I just wanted to say, I'm so sorry that I haven't uploaded a new chapter. I have been very... occupied. But i have alibis. The first week I was consumed with so much homework. I had to work on it the whole weekend. The second week I was everywhere from parties to Disneyland. I finally went on Space Mountain. I've never been on it before! XD
The third week was HORRIBLE! I think it was the third week. I threw up 4 times. I felt disgusting afterwards. The forth week... i don't know what I did. I think I did the sleep deprivation thing. I succeeded. I started it 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. almost 24 hours.
And I think that's all the weeks I was gone. Oh, and I wanted to thank all those who reviewed, added this to their favorites and put it on alert. It made me so happy. :) So here's the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.
The concussion Johanna Mason gave me hasn't fully subsided. My thoughts sometimes collide and I mix up two things at once. Like when I was under the apple tree when Peeta saved my life. It wasn't raining, but fireballs were thrown at me instead and the loafs of bread kept getting farther and farther. But in the end I finally reach the loaves and once I place them in my hunting jacket, a fireball hits me in my stomach. Or when I was younger and I use to hunt with my father. Every time he sings or whistles, the sound of Prim crying or Gale shouting takes its place.
I don't quite remember how I got here. Yesterday I was left alone in President Snow's office, I assume, and now I'm in a room with a full size mirror, a table with it's own mirror attached to it and a chair which I'm occupying as of right now. I try recalling my steps: Locked inside a room. The doorknob won't open. Dinner alone. Peacekeepers dragging me somewhere. Atala hits me again. I try to attack Johanna. Doctors visit me.
I'm sure my events aren't in the correct order. I tried murdering Johanna before I ate….
One of the doctors suggested a technique. Recall small things that appear to be true and continue into the more complicated. It doesn't hurt to try.
My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. My home is District 12. I was in the Hunger Games twice. I'm in the custody of the Capitol. The Capitol hates me. District 13 exists. District 12 is obliterated. Everyone I love might be dead….
There's a knock on the door. Strange. I would have figured they would've burst in. I'm not someone important. Although I'm the reason why this country has started to fall. Unless it's an Avox. "Come in," I say.
I watch as three creatures appear and I instantly know they're my new prep team. There's one who is absolutely skinny and looks like is about to faint. She wears green lipstick to match her green fluffy hair and seems to be wearing bowties all around her body. The next one reminds me of Effie. She has blue hair styled like her, and has jewels everywhere. On her face, hands, arms, and even eyelashes. The last one is a plumped man and looks like if an old treat called cotton candy vomited on him. They're weirder than my old prep team, and that thought saddens me. Where are they? Are they dead?
Effie number two is the first one to speak to me. "We're you're prep team. We're here to pretty you up for your interview." Even though they look the same, they are nothing alike. She is… well not an Effie, which is even more strange since most Capitol people are alike. She doesn't sound excited, but she's not calm.
"I'm Nuera. This is Anerixa," she gestures to the skinniest figure, then to the man. "And his name is Glutton. Now let's get started. Lay down on the table over there." I turn to see the table which was nonexistent a few moments ago. I lay down and the prep team approaches me cautiously. They don't say a word. I miss the chatter of my old prep team even though I blacked out most of the time. I watch them carefully.
Anerixa, who I nicknamed the Stick, puts a warm sheet of paper on my leg delicately. I'm getting waxed. I always hated this. She smoothes it out then quickly peels it off. I grunt a bit in pain but her voice comes out as soon as my grunt.
"I'm so sorry! This is my fault. I should have been more gentle." She's steeping over her words and looks at me with wide eyes.
"It's okay. I'm fine," I tell her. Her eyes relax a bit but I still see the terror in her eyes.
This explains everything from knocking on the door to being so delicate. They're scared of me.
For the rest of the time, I try not grunting, or at least make it inaudible but with no chatter, that's impossible. And so, every few minutes, I get their panic attacks.
My prep team did a full polish on me. I'm practically glowing. Once they finished, they call in Eunice, my new stylist. The leave me alone in the small room and I realize that I've been quite calm considering yesterday. The door opens and who I assume is Eunice enters.
"Hello Katniss. I'm your new stylist." she states.
The person in front of me dresses as a Capitol citizen with a blue suit but does not have a Capitol accent. She wears a matching blue lipstick and is holding what I believe is my dress hidden in white plastic.
"So how did Cinna make those flames appear so gorgeous on you?" Eunice asks.
"He used real fire."
She stays silent. I don't turn to look at her expression. Instead I stare at the ground.
"You would rather die wouldn't you?"
"Yes. But the Capitol won't let me."
I finally look up and meet her eyes. I don't look away. I will glare at her until she breaks the contact. After a few seconds she does what I've been wishing and I feel satisfied.
"Let me put your dress on." She reveals the dress and what stands before me is nothing special. It's bright orange with ruffles.
Once my dress in properly on and my hair is done, I look at myself in the mirror. Eunice tried continuing for the whole Girl On Fire act but I believe she will never come close to what Cinna had accomplished.
"You can't mess this up." I look into the reflection onto her eyes by the mirror. She continues to speak. "You have to contain this rebellion we have here. The reason the Capitol hasn't killed you yet is because you can help stop the chaos this nation is going through. You can put a hold to the rebellion. Things can go back to the way they were."
"The reason the rebellion started was because the people did not like how things were!" I snapped.
"Look, President Snow told me to tell you this: he has a deal. During your interview with Caesar, you call for a cease-fire."
