Clove's first thought after she dies is something along the lines of Why in the world is Cato crying and asking me not to die? I'm standing right in front of him! Her second thought is a little more along the lines of Oh my god is that really my body lying there? It is. Her head is smashed in because of stupid Thresh and stupid Marvel and stupid little Rue and stupid sicking self sacrificing Katniss freaking Everdeen! And Cato has broken down and is crying over her. Clove has to turn her back on the scene so she won't scream at him for being such an idiot because she obviously isn't dead. It probably wouldn't do any good anyway.
Instead she began to survey her surroundings. Many areas around the Cornucopia and even a part of the silver monstrosity itself seemed as vivid as they had been in life but some of it was dull and blurry, like it was out of focus. Clove turned back to Cato who was now standing and reached out a hand to touch him. Instead of brushing skin it slipped right through him. Clove couldn't help but scream but he didn't hear her. Instead he headed for the field of grain where Thresh was lurking.
Clove took a couple steps forward to follow him and then stopped. What was the point? She was dead. Why should she care about the living world now? Clove suddenly felt exhilarated. Why should she care if Katniss freaking Everdeen won the Hunger Games and went back home with Peeta Loverboy Mellark? She was dead. Her time in the games were over. She tilted her head back and let out a triumphant whoop. That was when she saw the massive silver airship stopping above her.
Just like certain spots of the area around the Cornucopia the airship and the ladder that fell down were perfectly clear. The young woman that descended from the ladder was clear as day as well and surrounded by a shimmery gold glow. She wore a long green velvet dress and was the most perfectly put out prissy girl Clove had ever seen. And that was saying something seeing that Clove had personally gotten the displeasure of getting to know prissy vapid Glimmer. "You might want to move before you sink," the girl said, stepping down from the ladder into one of the clear spots. Clove looked down and saw that she was indeed sinking into the ground. She took a step forward, closer to the prissy girl, dragging her feet out of the earth below her.
"Welcome to Everlost," the girl said solemnly. "My name is Miss Mary Hightower. You must have many questions but first I must ask you if you have a coin in your pocket."
"What kind of a stupid question is that?" Clove grumbled, reaching into her pocket anyway, obliging this crazy Mary Hightower for the time being. "I'm in the Hunger Games. Of course I don't have a coin in my pocket." But to her surprise she pulled out a single coin.
"Everyone comes to Everlost with a coin," Mary said haughtily. "You had best give it to me for safe keeping and then you can ride in my blimp with the other children." Clove held in a scoff. The coin felt warm and comforting in her hand and she didn't want to give it to Mary freaking Hightower just because the prissy girl said to.
"Let me get this straight," Clove said, walking toward Mary and holding out her coin. "You want me to give you this coin."
"Yes," Mary said almost eagerly, holding her hand out for it. Clove let Mary almost reach it and then snatched her hand back.
"I think not," Clove said with a smirk. Then with a triumphant laugh she clenched her fist around the coin and enjoyed the furious look on Mary Hightower's haughty face. Then there was a flash of light and Clove got where she was going, leaving Megan Mary McGill alone in a dead spot near the Cornucopia fuming.
I own nothing of the Hunger Games or the Everlost/ Skinjacker Trilogy that you recognize. Hope you enjoyed!