of toy. But Eurydice comes to the rescue, saying I need to "retire to bed." On the way to my bedchambers we pass a giant library, which I try to stick around at, but my attempt is unsuccessful.
Soon I'm being taken up to my room, and I realize the clock is half-past one in the morning. A lone Avox stands in the room with me, who I instantly dismiss. She shuffles away, leaving me alone in my room, where I collapse on my bed, almost instantly falling asleep.
The next morning I wake up gradually, almost happy to see an actual ceiling above my head. I check around my bed and outside, but soon catch myself being weird again and acting as if I'm still in the Games. I told my doctor about this, and he said it was something all Victors go through. I felt guilty, because a while ago I sleepwalked into Candelabra's bedroom and screamed, waking her up and officially making her afraid of me. I wish all this didn't happen, but I have to keep telling myself that it's better than being dead.
We almost immediately pack our stuff and say goodbye to the Capitol for the time being, at least until the Games start again. I don't think I realize how close they actually are. I'm going to be a Mentor for the first time along with Belle. Part of me is excited for some reason, but I'm also despising the fact that I'm going to have to sugarcoat the imminent deaths of two children. District 8 has never had back-to-back Victories, and I don't think I have the skill to bring someone home, not in my first year.
After a two-day trip we finally got back home to Eight, where a cheering crowd awaits, much different than the sour mood of all the other districts. Even my family is waiting for me. Candelabra is crying as she lifts me off the ground with tremendous strength. Maybe she isn't scared of me anymore. Wick just gives me a quick hug, twiddling his thumbs. My mom and dad have never looked so happy to see me. I'm so happy myself I even ignore Lyndon's lonely dad throughout the entire much happier speech. I even ad-lib the end.
"I can say I've never been so happy to be home. Thank you, District 8, for always supporting me." I say, ending the Victory Tour on a happy note. The audience chants my name as I trudge offstage, pumping my fists. The event I was dreading for months is finally over.
I thought these next few months were going to be hell, but only if I make it that way. If it were up to me, I would live life with meaning, and not become an empty shell. And much to my relief, that's the last thing I'm planning on doing with myself for the time being. I don't really have a choice. It's not like 23 people died for me to be here.
The REAL end! I wanted to do a little Victory Tour chapter for Incy. I can either start SNOFS Reapings or I can do an epilogue chapter. Up to you guys. :) Thank you all for reading, and please review! I want us to get over 300 by the time the story ends! :D If there isn't another chapter of this, thanks so much for following RB and supporting it. I'll see you guys next time... perhaps on SNOFS.
-Maia