"No. If this was the reason this interview is being held then cancel it. Or have someone else go on, like Enobaria. Doesn't President Snow like District 2 Victors better?" It was true. District 2 has always been the Capitol's lapdogs. In fact, Enobaria is possibly having the best treatment here out of all the victors.
"No one cares for her. They all want you. And you didn't even let me say your end of the deal. You want Peeta to still be alive… even after this war. Make Peeta look innocent. If the Districts lose, he'll have a chance of leniency. Make him look as the boy stucken so hard by love who was trying to protect his girl and their baby." She says while she pats my stomach. "He had no idea what was going on when he was taken prisoner by the rebels."
"He looks innocent already."
"The Capitol can change that with some editing."
"Liar." They can but it's not efficient. Everyone would be suspicious. The games have already been watched by the whole nation. In fact, they could have edited Haymitch's games to make it seem as if he won fairly, but no work was done.
"Peeta can live after the war." Eunice says sweetly. And now I understand how this works for my benefit. I need him to keep still, lay low and remain safe while the war is in play. If he is neutral, neither side would really have a cause to kill him. If the rebels win, he is completely safe and alive. If the Capitol wins, maybe we can both live- if I play it right, and continue to watch the games go on. She's right. The citizens adore our love story.
"I'm not Peeta. I'm not good with words." I tell her.
"No, you're Katniss. The girl who was on fire. The girl who scored an 11. The girl who volunteered for her sister. You're even better. The citizens will be impacted by you."
Peeta was the one who made everyone love him. He was likable and always did the talking in interviews. And now I have to do this alone. I have to do this for him. "Okay. I'll do it."
She grabs something from the table. When she reappears in the reflection, she places the necklace Peeta gave me in the Games. "I knew you would see it our way." She says with a smirk.
I'm seated on stage before the show begins. I don't know if it's because they'll think I'll escape or the dress isn't as stunning from the others. I'm thinking the latter. The Capitol people love style. The stage is still dark until the eternal hose of the Hunger Games enters with his painted face and sparkly suit. He welcomes the audience and announces his guest-me. I've never been good at this but I coordinate myself to what I assume Haymitch would want me to. I'm composed; serious.
Caesar sits comfortably in his chair with a huge grin on his face.
"Katniss! Welcome back!" The crowd cheers for a very long time. Almost as if I've won the Games again.
"It seems as if everyone was expecting me to come back," I say hollowly.
"Well after Peeta's announcement the night before the Quarter Quell and the conversation you two had during the Games, why would we ever doubt that? Am I right?" He yells the last question to the audience. That's why they chose me. That's why they need me dead. "It seems as if his plan did work."
"Sure, but other people, even I, had plans as well."
"And what was your initial plan again?" Caesar asks.
I look to the audience trying to search for someone I know who is not there. I stare at the ground instead. "I.. Well, I think the whole nation knows that I wanted Peeta to come out of the Games." I need to play them. "I know it must have seem very selfish of myself considering I went into the arena with a child. But I just love him so much."
"I see. I think we can all relate to that. So how are you with your baby? Tell me about your experience in the arena."
I stare at Caesar and I go blank. I have absolutely no idea what to say. I've been living on this lie Peeta created and I can't think so quickly on my feet like he can. "My baby?"
"Yes," urges the host.
"Well I had lots of trouble. At times I felt so helpless that I couldn't do anything. Especially to help Peeta. He's the greatest person to be a father because he loves me so much." I say the next sentence very slowly and loud. "It's as though nothing bad can come out of him."
"Well the last night, he left you with Johanna Mason and look how bad that turned out."
Is Caesar trying to make Peeta look bad? No, this is not how it was suppose to go.
"The last night was horrible. But not because of that." What the hell can I say? I start to fumble with my hands. "When I found Beetee lying there, I had no idea what to do. It was disastrous and I knew I had to end it. So I thought that if I aimed at the force field, the spark would make a distraction for Peeta and I to run away from all the entropy. That's why I was calling his name. He was so close and I figured we could of escaped. Then I heard footsteps that weren't his own so I decided to let go of my arrow. Just before I let it go, I felt a kick coming from my stomach. And after I let go, I felt the electricity attacking my body. A day later I learned that I suffered a miscarriage."
The audience was silent. You could hear a pin drop. I let my hand find it's way to my chest to grab on to the necklace. I held onto it tightly.
Caesar pats my shoulder. "I'm very sorry to hear that, Katniss. We can stop if you want."
"Was there more to discuss?" I ask.
"I was going to ask your thoughts on the war, but if you're too upset…" he begins.
Now I have to hold up my end of the deal. A part of me knows I can come out without saying a word, but the other part knows that if I don't go through with it, I'll suffer much more than a fake miscarriage.
"No, I can answer that." I tell him. "I say we call for a cease-fire."
"Why do you suggest that?" the host asks me.
"Why not?" That is all I can come up with so I try thinking of what Peeta might say. "I mean, the first war ended so badly. Why do we want to repeat history? Nobody wins in a war. We could end this." The last sentence I dedicated to Eunice.
Caesar then turns to the camera. "All right. I think that wraps up our interview. Thank you Katniss. Our girl on fire!" The crowd bursts into another applause. "Now back to our regularly scheduled programming."
Please review! I can't wait to get this story going because I can't stop thinking about future chapters but I need to develop this first.
Please review! I want to know if I'm doing okay; I basically want critique. And I'm debating on doing a chapter on Peeta's point of view. I might do an intermission, or should I just stay with Katniss? Tell me- and you can do that on the reviews! I feel so pushy now. DX