Pepper Mully

''A haunting melody wafts over the breeze of District 4. No one stops to listen to the sharp, piercing notes of a wood flute. Everyone, busy, busy, gutting fish, spearing fish, tying knots, busy, busy... Out on the horizon, a lone figure stands. Sandbar beneath her feet. Playing her flute, playing a melody everyone knows well.'' "Drift away gently On calm, sun-warmed seas of gold I 'will miss you so' All the times you gave Life, so quickly snatched away Lost at sea, drift away" The tune repeats itself over and over as the sun sets...

Growing Up (Eliza Cutler)
''Pepper was always a confident one. I remember well. I might be old, but I do know about her. Of course I do. I'm only her godparent after all.''

Well, let's see. She was born in the year of the 114th Games. Bright, perky little child. Sparkling blue eyes like the sea. Red hair the color of fire. Happy baby. Always smiling.

Her personality emerged after that. She always had a set routine, a set way of doing things. She'd line up her rope dolls just so, each one perfectly arranged. She would be out at the docks to fish with me every weekday, always at the same time: six in the morning on the dot, never a second too early or late.

If her schedule got messed up, she'd go into a fit worthy of recognition alongside a waterspout. She needs routines. Anything that comes as a surprise angers her. It's stayed that way all her life.

Other than that, a cheerful soul. Always protecting me, her family, her friends. She learned tridents, nets, fish hooks, barbs, all of those weapon things from the older kids in the district. Some of them careers. She didn't like the career crowd much. Always explosive, never predictable. She needed stability, not wondering whether to volunteer for death in the Games.

Her trainers and peers resented her when she left training to return to life as usual. She was twelve by then. I think I liked fishing Pepper better than deadly weapon Pepper. I'll always think of her as my little girl...of course I will. It doesn't matter what I saw in the Games. Not at all. Not even after that one day...

Oh. Silly me, I might as well tell you. The careers were out on the beach one night six months before the fated games in the 131st year. Drunk. All of them. Laughing and hollerin', scaring the fish away. Scaring our livelihood back to the dark depths.

And then, one of them, a fourteen year old girl, came after me. I don't know why. She must've been drunk. Knife in hand. Lunged at me. I screamed.

But Pepper was there. Trident. The peacekeepers came. Pepper stood, blood on her pretty hands, splattered on her cheeks like extra freckles. Of course she should protect me. Of course. She didn't meen to kill Sari Blue. I'm sure of it. Even the Peacekeepers think so. I still love her. I do.

Bloody Night (Raine Shawley)
All I remember is three identical holes. One above, one below, and one straight through her heart. Blood spewed from them like a fountain as Pepper withdrew the trident from Sari's back. My friend. My best friend, dead before she hit the ground.

All the careers hate Pepper Mully. So talented and she thinks she's too good for us. She'd rather go back to fishing with her freakin' skeleton bag grandma than train for honor and glory. She thinks we're all stupid. Well, guess what? I think she's a whore.

And she killed Sari Blue, with the same techniques the careers taught her, raised her on. Dead on the sand. I hate her with all my heart. She has no honor, no purpose, no dignity. Imagine, marrying a man at seventeen, a week before the reaping. So brash, so slutty

Well, it ended up biting her in the end.

Wedding Day (Joel Vaughn)
She's beautiful today. Seventeen, so young, but then again, I'm not that old yet either. Twenty and seventeen, happy as peas in a pod. I wait nervously at the end of the tent. We're on the beach, white tents billowing in the sea breeze. It's a perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky. Blue, just like her eyes.

She's so gutsy. That's what I love about her. Never backs down. Charming. Beautiful. Strong. She's a bit predictable, but I just find it endearing.

Here she comes. Pepper Mully, childhood sweetheart. We were always close, but now, I can't help but feel a new kind of joy at seeing her face. A bright green dress, sewn with glimmering seashells. My eyes leave the faces of her relatives: father, mother, godmother, friends. I can only focus on her.

Blue eyes. Red hair. Beautiful smile, even if she looks nervous. Something surprising, out of the routine. Of course she's a bit stressed. She walks gently down.

The ceremony passes in a blur. We're underneath the grass net as we exchange vows. She smiles and winks at me. I beam back. Pepper Mully. I love her so much. I can't imagine life without her. The kiss is beautiful, more beautiful than any we've ever shared.

She's never cheated on anyone, no matter what the rumors. The careers say those things because they hate her. She doesn't care what they say. And frankly, I don't either. I'm overjoyed when she rubs the salt on my lips. Then I trace the salt water across hers, softly, tenderly. She blushes, freckles looking stark against her face.

Everyone cheers. My cheer soars above the rest. We'll be free. Only two more reapings. And the careers will volunteer even if she's drawn. Everything's perfect. I kiss her again, and she laughs. Absolutely perfect.

