A/N: HELLO PEOPLE OF THE WORLD.

Chapter 1: Illusory Denial

I stared at Gale, disbelieving. "What do you mean, "There is no more District Twelve"?" I asked him, my voice coming out cracked and hoarse, but still harsh and questioning.

He sighed and ran his hand that wasn't in the sling (well, of course) through his hair. "Katniss, the Capital bombed it. With all that coal dust coating everything do you honestly think it would have not been turned to complete rubble?" he asked calmly, like our home hadn't gone up in smoke. I glared at him.

"You're lying, you have to be lying." I hissed through gritted teeth at him. "All those people would've died. The Capitol wouldn't have killed that many people. And, all of the other districts need District Twelve's coal!" I explained, but my voice came out pitiful and weak. I understood what had happened. I just didn't want to.

He just sighed again, and took a seat in one of the old, stained chairs near the hospital bed with its scratchy, starched white sheets and straight, shiny metal legs.

Everything about the room I had been put in was dreary, from the overly clean smell to the pale grayish walls with light only coming in from a large window, barred by metal grate and double-panned with bullet-proof glass.

Maybe I was just depressed, too. I mean, I had every reason to be.

I just lay back onto the fluffy pillows, just as perfectly clean and white as the disgustingly shiny floor.

I closed my eyes and let out a small breath. Everything had gone so wrong. Peeta was a prisoner of war now, more or less, and probably was being kept captive in the Capitol, where everything happened under the watchful eyes of President Snow.

I thought about Finnick, too, how he'd lost his mentor, Mags, in the Game, then managed to come out unscathed but with his lover, Annie, stuck back in District 4, his District, help a prisoner, or maybe in the Capitol, too. Just like Peeta. Of course, for all either of us knew, they were both dead and gone by now.

I felt bad for him. He'd lost much more than me, yet I was lying here pitying myself. At least I hadn't lost someone who had been about half my family and had to see her die.

I still flinched a little when I thought of the horrendous way Mags had died. I remembered the terrible pain from the seemingly innocent white fog, truly made up of nervous-system destroying chemicals that tried its best to eat away at any tribute; easily tearing through the uniform attire of all the tributes and then if they hadn't gotten away quick enough, the tributes themselves.

The most disturbing part of it all: when I hadn't been able to carry her anymore--and Finnick couldn't have either with him also carrying Peeta--she'd gone into the fog willingly and killed herself rather than have us suffer more (or die) because she slowed us down.

"The Capitol did pretty much the same to District Thirteen, Katniss. I imagine they had little problem with bombing District Twelve, too. And I bet all of the other districts hardly fared better, with all of the outbreaks of rebellion in so many districts; I can only imagine how President Snow responded to it all. He's probably having the Peacemakers make examples of those who tried to fight back." Gale said finally.

He was not making eye contact with me and speaking slowly, breaking me out of the thoughts that would probably give me nightmares for a long time, if I ever even stopped having them. Of course, the thought of the bombing of District 12 and the probable mass murders in the other surviving districts wouldn't make me sleep any easier tonight, either.

But, I opened one eye a crack and looked at his earnest face. He wanted me to know what happened, he wanted me to understand everything. And, mostly I think he wanted me to try to get better, since I hadn't made much of an effort. I didn't really care, actually. I could also tell he was haggard from having to deal with all this, just like I was, and there was hurt all over his features, and pain especially in his eyes. He'd had to deal with some hard stuff too. I realized then I had never stopped to ask if his family had gotten out safe….I couldn't bring myself ask now, either.

I did have one other question, one I wasn't about to ask him either, why did he always have to tell me the truth? I had been completely happy in my own little world of my making a few moments ago, thinking of everyone's words like they were as important to me as the annoying buzzing of those weird insects in the last Games. The Games I had lost just about everything in.

My Mother and Prim were safe, so was Gale, and I could only thank him for that. But, I had failed at my mission. To have Peeta be the one that made it out of the Games alive. I hated the thought I was the only one heart-broken by the fact he was gone. If I wasn't so loopy off of the drugs they gave me, I might go and try to sock Haymitch in the face--just to show him how mad I was at him for not doing better. He knew I wanted Peeta alive, instead of me. Of course, I was their "Mockingjay". I almost snorted at the thought.

And, of course, in the eyes of the childlike and people innocent of the Capitol they were probably glad I at least escaped from the Games, ever since Peeta decided to drop the bomb that I was pregnant. The problem was that I wasn't really pregnant. I was still was confused as to why he'd done that, maybe to get sympathy from the sponsors? I hated to say it, but that was never going to happen, no matter who was the father. But, I bet he people of the Capitol probably thought it was even better than the Games themselves, though, getting to watch even more drama as they tried to track us down. But, even President Snow himself would never expect us to be in District 13….

A/N: I know this isn't the best Fanfic of "the Hunger Games" and "Catching Fire", but it's my first Fanfic I've ever written completely and had published on here. Since I sort of finished this chapter at a cliff-hanger, I'll try to write more soon. But, if I don't come up with too many ideas, it might stay a one-shot. And, of course, I like reviews. On another note, since I am a pyromaniac--I also like flames. So, flame away!

P.S. Since I got "Catching Fire" from a library, it took me a longer while to get it. I've sort of forgotten what the characters look like, even if I know more or less what the act like. (Sorry in advance if I made Katniss or Gale OOC.) I would love it if someone was kind enough to remind me, so I don't have to re-read "the Hunger Games". Hint, hint.