I Was the Mockingjay
My name is Katniss Everdeen and I was the Mockingjay. But that was a long time ago. Things are different now.
I now have a husband and two children that I love and cherish above anything. I live in a district, once poor, but now thriving. Peace has been beneficial for all the districts. We now have equal trade among the districts and the Capitol, an official Panem army, and the Hunger Games are finished. I am content with my life. I am happy that my children will only experience the Games in their history lessons.
"It looks like we have enough coal to get through the winter and more than enough to send to the other districts. And we just got that new shipment of lumber and crops." Thom says.
"Good. A group of us caught some game this morning and took it to the Hob." I say. "Anything from the Capitol?
"High-end medicine and clothing for the winter. That's husband of yours sure knows how to negotiate. Remember when he traded that layer cake just to get that camera to take pictures of your wedding." Thom says.
I smile. "Yes. Speaking of my husband, it's his turn to cook dinner tonight." I say. I nudge Thom's arm and he nudges mine. I smile. "I'll see you tomorrow." I leave the offices of the coal mine.
I don't actually have a job but I work a lot: The clinic, the bakery, hunting, teaching people how to hunt, the Hall of Justice, the school, the Hob, the mines, but I spend most of time in the fields planting and harvesting medicinal herbs. I sometimes feel like all I do is work but I work where I am needed and at least I'm home every night for dinner. I am content.
I walk with my hands in the pockets of my brown leather jacket. I smile and nod to the people I pass. Peeta is locking up the bakery when I come around the corner. He looks up and smiles at me and I smile back. I approach him. He kisses me and caresses my face. I love the warmth and sweet taste of his lips.
"EW! Get a room!" Our twelve-year-old daughter, Rose says. Peeta wanted to name her Primrose but the pain was too much for me so we settled for Rose. Our six-year-old son, Cinna, giggles. They help Peeta in the bakery after school or do their schoolwork in the back. Peeta and I chuckle. We do this every day and I never grow tired of it. Peeta puts his arm around me and I put my arm around his waist. The children walk ahead of us as we walk home.
I wonder how I got to be so lucky with all the bad things that have happened in my life: the 74th Hunger Games, the third Quarter Quell, the Second Rebellion and losing Prim. But I've put all that behind me. I just want to be left alone. I was the Mockingjay but not anymore.
Prim is sitting in front of me as we sit down eating dinner. And then I see her in the Capitol and then seconds before the explosion she says, "Katniss, wake up." And then she is gone in the explosion.
A hand covers my mouth and my eyes shoot open. It is Peeta so I don't struggle. He puts his finger to his lips and then I hear it: Footsteps too heavy to be one of our children's. It can't be Haymitch. He could barely get around these days without the help of his wheelchair from his broken leg. He fell off his own roof after too many swigs of liquor.
Peeta slowly reaches for the knife he keeps in the nightstand. I see my bow sticking out of the closet. He pulls back the covers and slowly rises from the bed, as do I. I am silently praying that the floorboards do not creak and give us away. I take one step at a time toward the closet. I put my hand on the door handle and slowly open the door. My heart skips and I clenched my eyes shut when the closet door opening whines. I look at Peeta and he nods to me.
Then the bedroom door bangs open and Peeta quickly stabs the intruder in the neck. The intruder falls on top of him and I recognize a familiar white uniform. But that is impossible. There hasn't been a Peacekeeper in District 12 since it was firebombed seventeen years ago
Then another Peacekeeper appears at our doorway. I quickly notch an arrow and shoot him. The arrow pierces his throat. His trigger finger twitches and he fires off a few shots in a spray pattern as he falls. One barely misses me as I drop to the floor. Then I see Peeta is not moving. "Peeta?" I whisper worried.
Peeta then pushes the dead Peacekeeper off of him and he is covered in his blood. I sigh out of relief. "Mom?" I hear Cinna. I quickly get up and rush out into the hallway.
"Go back to your room and get dressed." I say.
"Mom?" Cinna asks frightened. He's seen the dead body at my feet.
"Do as I say and tell your sister to do the same," I say.
"Mom, you're scaring me." Cinna says.