Payback (Raine Shawley)
Hah. She got what she deserved.

She sat there looking all smug in her beautiful green dress, the same one she wore for the wedding. She’s brave. I can give her that much. The reaping was an event. And this was my year, my lucky year. I was going to be a tribute. I was going to win. I would bring honor to this district.

I’m a very competitive person. I have a temper. I also tend to be impulsive.

So when Pepper Mully’s name was called, I laughed. Outright laughed. All the careers began to cheer, calling for her death. I couldn’t help but glance at Joel Vaughn, her husband. Distraught, eyes staring at me. It was my year.

But I kept silent. I didn’t approach the podium.

You gotta understand. This girl killed my best friend, my little sister from another mother. Sari Blue, with her fiery personality. Blonde hair, green eyes. It wasn’t her fault she was drunk. The older ones brought the beer. It wasn’t her fault.

But Pepper killed her anyway. Three holes in her small chest. Anger cannot be quenched. I crossed my arms and smirked at Pepper before joining in the death chant.

“Pepper will die. Pepper will die.”

One Goodbye (Joel Vaughn)
I stare in shock as her name flashes across the screen. I can't believe it. I can't believe I'm seeing this. She walks confidently towards the stage, but I know her too well. I see the slight tremors of her hands, the carefully hidden look of despair in her eyes. How they almost exactly mirror my own.

A chant starts from the careers. All other cheers or half-hearted clapping dies. The strong voices of the career trainees ring out across the square.

"Pepper will die. Pepper will die. Remember Sari. Remember Sari Blue."

I still can't get those words out of my mind as I sit next to her, waiting for the inevitable. In a few minutes, the Peacekeepers will come and take her away. Away.

She begins to hum a tune...

"Drift away gently On calm, sun-warmed seas of gold I will miss you so All the times you gave Life, so quickly snatched away Lost at sea, drift away"

I grasp her hands and she looks at me, eyes watery.

"I never thought--" she started unsurely. She shuddered. "I didn't ever expect this. This wasn't part of the plan. It wasn't, it wasn't--"

I squeeze her hands and she stops. Tremors all over her arms. I take her into my embrace.

"Shush."

She always had a plan. Every word she said now, she had planned out carefully before they had ever exited her lips.

"I love you," I said softly.

She withdrew from me and her gaze hardened. I can see why our district would've loved her as a career. The steely blue eyes bore into me, stripping down everything with falcon's eyes.

She said hoarsely, "I'll come back. Don't worry. Don't you dare worry."

I know she will. She always has a plan.

Game Plan (Eliza Cutler)
She's a very methodical young woman. She's known about the Games since she was little, thanks to the television and her extensive Career training. And she has this book. Pepper's Hunger Games Plan, it's called. She had been watching the games analytically, coming up with the best ways to win, the characteristics of most tributes.

I once chanced a peek in there. It's insanely thorough, down to the last detail of what hours to be most active, which people she would kill off, and when she'd break alliances. So many scenarios. So many maps. Every type of arena examined. Every angle viewed.

She just left on the train, about an hour ago. My Pepper Mully: never impulsive, methodical, charming, though sometimes indifferent. Very strong, very brave.

I'm afraid.

No, not that she'll die. Well, maybe I am worried about that too. What I'm most worried about is who she'll be. What will she make of herself in the Capitol. How different will she be? And how will the Games change her? Everything will be transparent. Everyone will see what she'll become.

That's why I'm afraid. I still remember when she killed Sari Blue. It was an accident. ...wasn't it?

Red Hot (Caesar Flickerman)
"And here come the tributes from District Four! Lance Keller and Pepper Mully!

Wow. Look at Ms. Mully. Look at that daredevil gaze. That head of fiery red hair."

''She waves to the crowd, a reckless smile on her face. She wears a deep green dress with fishnet leggings and sleeves. No boundaries. Reckless, absolutely gorgeous.''

"She's just red hot. Completly red hot. She's going to be a competitor. I can feel it in my gut."

Changing Wind (Eliza Cutler)
She changed. I watched her transform in the Capitol, just like I knew she would. The opening ceremony was something strange. This wasn't my Pepper, the one who was always cautious. Instead, she wowed the crowd with impulsiveness, daring, and killer smiles.

I watched on my television screen, mesmerized by the change. This wasn't Pepper. This was the Pepper that the Capitol would eat up like spoiled lap dogs. She was smart. She knew careful Pepper would never win.

They called her "Red Hot".

In the interview, she commented on this, "Yah. That name fits me so well. I'm a red-head. I'm hot. And I know I burn like fire."

Mr. Flickermann laughed with her, this fake Pepper.

Red Hot had taken the Capitol, the districts, everyone, by storm. With a training score of 10, she was in the top three expected winners. I was proud of her, but in a different way. She was a survivor. This facade was carefully planned. Red Hot wasn't Pepper, but if Red Hot would save her life, I would be willing to see the change.

