sirenspull | video; ~5 pm

[Mary looks... well, alive, which is a bonus, but also frazzled and exhausted, with pale skin, dark circles under her eyes, lips chapped, hair falling out of her ponytail.

But more than that, she looks haunted.]

I'm back. I'm alive. [Her lips press together in a thin line. She bows her head and talks to her knees.] No thanks to those monsters.

I don't know if anyone else made it out... there were no- [sniffing hard to avoid tearing up.] -shelters. Nothing Darkness proofed. [Head still bowed tightly.] I don't know if any of those people I fought with made it out alive, but if they didn't, I'm going to tell you all right now.

[She finally looks up, eyes welling now with tears she refuses to cry.]

They hunted us. They bound us, put collars on us, they put us in cages. They chased us and hunted us down like we were fucking dogs and we couldn't-

[she claps a hand over her mouth, breathing hard to rein in her emotions. When she opens her eyes again, there's something chilling and deadened in her eyes.]

When I died at home- the first time, before I came here... it was a demon. A demon pinned me to the ceiling and burned me alive in my baby's nursery, and I didn't feel as violated as I did those two days. In that cage. [She shakes her head intently, looking away.] Those monsters kidnapped children. They wanted to see every one of us die like dumb fucking animals.

I wonder what would happen if I prayed for them. [There's a weird look in her eyes. Something you wouldn't leave your children alone with.] It's the Christian thing to do.

Would I get their souls into Heaven, or their heads on a plate?

[With a last ugly look at the NV, she turns the ~~public~~ feed off.]

[Private to Jinx]

I found a plus one.

[Private to the angels]

Did you hear my prayer? [The one she whispered as she lay dying.] Please, tell me none of you- tell me you didn't go there. Please.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hunger Games?

[W t f that sounds every kind of sinister in the world]

Did they take you?

My world... they... it's the Capitol, and the twelve districts... and every year a girl and a boy from each district is...

[She just gives a timid nod.]

That's awful! It's legal there? Sweetie, what's your name?

Oh yes, they put it on television, everyone has to watch.

I'm Rue...

[There's no hiding her sickened reaction at that. Everyone has to watch? What the fuck?]

Rue. Hi. My name's Mary.

I don't want you to worry, okay? This isn't like those Hunger Games. It's not gonna happen again.

I promise.

Hi Mary.

[Rue doesn't look convinced unfortunately, but she's trying to believe it will be okay.]

Alright. Are you okay...?

[P a u s e.]

Not really, no.

But I think I will be.

[That honesty is appreciated, you don't even know.]

I'm sorry it happened to you.

[That makes her pause, and tugs something like a real smile onto her face.]

Thank you.

Is there anything you did to make yourself feel better?

You mean now...?

Well... after you got out.

Got out...?

[Does she mean from the Games, the arena?] I didn't get out, I got brought here. Only one person gets out of the Hunger Games.

Oh. Oh.

Well...

That means we have something in common.

[Rue chews her lips and nods.]

Are you going to stop the people who tried to do it here?

I'm gonna try. I don't want it to ever happen again.

You have to stop it, you can't let it... I... I'd help, if I can.

[And that's the exact moment when Mary vows to keep this from ever happening to anyone else ever again.]

I know. I promise, Rue, it stops now. It stops with me. You don't have to worry about those people ever again, okay?

[She nods, small, it could almost be missed.]

Thank you...

video; ~5 pm

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