Prologue
I awoke to a tormented scream that pierced through the cold early morning, the sound rose to impossible pitches of hysteria and it wasn't until I felt cold clammy hands grabbing onto my shoulders and shaking violently that I realised the sound was coming from my own throat. I fought at the hands that held on with a death grip, waking from my nightmare only to find there would be no reprieve, to be stuck into another form of nightmare that was my existence.
"Katniss!" My darling baby sister hissed with tears streaking down her pretty pale face, it wasn't until she whimpered did I realise that my own hands had grabbed onto her slender wrists and were held impossible tight, I let go instantly.
"I'm sorry Prim." I cried, the guilt piercing my heart as she rubbed her wrists with a forgiving small smile.
"Another nightmare?" She asked me quietly, I could only nod my head slowly. Since after the Games we had moved into a small house inside the Victors Village and it had meant that my sister, mother and I didn't have to share a room any more for we all had our own separate rooms. It was a nightly occurrence to have either my mother or Prim come find me and wake me from my screaming.
"I'm sorry." I say again, it wasn't fair that my family was suffering the long nights beside me.
Prim shakes her head once, squeezes my hand before standing up and leaving the room. She's afraid of me, she doesn't admit to it, but somehow I know that she is.
I am changed. The Games have taken not only Gale, but my family too- their fear holds them back, they do not recognise me. They are healers, but I am broken beyond repair. The Games took everything, it took my existence. It chewed me up and spat me back out to my District, where I would be painfully alone save for Haymitch, who when he wasn't in a drunken stupor would visit me. Haymitch lost everything when he had won his Games, he understood me better than anyone else could.
I watched from my window as the sky lightened with pinks and golds, watched as a Mockingjay took to the sky. If it hadn't of been for Rue, I wouldn't have recognised the small bird. Thinking about Rue caused my heart to lurch painfully in my chest, made my thoughts lead onto Gale. I gasped a breathe as I thought of my best friend, as I remembered him as I had last seen him, bloodied and pale his thick neck sliced.
An animalistic sound tore from my throat with the depth of my loss and I clawed at my treacherous heart that beat proudly yet tore at the thought of walking this earth without Gale, without anyone.
I sobbed loudly without care; my family wouldn't come to me. They knew what would be coming next. I lurched out of the bed and screamed my anger, let my family fear me. I was a Capitol mutt, everyone that was close to me died, it would be better for them to stay away from me.
I tore at my room, not that there was much left to break or rip. I moved around the room in a vengeance, picturing President Snow in everything that I hit and beat, screaming until my throat was raw.
Exhaustion like always soon took me, and I collapsed in a sobbing heap on the floor, slapping at the floor boards until my palms were pink with the injustice of it all.
Authors note: So this is the beginning to the sequel of Two volunteers.. I hope you like it, I'm still writing a lot for it, so hopefully will upload the first proper chapter next week! I have so many ideas that really differ to the original so I hope you like it! Obviously I don't own anything other than the idea of this story, so please stay tuned! Hope you like it.