Blood (Raine Shawley)
The Games. They went faster than I expected.

The arena would have been perfect for me. A D4 was bound to win.

But that meant all the other tributes were virtually sitting ducks. It meant that Red Hot, or whatever they called Pepper, had the upper hand. That's why they went quickly.

It was an ocean. That was it. There was a boat for each tribute. The Cornucopia was submerged below water.

It was a bloodbath. Literally. The water ran red.

Lance was decapitated by Red Hot when he reappeared on the surface after diving down to the Cornucopia.

Career Lance. Our Lance. Pepper was now responsible for two deaths. They had to show his face, over and over again, his head. Bobbing in the blood-stained water.

Pepper was smart. Lance had agreed to kill Pepper at the bloodbath. But she got the upper hand, and all the items he had taken out of the underwater golden horn.

She stayed with the Career pack. They all wanted Red Hot on their side.

Red Hot. She wasn't Pepper. Pepper Mully, never given to brash actions, never violent, suddenly became a lit fuse. She led the group of sailing boats. When the D5 girl, Raulyn--Raleigh--something like that, tried to flirt with the D1, she smashed her head open with a rock she had retrieved from the ocean floor.

The girl fell onto a floating tube, and drifted away from the others, spewing a trail of blood.

Forty whole minutes, and the screen wouldn't leave the girl. She was still alive.

That's when I saw the first crack in Pepper Mully's disguise. She looked absolutely mortified, waiting for the cannon fire that never came. She pretened brave, you know, standing up tall on the ship, sailing with her long oar, red hair flying out behind her.

But I knew that face. It was remorseful, even after the cannon fired. It was the same face I saw as she stood over Sari's dead body.

Maybe I was wrong about her. She's just trying to live, after all. She's just trying to protect those close to her. Maybe we all, us D4 careers, were wrong.

I found myself cheering for Pepper. And when she came back, I was determined to tell her I was sorry.

Falling Apart (Eliza Cutler)
Pepper disintegrated before my eyes. After the girl died, the D5. I still remember her name. Raughlyn Hund. Her brother won the games a few years later. Pepper--I don't know about Pepper anymore.

She killed the careers that night. All of them. The D2 boy was guarding with her at night. She took him first, sliding his body into the dark depths. I watched. I clutched Joel's shoulder. He sat rigid, transfixed, watching, sadness creeping across his face.

She speared all of them. All four of them. Dead, bodies sliding into the water before being picked up by hovercraft. Four cannon shots in the night.

Other tributes had died, sure. A fake island that the D7 boy tried to land on turned out to sink. Other Deathtrap Islands killed tributes. Giant octupus muttations strangled both D12s, who had allied together. A maze of walls stood in the center of the ocean arena. Hidden inside were valuable items. And deadly traps.

The arena killed six. Pepper killed twelve before the Games were up.

She was brave. She was reckless. She was Red Hot, but she wasn't Pepper. Joel cried himself to sleep. His breath came ragged as he said over and over, "What did they do to her? What happened to her? Pepper. Pepper. I love you. I love you. Where are you? What happened? Why?"

I didn't want to tell him what I thought. Throughout the Games, I kept silent. But I knew the Capitol wasn't to blame. She was. She snapped, after the D5 died. She lost control of herself. She was consumed by a need to live, a need to right wrongs.

I don't want to think about Sari Blue. But I can't help but recall her. And how, for nights afterward, she screamed from nightmares. How she cradled in Joel's arms, bawling.

She was always on time. She had a routine. And every night, like clockwork, she screamed. Nightmares.

Pepper had already begun her change into Red Hot. It only took the Games to completely destroy her. Joel was saddened, but he still loved her.

And I remember. Oh, how I don't want to. But I do. Pepper--what happened? What happened to my little girl who arrived at the docks at six am, always on time? Where did the cautious, thoughtful girl run off to? And what would happen when she came back?

I remember. I can't talk anymore. I can't breathe.

Murder (Raine Shawley)
I couldn't stop it.

There was a lot of anger among the careers.

First, Sari.

Next, Lance.

When Pepper killed all the other careers in one night, the D4 careers took it as a direct assault on themselves.

Everyone knew Pepper could care less for the Careers.

I still thought she was stuck up, prideful, and conceited.

But I didn't want what they were planning.

"You're a traitor, Rain. Just like Pepper. A no good bottom-feeder. You're just like her. You don't have guts either. You're a coward."

I'm not a coward. I don't want blood outside the Games.

I couldn't stop them. Pepper couldn't understand. Her actions were to blame. But when she came back and found out, she never spoke to me again. I wouldn't blame her either.

But it wasn't my fault. I couldn't stop them.

