I stood in the crowd, Katniss and Peeta talking from the frickin' card. I felt Harvest's hand squeezing mine. I felt a slight smile play on my lips. But anger filled my chest. We had to go through with the plan. As soon as the town clock hit 4:00, we would do the rebellion's sign: A three-fingered salute. The clock was at 3:59. I took a deep breath. Katniss way halfway through her speech. I was prepared - for death.
The quiet bell rang, only a person who lived in the district could really hear it. "Ready, Destry?" I heard Harvest say. I looked up into his eyes.
"Yeah…" I nodded. I took an angry breath, quickly raising up my hand. I heard Katniss's voice crack and pause, then continue with a slight shakiness. A few people around us gasped, but I kept a stern face as the people were pushed by some Peacekeepers. I saw Katniss's daft escort grab her and Peeta, hurrying to the exit. A fight was starting. I knew it.
The two Peacekeepers grabbed our shoulders and tried pulling us apart. I clutched Harvest's hand - if I was going to die, I'd die by his side.
One of them yelled at me. "Let GO!" He grabbed me, but my grip stayed firm.
"Get off her!" Harvest's fist swung around and slammed into the man's face. The glass from his uniform's helmet shattered. The man screamed, I could see blood on his face, and took a knife from his pocket. People around us started screaming. I squeezed my eyes shut, heard a 'shlock' sound, and felt Harvest's grip loosen. Did...they kill him? I lifted my hand nervously.
I peeked and saw blood pouring from his...hand? I lifted it up. It wasn't...connected. I screamed and dropped it, looking up at Harvest. All the Peacekeeper's attention was on him. They pointed their guns.
"Destry, RUN!"
I couldn't believe it. They both shot him. I watched his body collapse. "No!" I felt tears sting my eyes. As soon as the guns sounded, people around me screamed and started attacking. I saw the train leaving the station just as it caught fire. The Peacekeepers were overtaken, and gunfire sounded. I tried finding Harvest's corpse, but it was nowhere. I decided to fufill his final request. I started running.
I ran to my house first, grabbing my axe. It had a silver blade and carvings all over the handle. It was made from a birch's wood. The blade was beautifully engraved with flowers wrapped over my name. I had chiseled the blade myself, the handle I got from my attic somewhere.
I ran out the door, grabbing my leather bag, swinging it over my shoulder. I kept the axe in my hands offensively. I looked around. Which way was the forest that headed towards District 13? I leaned against the District 7 warehouse, full of logs. It clicked. The forest we worked in! I headed north from there, towards Snow Forest, named after the oh-so-perfect President Snow.
I didn't know the exact spot of the district, but I heard it used to be big, so it wouldn't be hard to find. As I jogged along, I looked around for other people, or Peacekeepers. They might be guarding the fence, I thought. The fence was about 10 miles from the center of the district. I never expected having to cross it. I felt my hands shaking as it came into sight between the trees.
As I slowly approached, looking both ways, I saw a Peacekeeper with a gun. The tower was a bit further down, so it wasn't Peacekeeper-central. My grip tightened on the handle. His baton, which I figured he had one, could break the fence without shocking me.
As he walked absent-mindedly across the frosty leaves, I raised my axe. I wanted to hit him squarely on the neck, or maybe across the brain stem, so I didn't have to deal with him fighting back. I took a careful step - sneaking was my specialty. Slowly, I approached him, and he started turning. I had heard him mumbling, but maybe he was talking to another friend!
