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(the girl met the boy when they were small)
a blade was tucked into her hand, and they taught her to point it at him. she liked how he looked at her when she threatened him. with awe.
no, not awe. respect.
.
(the boy met the girl when they were young)
her hand gripped the weapon tightly. her eyes were shining in the academy’s fluorescent lights, daring him to defy her. he supposed he should fear her, but he didn’t. he was intrigued.
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(they taunt each other)
they learn how to climb together, and her being there made him go higher. they learn to run together, and his presence makes her sprint faster. they want to win, but they like the race more.
.
(they grow up)
their bones lengthen and strengthen; the baby fat melts from their cheeks; their determination hardens; their blades sharpen.
the boy’s blades become heavier and more sure of themselves. he slices and stabs with expertise now, almost dancing as he whirls around the room. a tornado of death.
the girl’s blades become sneaky. the glint of light on metal only hits your eyes when it’s too late. her dance is quicker, more jagged, but enthralling all the less. a thief of life.
it’s still a race, but they’re determined to get there together now. the boy can never fully tear himself away from the girl’s eyes, and the girl can never help herself from smiling when he walks through the door. they know that it cannot be, it can never be, but that’s never stopped the dreamers. they’re competitors, sure, but they’re so much more.
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(the leap)
their time comes. as far as the boy is concerned, the stage was built for them. as far as the girl is concerned, they are the stars in the sky. about to outshine them all.
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(the parade)
the boy is cocky. the girl is arrogant. and the crowd loves every second of it. these are the competitors they deserve, the entertainment they crave. the boy and the girl are fierce and brave, the way careers are meant to be. the spotlight is theirs.
until it isn’t.
there is another boy and another girl, and their bright flames obscure the stars.
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(a quick conversation)
the girl goes first. like her blades, she is sharp and quick. it’s clear to all that she holds a merciless heart in her chest. little do they know, there is some, deep down. it’s just not for them.
the boy talks to the man of midnight blue second. he is vicious and ready to go, he says. he is ready to repay the capitol for all it’s done for him. after all, it did give him the girl.
the tributes from twelve go after. the girl on fire and the loverboy. they announce their love to the world, and the girl and the boy see right through them. they know the girl on fire and the lover boy have never felt the way that they do. they just know.
in their story, they are the true star-crossed lovers.
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(playground)
and so the games begin.
the tornado of death and the thief of life begin their dance, perfectly in sync as they whirl around the cornucopia. the boy shouts with joyful rage, and the girl’s eyes are shimmering with murderous glee.
this was what they were born to do.
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(discovery)
when the other children have left the playground, one remains.
loverboy.
the boy convinces the girl to keep loverboy around. he sees his usefulness. the girl is frustrated. she sees his lies, his false tales of love when it’s clear to her that loverboy is a fool. he’s not in love, he’s in lust. she would know the difference; hers is the real thing.
she pushes away the thought of leaving the boy behind. that’s the way the games are made, and she knows it, but she doesn’t like admitting it. not even to herself.
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(held close)
the girl on fire drops the bees, and after that, loverboy is done for. the boy attacks him, and the girl has never felt so loved. now, they just need to destroy the girl, and prove what true love actually is.
that night, the clouds abandon the sky, letting the stars illuminate the night. the boy and the girl lay in the grass, staring up at them. then the boy shifts, rolling onto his side.
what are you doing?
just looking.
but soon enough, it isn’t just looking. it is a new kind of dance, one that starts slowly but soon becomes a whirlwind of its own, made of lips and hands and warmth. she wants him to hold her. he wants to never let go. they tell each other so.
never let me go?
of course not.
they push away the tragic ending they know is coming. it is inevitable, a future they have always known. but at night, it’s easier to pretend otherwise. nighttime tends to do that.
.
(announcement)
there is a change in the rules.
it’s almost impossible for them to believe. their love has always had strings attached. it’s never been made to last. now, the void that the dread has left behind is refilled with hope. they like the feeling.
they are stars in the sky, and nothing can stop them from outshining the rest.
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(hungry)
it is time for the feast.
the boy and the girl devise their plan: the girl will go for the bag, the boy will protect her. the girl on fire is still out there, and the boy is determined that his girl will not be burned. the girl is determined the flame will be doused.
the girl on fire runs for the backpack, and the girl dances to meet her. it does not take long for the girl to land on top, blades twirling deftly between her fingers.
where’s loverboy? taunts the girl. oh, right. he doesn’t really love you at all, does he?
she is determined that the girl on fire will pay for outshining her stars.
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(the thief of life)
cato! she screams. the other tribute is large and strong and she’s struggling to breathe.
the boy hears her. clove! he shouts, running towards her. it cannot end like this. not when they’ve just been promised a future together.
he arrives on the scene just in time to see the other tribute raise the rock high in the air. the girl screams the boy’s name again. it is her last word.
cato!
the boy is too late. all he can do is watch the girl’s eyes as they shatter .
he holds her as she dies. the girl is crying. how cruel of the world to dangle hope in front of them only to tear it away. and how cruel of the capitol to dangle that hope. the girl weeps for their future, unable to do much else. he kisses her gently as her last breath escapes her lips. her cannon fires, but the boy doesn’t let go. after all, he promised. not even when her skin goes cold and her blood stops flowing.
the capitol doesn’t care about them. they never did. it only craved their destruction for their own entertainment.
and the boy is determined now that if it’s a show the capitol wants, it’s a show they’ll get.
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(happily ever after)
the boy is alone, but he pretends he isn’t.
when he closes his eyes, he dreams of the girl. she is sparkling and magical and beautiful and warm again. she is a star, and they dance their vicious dance together every night. in his daydreams, he is happy.
somehow, it almost makes his reality more tolerable.
if his happy ending can only live in his dreams, then the girl on fire and loverboy won’t get one at all.
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(hunted)
the girl on fire and loverboy are looking for him now, he’s certain of it. they’re the only ones left since he hunted the boy from eleven. he makes his way to the top of the cornucopia. let them come. he is ready, and he has to be. this is the boy’s last chance.
above him, the stars are watching intently.
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(the tornado of death)
the boy falls from the cornucopia into the wolves below. he has tried so hard. he just wanted to avenge the girl- his girl- but his tornado of death has whirled out of control. he doesn’t believe he can win anymore, not after losing his girl. he’s not sure he even wants to. he doesn’t want to leave her behind. it gets lonely, only living in memories. and so as he falls, hope evaporating, he knows he will die. and it’s okay, because he gets to see her again, right?
the last thing he sees are his girl’s eyes, framed with stars, as her mutt rips him to bits.