The Victor's Village, a new place for the Jackelon family and the majority of them were quite grateful for the change of scenery, for their old home was beginning to fall apart at any moment. 

Abigail and Matthew, the two younger siblings of Chris, were quite giddy and happy by this move- and even more happier with their big brother around to spend time with him. They had missed him quite a lot during his time in the Games, and they had gotten quite upset and worried when none of the grown ups would show them what was going on with him. The only thing they ever gotten was just the sentence that he was still alive. 

The family sat together at the dinner table, Beatrice and Edward- the mother and father of the family sat in their seats quietly eating their breakfast as they listened to the chatter that was coming from the young ones. Slight worry rested on them as they sneaked some glances to their older son, seeing how he truly was. They noticed that he was much more quieter now, they also noticed that parts of his usual routine has been looking rather forced. He wasn't the usual energetic, open and careful person that was their son. He seems to be a bit more closed off now. They only hope that things wouldn't get any worse. 

"Chris! Chris! Look! I lost my tooth!" Grinned Matt, pointing to the noticeable gap in his mouth, "do you think I'll get sharp and pointy teeth like yours?" 

"Maybe one day Matty." Managed Chris, offering the eight year old a weak smile as he ruffled his hair.

Abigail just shot Matt a glare, wanting to have her older brother focus on her. 

"Chris look at what I did!" She placed a piece of paper on the table it being decorated with various of stick figures that all have smiles on their faces and a mess of colours as their background. 

"Whoa Abby, it's amazing." He complimented, that sentence sounding just as forced- something that only the parents caught on. 

"And I did it all by myself!" She gloated, smirking slightly- happy about the praise and the attention. But it would appear that someone wasn't happy with all the attention. 

The family finished off their breakfast, the parents ushering the two younger children to get ready and to get out of the house quickly due to how pressured to time they were. Before they could even leave the house the two grown ups cast a look back at the table seeing that only one plate was still full of food. 

The door shut and the kids were quickly dropped off at the school where talk about their new victor and the games was still traveling around. Both Beatrice and Edward then hurried to one particular building- deciding that their jobs could wait for a bit more. This was much more important and someone believed that as well for they did not have to knock on the door as it was already opening. 

Dylan stood there, weight on his cane as he gazed blankly ahead. His shades hiding his eyes, his dark hoodie hiding the bat ears from prying eyes. It was these ears that alerted him to their presence outside his door. 

"Dylan." Said Edward, his voice gravely and laced with worry. "We need you to-" 

"It's Chris." Breathed out Beatrice, "he's been awfully quiet lately, he keeps on locking himself up in his room, he hasn't gone out for his run since the first day he got back. We worried. Can you perhaps try and talk to him? I fear that he might not listen to us and-" 

The bat mutant let out an audible sigh of frustration- hating all their blabbering. They don't need to talk so fast. 

"I'll do it, but why aren't you?" 

"He might not listen to us." 

"How do you know that?" Asked Dylan, slightly irked by their reasoning, "have you tried to talk to him? Have you tried to do anything at all?"

He didn't really need to ask this. He knew that they didn't do such a thing despite how caring they seem to be. He was just simply curious on what their excuse was this time. 

"Look Dylan. We've got work to get too, just ask him if everything is okay and tell him that we're around." Said Edward- caring more about how late he's going to be. 

"Heh." Was all Dylan said, taking in what they had said. He stepped forwards a bit, shutting the door behind him before he went for the walk. Hitting his cane in various of places to help him navigate the way. He didn't really care that he just left the two grown ups so abruptly, they were being rude enough by waking him up at this hour asking him for help when they could just as easily do the task themselves. 

He was pretty sure he had reached the place. in this particular area things sounded different, it was much more soft sounding then all the other places and it was noted that there wasn't a lot of activity around here. 

He brought his hand up, knocking roughly on the door alerting to whoever was inside to his presence. 

The door opened. 

"Chris?" 

"Dylan." 

Dylan noticed the surprise that was in his friend's tone but he brushed it off, letting himself in as he reached out to touch Chris's face. His fingers ran over his friend's sharp cheekbones, the strong jaw line, the slightly upturned nose. He frowned as he continued to feel the texture of the skin, not liking it. When he was done he dropped his hand down, a frown manipulating Dylan's features. 

"You haven't been eating." He said bluntly, "and you haven't been sleeping. Why?" 

"I have been eating." Said Chris, however Dylan noticed there was a slight difference in the breathing pattern and the tone of voice. 

"Now you're lying to me." Noted the bat mutant, his frown deepening. "Chris, look. I know you've been through pretty harsh stuff. But you don't need to starve yourself because of it. " 

"I'm not starving myself." 

"For god's sake. All of your features are so much more sharper now. I can basically feel your cheek bones poking through your skin. You're starving yourself so stop. You didn't do anything wrong, none of it was your fault." 

"I killed Kayla." Came a shaky response, "I could have done something else in that moment and then I wouldn't have killed her. I could have helped Sythia, I could have let her finish me. But now she's dead because I couldn't help her." 

"People were going to die anyway Chris. There was nothing you could have done to change that, now stop beating yourself up about it. Move on." 

Now Dylan knew that what he said was a bit harsh and stupid, however he was never put in this sort of position. He doesn't know what words he needs to say to appear sympathetic and meaningful. And he couldn't help but think it was thanks to this low understanding that the following events happened. 

Dylan noted the Chris was attempting to walk away from him, but he wasn't finished yet. He latched his hand around his friend's wrist, keeping him there. 

"Hey I'm not done yet." He said, "you're out of the games now, you can't kill anyone anymore get that through your head. And please. Stop starving yourself." 

A look of confusion then settled on Dylan's face as he brushed his thumb over Chris's wrist. He felt material there, something that had confused him for the boy never wore long-sleeved clothing. Now. Slightly curious and anxious, he slipped his thumb underneath material to feel the skin underneath. And it was when this action took place that anxiety latched itself on his heart. Worry and astonishment present on his features. 

"Chris..." 

Next thing he knew Dylan was pushed onto the ground- his cane left him and scattered away from him. The wooden floor collided with his back, a grunt leaving him from the impact. Hurried footsteps met his ears alongside the opening of the door. Dylan quickly pushed himself off the ground, far too preoccupied to grab his cane as he rushed forwards- colliding with things that were unknown to him. 

"Chris! Get back here!" He shouted out, going around blindly- having no idea where he was but having the idea that he needs to get his friend back before something bad happens. 

"Chris!" He cried out again, more panicked. he believed that he had managed to reach the outside. 

"Christopher!"

The cry crumbling into nothing with no one hearing it. 

~~~~~~~~~~

One more chapter to go :3

The song here is A Sadness Runs Through Him by The Hoosiers