Hey Guys :') It's been about a couple days. It might be even longer but I decided to put the first chapter for the sequel of Sparks Fly, Fire Igniting. Last night was hectic for me and very rough so I decided to write.
Well, last night I ended up crying in one of the bathroom stalls. Not gonna go into detail but if you REALLY wanna know, PM me.
I hope you like the first chapter! There's a time skip in this one, a lot like Catching Fire and Nothing interesting happened between this time skip.
Read on!
Everybody stands as she goes by
Cause they can see the flame that's in her eyes
Watch her when she's lighting up the night
Nobody knows that she's a lonely girl
Alicia Keys, "Girl On Fire."
Previously on the "Flames" trilogy...
"Tell me what?" That's when I let everything our, from our stunt seen as rebellion to the talk of an uprising. We fueled the sparks, letting them fly to cause a blaze. And once I'm done telling him everything I was told, we sit down on the floor in each other's arms, listening to each other's hearts beating. They're still beating, for now. I realized something tonight.
It's only just the beginning.
Katniss POV
It's been way over a month since I've seen him. I'm in Twelve while he's in Two. We aren't together yet we were inseparable until the train ride. They tore us apart for now. But only for a little while.
It's only for a little while.
We walked down the halls that escorted us to and from the Training Center. It was right after I got out from my prep team and we had about an hour before he had to part ways. Cato was reluctant which gave me a sense of security; in a way.
"Katniss," he starts, breaking the silence between us. "Will… we'll see each other on the Victory tour, correct?" It was more of a statement than a question. I nod.
"Of course we will! It's not as if they are going to separate us. We'd find ways to see each other anyway." My mind is still damaged from the games but I'm repairing slowly, trying to pick up the broken pieces of a girl I used to be, before the reaping.
What really stuns me is that… I won. I really did it. Something tells me it isn't going to be easy, especially after the talk with Haymitch. We upstaged the Capitol and there will be punishment.
"Cato?" I look up at the clock to see that almost half an hour is left, leaving us with such little time. It hurts to know I won't see him for a few months. I won't see someone who understands me so well be cause he was in the same situation.
"Yeah?" he replies.
"Write to me, 'kay?" I tell him seriously. He snorts.
"Katniss, you know they have phones, right?" I've heard of them but I've never seen one before.
"I know. I guess I just want to feel as if I'm not broken from the Games. The memories will be there, obviously, but… All I'm saying is that sometimes, I want to be reminded that I'm home." I sigh. "That the Capitol hasn't rubbed off on me… that I'm just Katniss Everdeen."
He nods. Looking up at the clock, twenty minutes have gone by.
"Crap!" Cato yells, grabbing my hand and sprinting over to the train station, with me wobbling and stumbling behind.
We arrive in the lot and Haymitch greets me.
"There you are, Sweetheart. Ya should've come earlier." He takes a swig from the small bottle of alcohol. "'Is woman's gonna make me deaf…"I look over at Effie to see she's talking to a man who works on the train. Enobaria and Brutus stroll over, a stoic expression on their faces.
"Cato, we're leaving," he looks at me, "now." Cato's grip tightens on my hand and he pulls me into a hug. This embrace lasts longer than they want it and Brutus pulls us apart, dragging Cato the other train. Cato struggles and gives him a rough time taking him but still, the mentor is stronger. I try to get to him but he's blocked.
"Write me!" I yell, as Haymitch grabs my arm and escorts me to our train.
Cato and I lock eyes through the windows before the speedy way of transportation takes off.
It's been exactly 3 months, 4 days, 6 hours, 15 minutes, and 9… 10… seconds since I've last seen Cato.
I just sent him a letter a while ago, not bothering to put and address. It was mail to Cato, victor of District 2 and I doubt there's another victor named Cato.
The word seems foreign on my tongue.
"Victor," I whisper to myself, tasting the way it flies off. This is yet a gift and a curse. I'm home but our new house is the Girl on Fire's home. Not Katniss Everdeen's.
On my way down to the Hob, in my father's jacket and regular hunting boots, I see some people whom remind me of my past self.
There are a few shops, a cart selling flowers, and the bakery. Ever since I cam home, I've avoided the bakery with every ounce I can muster.
For me to live, their son had to die.
Arriving about 5 minutes later, the Hob seems a little less vibrant and busy as it used to be. Greasy Sae sits in the corner, making her famous wild dog soup. With the money I have, I don't have to hunt anymore. Yet I still do, because it is another reminder of who I was before the Games. And before my father died.
Greasy Sae glances up at me, her elderly eyes brighter in a way.
"Hello Katniss," the old woman says from behind the counter.
"Hey Sae," I reply, sitting on an old wooden stool next to an older man. Setting my money on the counter, I grab a bowl while Sae counts her profit.
Pleased at the amount, she stores it away in a wooden box that she uses for money.
Eating my soup slowly, I savor the blandness of it. It's not overly done, with weird tastes and spices, like how the Capitol fixes it. It's slightly salty, with the beef effect the dog's meat makes. It's perfect for the weather, which is turning into snow about now.
I relish in everything that I used to do, the old me. That Katniss died when she first set foot in the Arena. The new Katniss is a monster, a murder. One who found something she wasn't expecting from a different District and ignored her own partner? This new…thing… sickens me. The Capitol has rubbed their dirty fingers over my purity.
I have no other purity. That all started when I killed, when I murdered. Who have I become?
Wiping the broth that has surrounded my lips on my sleeve, I thank Sae and give the rest to the man sitting next to me. He takes it immediately, but not before staring at me like I'm some savior.
I am no savior.
Walking out of the hob, I hurry home to find my mother and Prim working on dinner. Buttercup sits next to the wooden floor near the fire, enjoying the heat on this cold day.
"Katniss!" she yells. I'm surprised on how much my sister has grown. She's thirteen now and her head comes up to my collarbone. Prim runs up to me and hugs me. I hold her to me, hap that she's safe, that she's okay and here, with us.
"Hey little duck," I welcome. She smiles and runs into the kitchen.
"Guess what we're making!" I laugh and guess, even though my senses tell me something with garlic. Another smell of a type of meat comes into my nose.
"Um… is it minced garlic… with…" I stop; trying to figure out what meat is mixed in. I give up and look at her. "What are you making?"
She smiles mischievously.
"Steak! We found some that must've been sent over from District Ten."
The beeper goes off and my mom hurries, getting plates out for everyone.
We eat in silence, having nothing to discuss. This is how everyday of the past 3 months, 4 days, 8 hours, 7 minutes, and 49 seconds… have gone by.
It's going to become more complicated later on. I know that.
Yet tonight, it's different. Today is different because of one doorbell to our door. Just one doorbell is all that can change someone's day.
And the person behind the door is one I've been expecting for a while, just not knowing when. Guards are lined around him, while his face holds an evil stare.
"President Snow."
Okay, kinda boring at first. There will be different events than Catching Fire. And the chapters will start getting longer in a matter of time. I hoped you liked the first chapter of the sequel! 10 reviews for the next update! (5 small chapter, 10 long chapter… you know the drill.)
Byeee!
~HeyomyFellowReaders101