I remember. She would have guessed something was up. When she returned from her victory tour, none of the careers were at the train station. They tied me up and brought me along. They wouldn't have me tattling to her. I'm the coward now. I wished now that I had volunteered. It would have been better, even if I had died.

We were on the beach. And my friends, my careers, were beating a man to death. I could only sit, tied by hands and feet, and watch, horrified. There was no use struggling. I could only watch, just like I watched Sari die, just as Lance died. But this was somehow more horrific. This was a kill born out of hatred.

The man was Joel Vaughn. And they were just roughing him up. Waiting for her to come.

And she did come, running down the beach, red hair flying out behind her. The one who called me a traitor, Garl, raised his trident high above his head. I could see her eyes, shocked, scared, angry, fearful, dreading.

Three holes. Two above, two below his heart.

I screamed. I couldn't hold my silence anymore.

The careers left, scattering like roaches. Pepper had reached them now, and ignored them. She dropped to the sand, where Joel still hung on to life, but barely.

I was afraid. Afraid that she'd kill me. Afraid that he'd die. Afraid of Red Hot, the girl who killed three sleeping allies in the dead of night. She ignored me though.

I could hear a choking sound from her, from Joel. I don't know who exactly. And she quickly hurried him down the beach. His head hung down, eyes rolling. The sand flew from her footsteps.

I closed my eyes and willed everything to end.

In the End (Joel Vaughn)
Blood.

But it is her arms that lift me. The searing pain in my chest dies down, and I feel safe.

My throat fills with blood. I say, "Pepper. I-i--"

I choke.

We're running. Pepper carries me. Words rush out of her mouth.

"Joel. You can't die. I love you. I know you might not love me. After the Games. After what you saw. I'm a monster. I'm a killer. I'm a freak. But please love me. If you die, I'll never know. I'll never know if you love me."

I try to speak, but I end up spewing more blood onto her white dress.

"Hush. Please. Live. Please."

We enter Eliza's home. I can tell it's Eliza's because of the fish nets and seashells festooned to the walls. The shelves filled with healing herbs and dried fish skin.

"Help!" she screams.

My vision fades in and out. I fell her cold touch lift me onto the dining table, knocking a vase full of flowers to the floor.

I can finally see her face. I smile. She touches my cheek, hand covered in blood. I lift a shaky hand to hold hers there. Blood everywhere, warms my body. I'm fading. I know that.

I want to say it. I want to tell her I love her.

Eliza wraps bandages around my chest, but they don't stop the flow.

Her face is filled with despair.

I can't speak, and black begins to fill my vision. I draw in a sharp, shallow breath and concentrate hard.

''I love you. I always will. It doesn't matter what you've done, where you've gone. I love you, Pepper Mully. But I have to go now.''

"Don't die on me," she says, her voice rising with each word.

She didn't hear my thoughts. I grasp her hand and try to speak.

But my breath runs out. Black curtain drops.

Falling.

Black.

Her voice, screaming.

Her touch, cool, frantic.

A kiss, burning on my lips.

Then a shrouded, dark embrace.

And nothing.

Lost At Sea (Eliza Cutler)
She arrived at six am the next morning, as though nothing had happened. But I saw the dead look in her eyes, the lack of life. She sat on the dock, untangling a length of net. Her eyes refused to focus.

She threw herself into her routines.

She never let the words Raughlyn Hund, Games, Lance Keller, Sari Blue, or Joel Vaughn cross her lips.

It was a few weeks later that I asked the fatal question.

She had a line out that sunset. She had already reeled in a couple, though not the usual nighttime catch we were waiting for.

"What happened?"

She didn't look in my direction, and I thought she wouldn't answer.

Finally, she spoke.

"I had a plan. But after that girl--well, I couldn't hold it together. I couldn't stand everything. I couldn't stand being Red Hot. Sure, I kept the facade, but I wanted to go back to normal. I wanted everything to be the same as always. So I wanted the games to end. I wanted it so bad that I broke. I wanted it so bad that I killed. I'm a monster. And no, don't try to contradict me. I have to live with what it made me."

She paused, and begun to hum the old funeral tune.

"Drift away gently On calm, sun-warmed seas of gold I will miss you so

All the times you gave Life, so quickly snatched away Lost at sea, drift away"

I didn't prod her, but she continued on, spilling everything on her mind. I found a girl that was bruised, broken, scarred.

"It's my fault he died. And he probably didn't love me more anyway, after what he saw on the screen. Everything. Everything is all my fault. I didn't mean for things to happen. But everything. Surprised me. It wasn't something I expected."

I opened my mouth to reply, but she turned away, obviously not listening to me. I sighed and began untangling a string of fishing line.

She lives in the victor's village now, but she's always here at six sharp, hiding behind a facade. She is Red Hot and Pepper combined now. The Games left her changed.

But she still floats, like a ship that has so many leaks but still won't go down. I admire her courage.

I still love her.