I step over the body and kneel before him. I move him away from the sight of the body and caress his face. "I know but do as I say." I kiss his forehead and turn him around. He goes back into his room.
Peeta exits our bedroom in a change of clothes. He slips on his own quiver of arrows and he is holding the bow I made for him years ago. It took years of practice and patience but Peeta is now an experienced hunter and archer. "I'm going for Haymitch." Peeta says.
"Then I'm coming with you." I say.
"No." Peeta put his hand on my cheek. "Get the kids and head for the woods like we planned." He kisses me and I kiss him back. "I'll be right back." He says as he caresses my face. He then runs down the stairs.
I take a breath. I go back in our bedroom and dress properly for the woods. I go into the hallway and open the hallway closet and pull out four backpacks. They have everything we need. For a second, I think of my orange backpack in the 74th Hunger Games but I shake off the memory.
My children come out of their rooms groggy but they are dressed. "Mom, what's going on?" Rose asks. Rose then sees the dead body. I tried to drag it out of sight a few minutes ago but he was too heavy.
"We're leaving. Both of you grab your bows." They both go in their rooms and come back with their bows and their quivers of arrows. I made those bows for them to hunt but now it is for protection, much to my disappointment. I hand them each a backpack. I put on mine and carry Peeta's in my hand. "Let's go and keep quiet." My children are surprisingly calm and they nod. We silently go down the stairs and out of the back door. We move around the back of the house.
I hold up my hand motioning for us to halt and I peek around the corner of our house. I see muzzle flashes and I hear gunshots from Haymitch's house. "Peeta." I whisper. Then I see a small fire erupt from a room on the first floor. Someone must have set fire to Haymitch's stash. I let out a sigh of relief when I see Peeta exiting the house carrying Haymitch on his shoulders. "Stay here." I tell my children. I put down Peeta's backpack.
I see Haymitch's backpack on Peeta's back. Peeta sets Haymitch down onto the ground. I kneel beside Haymitch and see that he's been shot in his left shoulder. It's bleeding pretty badly. "There were two of them, just like in our house. He took a bullet for me." Peeta says.
"Well, I didn't one another set of scratches to match from sweetheart here." Haymitch says and groans. Haymitch never lets me forget how I scratched up his face after the Quarter Quell.
"We're going to get you out of here." I say.
"I'll only slow you down. Leave me." Haymitch says.
"Oh it's tempting." I say.
I hear it before I see it. A hovercraft appears above us. I freeze as I hear gunshots but then I see that we're not hit. I turn around and see four dead Peacekeepers on the ground. The hovercraft lands and the ramp lowers. "Peeta! Katniss!" Screams a voice I have not heard in years.
"Johanna?" I scream over the sounds of the hovercraft.
Johanna Mason has not changed much, she just looks older. She is holding a gun and I see at least two axes on her belt. "Let's go! MOVE!" She yells. Peeta grabs Haymitch and I go back for Rose and Cinna. I grab Peeta's backpack and we go for the hovercraft. They have never seen a hovercraft before so I practically have to push them in as they are staring at it in awe. The ramp rises and we are off.
I set the kids up in seats and put the backpacks at their feet. I stroke both of their heads as Johanna approaches me with her familiar and greatly missed smirk. She tosses Peeta a med kit for Haymitch. Then I don't know why but my I suddenly have an arm around Johanna, hugging her with my bow in my other hand. Johanna surprises me even more when she returns the hug. "I thought we'd be too late." Johanna says and we break apart.
"What is going on?" I ask.
"We came for you as soon as we realized Beetee's warning didn't get to you guys. It said for all victors to leave our Districts and get to District 13. That the Capitol was coming for us." Johanna said.
"Then the Capitol made a big mistake! Haymitch is the victor, not our parents!" Rose said.
"They don't know?" Johanna asks.
"Quiet, Rose." I turn back to Johanna. "This doesn't make sense. President Paylor…" I say but Johanna cuts me off.
"Paylor is no longer in control. There was a coup this morning. She was taken prisoner." Johanna says.
