A/N: So here's the next chappy! :) I hope you like it, even though it's terribly short. I have two big dilemmas to deal with; high school and reviews! I never thought high school would be this hard which means *sigh* less time for my fics. And my first chapter only received 3 reviews :( - can we make it to 5 for the next chappy? It would be greatly appreciated. :) So this is short - sorry - but I hardly have time to write a good long chapter with all the things going around me...-.-
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the Hunger Games. Only the OC's are mine and the upcoming plot. But that's it. *tear* Doesn't everybody wish to be Suzanne Collins (magnificent author I might add) ? :( REVIEW if you want the next chapter to be longer! :D *drum roll* I dedicate this chapter to my very first HG reviewer ! Thank you for being the first to encourage me to write more of The Hummingbird! :) I'm going to make a tradition here so get ready...THE FIRST REVIEWER FOR EACH NEW CHAPTER GETS THE NEXT CHAPTER DEDICATED TO THEM! Sound good, eh? And enjoy!
We arrive at the Victor's Village late, but our bellies are full and hunting bags stocked.
I open our door and find Mother and Father sitting at the table, waiting for us. Mother rises from her chair but Father coaxes her to remain seated. They both look terribly upset. I wonder what it is this time…
"Panit, can I talk to you?" Father says, looking very distressed.
My guess is that Panit is going to receive the 'talk'. Not the 'birds and bees' kind of 'talk' - the Hunger Games 'talk'. Panit shoots me a quick glance and follows Father to his bedroom upstairs.
I place all my food in the kitchen and face Mother. I stare in her grey eyes as if I can make her speak, but yet, she doesn't. She just looks down at the table, avoiding my eyes.
"Mother, what's wrong? Is there anything you need to tell me…?" If there isn't anything of importance she needs to tell me, then I know that the important news was for Panit and his 'talk'.
"Actually, Kita, yes. There's a lot that's wrong. But as you might know, Peeta is better with talking about things than I am."
"Yeah, Father can manipulate an entire army using his voice and all that yipper yapper. You told me that metaphor many times, Mother. Just tell me what's wrong."
Mother exhales a long, frustrated sigh and looks up at me. "President Paylor wants you and Panit in Capitol as soon as possible."
"Why?"
"She wants to assemble a team of young skilled hunters to track down a place called Mora. Paylor's heard that people from Mora are extremely talented and are rumoured to possess supernormal abilities. And she wants to know the where's, the why's, and the how's of it all." Mother furiously shook her head as if the thought disgusted her. I really think it did.
"So President Paylor wants us to try to find an imaginary place, to find people that might not even exist, just so she can find information that she already might know?" It all sounds childish to me - sending people off for no solid reason.
"Yes Kita, and it seems like you have no choice but to go. They're holding tryouts for the exploration team in the Capitol and only teenagers are allowed to be part of it." Mother punches the wooden table so hard that I start to see blood on her knuckles. "Damn it!"
"Wait, what do you mean by 'I have no choice'? They don't even know if I'm good at hunting or something!"
I'm slowly getting furious about this. I don't really have a choice? I thought President Paylor encourages freedom and equality - this is just going against everything she's ever said.
"I mean that they presume you are skilled because you're the children of the Mockingjay. And I guess they're right." She slumps down in her chain in defeat even as her fists are tightly balled in defiance.
Father and Panit come down the stairs a few minutes later. Panit wears a weird mixture of shock and calm, and Father looks genuinely upset.
"Katniss, did you tell Kita?" Father asks her, rubbing her back as Mother sits still and slumped over the kitchen table.
She nods and decides to leave, probably to do some therapeutic hunting even though we have tons of fresh game.
Father looks at the shut door and looks at Panit who's looking at me. It's as if he's saying "why didn't you tell me earlier?'. I mouth 'sorry' in reply and sprint up the stairs to my room. I am pretty sure that Father is going to break the news about President Paylor's new plan to Panit.
And I don't want to be there to watch.
How has such a beautiful day turned into such a nightmare?
A/N: Liked it? Hated it? Tell me what you think about this chapter in a REVIEW pretty please and thank you! I reply to each and every review I get! :) So...I think the next chapter will be about...hmm...Kita and Panit's departure to Capitol? I really don't know what'll happen next so any suggestions get a warm welcome! Once again REVIEW please and I'll find the time to update! Oh and if you like Twilight fics, go check out my two stories: Starlight and Theft (if you want to, of course...hope you do though...) AND sorry if there's any typos - my laptop's keyboard is slow and sometimes misses some letters and stuff...:( Ronnie - who is having some serious stress problems. How hard is it to ace every dang subject?