surprise visits.— [nina/peter | justice building]

[Deleted]

P E T E R   W E B S T E R - V Ă D U V A

It was an eternity.

Every time someone left the room and the door closed, I was sucked into a blackhole. Once you reach the event horizon of the blackhole, time stops altogether. Nothing exists within one, not time nor space. Everything gets compressed down into one, infinitely tiny point. I was 6 feet and two inches tall, yet I was so infinitely tiny whenever that door closed. I was being compressed and stretched from the moment that Fiorella chose me.

Yet, light had managed to pull me through the event horizon once more as the door opened. Though, this visitor wasn't someone I necessarily expected. She definitely wasn't unwelcome, though. I first started talking to Nina passed the point of casual greetings when Aurora died last year. It was crazy to me. Only a year ago, Nina's name was pulled out of that glass bowl. And now here I was.

We had spoken a few times since then, and I'd consider us friends. She wasn't my best friend by any means, but I enjoyed talking to her. I even told her about my scholarship last week when I found out. I was one step closer to being a science closer. Now? Now that didn't even seem to be an option. I had two options in front of me: being a victor or death. Aurora faced those same two options last year.

I felt bad for Nina, and for Flynn. They both had to deal with deaths of people they knew at least two years in a row now. It was getting hard to smile at this point, but I made myself do it. But the tears were threatening to spill out of my eyes. I didn't want to cry in front of my family. I didn't want to show how scared I was. But when I waved to her, I realised how much I was trembling. There is no wind in a black hole, so why was I shaking like a leaf?

"Hey uh Nina... nice seeing you."

I was translucent. I was naked. I could not hide my fears or insecurities in that moment. Everything was on display. My heart, my veins, my bones, and my muscles. My fear, my sadness, my heartache, and my terror. I wasn't sure what was better - feeling so small and alone, or feeling exposed. With my family it was easy to hide how I felt, I had a duty to do so to make sure they were okay. But I knew how I felt wouldn't effect Nina. She was a lot stronger than I was.

"Can... can you check on my family after I die? Please? I need to make sure my family is okay."

[ table by jay ]

[ 446 words ]

[k!ah]

I had been here before, one year ago exactly.

And as I stood before the familiar oak door I felt the urge to flee, the muscles in my legs twitching as I fight the urge to escape what I knew I would find on the other side. Last year it had been Aurora, the girl who had saved my life, throwing herself to the wolves. Panic rushes through me and my hands clench and relax at my side as I swallow nervously.

As Peter was ushered onto the stage all I could see was Aurora. When he turned to face the crowd all I could feel was a tidal wave of guilt, the ghost of Aurora’s hand in mine, a small, determined smile on her lips hiding whatever nerves and regrets that surged through her. And as he had disappeared into the justice building the only thought that ran through my mind on repeat was that it would be the last time I saw her- him.

We weren’t exactly close, not best friends by any means, but he was a friend, and it tore at my shredded heart to watch as the doors closed behind him. He had kind of become a rock for me over the last couple months, an ear to vent to when I felt like my head was about to explode, my emotions a storm that had raged for too long.

More than once, he had saved me from my thoughts, and I had become used to him, used to having him around, a friendly face amongst the sea filled with pitied glances and sad looks.

Taking a deep breath, I finally find the courage to push open the door, plastering a smile onto my lips as I take him in. The roles reversed I give him a comforting smile, taking in the glistening of tears in his eyes there was a fear that I was familiar with. He begins to speak, and I could hear the tremble in his voice, the first warning signs that he was starting to fall apart.

Quickly I close the distance between us, taking his shaking hand in mine I lead him towards the couch, directing him to sit as I pour him a glass of water. Handing him the glass I take a seat beside him, rubbing my hand in small circular motions between his shoulder blades, a soothing motion that I had often used with patients on the verge of having a panic attack.

“Take a breath, Peter,” I start, taking his free hand in mine. He was trembling like a leaf, and despite myself, his panic eased my own panic about being in the room the last time I had seen Aurora. “Don’t worry about them at the moment. Right now you need to focus on you-“ I pause because this wasn’t wanted he needed to hear at the moment, he needed to hear that his family would be okay. “I’ll check in on them, don’t worry- but Peter, you can’t think like you are already dead. That doesn’t help anyone.”

[Deleted]

P E T E R   W E B S T E R - V Ă D U V A

She was right, of course.

Nina Hart was one of the brightest people at our school, why wouldn't she be right? The way she rubbed my back was familiar. It was familiar because I had just been doing that same thing to Gabriel before she had arrived... oh Gabriel. Willa I felt like would be easier to say goodbye to. She was older, she understood more. Gabriel didn't. He just knew his big brother was being taken from him. He knew I might die.

I knew I might die too.

I was scared, why wouldn't I be? But being scared wouldn't help anything. I slowly brought the cups to my lips, the water threatening to spill over the edges with the shaking of my hand. I kept it together on stage for the cameras and I'd keep it together until I found a quiet place to hide on the train. I trusted Teddy with my life, but I didn't want to break down in front of him. Nor did I in front of Nina.

Keep it together, Peter.

"I know, I know... I don't want to die. I'm going to do what I have to do to win. But shit happens, Nina. And I need them to all be okay... and Luca... what am I going to do about Luca? I just don't know what to do..."

She couldn't tell me what to do and I knew that. It was wrong of me to even ask her that. That was a question she could never answer, no one would be able to. How was I going to do it? I hadn't even left District Six, yet stepping foot back here already felt so impossible. Even with mentors like Flynn and Teddy. All it took was one lucky hit from someone else and that was it. You were dead.

"I'm sorry, I'm just... trying to think. Trying to find a way to fix all of this. But I don't know if I can."

We were two of the brightest students in District Six. We had to be able to think of something, right? Anything. We could brainstorm something together. And then later I could run it by Flynn and Teddy to confirm. There had to be some sort of formula or equation to win, right? I was desperate.

My panic was quelled for now, but I could feel it clawing at my throat, desperate to escape once more. I was a dead man walking. Nina was looking at a living corpse and she knew it. I feel like even the people who lived weren't really alive. When I had coffee with Flynn he seemed so... dead. And Teddy, as kind as he was, he was broken. The more I got to know him, the more broken he seemed. They were all just corpses.

[  463 words ]