By the time I get home from work, I'm so exhausted that I don't notice Peeta in the kitchen. He had made dinner and refused to eat until I got back. He must have noticed that my attention wasn't focused on anything and suggests I go to bed early. I'm glad he doesn't push having a conversation tonight. Honestly, I just want to sleep this all off. Before I know it, I'm on our bed, in Peeta's arms. I silently recall the events of today, unable to close my eyes. Eventually, I dose off to dream of being in the arena again.
The 74th Hunger Games. I'm hunting some rabbits for dinner, but when I go to pick up my kill, the scene changes.
Suddenly, I'm in my bedroom again, sitting up on my bed. I can't shake this eerie feeling that something is extremely wrong. I reach over to Peeta, who's fast asleep next to me because I need his comfort. When he doesn't wake up, I panic.
That's when I smell this horrible odor- a mixture of blood and roses. The putrid scent forces my dinner back up onto the hardwood floor. I'm still observing the mess I have made when I notice two shoes in front of me. I can tell they belong to a body, but I keep pushing that thought to the back of my head. To calm my fears, I try to look up, but moving my body has become increasingly difficult.
"Miss Everdeen- the Mockingjay," the voice sends a shiver up my spine and goosebumps appear all over my body, "or would it be more proper to address you as Mrs. Mellark?"
I open my mouth in attempt to speak, but no sound will come out. I'm mute like an Avox, but I can still feel my tongue in my mouth.
"The tranquilizer will take full affect in a few minutes, just enough time for us to talk."
I keep a steady scowl on my face.
"Didn't we make an agreement to be honest with each other, Mockingjay?"
With whatever strength I do have, I shake Peeta to wake him up.
"He's drugged with the tranquilizer, Mrs. Mellark. He won't wake up until late tomorrow morning. Now, we have some matters to discuss. Surely, you see that I'm not dead. Did you know that the doctors wrote on the report that I choked on my own blood? What fools. I'm very much alive."
I am breathing heavy now and tell myself that it's just a really bad nightmare. President Snow is dead. President Snow is dead. He can't be alive. It's not possible.
"In a few months, you will all be celebrating the anniversary of the war, am I right? What a pleasant surprise Panem will get." He smirks and lets out a loud chuckle.
At this point, I keep my face emotionless. A dark cloud of heaviness descends on me and is the last thing I see before my eyes close again.
"That's the tranquilizer. Sleep well, Miss Everdeen." His next words seem so distant that I'm not sure if they're real. "I made sure that he contracted leukemia, you know. The price for you being the Mockingjay, I assumed. I know you must be wondering how it was even possible, but it was. Goodnight, Girl on Fire."
As soon as I regain consciousness, I bolt upright on my bed. Slowly, the details from the nightmare flood my mind.
"Katniss, are you okay? You must have had a nightmare." Is that Peeta? He looks at the clock, then at me. "It's noon, I can't believe we both overslept."
I can't speak. It's not that I'm not capable of speaking, I'm suffering from an emotional trauma. I get up to to rinse my face with cold water, when I notice the stem on the edge of the bed. Peeta hadn't noticed until he saw me staring at it.
"Katniss, what's wrong? You have to tell me. You're scaring me." Peeta is obviously worried out of his mind.
My gaze remains fixed on the stem, thorns, and petals knit together. It just lays there by itself. A single rose.
My nightmare was a reality.
If you guys leave reviews, I'll do my very best to update soon. I don't want to leave you waiting for a week. :) I know, the suspense is getting to me too (and I'm the author)
