Chapter One

"Into the Flames" is the third part of my re-imagining of the Hunger Games Story, following "Into the Games," Suzanne Collin's first Hunger Games book, and "Into the Woods," another story I've written that replaces the events in "Catching Fire" where Katniss and Gale are forced to flee in the woods and realize their feelings for one another as they try to make it to 13. This story takes place where "Into the Woods" leaves off. Your reviews are greatly appreciated. I'd especially like to know what you all think of some of the twists that are coming, whether you saw them coming and what you thought was going to happen. Please enjoy.

I've edited this slightly from my original posting - I just didn't quite like where I placed the chapter break.

Chapter One

"No. Wait. Stop! What are you doing to me?" Hands are grabbing me, holding me down. Faceless figures saying words I don't understand. I feel pain. "Stop. That hurts! No. Stop! NO!"

They don't stop.

They never stop.

I scream in pain until I pass out.

. . .

Bum. Bum. Bum.

That sound is either my heart beating or a machine.

Bum. Bum. Bum.

. . .

"Katniss? Hey, Katniss…"

. . .

I think I'm imagining things.

I see spiders. Hear snakes.

. . .

"No! Please, no! Stop! Don't. It hurts! It hurts! It burns!"

It always burns.

I fade out.

. . .

I'm not sure what the differences is right now.

Bum. Bum. Bum.

Between my heart and a machine.

. . .

When I'm not awake, I dream of fire.

And when I am awake, I burn.

. . .

Bum. Bum. Bum.

. . .

I always burn.

. . .

I fall out of my dream, heart wailing like an alarm, and crash into consciousness.

Where am I? What's going on?

Someone tries to touch me. I kick and punch and fall.

. . .

Bum. Bum. Bum.

I try to move again, but the pain is too much.

I pass out.

. . .

Bum. Bum. Bum.

The place I'm in is dark. That, or I can't see. I'm not sure which. I try to strain my eyes and focus but I can't make out anything. All I remember is fire. The white light is burned into my mind.

Where am I? How did I get here?

It slowly comes back to me. I remember the peacekeepers in the woods. I remember the shooting. I remember the explosion. And I remember:

"Gale! Where's Gale! What have you done to him?"

I try to move and realize I must be strapped down. I think the Capitol has gotten ahold of me. I struggle to move and writhe in pain. I think the Capitol is torturing me.

"Gale!" I shriek again and again, sobbing, "Oh my god, Gale!"

The hands force me down again, but this time I don't let my pain stop me. I fight. I rage. I fail.

. . .

Bum. Bum. Bum.

"Catnip? Hey, Catnip…"

This time I of dream of Gale. I imagine his hand caressing my face. I don't care if I wake up.

. . .

"Is she awake?"

"I think so. She's moving."

"Is she sedated?"

"No more so than normal."

"Well, why don't you go sedate her more than normal? We don't need a repeat of what happened last time."

"We need to talk to her. She needs to be more conscious for that…"

The voice sound like it's coming from underwater. I try to move, but every cell in my body splits in pain.

Why won't these voices leave me alone? I just want to go back to oblivion.

"…We'll need him for that."

"Is he available?"

"I don't think so."

"Why don't you go call for him?"

"Can't you just do it?"

"Last time I did it, she kicked me in the mouth. Nearly broke my tooth. It's somebody else's turn."

"Katniss? Hey, Katniss…"

Bum. Bum. Bum.

I hear something moving next to me. I turn my head and try to see. My eyes still won't focus. Everything is in shadows, hazy. I remember the bright white light and turn away. It's too painful. My whole body hurts.

"Easy now, try not to move too much, that'll only make it hurt more…"

"No! Stop!" I scream, "Don't touch me! Don't touch—"

Something is injected into my neck. I feel like I'm drowning.

"Hey, sleeping beauty!" I blink my eyes, trying to see, "do you feel like cooperating this time?" I think I recognize that voice. I think it's the one that's hurt me. I start to twist away, but it hurts. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? It just makes things worse."

"No. Please, no!" My voice trembles.

I can make out the shadow of a man sitting next to me. Things shake. Clatter. Clank. It sounds like the man is…searching? Some things sound like plastic, others metal. I imagine pills and surgical objects. He's undoubtedly here to torture me again. I start to struggle.

"Now, Katniss, stop that."

I don't listen and keep resisting. The person gets closer to me. I think I see another needle in their hand. I'm not going to let them inject me this time. I have to get away. I have to get to Gale.

"If you'd just stop fighting us, we could untie you…and talk."

"I'll never tell you anything!" I scream.

