Status: Active
I Won't Go Down Easily
Chapter 9
"So, tell me Aria, how are you feeling about the Games starting tomorrow?"
"Honestly, Caesar, I'm scared out of my mind." She confessed, letting out a small laugh, as did the audience.
"And why is that?" He prompted.
"Because of the unknown. We have no idea what the arena is going to be like, what kind of dangers there'll be, and if I'll make it out alive.." He nodded at her response, thinking it over.
"That's very insightful, Aria." He asked all of the tributes the exact same question and she's been the only one to answer honestly and in depth. "Now tell me, what from home do you miss the most, other than your family?"
"The ocean." She answered almost instantly. "It's soothing. The waves, the wind off of it, just..everything about it. Whenever I'd be stressed, or upset I would go and sit on the beach and close my eyes, just focusing on the sound of the waves. I truly am going to miss it." The audience was completely silent at this point, focusing on her every word.
Caesar smiled at her - a genuine one and said, "And it looks like the ocean was also a bit of inspiration for your ensemble this evening."
"Oh yes," She replied, looking down at her dress. "My stylist Ian decided to incorporate the element because he knows how much the ocean means to me; it's kind of like a little piece of home."
"Indeed. In fact, it seems like quite a big metaphor to me." He responded, laughing, and once again the audience did the same. Just then, the buzzer went off, signaling the end of her interview. "Well, Aria it's been a pleasure. The best of luck to you."
Aria thanked him with a smile before exiting off the stage, relieved she didn't embarrass herself. Ezra wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and escorted her down the hall to the lift that brought them back to their floor. Tomorrow was a big day after all, she'd need her rest.
"You did wonderful up there, Aria. The entire nation was caught up in what you were saying - you could hear a pin drop while you were talking. That barely ever happens."
Aria smiled, glad she accomplished what she needed to.
- - - - -
Sleep didn't come easy that night - unsurprisingly. Each time she closed her eyes, she'd be greeted by images of various deaths. Not too comforting. By the time Ezra was knocking on her door to wakwe her up, she'd only gotten an hour or two of sleep. Fantastic. Groaning, she dragged herself out of bed, her stomach twisting with the anticipation of today,
She was quickly escorted to the roof, where a helicopter awaited. Once in, the windows went completely black, and they were on their way. Nash squeezed her hand, before leaning forward and whispering some last minute advice. "As you know, there will be a cornucopia surrounded with items in the very beginning. Don't go out of your way to get anything. If there's something useful near you, grab it, and that's it. Don't risk your life for a weapon, no matter how tempting. You can win this, Aria."
She blinked away tears before thanking him - for everything.
As soon as they landed, Ezra escorted Aria below ground, through various tunnels until they stopped outside of a door with her name on it. Swallowing thickly, she opened it and was met with Ian giving her a sad smile.
"Hey," She said quietly, sitting down in the chair in front of the mirror, purposely avoiding the clear tube that would lead her to the Arena.
"Don't be nervous," He muttered, beginning to style her hair into a durable ponytail. "You can win this, I know you can."
"Why does everyone keep saying that?"
"Because we all believe in you. The Capital is talking about you, they're interested in you. You'll have sponsors. You can do this, Aria. You just need to believe in yourself. Got it?"
She nodded in response, wiping her eyes. Once he finished with her hair, he handed her the outfit, it wasn't anything special. Just a pair of black exercise pants, and a dark green shirt. Very simple, not giving away any clues about what the arena would be like. She dressed quickly, distracting herself from what was about to take place.
"Good luck Aria," He whispered, giving her a quick hug, before the announcement came on, announcing one minute until the tributes would be lifted into the arena.
Aria walked over to the glass tube and immediately after it closed around her.
20 seconds.
She thought of her family, surely watching back home right now.
10 seconds
Her friends.
5 seconds
Her life.
1 second
And then she was rising up into bright sunlight.
"Honestly, Caesar, I'm scared out of my mind." She confessed, letting out a small laugh, as did the audience.
