Author's Note: I do not own any of this. Everything belongs to their respective owners.
The Words of a Lion
A bright light surrounds me masking the darkness caused by explosions and death, no murder. Defenseless men, women, and children slaughtered by a power-hungry man trying to hold onto his power. Something in me grieved for them.
My mind recalled memories. These memories transformed into the shapes of people. My father was among them. People I remembered people from Twelve but did not see in Thirteen, neighbors, customers for my game from the woods, and teachers. I saw dead tributes from older games and the ones I survived, followed by dead victors. Prim. Finnick. Boggs. Wiress. Mags. Rue. Death. Death was what I witnessed.
That was what life leads to. There was no need for me to stay alive. I would die eventually, why not now?
I closed my eyes to block out all of the dead people I saw. I laid my head back, ready for death to claim me. All I had to do is wait.
My patience was cut short when I heard it. The sound was abrupt, making a sound like a roar deeper, more powerful, loader, more terrifying than anything I heard from the mountain lions from home.
All of those who died vanished in smoke. What was happening? In that instant, the light rushed to a certain point creating a form. I was then on a hill surrounded by grass with a blue sky with no clouds in sight. The thing walked closer to me.
The light changed into an animal. Its fur became a golden color darker than the mountain lions. Unlike them, this animal had dark brown fur covering its head, neck, and shoulders. The animal's eyes were light honey colored full of life and joy. However, unlike mountain lions, the animal had hair like fur covering the back of the head, neck, and shoulders.
"What are you doing here?" I asked it rhetorically.
"Because you need me," the animal spoke. Its roar was sharp, terrifying, and direct, but the voice was gentle, soft, and comforting. My mind snapped, noting the one thing that was off.
"How? How are you speaking?" I blurted. "If you are like those animals I have hunted, why have you not tried to eat me?"
On cue, the animal padded on the grass creeping up to me. It circled me once before lying down on my right, brushing its fur against my skin.
The fur of the mountain lions had thick, coarse hair. The warmth of its coat brought comfort and healing and was the softest thing I ever felt.
"Daughter of Eve, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it by now," it purred.
"You have the wrong person," I interjected. "Eve is not the name of my mother."
"Eve is the name of the first woman I created in your world, for I am the creator and keeper of all worlds."
"If you are the keeper of my world, why have you allowed for the games to exist, continue, and thrive?" I scoffed.
"To prepare the one that would end it," the beast answered. "Do you not see all of my protections? The ones that allowed you to keep your honor? Family?" Its voice grew from its gentle voice to its roar I heard.
"Why are you here?" I asked again.
"It is not your time to die daughter of Eve. What I wanted you to do in your time is not yet finished. Remember this; power will corrupt people who tasted it and desire it in their hearts. Only you can prevent District Thirteen from becoming a new evil that was the Capitol. When you need me, call me by name, and I will help you."
"What is your name?" I asked, feeling as though I was coming out of something. This was only a dream. A dream I did not want to end.
"Aslan," it roared as my eyes opened.
I sat up in a hospital bed. It was a dream only a dream. I should have known because the animal, Aslan, was speaking. Animals don't talk.