CHAPTER ONE
I am the Mockingjay. I lay in a field of grass with the cool breeze whipping my signature braid in the wind. Inside my mind an old familiar song repeats in my ears,
Deep in the meadow, under the willow Here it's safe, here it's warm Deep in the meadow, hidden far away Here it's safe, here it's warm
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open, the sun will rise
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
It was Rue's song. The song quickly changes to a morphed version. The words turn violent and I look up at the tree branch above me, hoping to find Rue there. But, no, for I see four Mockingjays, chirping away. I scream and throw a stick at them, pleading for them to go away. They don't, they keep singing and slowly their voices change to sound like my father.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where they strung up a man they say murdered three.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where the dead man called out for his love to flee.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where I told you to run so we'd both be free.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
The next thing I see is Peeta coming out of the trees. I scream and run toward him, depending on his comfort for me. And to make the horrible birds go away. I'm about to touch his hand, to be pulled into his warm chest. The world has other plans; instead he is ripped away from me and tackled to the ground by mutated mutts. I scream and reach for him. A silver mutt nips at me and I scream, wanting to grab Peeta and leave. The wolves soon have killed me and run off, leaving me sobbing on the ground. I look at Peeta's lifeless body on the ground.
"Katniss? Katniss? Wake up, it's a bad dream." Is the next thing I hear. Warm hands shake me from my slumber. I sit up gasping for air, sobbing. I see Peeta's face and I dive into his chest, burying my face into his shirt.
"Peeta!" I cry and wipe my eyes on his shirt.
"Yes, honey. Did you have another nightmare?" he asked me, stroking my hair softly. I nodded.
"What was it about?" he asked me softly.
I take a gulp and tell him the horrid nightmare. After, he holds me close into his chest. I breathe in his scent and register it in my mind to always remember. The next thing I remember are my two children calling us, "Mommy! Daddy!" I sigh and get up slowly, trying to let Peeta sleep. I walk into their room (they share a room) and sit down on my Princess's bed.
"Hey guys." I place a kiss on Rose's cheek and a kiss on Pane's forehead. Their full names are Pane Haymitch Mellark and Primrose Rue Mellark. Pane means bread in Italian; and Haymitch after Peeta and mine's mentor in The Hunger Games. Rose is named after my sister, Prim. It was too much for me to bear calling her Prim everyday so she's Rose. I named her also after one of the best people I have ever known, Rue. Rue was my friend within the Hunger Games and sadly, passed away during them too.
"Mommy, we hungry." Pane said. I laughed and picked them up, swinging them onto my hips gently. They were twins and were four years old. I walked them out to the kitchen and set them down on the couch and went to work, preparing some Hot Chocolate and fresh bread Peeta had made yesterday. I smiled as I smeared on some strawberry jam that Rose and I had made just yesterday from some wild strawberries we had found out in the woods.
I placed them on some china plates and set it down on the table, "Breakfast." I called into the living room. I smiled when I heard two pairs of running feet come down the tile hallway. I helped them into their seats and watched them eat, mindlessly making some coffee for Peeta and I. I set Peeta's in the oven to keep warm and take a sip myself. I tighten my robe around my body, the cool morning air of November creeping in and sinking into my bones. I hear my alarm going off in my room and groan, running to turn it off before possibly waking up Peeta. Too bad, he's already up.
He smiles at me, "Good morning."
"Morning," I reply and kiss his cheek. The kids are soon running in and jumping on the bed.
He chuckles and pulls them down to tickle them. I smile and watch them. This is my family.