"And why is that?" He prompted.
"Because of the unknown. We have no idea what the arena is going to be like, what kind of dangers there'll be, and if I'll make it out alive.." He nodded at her response, thinking it over.
"That's very insightful, Aria." He asked all of the tributes the exact same question and she's been the only one to answer honestly and in depth. "Now tell me, what from home do you miss the most, other than your family?"
"The ocean." She answered almost instantly. "It's soothing. The waves, the wind off of it, just..everything about it. Whenever I'd be stressed, or upset I would go and sit on the beach and close my eyes, just focusing on the sound of the waves. I truly am going to miss it." The audience was completely silent at this point, focusing on her every word.
Caesar smiled at her - a genuine one and said, "And it looks like the ocean was also a bit of inspiration for your ensemble this evening."
"Oh yes," She replied, looking down at her dress. "My stylist Ian decided to incorporate the element because he knows how much the ocean means to me; it's kind of like a little piece of home."
"Indeed. In fact, it seems like quite a big metaphor to me." He responded, laughing, and once again the audience did the same. Just then, the buzzer went off, signaling the end of her interview. "Well, Aria it's been a pleasure. The best of luck to you."
Aria thanked him with a smile before exiting off the stage, relieved she didn't embarrass herself. Ezra wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and escorted her down the hall to the lift that brought them back to their floor. Tomorrow was a big day after all, she'd need her rest.
"You did wonderful up there, Aria. The entire nation was caught up in what you were saying - you could hear a pin drop while you were talking. That barely ever happens."
Aria smiled, glad she accomplished what she needed to.
- - - - -
Sleep didn't come easy that night - unsurprisingly. Each time she closed her eyes, she'd be greeted by images of various deaths. Not too comforting. By the time Ezra was knocking on her door to wakwe her up, she'd only gotten an hour or two of sleep. Fantastic. Groaning, she dragged herself out of bed, her stomach twisting with the anticipation of today,
She was quickly escorted to the roof, where a helicopter awaited. Once in, the windows went completely black, and they were on their way. Nash squeezed her hand, before leaning forward and whispering some last minute advice. "As you know, there will be a cornucopia surrounded with items in the very beginning. Don't go out of your way to get anything. If there's something useful near you, grab it, and that's it. Don't risk your life for a weapon, no matter how tempting. You can win this, Aria."
She blinked away tears before thanking him - for everything.
As soon as they landed, Ezra escorted Aria below ground, through various tunnels until they stopped outside of a door with her name on it. Swallowing thickly, she opened it and was met with Ian giving her a sad smile.
"Hey," She said quietly, sitting down in the chair in front of the mirror, purposely avoiding the clear tube that would lead her to the Arena.
"Don't be nervous," He muttered, beginning to style her hair into a durable ponytail. "You can win this, I know you can."
"Why does everyone keep saying that?"
"Because we all believe in you. The Capital is talking about you, they're interested in you. You'll have sponsors. You can do this, Aria. You just need to believe in yourself. Got it?"
She nodded in response, wiping her eyes. Once he finished with her hair, he handed her the outfit, it wasn't anything special. Just a pair of black exercise pants, and a dark green shirt. Very simple, not giving away any clues about what the arena would be like. She dressed quickly, distracting herself from what was about to take place.
"Good luck Aria," He whispered, giving her a quick hug, before the announcement came on, announcing one minute until the tributes would be lifted into the arena.
Aria walked over to the glass tube and immediately after it closed around her.
20 seconds.
She thought of her family, surely watching back home right now.
10 seconds
Her friends.
5 seconds
Her life.
1 second
And then she was rising up into bright sunlight.
♠ ♠ ♠
Finally they're in the arena! The upcoming chapters are what I've been looking forward to writing this entire time (: Hopefully this chapter wasn't too bad, I rushed through it oops. Regardlessly, please comment any feedback you have! Thanks for reading! xx (Now I'm finally caught up on here with all of my stories from wattpad woo)