Rye
The late summer air has a cool tinge to it, despite it still being fairly warm outside. I sit on the steps of my house in the Victors Village, alone in the late morning sun. This has been my life for the past two weeks since the games ended, since I watched my sister die right in front of me while I was powerless to do anything. She should be the one sitting here, waiting to go to my funeral, not the other way around.
I look up when I hear the sound of boots crunching on the loose gravel that is the path. I see the Peacekeeper, dressed all in white armour stop in front of me and I stand. Without a word he turns and I follow him down the path and out of the Village, where two other peacekeepers join us, one walking on my other side and the other talking up stride behind us.
As we enter the town, more people have begun to gather on the edge of the road, either wanting to pay their respects, or more likely, just trying to get a look at the latest victor of the Hunger Games. I haven't slept since I returned, maybe stealing an hour here and there, but every time I close my eyes I see my sister dying or Dale's blood on my hands. I think it would have been more merciful if I died in there.
The crowd thickens as we get closer to the square and I can see the stage. The last time I stood there was the day I got back. Troy stood next to me and we performed the Victors ritual, a new tradition after the games were re-instated, which includes the most recent District Victor handing over their Victors crown to the new Victor, showing they now carry the task of training new tributes and carry the responsibilities of being a Victor. Troy had tried to explain to me why Willow abandoned me in training and the arena, but a part of me didn't want to listen to him, I knew he was right, and I knew Willow would never have abandoned me, except to help me, but I'd been horrible to her and shut her out, instead of trying to understand. She probably died thinking I hated her.
I didn't deserve life.
The peacekeepers march me up the steps to the stage and gesture for me to take a seat in one of the five chairs that sit against the wall of the justice building. I slowly sit in one of the chairs that has a card with my name on it. To my left will be my parents and to the right will be the mayor and his wife.
The door to the Justice Building opens to my left and from the corner of my eye I see another squad of peacekeepers march out and cross in front of me. None of them look at me. I raise my head to watch them when one of the female peacekeepers cross my line of sight. I freeze for a moment when I see her.
Willow.
The blood rushes from my head when I see her in the white armour and I narrow my eyes, trying to see past the dark visor to look at her features, to confirm my thoughts. The more I look the more I realize I'm insane. For starters, Willow's dead. Next, the woman has blonde hair, and although it's hard to see past the visor, I'm fairly certain she has green eyes. I realize I've been staring at the girl for a long time and avert my eyes.
I look blankly out to the crowd that trickles in and see my parents being led down the center aisle by a small squad of peacekeepers. My mother quickens her pace and jogs past the peacekeepers and up the steps. she runs over to me and I stand from my seat just as she reaches me. She pulls me into a tight hug, which I do not return.
I suddenly realize this is the first time I've seen my parents since the the first day I'd returned to Twelve. There was a ceremony and a small reception afterwards, but since then, I haven't said a word to them. My father joins us on the stage where he looks me in the eye and nods solemnly. Sometimes I forget they were in their own games too. He places a hand on my mothers back and whispers to her. She releases me from the one way hug and nods, wiping a tear from her cheek with her sleeve. There's a long silence broken only by the footsteps of a peacekeeper from the squad that escorted my parents.
"The ceremony will be beginning shortly, we ask that you please take your seats." The peacekeeper is a young man, maybe 20. My father nods and sits in his assigned seat. My mother follows. I look out at the now empty square and watch for a moment as the first group of people begin to file into the roped off sections.
I slowly sit in my chair and wait.
"He's exactly like we were." I hear my father whisper.
"He hasn't talked to us in weeks! Peeta, he's not okay." My mother whispers back.
"Just think, after ours, we had each other. He doesn't have that. After the 75th, think of how you felt. Alone, terrified, more alone than ever. Thats him now. Things will turn up soon, they always do." My father replies. He's wrong though. Things will never turn up.
They both fall silent as the last of the crowd falls into place, nearly all of the district has come to watch Willow's funeral. It sickens me.
The doors to the justice building open and the mayor and his wife walk out. The mayor waves to the crowd as he and his wife take their seats. Finally, Pricilla and Troy walk out. Pricilla waves, but Troy does not. He understands what today is. Today is the day my sister is put in the ground.
Pricilla takes her place at the microphone and begins some speech I don't bother listening to. At some point Troy takes over and says something about Willow in training and the games. Pricilla takes the microphone once more, and that's when I realize something. There are about twice as many peacekeepers today as there are at other events. I look at the squad that the girl I thought was Willow is in and i see all of them with their eyes trained on the crowd. I look up at the roofs of nearby buildings and see that the corners are all dotted with white soldiers, guns pointed down at the crowd of people. This much security could only mean one thing.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, today you're all in for a special treat," Pricilla squawks, "Today President Arevalo has decided to join us in the final farewell to Miss Willow Mellark." The crowd applauds unenthusiastically as the doors open once more and the woman walks out.
Both my parents stand, so I follow their lead. President Arevalo waves to the crowd and then shakes my fathers hand. She moves on to my mother who says something to her, she smiles and then stands in front of me.
"Last time I saw you, you were being crowned victor." She states. I nod and continue my blank stare at her face. She's a tall woman, about Willows height. Her hair is grey with hints of her previous brown hair when she was younger. I'd place her in her fifties, but really, I could care less about her.
"I'm terribly sorry for your loss." She says. She's lying. If she really was sorry, she wouldn't have hosted the games. As if she's reading my mind, she speaks for a third time.
"I know what you're thinking. All the victors think the same thing, I know that. Believe me, I truly am sorry." The woman's eyes are a dark brown. I still don't reply. She stretches out a hand for me to shake, which I do hesitantly. She lingers for a moment before moving on to the mayor and his wife.
After the president has greeted everyone, she takes her place at the microphone and begins a speech. Willows casket is wheeled out during the words and I follow it with my eyes. I notice movement in the corner of my eye and fix my attention on that instead. The peacekeeper that looked like Willow is pressing a hand to the side of her helmet and looks out at something in the crowd. I watch as the rest of her squad do the same and I see the lookalike place a hand on her gun. I look where they're all looking and I see a man forcing his way through the crowd.
"Free the Mellarks!" He shouts as he fires his own gun into the air. He then lowers it and points it toward the president. There's a collective gasp. I rise to my feet and watch the man. Willow's twin runs over to the president, tackling her to the ground just as the gun goes off. The bullet pings off the metal doors and rolls to my feet. I pick up the bullet just as a second shot rings out and the assassin falls to the ground.
Today marks two funerals.
Willow
Rye saw me. I saved the president.