"What…? Annie and Finnick?" I ask. Annie and I write to each other every few months. Little Finnick was already skilled with a trident, like his father, and he is Peeta and mine's godson.
"Beetee warned them in time. They should make it to District 13 before us." Johanna says. I sigh in relief. A man about the same age as Johanna exits the cockpit. He has a full beard and he is muscular. He is wielding a long axe and has two smaller axes on his belt as well.
"You must be Katniss. Johanna has told me a lot about you." He says as he shakes my hand. I just nod.
"Katniss, this is my husband, Axel." Johanna says and links arms with him.
"Wow…husband! Congratulations. How long have you two been married?" I ask, unable to hide my surprise. Johanna Mason was the last person I thought would get married. I never even thought I would get married but here I am with my husband and two children.
"Two years last month." Johanna says. Axel and Johanna grin at each other for a brief moment.
Peeta has managed to stop the bleeding from Haymitch's bullet wound and have given him morphling for the pain. Haymitch sighs as he loses consciousness. Peeta stood. "I've done all I can for him. We need to get him to a hospital." Peeta says.
"We'll be at District 13 soon enough. Peeta." Johanna says.
"Johanna. Axel." Peeta nods at them. He must have heard her say his name.
"I should've known you two get together. That whole star-crossed lovers act couldn't have just been for the cameras." Johanna says and we both smirk.
"Mom, what the hell is going on?" Rose cries.
"Watch your mouth!" Peeta and I say sternly in unison.
I go back to my children. I sit in the seat in-between them. Cinna lays his head on my shoulder and I take Rose's hand. "I'll explain everything when we get to District 13." I say to them. I have always dreaded this moment. But I do not know what I fear more: them finding out the truth or the fact Peeta and I have been pulled into another war. It was supposed to be over.
Our hovercraft lands and I see the chaos as the ramp lowers on the landing platform across from us. I see more hovercrafts heading for our platform. It was going to be swamped in a manner of minutes. Peeta and Axel carry Haymitch down the ramp. The bleeding has stopped but he was still unconscious and Haymitch has lost quite a bit of blood. "Let's go!" I yell over the sounds of hovercrafts. I hold my children's hands. Johanna walks a few steps ahead of me.
"Stop!" A soldier says and Johanna puts her long axe at her throat.
"Don't," is all Johanna says.
"Katniss Everdeen!" Another soldier cries.
I guess my reputation precedes me. "This man needs a hospital." I say. The soldier nods and we follow him to the hospital.
"Gunshot wound!" The soldier cries and the doctors go to work on Haymitch.
"This man is one of the last victors so spare no expense." I say to a doctor, who nods. "Where are the other victors?" I ask. The same soldier leads us out of the hospital.
The hallways become familiar and then we are outside a familiar room. I look at Johanna and then my children. Johanna gets the message. "Find us some rooms and I'll find you later." Johanna says to Axel and rubs his arm.
"Come on kids." Axel says. He gives Johanna a peck on the lips, takes my children's hands, and leads them away. Rose looks back but I motion for her to go with Axel. When they are out of sight, I take a deep breath.
The three of us enter the room and then there is silence. We approach and set our weapons down onto the large square-shaped table. A 40-something-year-old man I don't know stands. I assume he is the man now in charge of District 13. "What is she doing here? And armed!" He points to me.
"Katniss has every right to be here. She is a victor. She is the Mockingjay." Johanna said fiercely.
"Katniss Everdeen ceased to be the Mockingjay when she murdered President Alma Coin. We do not need her." He says.
Peeta takes my hand. "Then I guess you do not need me." He says.
"Or me." Johanna says.
Annie Odair stands. "Or me." She looks much better than when I saw her last, less fragile.
"Or me." I hear a familiar voice behind me. I look over my shoulder and there is Gale.
"Gale," is all that escapes my mouth in barely a whisper. He nods once to me and stands beside Johanna. The man in charge growls and sits back down. We all take a seat.
"Jackson Coin." Gale whispers his name and I nod. I know President Alma Coin didn't have any children but I assume they're related. "What's the situation?" Gale asks.
