Chapter Two

I don't remember falling asleep but when I wake up the only thing on my mind is Peeta. I get up out of my chair for the first time in weeks and limp towards the window. I almost expect to see him there, gardening or nursing a cup of tea – but he's not. He's probably inside doing the same thing I am.

Hiding

The wind blows gently and the smell of baking bread dances through the air. My mind wanders back to the train that took Peeta and me towards the Games nearly two years ago: Another nightmare wakes me from my sleep. But I forget all of my previous fears when I wake up to find Peeta's arms wrapped around my body.

"You okay?" He asks. His voice giving me butterflies.

"I am now." I want to say. But I settle for, "Mm-hm."

If only I could be back there. But this time the train is endless. We never have to get off and we never have to worry about anything else again.

Just me and the boy with the bread.

Just as I'm starting to relax I hear the floorboards creak behind me. In one fluid movement, I grab a steak knife that had been sitting on the draining board since Greasy Sae gutted the squirrel yesterday and point it towards the intruder.

"Hey Kiddo, it's only me!" Haymitch. I feel my heart pumping in the back of my throat as I lower it and give him a strained smile.

"Still on edge? I don't blame you Katniss. Only the other day a few bottles of liquor went missing from my house. I thought we were past stealing in district 12 but, hey ho." I know now that Haymitch isn't as smart as I thought he was because I knew for a fact that Peeta had been sneaking into his house and pouring his liquor down the drain – hoping that one day he would be sober enough to get a wife.

"Anyway that's not why I'm here." I leaned back against the sink knowing that the only reason Haymitch would come over would be for something big.

"I need you to go to the Capitol and-"

"No."

"But Ka-"

"No! Haymitch I never want to go back there. Please don't make me stab you." I say the last bit sarcastically but still hoping my first sentence will make him change his mind.

"Katniss, the Capitol needs to re-elect a president and we need you to be there. Anyone you favour is more than likely to be chosen. You could affect the vote just by being on that person's side." I couldn't believe that already we were going back to our old days. We only needed one bad president and we would be back to square one.

"Haymitch, I can't do this right now. Can't it wait?"

"Not really." I know I'm starting to lose my already short temper.

"Haymitch can't you just tell me whose running? Then I could cast my vote publically and it could all be over with." His face contorts as he thinks about it.

"Fine. But the candidates don't announce their running publically until tomorrow morning. Are you prepared to wait?" I nod my head.

"I'll contact Gale then and tell him." Haymitch leaves the room, knowing that I want to know more about Gale. "He was looking forward to seeing you!" He shouts as he closes the front door.

I stumble back to my chair and take my regular place and close my eyes, hoping that I'll sleep until tomorrow morning.

…x…

I can tell I'm dreaming as soon as I see Madge's pale face and her flowing hair. She starts walking towards a marble balcony above a crowd of thousands of well-fed Panem citizens. They are waving district flags and cheering loudly. Her voice makes me feel sick when she starts to speak as I know I'm responsible or her death.

"To the residents of Panem, I would like to announce my running for President." My heart leaps and I let out a yelp. The surrounding crowd begins to jeer loudly. "I would like to thank you all for your help over the last two years. Without your help we would still be under the control of the Capitol." Why am I doing this to myself? I try to stop myself from dreaming, trying to coax my eyes open but I can't.

"My first official decree will be to abolish the existence of closed districts. We will be forever more, one nation." The crowd goes crazy – screaming and cheering for the girl with the bright ideas.

For some reason I can't help but think that the words Madge is speaking may have been the way she genuinely felt before her death. "Districts will no longer be limited to one industry and movement between districts will be made easier." She raises her hands to silence the crowd. "And finally, every year on the anniversary of the Hunger Games, one boy and one girl will be chosen to release the same number of mockingjays as the number of people killed in their district by the Hunger Games." I start to cry as I realise she is turning Panem into the place I've always wanted to live in.