theboywiththebook | Second Tale: The Red Room [Action/Video] (Spoilers for s2ep6 those not up to date)

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Second Tale: The Red Room [Action/Video] (Spoilers for s2ep6 those not up to date)

[Henry has gotten settled in his room in the first community housing building on floor 2. But, the thing is he hasn't been sleeping well lately. Ever since he woke up from the sleeping curse he'd been put under he'd been having horrible nightmares.

Tonight was no exception.

He was in a red room. There were no windows or doors, so he was locked in. But there were these red curtains, on fire. The whole room was on fire in fact. All he could do was try and avoid the flames and from being burned. But when he looked off into a corner he saw a woman. Her back was faced away from him and all he could do was try and call out to her. Try and get her attention.

But, it was getting too frightening. He lunged awake quickly and let out a terrified yell. He knocked over his journal turning the feed on. Rubbing his face to try and get the pictures of that room from his mind, he turned only to see he'd knocked his journal open. Hopefully he didn't wake anyone. But just in case he'll apologize but sound a bit fearful as he does.]

Sorry, about that...

[After that, he can't get back to sleep. He's gone to the kitchen for his floor and has made some coffee. He wants to stay awake, to try and avoid going back to those horrible dreams.

Opening the journal again he'll try and occupy himself with talking to anyone that's awake.]

Is there anyone up right now...?

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[Too young, she thinks. From the looks of him, possibly even too young to have been in the Hunger Games. A boy his age shouldn't have nightmares that wake you up screaming, gasping for breath, wanting to close your eyes and hide from the world and yet, at the same time, not daring for fear of lingering dreams. Rarely, she thinks positively of all the things she's done over the past two years. But in this case, as she momentarily loses herself in thoughts of all the future generations of Panem's children who will be spared nightmares because there are no more Hunger Games, she's pleased with herself.

But none of that will help that boy now. She doesn't even know what world he's from. But she can offer a listening ear, a soothing voice.]

Do you have nightmares often?

[Well, it's no hunger games but his world isn't all sunshine and dandelions right now. Having to try and get Emma and Snow back to Storybrooke and dealing with horrible nightmares due to a cursed apple turnover, is not fun for a ten year old boy. ]

Not ever since I fell under a sleeping curse.

[She shakes her head. Curses, let alone sleeping curses, aren't something that exist in Panem. Let alone something talked about. It's like magic, like the strange abilities some of the people she's met have. Things that ought to be impossible. But are not, not here.

Six months and, frustrating as it is, she's still coming across these unfamiliar words.]

What's a sleeping curse?

[He's not really surprised. Different worlds, different experiences. But he'll explain.]

It's evil magic. When someone's put under something like that they're made to look like they're dead, but really, they're trapped inside their bodies and made to relive their worst memories.

Edited 2012-11-22 16:54 (UTC)

[Death wasn't even as horrible as that. There had been nothing. No nightmares, no emotions, no memories. She hadn't even realized that she was dead. Not until she came back here, not until she realized that there was nothing she remembered between Clove's knives and waking up in the forest, clad in that plain shift she had first arrived here in.

But being forced to relive their worst memories again and again. That sounds like the sort of fate she deserves. What could this boy have possibly done to deserve that?]

I'm sorry. [And she means it, too. Even if apologies are fleeting, not really worth anything in the end.] I know how ard that can be.

It's all right...in the end it helped break the curse on my town. So, I'll be okay.

[But it still doesn't make it any less scary.]

But you still have nightmares.

[She says it quietly, thoughtfully. She doesn't know what curse he's talking about, she's not sure she even wants to know. But she understands that sort of sacrifice. Whether it was on purpose or by accident, it's not easy to live with the consequences. Even if you did good in the end.]

I have nightmares, too. It's why I'm up right now.

Yeah...

[But he looks back to the girl now when she says that she's up for the same reason. So, it looked like they were in the same boat, even if it was under different circumstances.]

Do you want to talk about it?