Quickly, I leaped forward, and in a quick slice, the blade connected with his forehead. The glass from his visor flew into his eyes and he fell back, dropping his gun. He stopped struggling. I frowned at the bloody mess and took everything I could from him - a small handgun, and his baton. He didn't have any food, though. I cussed and raised the baton, counting slowly. One...two… The electricity stopped for a moment, just as I planned. I had noticed it flickered every once in a while as it started up again. It did run 24/7…
The baton flew towards the fence, lighting up. I covered my eyes as I heard a loud zapping sound. Slowly, I looked up. My nose wrinkled up in disgust as I smelled the burning. But, the fence had broken. If I dived through I could make it. I heard some yelling around me. My palms felt sweaty against my axe and I leaped through, rolling and getting up with quick agility. My feet flew across the ground. I felt so...free. I had once heard, then a few centuries ago, the land I was on now was called a 'free country.' I wondered who corrupted their goverment enough to to that? I kicked up leaves behind me. I panted and sat upon a rock. I had nothing to eat or drink. I looked around for something, and I noticed something sticking up from the ground.
I walked to with caution, but noticed it was...old. Not a trap, I could tell. I picked it up carefully, looking it over. It was made of metal, and although it was rusted, I could read it a little:
'Welcome To Vancouver, CA!'
It had a little owl on-top of the 'CA.' I wondered what it stood for. I looked at it for another moment, then dropped it abruptly, walking again.
I wondered what would be out here. It was an ancient place, probably hasn't been touched in many years. I dragged my axe alongside me, scared to see anyone around here. As I looked up, I noticed the sky darkening. Was it really already 6:00? I couldn't imagine, but Snow Forest was pretty big. And my house was a 20 minute jog from the district center. I frowned and started looking for a safe place to take cover tonight.
As I fell asleep, I remembered this wasn't the Hunger Games. Mutts couldn't come out and kill me. The biggest threat out here was either a wolf or a Capitol plane. But I really doubted that.
As I slept, I dreamed of Harvest. In a tree, laughing and singing his little tune he came up with around the time we had first met, around when I was 10. He was 12 at the time. It was right after the reaping that year. He had crashed into me. I'm 16 now, I think. Harvest died today, he was 18…
When I woke I wiped a tear from my cheek. I must've cried in my sleep, imagining Harvest's terrible death. I took a deep breath and heard a footstep. My body tensed. That was definitely human. I slowly raised my axe, careful not to cause a commotion. I heard a sigh and two sets of footsteps continued.
I leapt through the bushes I was lying under to see some Peacekeepers. I grabbed the both of them by the back of their neck and placed a knee on each of their chests, raising my axe viciously. The smaller one screamed while the bigger one stayed calm.
"Don't move." I glared at the bigger one, guessing she was the leader. "Who are you, and where are you from?"
She took a deep, desperate breath. "We're Bonnie and Twill. We-we're not actually Peacekeepers, hun, we are from District 8, headed to District 13, I swear-"
I shook my head. "I don't believe it. Sparing time, the last moments of your life, pretending to be from lowly district 8?! It's so far from here, you two low-lives never would have made it! Don't lie, you ARE Peacekeepers!" With a last exasperated breath I swung my axe and slit each of their throats in a clean sweep. I kicked their bodies away and ran as fast as I could. They could've gotten backup.
I kept sprinting for what felt like hours. My chest burned from all the running but I had to bear through it. I had a cramp in my side. Everything was going wrong…
After I felt like I had gotten enough distance, I slowed to a quick walk. I wanted to get 100 miles by the end of the day, which I doubted was naturally possible. But it was still an opportunity. I licked my lips with my dry tongue. I needed water. I opened my bag, looking through the contents. Half-eaten box of crackers, a cooked trout, a few crumbs, a bit of cheese...there! I found what I needed - an aluminum canteen. I took a final sip of what was left of it and looked around for where a water source might be. The leaves underfoot were starting to go away, gradually. The dirt looked dry. It felt dry, too. Where else could water be, I thought…
I saw a chipmunk run past be. I grabbed it quickly. "Lilis, where should I go?" I automatically named it, although it was struggling in my grip. "Shh…" I petted it's tiny head, calming it down. I fed it half a cracker and put it in my shirt's upper pocket, walking to where it came from.
I found a small, dirty puddle. I wasn't thirsty enough to go for that, yet. But, if there was a puddle, there might be a small pond. I walked in the direction the farthest part of the puddle pointed to. I found a boulder and a few frogs. I rolled my eyes, annoyed. There seemed to be nothing here!
