It's over. The Capitol has fallen. We won but I don't feel like a victor. The visions of the events of the previous two years of my life haunt my dreams as I sleep at night. The countless people I love that died for me drain my emotional energy and keep my nights sleepless. My father, Primrose, Rue, Cinna, Finnick, the list goes on. My sister Prim, died so young and was one of the last casualties of the war on the Capitol. I weep for my little duck.
My name is Katniss Everdeen, I am no longer the Mockingjay. the rebels defeated the Capitol. President Alma Coin murdered my sister so I assassinated her. The man responsible for all of my pain is dead, I wish I was dead with him. I have nothing to live for.
After I returned to my home in the Victor's Village, I remained in solitary confinement thinking about everyone that has left me. I have remained in the same clothes since I left the capitol and only would stir my body whenever I get up to use the small bathroom. For months I am only susceptible to my thoughts and Greasy Sae and her granddaughter, who come over twice a day to cook and clean for me. Even then those two become a crowd to me. The only person that I want right now is Peeta Mellark. Peeta is mentally not here and I don't think he will ever be the same again.
After the war, Peeta was kept in the Captiol by Dr. Aurelius. Peeta was hijacked by tracker-jacker venom by President Snow in an effort to infiltrate District Thirteen and assassinate me. Peeta's mission from the day we were reaped for our first Hunger Games was to keep me alive. Between now and then, Peeta has saved my life countless times. Most recently after I assassinated President Alma Coin, when I reached for my suicide pill in my Mockingjay outfit, Peeta covered the pouch as I bit into the back of his hand. Peeta deserves more than me.
After a while I decide that months by myself is enough. I need someone to confide with. I go to the only person that can even understand what I've been through because he's been living the same nightmare for twenty-five years, Haymitch Abernathy. Haymitch Abernathy was the victor of the fiftieth Hunger Games and Second Quarter Quell. That year hosted double the amount of tributes.
"As a reminder to the districts that for every capitol citizen that was killed, two rebels died in their place, therefore there will be double the amount of tributes for this year's Quarter Quell."
Haymitch became allies with Maysilee Donner until muttations ripped her throat out. Haymitch killed the last remaining tribute, the female from District One, when she threw her axe at him and it hit the arena's force field when he dodged it and then lodged itself into the side of her head, killing her instantly. Haymitch almost died before hovercrafts could reach him to give medical treatment, as he was holding his intestines in. The stunt with the force field embarrassed the game-makers and the Capitol. The head game-maker was certainly executed and President Snow had Haymitch's entire family and girlfriend murdered. After the games he confided into alcohol and became the heaviest drinker.
I leave my house for the short, almost non-existant, walk to Haymitch's house. We both live in Victor's Village which would become the homes of the victors when the win the Hunger Games. I glance over to Peeta's house, untouched since before the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games, in a deserted ghost house state. The temperature outside suggests far late winter and early spring. It's a cloudy day and the winds are moderate. Even with the clouds the radiation from the sun is almost blinding to my eyes. It's eerily quiet and there is no activity outside. My old self would love hunting on a day like today but my current self never wishes to even look at another bow and arrow. I make my way over to Haymitch's house. I know before I even approach the house that Haymitch will be asleep so I don't even bother knocking and push my way through the door.
It amazes me on how any anyone can live in this putrid state of a house. Half-eaten food on plates prepared months ago scatter everywhere. The smell of spoiled raw food permeate the air of the house. Empty and shattered liquid bottles litter the floor. I find Haymitch laying on his right side in the kitchen with a knife in his left hand as usual and an empty liquor bottle in his right. I almost decide to leave him sleep peacefully but my body reacts impulsively. I locate a glass of ice water and pour onto Haymitch's head and quickly stand back. He jolts awake instantly slashing the air around him and erupting into profanity-filled hatred. He looks around for the culprit responsible for interrupting his slumber.
"Oh it's you, what the hell do you want?"
"I came to talk." I reply.
"Well that's great sweetheart, but I'm not much of a morning person right after extremely unlikable people give me showers to wake up. Make yourself useful and make me coffee."
I happily oblige seeing as any insult from Haymitch means nothing to me as we have always had a love-hate relationship with each other. I try to keep the conversation stirring.
"Any news from the Capitol?" I ask.
"Yeah haven't you heard? They want to make you President!" He replies sarcastically.
"Of course I haven't heard anything, do you think that I would enjoy keeping up with Capitol business? There a stack of newspapers over there."
He points to the stack of newspapers over on the kitchen table. I set the coffee maker on and proceed over the table of newspapers when we both hear a slight ruckus upstairs.
"Did someone else come with you?" Haymitch asks.
"No, did you have anyone else over here? I say.
"No."
Suddenly whoever or whatever was upstairs makes their way down to the area. Haymitch has his knife at the ready for whatever it is. He lowers the knife as he sees the woman enter the dining area. It's our fellow victory, Johanna Mason.