It's barely dawn when we step out of the train. The smell is nostalgic. Trees surround us, and I hear birds chirping. It makes my heart warm. I breathe out and smile when I see my breath in the air.
"Sweetheart? Let's go. We have some propos to make so we can get the hell out of this ghost town, it's giving me the creeps." Haymitch snaps at me.
We make our way through the woods, and reach the barbed wire fence that surrounds our District. I can see my apartment building from here. In just over a couple of weeks or so it has changed a lot. Half of the roof is completely obliterated due to the bombing. The wind blows and the smell in the air makes me gag.
"What is that horrid smell?" I hear Effie ask behind us.
Everyone stays silent, because we all know what the smell is. Rotting corpses. Based on how strong the smell is, there's a lot. I choke back my tears, and start walking into town.
We're approaching the town hall building when I hear something crunch under my feet. I look down expecting to find a tree branch, but I see small broken up white pieces. I kneel in front of it and take it my hands, studying it. I finally put it together, that it's a bone. Someone's bone. I shake my hands out, and sit back pulling my knees to my chest, I let out a sob.
My sob is louder than expected and everyone turns around. I don't look up, because I know the cameras are on me.
"Katniss, what is it?" Cressida asks me softly.
My body begins to shake and I hear someone approach me. Their hand rests on my back. I finally look up and I'm surprised when I find Haymitch next to me.
"Can you tell us what's wrong?"
I gulp, and sit back onto my knees and begin to pick up the small white pieces ever so delicately. When I have most of it picked up I open my hands to everyone. The camera zooms in on my hand.
"What is it, Katniss?" Cressida pushes me to answer.
"Bones." I reply.
I hear Effie gasps to the right of me. I close my eyes and take a deep breath before I stand again.
"They are bones, of an innocent person. A person who was running for their lives! This, this is Snow's doing! This virus was put out into the world to wipe us off of the map, to rid the capitol of us once and for all. For years they have controlled us, killed us, and turned us into slaves! To them everybody out here means nothing, they will watch this and laugh. Well Snow, we're coming for you, and every single body we find out here, will result in 100 of your precious peacekeepers lives."
As the last word leaves my mouth, I fall back to my knees and rock back and forth sobbing into my hands.
"Cut." Cressida says.
I allow myself 3 minutes to cry, for myself. For these people who died. Then I stand back up, wipe my cheeks and press forward. We're about to turn down a road leading to houses when we hear something in the Town Hall building break. A second later I have an arrow pulled back and ready to fire. Gale, Haymitch and Cressida have their weapons pointed to the building as well. Finnick and Pollux stand back to back with us, watching behind us.
We see movement in a window downstairs and I move my aim to it. I'm about to let my arrow go when we hear someone yell, at first it comes out muffled. The second time it's clear as day.
"Gale!"
A look of confusion crosses Gale's face, and then he appears to register.
"Mom?" he yells, dropping his weapon and running towards the building.
I reach out to grab his wrist in case it's a trap, but he just barely slips away. The door opens and I steady my aim, and then a familiar face walks out. Mrs. Hawthorne herself, along with her 3 kids trailing behind her. I put my bow down and approach his family.
"Katnip!" Gale's little sister Posey yells running towards me.
I open my arms and hug her tightly, I'm looking straight ahead when a girl with blonde hair walks out of the building. I quickly push Posey behind me and pull out my arrow, aiming at her. The girl puts her hands in the air, and I study her face. Why does she look so familiar?
Mrs. Hawthorne steps in front of me.
"Katniss, that's Madge. The mayor's daughter, she's with us."
Oh. I put my arrow back into its holder and approach her slowly.
"Sorry about that, just being cautious."
"No worries, I get it." She replies kindly.
"I hate to break this family reunion up so short but we just got word that there was trouble in District 8, we need to head back to the train and be on our way to District 13 now." Haymitch announces.
"District 13? There is no district 13." Madge says.
I grab her hand and begin walking.
"We'll explains everything when we get there we need to move, now."