"Well, Commander Hawthorne, we know for certain that President Paylor has been taken prisoner with most of her government. We have no word of Plutarch Heavensbee or Beetee Latier. We assume that they have gone into hiding. The Capitol is swarmed with Peacekeepers and its defenses have been activated. Districts 1 and 2 have gone dark. District 3 is calling for aid but our forces are still gathering." Jackson Coin says.
"Who is responsible for all this?" I ask. Coin appears to be annoyed by the fact I am the one speaking but I do not care. Coin presses a button and a recording appears on the screen in the middle of the room. It is of a woman, mid to late twenties.
"I am Cornelia Snow, granddaughter of President Coriolanus Snow, who was murdered by traitorous rebels at the end of Second Rebellion against the Capitol. It is time for things to return to the way they once were. It is time that power was restored to the Capitol and not to the traitorous districts. Once peace is restored, a new era of Hunger Games shall begin to remind you all of the true power of the Capitol. Your beloved victors are dead and soon District 13 shall be no more. Do not resist or you will be destroyed." The recording ends.
My hands clench into fist. It was supposed to be over. The Hunger Games are supposed to be over. That is what I fought for. Peeta puts his hand over my clenched fist. This relaxes me. Johanna is tapping one of her smaller axes on the table. She really hasn't changed that much since I saw her last. "We need Beetee." Johanna says bluntly.
"Last we heard he was still in District 3. We have not heard anything since he sent out the warning. The district is now a warzone. We cannot send troops." Coin says.
I can't stop myself. "Then don't. I'll go." I say. Everyone's eyes are on me. "I'll go for Beetee." I say more confidently.
"Not without me," says Peeta.
"Ah hell, me too!" Johanna says.
"And me." Gale says. Seventeen years ago I would have protested but now I am happy that I'm not doing this alone.
"Fine! You leave when a transport becomes available." Coin says. He shoots up and immediately leaves the room.
"What a dick." Johanna says. I nod.
I stand and walk up to Annie. "Annie." I smile. We hug. "I'm so happy you're okay."
"Me too. We were long gone when the Peacekeepers came for us. I think we were more worried about you when you didn't get Beetee's warning." Annie says.
"We were lucky. Where is little Finnick?" I ask.
"Not so little anymore. He just turned sixteen." I smile. "I gave him Finnick's trident." Annie's eyes look at the floor. I rub her shoulder.
"I miss him too. He was not the arrogant jerk he pretended to be." I say and rub her arm. Annie grins. "If you are going to stay here while we go for Beetee, I need something from you." Annie nods.
Peeta and I enter the quarters assigned to us after spending hours planning Beetee's rescue. It's a work in progress. We remove our quivers of arrows and set our bows down. We remove our jackets. Our children are sitting on one of the two beds in the room. They sit in silence looking down at the floor. I sigh. I sit on the edge of the bed opposite them. Peeta stands beside me with his arms crossed. "I guess you two have a lot of questions." Peeta says.
"Why is this happening to us?" Rose asks.
I ask them the first question that comes to mind. "What do you two know of the Hunger Games and of the Rebellions?"
"The Hungers Games were part of the Treaty of the Treason for the first Rebellion against the Capitol. Two tributes offered up from every district to fight to the death in an arena." Rose says.
"And then rebels broke out the Girl on Fire during the third Quarter Quell. And she became the Mockingjay, the symbol for the second Rebellion. They took the districts one by one and then they stormed the Capitol and won their freedom." Cinna finished.
I nod. "What I asked your teachers not to say in your history lessons was the name of the Girl on Fire…the Mockingjay." I take a deep breath. "I am her. I am…I was the Mockingjay." I say.
My children stare blankly at me. "Is this some kind of joke, Mom?" Rose asks.
"It's not." Peeta puts his hand on my shoulder. "Your father and I were the victors of the 74th Hunger Games. The both of us only won because we chose to kill ourselves than kill each other. What we didn't know was that it would be the spark the rebellion needed. Uprisings began in the districts using the symbol of the mockingjay. But as punishment, President Snow used the third Quarter Quell to try and kill us in hopes of ruining all chances of rebellion. Rebels were able to break me out of the arena but not your father." I take Peeta's hand. "It would be months before I saw you again. And what they did to you…"
"Shh." Peeta gently shushes me and kisses my forehead.
