I jolted upwards, soaked in a cold sweat. It took me a minute to remember that I was in District 13, a safe place. I glanced across the room to see if I'd waken my roomate. I had.
Beetee grabbed his glasses off the dresser and placed them on his nose. "Another nightmare?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," I muttered.
"Don't lie to me Nataliah. I've been waken up by you crying more then once. I've put the pieces together."
I did something that I hadn't done since I was a child. I slid out of bed and sat beside Beetee. I needed the company. "Dad, it's making me scared to sleep."
"Do you want to tell me what happens in this nightmare of yours?"
I reached over and opened my drawer of the dresser. After feeling through various electrical bits and bobs, I found what I was looking for.
My dad took off his glasses and put on the ones that I handed him. The black frame was completely covered in switches of every colour of plastic I could find. I flicked a pale green one, and the glasses started to whirr.
I knew what he would see. The huge golden Cornucopia, with a sea of Muttations around it. Peeta and Katniss perched on top, fending them off with arrows and knife slashes. But most importantly, he would see the mangled body laying near the entrance of the Cornucopia.
Then there'd be the sounds. The gutteral snarling of the Mutts that left your heart pounding and your bones cold. The screaming of the boy down on the ground. And finally, the soft 'thunk' as Katniss shot an arrow into his brain, relieving him of the pain.
When the glasses were silent once more, Beetee's eyes were wide. "You made a dream recorder? That's amazing!"
"Father! Did you even pay attention?"
His face turned solemn. "Oh yes, of course. But I know a lot more about machines then I do about people. Maybe you should speak to President Coin."
"That old bat only cares about power." A normal soldier would've gasped and reported me, but Beetee had learned to deal with, and even expect, those kind of comments from me.
"Talk to Arianna then, or Joanna."
I shook my head. "Not worth getting them worried as well... I think my only chance to figure this out is to talk to the Mockingjay herself. After all, I'd been having the dream since she arrived."
Beetee ruffled my hair. "That's my girl, always coming up with great ideas. Now try and get some rest." With that, he stuffed the glasses into my hand, rolled over, and was soon snoring.
"Glad to know you understand," I muttered. I put the dream recorder back in its drawer. I clicked the lock back into place, then crawled back under the blanket. I never thought I'd fall asleep, but eventually I did.
