Hey peeps! This is my 3rd story, inspired by ProfessorHooligan's Pain fanfic!
Whether or not I keep this a one-shot depends on what you, my readers, think!
Disclaimer: I don't, and never will, own the Hunger Games.
'Stop! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victors of 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark! I give you the victors of District 12!' Except it was too late the minute I swallowed the berries.
I immediately felt the effects of the nightlock, the sleepiness and the black spots. The next 5 seconds, was a mixture of confusion and sadness. Confusion, because I had no idea of what was happening to me. Sadness because, well, I knew I had failed everyone I ever promised that I was going to win. In reality, I realized I could never win, even if I was the victor, I would never, ever, be able to escape the arena. The faces of the deceased would forever haunt me, following me around wherever I went. I thought of my sweet Prim, who would be traumatized by my death. At that thought, I closed my eyes, preparing for death. Before I knew it, I was blacked out.
I didn't know what death was like, until now.
"At last," I thought, "relief."
Strange, I thought that death was like an endless dream. That's what all of the teachers had said the most other than the fact that we owed the Capitol. This is not a dream at all, more like the real world-
Hold on… I thought I was dead. My second thought was that they had somehow revived me in their hospitals. Frantically, I opened my eyes, expecting to see the white-gowned surgeons of the Capitol, or worse, President Snow. To my relief, I was lying on a bed of lush green grass, and at my feet, I saw Rue.
I knew I should be wondering where I was, but the sight of Rue gave me a brief sense of security that I hadn't known since my father's death. My father! If Rue was here, that meant either I was hallucinating, or I was in the land of the dead. I thought the latter, because I knew death by nightlock was short, clean, and crisp. That also meant all of the people who had ever died was here, and that meant my father was here also.
Rue noticed I was awake, and her face lit up the moment I acknowledged her. She didn't shout my name out like any other girl would have done, but instead ran over to me and gave me a giant bear hug. For a long time in my life, I felt pure joy. I also cried and I let out tears of happiness.
We stood like that for a long time, and we calmed down enough to talk to each other. By then, one of the past tributes had noticed us and brought over all our friends. Around me sat Peeta, my father, and the tributes that had died this year. Why had they come? They hate me, and I was responsible for some of their deaths. My father seemed to read my mind, and explained to Peeta and I, though he was mainly talking to me.
Death changes people, Katniss, said he.
Why? I asked.
Because in death we are all equal, was his response.
I finally realized what he meant. In death, nobody starves, there's no jealousy, and there's no Hunger Games. Even if people like Cato don't suddenly turn into a monk*, everyone is brought down to the same level, just enough to have harmony.
*No offense to all of the monks out there!
Well, how did you like it? Even if this may be overdone, I just thought that this point of view hasn't really been done much. ( Well, I haven't seen one yet...)
Anyhoo, who can guess whose POV it is? It's pretty obvious at the end. Cookies and cupcakes for whoever gets it right! (and fame... I'll put you up here)
P.S. Don't forget to cast your vote on continuing the story! I'm okay with keeping this a one-shot, and I'll happily oblige if more chapters are requested!