Thirty-Three - Blue

                                    

                                          
27th July 74PD
Almost an entire twenty-four hours later, in the bright hot afternoon light, the cameras show Katniss and Peeta reaching the river. Or what used to be the river because when the girl puts her hands in it, the only thing remaining is a bone dry river bed. They quickly deduce that it means the gamemakers want them to return to the lake and on the split view that shows the other side of the arena, Ajax is coming to the same realisation. The duo are quicker to move, citing their full stomachs and desire to get 'this thing' over with as their motive; stopping for a short rest under the very same tree that the careers trapped Katniss under, as shown by the husk of the tracker jacker nest that dissolves into dust and is carried away on the breeze when it's kicked with the top of a thick hiking boot. 
The coverage is slow but the nothingness has gone on far too long and everyone knows it. Everyone knows that something is surely coming. Even the tributes seem well aware. Whilst the tributes are following the golden glint of the Cornucopia like a beacon, most of the Capitol's mandatory coverage is filled with analysts and reporters in both the Capitol streets and the Districts. The cunning girl from Five has seemingly put her district in mourning, all of the lights at half-lume and white banners with the girl's name scrawled upon them hanging from the windows of her parents' home, the Justice Building and her school. They even interview one of her teachers, albeit briefly once the older woman starts weeping and complaining about what a bright spark that the nation has put out. 
Then they cut to District Twelve, and the nation watches both the Everdeens and Mellarks surrounded by far too many reporters to be able to feasibly obtain any information, and it takes minutes for their head reporter – a woman with hair swept to one side, showcasing the green vines tattooed onto the shaved side of her head – to clear out the area enough for them to be interviewed. Both families seem happy, smiling and standing with interlocked hands but the camera almost exclusively focuses on young Primrose, who is standing beside her mother and shyly responding to all of the questions directed her way. 
They spend a considerable amount of time in District Twelve but Clio doesn't pay attention to the broadcast until they switch to her home district and she immediately notices the faces of her own parents. They're not crying or emotional like the parents from Five, instead their expressions appear unmoving and made of stone as they callously respond to the reporter's questions. 
"We're satisfied with how Ajax dealt with Thresh." Her father says, voice void of any emotion. 
Clio rolls her eyes. "They're satisfied?"
Enobaria tries to gently placate her by placing a hand over the top of hers and tracing small circles over the skin. She's had the misfortune of dealing with the Kentwell parents several times before and she knows how their mannerisms can infuriate their eldest daughter. "He avenged her well enough."
"It'll never be well enough unless he wins this completely." She argues, not leaving any room for a counter argument as she returns her focus to the screen, where Ajax's family is now being interviewed by the reporters, giving that he's the last remaining hope for District Two this year. 
Firstly, they're praising their son, reminding the nation of his achievements during the Games, and how excited they are to be welcoming him home soon. Then, in the blink of an eye, his parents are accusing the gamemakers of showing favouritism towards the pair from Twelve, that their continued coverage of their sham relationship is influencing the sponsors and the gamemakers. That it's their coverage that has allowed Haymitch to keep them alive as long as possible. That everything they've done this year has just been to produce another victor from Twelve. And Clio can't help but agree. They were never going to allow District Two to win three years in a row.