The man is now very close to me, I can almost make out his face. I fight harder and harder to get free. "Seriously, sweetheart, stop it. This is getting old."

I repeatedly blink my eyes. Is that:

"Haymitch?" The word falls out of my mouth.

I strain my eyes. The room slowly comes into focus. I'm in what appears to be some sort of medical ward. There are machines around, blinking lights, charts flashing. Lines of fluids string into me. My whole body is covered and my legs and arms are tied down. I hear the rattling again next to me and look over.

"Hey, sleeping beauty, are you ready to wake up?" That man in undoubtedly Haymitch, and he's just put something in his pocket.

"Haymitch, are you…" I squint, "are you stealing my…medicine?" I'm not sure if that's the right word.

A crooked grin fixes on his face. "Now, wipe that judgmental look off your face. It's only your pain medicine. Nothing you need to…heal. There's no alcohol allowed down here, so I have to, you know, improvise."

"Down here? Where are we?" I try to move again. "What are you doing here? And why the hell am I tied up? What's going on? What's happened to me? Where's Gale?"

"Those are all very excellent questions, Ms. Everdeen, which we will be certain to answer in due time."

This voice isn't coming from Haymitch but the tall and slender woman's who's now standing behind him.

"My name is President Coin," she says, reaching out to me. "And on behalf of everyone one here, I want to be the first to welcome you to District Thirteen. We're so happy to have you with us."

President Coin reaches down to shake my hand, which is difficult since my wrists are still tied to the bed. There is a tender look in her eyes, it's perhaps sympathetic, or concerned? She leaves before I can even get a word out.

"I…What…Wait…How…Hay?" I look to my mentor, unable to get his name out as my breath is getting caught in my throat. He's staring at me kind of cross-eyed. He either finds my present state funny or is already self-medicating. It's probably a bit of both.

"Alright, sweetheart, calm down," he says after a few moments of me sputtering and twisting in my restrains. "I'm going to untie you now, but you need to promise to stay calm." I gulp as he says this. "We have a lot to talk about." Haymitch pulls out a pocket knife and cuts through the cords holding me down.

I look up at him with expectant eyes and prepare for the worst as the names of everyone I've ever cared about come tumbling out of my mouth. He raises his hand to silence me. "Don't worry. Everyone's alive…they're all okay right now."

Those words lift what seems to be a thousand tons off my heart, but I have to go through each one to be sure.

"Gale?" My voice almost cracks as I say his name.

Haymitch smiles. "Gale's fine. Better than fine, even. I reckon you could say he's even doing swell. I think he's found his true calling, really…" Haymitch takes a seat and scoots close to me. My eyebrows arch and Haymitch understands he needs to elaborate. "Gale comes by to visit you every day. I've found him sleeping in this chair more times than I can count." He's got a crooked smile and is ignoring the question mark that must still reside on my face and I realize he is instead focused on my drip of morphling. "The effect you have on these boys, I really don't understand it, really…." Haymitch's mind seems to wonder off, but he shakes it and seems to reclaim himself quickly. "But yeah, Gale's great. He's been working, very enthusiastic about helping the rebellion…You don't mind if I…?" He gestures to my morphling drip, and before I can even respond, I hear him sigh happily as he inserts it into his wrist. "Ahhh. There now. That's it." A look of peace comes over him.

"Haymitch!" I'm so not in the mood for this.

"Ahh, right, where was I?" His eyes try and focus. "Yes, very enthusiastic, that boy, about the rebellion. And you too, of course, I can tell…" His eyes sparkle. I'm not amused. "But the rebellion! He's been a big help. He's even been promoted twice…"

Gale? Promoted twice? What the hell is Haymitch talking about? I'm beginning to think Haymitch is already high. "Promoted twice? Promoted to what?"

"Sargent."

"Sargent? Gale's in the army?"

Haymitch isn't making eye contact, but he nods. "Yep," his lips smack as he says it.

"With the rebellion?"

"Mmmmhmmmm." I think the morphling's taking hold.

"In Thirteen?"

"You got it!" Haymitch points a finger at me and winks as if I've just accomplished something.

Okay, I think. I guess that makes sense. My mind rakes over what Haymitch has just told me. I tremble as I try to keep it all together and I wish Gale could be here to hold me. But I guess that does make sense. Gale wanted to join the rebellion anyhow and he is a good fighter….But something is tugging at the back of my mind.

"Wait…Haymitch…How is that possible?"

His eyes suddenly clear as he looks at me. I know he's not going to give me a stupid or sarcastic answer. "Katniss," there's a gravity in his voice I don't like. "You've been unconscious for over three months."