I could feel them close behind me, their loud footsteps demanding my attention, but my eyes were only for Katniss. Her eyes widened as she realised what was about to happen, and her mouth opened to scream, however the glass tube began to lift and stopped me from hearing that piercing sound. She began to beat against the tube with her fists, always a fighter, no matter how futile the situation was. My eyes roamed her face, taking in every detail, because I knew this was the end. I had done all I could for her, and it had cost me dearly. I loved her like her own father had done, and I was so happy that I had been gifted with our friendship. My only regret was not telling her how much I would miss her, and how wonderful she would be in the upcoming months, if all went to plan.
I thought back to the first moment I had laid eyes on her striking face, with her stormy grey eyes, and how if I'd only known what would become of this caring, wonderful person, I would have made her run, far away from the madness of the real world. She would have resisted, and gone through with what was to come, to save those she cared about, even if she knew that her own life was at stake. Her fiery personality and her will to survive had gotten her through tough times, but I feared that even these qualities would not help her evade the chilling embrace of death a second time.
I remembered how brave she'd seemed this time last year, and how her look of strength had won me over to her side immediately. Where others had failed, she'd triumphed, not only saving herself from the arena, but also Peeta. With her quick-thinking and her protective nature towards anything that moved, she had not only won me over, but the rest of Panem, too. She was born to be a leader, and this was the quality that had sparked the rebellion in my own mind, to the extent that I would die for her. How ironic it was that had said those words months ago, and never realised until this moment how true they really were. I would die for Katniss, here and now, because she deserved a world that gave her the choice of how to live her life, a world where pain and hunger existed in the minority.
A searing pain jolted me out of thoughts of rebellion and into the real world, where there was every chance I would die at the hands of my assailants. My eyesight blurred and I closed my eyes as the pain in my head where I had been punched threatened to overwhelm me. My body hit the floor with a thunk and my arms did not respond in time to make my fall less painful. Everything seemed slower, as though Time was stretching out my pain and punishment, joyfully revelling in my misery. I managed to pry my eyes open and stars flew across my vision, though did not obscure the expressionless face of a man I had hoped never to see again. As he brought his fist down to my face, ready to knock me out, I thought I heard a voice screaming, though the only voice that would scream for me in this moment was currently rising into the unknown through a claustrophobic, imprisoning glass tube.
This time, there was no pain as his fist smashed into my face, instead, all my pain and fear of death melted away as I was surrounded by a warm, bright light. I opened my eyes to a place full of white, so plain and tranquil compared to my own world. I gazed around and finally felt at peace. I had always felt that there would be something after death to look forward to, and this white world held no distractions and worries for me. My eye caught a flash of colour against the stark white; a woman was sat on a bench just a few meters away, watching me. She had dark hair that fell in waves around her shoulders and her skin was smooth and tanned, standing out against the white robe she was wearing. However, these details were inconsequential compared to the bright, forest green eyes that held so many emotions, and stray memories of a life filled with love and passion, cut short by tragic consequences.
Her face lit up in a breath-taking smile that enhanced her beauty, and I wondered how I had ever carried on life after she died. I had so many memories of my own mouth pressed against that smile, cradling her for hours on end that I nearly forgot to breathe. I could not take my eyes off her, my Cordelia, who I would finally be with again after so long. I rushed to her side and knelt beside her, taking her hands in my own, all without taking my eyes off hers. I opened my mouth to tell her how much I had missed her, but she hushed me.
"My beautiful Cinna," she began, in a gentle tone, "I have watched over you for so long, and there are no words that can possibly tell you how much I have missed you these last few years. I would love nothing more for you to stay here with me, in this beautiful place, and resume our eternity together." Her smile dropped, and in my heart I knew what was coming. "However," she continued, "Before we can fully be together there is something you must do first. You must return to the real world, and endure these next few hours with all the strength that I know you possess. Katniss needs you to do this, and only then will you be free. Please understand that this is the only way that…" She broke off mid-sentence and looked down, tears falling freely down her soft cheeks.
I wiped the tears away with my thumb and cupped her face in my hands, forcing her to meet my eyes.
"I know." I said, and she nodded. I leant in to kiss her goodbye, and stood up slowly, dread replaced by determination. I would endure this for Katniss, and then I would be free, nothing to keep me from being with Cordelia for the rest of eternity. I felt the world around me begin to fade as I started to wake, and I smiled to show her that everything would be alright soon.
The white was replaced by black and I felt the pain in my head return, along with lesser wounds along the underside of my body where I had probably been dragged from the launch room. I lay there for a few minutes with my eyes closed, listening for sounds of movement and breathing. When I heard none, I experimentally opened my eyes and jumped, for only a few feet away was the man himself, President Snow. He looked up and caught my eye, chuckling when he saw my frightened expression. He stood up and walked towards me, holding a long serrated knife. Then he leant down until he was level with me and the scent of roses was so overpowering I wanted to throw up. Then he whispered five words that I would never forget.
"Welcome to your worst nightmare!" he said.