I break into a run my heart beating quickly. What kind of trouble? Please let Peeta be okay..I need him.
I storm into the train and find Boggs sitting at one of the tables, a troubled look on his face. I stomp over to him.
"Boggs, what is it?"
"Katniss, let's wait for everyone else to get here, I don't want to repeat myself."
I slam my hand down on to the table, my voice rising. "Boggs, what is it!"
"When they got to District 8 peacekeepers were there. Waiting for them. They-they took him Katniss. They took him, and Johanna."
I step backwards reaching for something to grab on to, but end up falling back. I lay on the ground clutching at my chest. This pain is nothing I've ever felt before. I feel as if someone just hit me square in the chest with a metal bat. Took him? He's gone? It can't be.
I see people walking into the train out of the corner of my eyes, though its blurry due to the tears filling my eyes. I hear muffled yelling. Everything is in slow motion. Gale kneeling next to me, asking me what happened. Haymitch yelling at Boggs, questioning him. Gone. When my breathing slows down some, I kneel gripping on to the table and struggle to get up, and when I'm up, I scream. Scream like there isn't a room full of people. I push my fingers into my hair, and begin roughly pulling at it.
People run forward, pulling my hands from my head. They're yelling for someone to do something. Finally someone walks forward with something in their hand, I feel a small pinch in my arm, and then..
Falling.. I'm falling. Darkness. There's a light, I can almost grab it, another pinch.. darkness.. oblivion.
It is an endless cycle of light, falling, darkness, and then finally it stops, and I awake with a horrible pain in the back of my head. I try to reach behind me to touch the painful area, but when I pull my arm up something digs into my wrist. I blink my eyes, trying to adjust the bright lighting. My vision is fuzzy for a few seconds, but I'm finally able to focus on my wrist, and see that I am handcuffed to the bed.
I hear a voice call my name, and I turn to see Prim in a chair next to me, a tear slides down my face.
"Prim." I barely croak out.
"Hey, I'm here Katniss. Welcome back."
Welcome back? Where have I been? Then it all hits me, like a train. I was in District 12. Peeta is gone. I lost it. I'm not in a hospital. I have a concussion from when I feel back I hit my head on the corner of a table. Peeta is gone.
"Peeta?"
Prim looks down at her feet sadly. "They still have him."
I push my head back against the pillow and push down a sob that aches to escape.
"Is he alive?" I barely whisper.
Instead of answering she picks up a small device and presses a button. I gasp when I see his face pop up onto the screen. He's dressed in capitol clothing, but other than that he looks fine. My hand aches to touch his face. I suck in a breath when he begins talking.
"My name is Peeta Mellark. As you might have seen from some footage, I was with the rebellion. I came to my senses, and I fled District 13 to the capitol. Where they took me in, fed me, clothed me, and forgave me. I would like to ask for a cease fire. We cannot afford another war. There will be nothing left, so lay down your weapons, and pledge your loyalty to the capitol. President Snow has been gracious enough to put this behind us, and let us live on in peace."
How could he say that?
"How long have I been asleep Prim?"
"About 9 days."
9 days, he has been in the capitol. All the things they could do to him in 9 days, and I'm locked up in a hospital?
"When did that air?"
"3 days ago."
"3 days and no one has been sent out a rescue mission for him?" I yell.
I see people enter the room, and my eyes land on Haymitch, Gale and Boggs.
"Why haven't you gone to get him? Let me out of this damn hospital I need to get to him" I scream at them.
"You need to calm down, Katniss. Coin said that as soon as we have an open window, we will go and extract him. We can't just go in there guns blazing, we're not ready. We don't have the numbers, the only way we're going to get him is if we send a small group, and stealthily."
The monitor next to me begins to beep loudly as my heart rate rises.
"We go now! Or I will no longer lead this! I will leave myself and go and get him-"
I'm cut off when a warm feeling shoots up my arm, momentarily distracting me. I'm about to start yelling again, but my mouth and mind don't seem to work, at least not together. I manage to slur out a few words, before darkness surrounds me once again.