"I became the Mockingjay and soon rebels were able to break out your father, Johanna Mason, and your Aunt Annie. The war seemed to go by so fast. Before I knew it we were marching through the streets of the Capitol. My sister, Prim and most of my unit…died the day we took the Capitol." I say somberly.
"But the Mockingjay killed the President." Rose says. I sigh and lower my eyes to the floor.
"Yes. President Alma Coin of District 13," I say. My children's eyes widen, I think in fear. How do I explain this?
"But for a very good reason. Now listen, there may be those here who despise your mother for this so you'll stay with your Aunt Annie and Finnick while we're gone." Peeta says. I squeeze Peeta's hand.
"What? Where are you going?" Cinna exclaims.
"To go get a friend. We need him. But we'll be back soon. I promise." I say. Tears fill their eyes. I kneel before them and they throw their arms around me. I hug them as they cry. Peeta wraps his arms around us.
"Don't go." Cinna says sadly.
"We don't want to go but we have to. We leave in a few days." I say. They hug me tighter. Tears roll down my face. Peeta kisses both of our children's heads.
"Hello Miss Everdeen." President Snow says. "I think we'll make this whole situation a lot simpler by agreeing not to lie to each other." I smell the roses and blood. Now I am in Snow's rose garden. "I wasn't watching Coin. I was watching you, Mockingjay. And you were watching me. I'm afraid we've both been played for fools." I see Prim and then the explosion.
My eyes shoot open. I am in bed with my children. Peeta is sitting on the floor against the bed, asleep. I am holding Cinna and Rose has her arm around me. I slowly rise from the bed. I see Peeta has his bow in his lap and a quiver of arrows at his side. I sit down in a chair and put on my boots. Peeta stirs and rubs his eyes. "What's wrong?" He asks sleepily.
"Nothing. I just need to clear my head." I say. I walk up to him and stroke his hair. He grins up at me and kisses my hand.
"I heard someone tugging on the door a few hours ago. Be careful." Peeta says. I grin down at him and caress his face. I put on my quiver of arrows and grab my bow. I look back at him one more time before I leave our quarters.
I see the soldiers staring at me out of the corner of my eye. I keep looking straight ahead as I walk. They make no move to either speak to me or to take my bow. I wonder if this is out of respect or fear.
I am surprised that I still remember where the training center is. And I see that I am not alone. Gale still has the heavy bow made by Beetee. He notches an arrow and shoots a target in the shoulder. He sighs and draws another arrow. "I hope that fancy job of yours hasn't made you forget how to shoot." I say.
Gale lowers his bow and turns around. "Katnip." Gale says and grins. I approach him.
"It's been a long time since anyone's called me that. Hello Gale." I say. I am glad to see him but there is this awkwardness between us. We can both feel it. I see that he has a beard now. He's gained a few pounds, whether in weight or muscle, I do not know. And he is wearing a wedding ring.
I can tell he has seen the ring on my finger as well. It was same ring Peeta proposed with on Caesar Flickerman's show years ago. Ellie is good at finding things for her victors. "Peeta." Gale says bluntly and I nod.
"Yes. We have two kids." I say.
"Wow!" Gale says.
"Yeah. Peeta wanted them. But I've loved them since I first held them. You?" I say.
"A daughter, Hazelle. And my wife is pregnant again." Gale says.
"That's great." I say and he smiles.
"What are your children's names?" Gale asks.
"Rose and Cinna," I say.
"After Prim and your friend from the Capitol," says Gale.
"Yes." I say sadly. There is now an awkward silence.
Gale sighs. "I don't want things to be awkward between us. I've forgiven myself for what happened to Prim. And I hope you have forgiven me too. I've missed you, Katnip. I've missed our friendship." He says.
"I never blamed you, Gale… And I've missed you too." Gale grins and hugs me. I hug him back. It feels good to have my best friend back. "Now, let's work on your shooting because that is just sad." I point to the shoulder wound on the target and Gale laughs.