I finally found a small pond. I dipped my canteen in, the water looking fresh. I smiled and chugged the first canteen-full, then the next. Then, I filled it and gave a small portion to Lilis. I put the canteen back in my bag and looked up at the sky. It was around 4:00, almost a full day since Harvest died. I couldn't get him off my mind. I felt an aching in my heart. What would it take to get over my one, true love? We had been dating since he was 16.
I bent down, releasing little Lilis. "Bye," I whispered, wishing I could've given Harvest one last hand-squeeze, or hugged him. But it was too deadly from there. His body was probably burned along with a ton of other people. I shivered at the thought and started climbing a tree.
I surveyed the area, finding nothing. I groaned and lay against the trunk, a stinging feeling in my eyes. I wanted to find District 13, not get lost. At least, I thought to myself, I was away from my horrible district. I took a deep intake of the salty air. There was an ocean nearby. I decided to go to it, maybe there was something cool down there. Something to take my mind off of… Harvest.
I took slow steps as I arrived at the beach. Old objects were washed up on the shore, and I examined a few. A picture frame with a faded-out picture. A few chunks of glass. A beat-up machine, rusted to death...a car. A few words were on the back, It read:
T YOT PR S
I wondered what a 'TYOT PRS' was. Underneath the machine was a rectangular piece of metal with numbers and letters on it. I made out 'Massachusetts.' Was that what this place was called? Massachusetts? I seemed nice. I knew that there used to be huge cities under the water now. If I could do anything, it would be able to breathe underwater. To see what are world used to be, our 'free country.' What it was.
It had been a week. My clothes were torn and dirty. But I was prepared for what was to come. I could see gates, and men surveying the arena. I knew this was it, District 13. The men were clothed in different things than Peacekeepers. But just in case, I kept a hand on my axe.
I emerged from the green bushes, and immediately I saw all the guns trained on me. I held my hands above me as soon as I strapped my axe to my back - loosely. I didn't want to get all the way here just to die. I slowly approached.
"I am Destry Waren. I'm here from District 7, and I have fought Peacekeepers to be here. A rebellion is starting, and I know it. Please, let me join you." I felt a wave of questions come from the men, talking about letting me in. I was a rebel now. And, I was surprised. I had a slight feeling ever since I left that touched me, telling me that I was not going to find life in the abandoned District. The strange thing was that no one was around, only these men. Where did they live? I felt my hands shaking as the leader of the group turned to me.
"You may pass. But you must talk to our President first, understand?"
I nodded vigorously and entered as soon as they opened the gate. They tried to confiscate my axe, but I held it close. "You can have my gun, but not this. It's...special." I handed them my gun and was lead to a staircase underneath the district. I was surprised at their smarts of going underground for protection. I took a deep breath as I was told to enter the President's office.
"Destry Waren...District 7. I was informed about you. Sit." I sat nervously as the lady examined me. I offered a half-hearted smile at her.
"I'm, uh, a rebel. I killed a few Peacekeepers and saw...saw my boyfriend die. Back in the district." I looked down at my hands.
"You mean this?" I smiled, a bit evilly, and she clicked a button on a remote that turned on a screen. I watched the clip intensely as I saw the crowd, us two raising our rebellious symbol over our heads. Harvest punch the man, me looking in horror at the lifeless hand. I screamed as I saw Harvest get shot. The clip ended right as I had probably gotten to my house and a bomb exploded. Everyone in a 20-foot radius of where the attack began had been liberated. Harvest had no remnants whatsoever, then. I felt a tear roll down my cheek.
The President smiled. "That was brave of you, girl. I want you to be part of my army, to help defeat the Capitol. Start a new era. Make something out of it." She extended her hand. "Also, call me President Coin."
I looked at her hand nervously. Was it worth it? Or could I go back to 'Massachusetts' and live there forever? I closed my eyes. I raised my hand slowly, taking hers.
"Okay," I mumbled. "I'm in."