THE GOLDEN AGE, sejanus plinth

003. remember who you are

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CHAPTER THREE
REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE
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"SHE'S A GREAT singer," Aurora told Coriolanus. She had been already on her way to the zoo's exit after Lucy Gray, the boy's tribute, had convinced the others to grab some of the sandwiches that Sejanus had brought, when the sound of the girl's lovely voice drafted over to her.

"Indeed," he agreed, staring back at the monkey house, completely mesmerized.

"I have to say, Coryo, you've been one step ahead of all of us. Arachne thinks you've broken some rules," she continued, quieter so that the two could still hear the girl's singing.

"It was my cousin's idea to welcome her," he replied, now staring back at her. The now quicker fading sunlight reflected on his white-blonde hair.

"How is Tigris?" Aurora tilted her head, honestly being interested in the wellbeing of the young woman.

"She gets too little sleep." He nodded at his words. "But, I see you weren't far behind me with ideas."

He pointed at her school bag that was now empty.

"She looked so malnourished on television," she gave back, but she knew that she would probably get in trouble at home for that.

"They all do," he agreed.

Lucy Gray stopped singing and for a moment not one noise was heard in the whole zoo. She really had a talent, that girl. Aurora was sure that even the birds were listening when Lucy Gray sang.

The two continued their way in silence, everyone being lost in their own thoughts as a voice startled them.

"Thanks for stepping up, Coriolanus." Sejanus stepped out of a shadow, obviously having listened to the song too.

"It was nothing," he replied with a clear of his throat.

"I doubt any of our other classmates would've helped me. Besides you, Aurora, of course." The three continued their way towards the exit slowly.

"Well, I wasn't much of a help. I think me talking to Lucky scared Sol away... she'll probably never talk to me again," the girl added.

"At least you tried," Sejanus mumbled.

"What made you think of feeding the tributes anyway? I already know why Rory did it." The blonde stared at the other boy expectantly.

Sejanus grabbed the straps of his backpack tighter.
"Ever since the reaping, I keep imagining I'm one of them."

Coriolanus and Aurora stopped and turned around to the boy. They exchanged a glance, thinking he was joking, but at the sight of his serious face, it was clear that he had been telling the truth.

"That seems like an odd pastime," the blonde remarked. Aurora didn't say anything, instead, her eyes found the monkey house in the near distance again.

"Can't help it," he mumbled. "They read my name. I walk to the stage. Now they've cuffed me. Now they're hitting me for no reason. Now I'm on the train, in the dark, starving, alone except for kids I'm supposed to kill. Now I'm on display, with all these strangers bringing their children to stare at me through the bars..."

His voice was so low that the two had trouble understanding him, but still, the words sunk in. And if Aurora started to think about it, it wasn't that hard to imagine herself behind those bars, starving and then getting handed some food just so that a camera would be right in her face.

She felt incredibly uncomfortable and sorry about it. She had wanted to help Sol, she had really wanted to, she still did.

A dozen or so bales of hay came bursting out of a chute and rolled into a heap on the cage floor, drawing their attention on them. Aurora swallowed hard. They were really treated like animals.