[Because he's now concerned for this girl.]

[It's a surprising offer, one she doesn't expect. Like when she had talked to Prim about Peeta, about how Snow would do whatever it took to broke her. She never thought of placing burdens on those younger. Hated to do it then.

Still hates to do it now.]

I'm used to them. [She says it quietly, kindly.] Would it help you to talk about yours?

If you're sure...

[Henry's always willing to hear people's problems or at the very least talk some sense into them when they're withholding their emotions. But right now he won't pry.]

Would you be okay with that?

[She had talked and talked to Peeta so many nights about so many nightmares. Both before his hijacking and after his arrival here. Because Peeta was the only one who really understood, who had been in that arena with her and lived.

She wouldn't, couldn't, burden this boy, too.]

Yeah. [A small grin. Because she would be okay with it. Much more easily than talking about her own dreams.] I used to listen to my sister whenever she woke up from a bad dream.

All right...

[So he begins his tale.]

I was in a red room. But there were no windows or doors, so I was trapped.

[As he begins retelling his dream he becomes visibly more disturbed by it.]

And there were these curtains that were on fire. I couldn't get out and the fire, it was just spreading. But in the corner there was this woman and she was staring at me. I tried calling out to her but she wouldn't answer me. She just kept looking.

[She watches through the journal as the boy's tale seems to frighten him the more he talks. She wants to reach out and hug him, wrap him in her arms as she would Prim or Rue. Reassure him that it was nothing more than a bad dream. That it would be okay. That fire - dream fire - can't burn. Not like real fire can.

But without knowing the boy's location, she can do none of that. All she can do is nod and look as every bit sympathetic as she feels.]

Fire's a scary thing.

[~~Oh Katniss...if only you knew how wrong you were.~~]

It is...I know I shouldn't be afraid since it's a dream...but...

~~[Burns are the worst kind of pain. How she knows that all too well.]~~

But?

It seems too real.

[She remembers how each and every one of her own nightmares would feel so real. Almost too real. A bedtime horror from which she sometimes felt as if she'd never escape.]

Dreams can feel like that sometimes. Especially the bad ones.

[He pauses for a moment unsure of what to say next. The only thing that comes to mind is that he hasn't told this girl his name.]

My name's Henry.

[She gives a small smile at that.]

I'm Katniss.

It's good to meet you, Katniss.

[If it weren't for the fact that he was having a nightmare brought him on the feed.]

[She nods in agreement, letting the smile tease her lips for a few seconds longer. Sometimes that reminder was good, that she wasn't the only one here plagued by nightmares. Even if she simultaneously felt guilty for thinking such. Especially in regards to a young boy.

Silence passes for a few seconds longer before she finally says:] Are you going to try to go back to sleep?

Yeah, I will try.

[Translation: No, I'm going to stay and drink coffee to avoid that place.]

[She lingers on the page. There's something in the way he says that which makes her doubt his words. And she remembers all the nights where she had lied in much a similar fashion, telling Peeta that she would go back to sleep and then, instead, spending her time staring at the ceiling while held tight by his arms.

If she could, she'd offer to sing. But the Malnosso took that away from her. And the guitar is still too new for her to have made any real proficiency.

So gently, she hints at her doubt.] Going back to sleep is not always easy, is it?

[He nods a little, as it seems she's caught on.]

I'll go try...thanks for listening, Katniss. I'll talk to you soon, okay?

[She offers another soft smile. There's not much more she can do right now, aside from perhaps listening to her own advice. It's hard to go back to sleep but unless she wants an unsuccessful hunt in the morning, she has to.]

Sleep well, Henry.

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Second Tale: The Red Room [Action/Video] (Spoilers for s2ep6 those not up to date)

[video]; :D! she seemed very fitting!

Re: [video]; She does seem fitting

[video]; sorry I'm so slow - helping with Thanksgiving things.

Re: [video]; it's fine I'm technically supposed to be doing homework.

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Re: [video] sorry for being late

[video] it's ok