Chapter Fifteen.

The New Symbol.

Vibia was not as I remember her in the Capitol, her neon blue hair with green tips had faded and considerably shorter just resting above her shoulders and remaining only light blue. Her ear piercings had been removed and her make-up completely wiped away revealing pale and uneven skin, her eyes were now darkened with black circles and her lips are thin. Vibia has been rid of her expensive Capitol clothing and replaced with a regular District 13 civilian grey jumpsuit and black shoes. Her chunky jewellery has been taken, probably not by Thirteen's guards but by the Capitol.

My stylist practically sprints across the gap between us, the guards flinch to grab the Capitol woman but she is far to quick and isn't going to cause me any harm, they realise this when Vibia wraps her arms around me pulling my body to hers in a tight hug. The guards looks shocked by this act of affection. When the woman turns away, I get a good look at her face and I gasp in horror. Vibia – by the looks of it – had been beaten. The skin around her left eye was purple and green with hints of blue, meaning it was in the mid-stage of healing. Her upper lip was split as was a couple of areas on her face.

"What did they do to you?" I ask her, cupping her face in my hands and moving her head attached to her neck round so I can study her injuries at all angles. Coin almost chuckles at my concern but Vibia bats my hands away from her face hissing inaudible.

"Leave me be child," she says in good humour, "I've been examined by a doctor and it's nothing serious I assure you." I couldn't help but chuckle because she remains the same hard-headed but kind hearted woman I knew from the Capitol. Vibia's face then straightened out and went serious, "Come on, I understand we have a new rebellion symbol to design."

I nod, Vibia loops her arm through mine and begins to drag me away and before we leave leave the Conference Room. I turn back to look at President Coin and Plutarch, I stop moving pulling Vibia to a halt. "Thank you." I say sincerely.

Plutarch smiles at me but Coin does not, instead she simply nods her head, dismissing us. Vibia huffs quietly before dragging me from the awkwardness of the room into the corridor. A sudden nervousness and curiosity flooded me, how did Vibia escape the Capitol? She was captured before I went into the arena, surely President Snow would of killed her. Does that mean Coren and Shazza are here too? Dieter as well? Or weren't they as lucky?


Vibia escorted me to her room, it was in a separate facility to the other accommodation blocks. This was probably for protection, after all she is a Capitol stylist who worked closely to President Snow and other important Capitol members. She lives on the second floor of this secret housing block where I only assume Plutarch and other important members of District 13 sleep. Her compartment was slightly larger than my own, the dinning area and living space was joined into one large room with a little off room that's probably the bathroom. A ladder leads up to a small bed with raised safety rails to prevent falling out.

"Nice place you got here." I tease knowing that she is completely out of her comfort zone.

Vibia chuckles, "Yes well, I'm sure you're used to more plusher places than this." she says back.

I suppose that was true, even when I lived with my mother the house wasn't awful, it was big enough to accommodate us all, we always had food and water. Then I moved in with Michael and we had far more money than was ever needed so we never had to worry about bills, food or anything else including medical expenses. And then when I was reaped for the Hunger Games, I was thrown into a lifestyle of rich food, fantastic living spaces and outfits and when I won things didn't turn back extravagantly except the fact I was pregnant. When I had my son, the house turns somewhat more like my home and not a house I live in. But when I volunteered for the Clearance Games, the wow factor on the living space, clothing, food and other properties had elevated. Coming to District 13 and having to live this lifestyle was very different but in some weird ways, I'm enjoying it.

"You'll be thankful to know that a new rebellion symbol has already been whispered about in the Capitol as well as the districts," Vibia says proudly fetching a remote from the table island. She pointed it to a blank wall before pressing a button, I gasp as a section of the wall split into two allowing a large television screen to be pushed out. Then photos appeared of designs, Vibia places down the remote before digging out a dark blue folder. I take a seat at her table and open it.

Sheets upon sheets of paper filled with fabric samples, writing, water colours and bold drawings, symbol ideas, colour schemes, other materials such as different fish scales and features along with little notes Vibia had written to herself. The drawings were varied between outfits that are more for appearance and the others are battle gear, gloves so I can throw knives and protect my hand, armoured plated chest-plates to protect my organs, shoes as well as trousers and shirts to be worn beneath.

Flicking through the pages my eyes ache from taking in the information and designs some so strange that I have to stare at them intensely to decipher them. Beautiful picture of fish begin to flood the pages, if I had stood on the chair and looked down it would have been hard to believe that it wasn't an actual pond – Koi Fish, Regal Tang, Flame Angelfish, Rainbow Parrot Fish and Mandarinfish – all swim lifelessly, every detail added. It looked as if Vibia had spent years preparing this all.

"It's beautiful." I mumble.

Vibia smiles, "Thank you."

Then the thought hit me, what of the others: Dieter, Shazza and Coren. "The others?"

I know the answer just by the look on Vibia's face, she needed verbally tell me the words but as what little colour was left disappeared from her cheeks, her smile lack and her eyes sadden, I could hear her heart quicken as she turns away from facing me to stare at the large computer/television screen. The others were dead.

"How?" I ask, suddenly overwhelmed by curiosity.

Vibia's arms started to shake, "Shazza and Coren where used as weapons against myself and Dieter who refused to give knowledge of the rebels plans. They were shot, in front of us." she chokes on her air.

Anger boils to my surface, threatening to boil over. "What happened to Dieter?"

My stylist turns looking almost as angrily as I was, looked me dead in the eyes and says, "They drowned him... just like they did to Cato and yourself."

I couldn't tell if she was blaming the drowning of Dieter on Cato and myself or she was blaming me for all of their deaths and tortures because if she was – it was true. I am to blame. I leave the book laying flat on the table with the lifeless fishing mulling about in the fake water as I stand to walk over to Vibia who hides her face in fear of appearing weak after so long of being brave. I touch her arm, scared she will bat it away, and step in a little closer, it's new ground for myself and Vibia but it's a healthy step, my stylist touches my the upper section of my arm that's holding onto hers.

"I'm going to kill Snow, and I promise you, I wont be merciful." I vow strongly.

Vibia's grip tightens, "Good." I smirk as she growls her word, "Now, lets get down to business."

"Why did you turn me into a Mockingjay during my interview?" I ask.

"Because I knew it would piss off President Snow the most." she smirks.

And I chuckle.

She then guides me to a different table, the one set in front of the large screen and places the book in front of me, there she stands and I sit for hours as she explains, comes through and tells me all about these designs. With photo reference, using images from my Games, interviews and crowning as well as images from the many cameras plastered around District 4 so the Capitol can spy on us. She explains everything with such detail it hurts my head but I don't interrupt because I can see in her eyes and face how much joy it brings her, talking about clothing. I feel samples of fabric, pick out the symbols I like best.

Then, it dawns upon me, the Mockingjay was the creation of the Capitol. I think back to the moment the entire nation knew of the secret relationship between two tributes, I remember my refusal, yelling so loud my throat hurt and then the dam breaking and the water. Suddenly, I begin sketching then allowing Vibia to redraw them in a far better way and within an hour, I had created the new symbol of the rebellion. It was the thing that brought out mine and Cato's relationship, it surrounded the place where I lived, I spent my live sailing on it, swimming in it and surviving by it. The symbol was now a three swirls of blue.

I am no longer, the Mockingjay. I am now, the Wave.