Opening my eyes, I see the bracelet and the necklace sitting on my bedside table, someone must have taken it out of the pocket of my tribute outfit. I can't wait to give them to Emma when I return home to District 5 today, I missed her and my friends and family terribly since leaving to take part in the Games. I hop out of bed, take a long shower, brush my teeth and dress in a pair of jeans, a white T-shirt under a black blazer and black sneakers, remembering to tuck the locket and bracelet in my pocket before going to the dining room for my final breakfast in the Capitol, the events of last night and the past month fresh in my mind.
"Good morning," I say to Devon, Shelby and Rydia who are already gathered in the dining room as the Avoxes serve breakfast, they greet me with warm smiles. Only Shelby and Devon will be coming back home with me, Rydia will be staying behind in the Capitol with my prep team to start planning my public appearance wardrobe for the upcoming Victory Tour – she will eventually arrive in the district before the tour is scheduled to begin. I pour myself a glass of juice and help myself to some of the food when Devon starts to speak.
"I must say, that backflip you did off the Cornucopia at the very end of the Games was most impressive," he says as Shelby and Rydia both nod. "What was your inspiration to do that?"
"You know as well as I do that the purpose of the Games is to give a good show," I reply, "and if I wanted to end it all, I wanted to go out with a bang. Incidentally, me rebounding off the Cornucopia like that was something I borrowed from my private presentation to the Gamemakers on the final day of training – I ran up the side of the wall with my weapons and threw them into the air in mid-flight."
"I was wowed by that," Rydia says as she flicks a strand of green hair back into place, "I bet there were hordes of Capitol citizens betting heavily on you. Never can tell with these Games sometimes. Anyway, I've already started working on your wardrobe for the tour and I can't wait to come to District 5 to show you." Shelby then receives word that the car is waiting outside to take us to the train station as breakfast ends, so we get up from our seats and I give Rydia a hug. We break out of the embrace, and then she walks over to where something is leaning against the wall and holds it out to me – it's the guitar I found in my room two days before the Games in its black case, the same one I played during the picnic on the roof with Darin, Mia and Karma.
"I just had this feeling that this should be yours," she says as she locks my fingers around the handle of the case, "that way you will always have music with you even when times get tough. And every time you play it, think of your allies, I'm sure they would have wanted it this way." She is right, my allies were part of the reason that I am standing here."
"I will treasure it," I say, "thank you for everything, Rydia. I will see you soon." She watches as Devon, Shelby and I leave the apartment, the door closing behind me.
I play some kind of improvised melody on my instrument as the train speeds away from the Capitol on the way to District 5. Shelby has gone to her compartment to take a nap, leaving myself and Devon alone in the sitting room car. He listens attentively as he sips a mug of tea, sitting in the chair across from me. Soon, I will be joining him as a mentor, helping future tributes find their way through the Games, and sometimes I wonder who mentored Devon when he won eight years ago.
"You're really good, Will," Devon says as the nameless song comes to an end, "I am positive that it as well as your singing will be your victor's talents. Come to think of it, I actually bought myself a guitar a while ago, but I never had the opportunity to fully learn how to play it." My eyes widen as I listen to Devon's confession. An idea hits me.
"I could teach you," I say, "maybe after the Victory Tour wraps up. I've been playing since I was 12, I taught myself. I'd start you off with the basics, of course, and then we could work on more advanced things like playing a song. What do you say?"
"I'd like that," he says. "Maybe I could teach you something in return… I'm actually a good cook, I know lots of recipes from the various districts. So how about I teach you one recipe a week in exchange for weekly guitar lessons?" It sounds like a fair trade to me, so we shake on it.
"Deal," I say. "There's something else I'd like to know, it's been on my mind while I was in the arena. If at the time of my reaping you were the only living victor of the district, who mentored you in your Games and what happened to him?"
"It's a long story," Devon replies as I begin to play another song. "Daniel won the 37th Games at the age of seventeen, I don't know what happened to our past victors before him to be honest. After he mentored me to my victory in the 49th Games – the arena was a deserted airport terminal – the Capitol found out that he had committed an atrocious crime against them and they made him into an Avox. So for the last 8 years, I have been mentoring the District 5 tributes including you and Mia alone, but now that you have won I won't have my hands full anymore. Just promise me one thing, Will: don't let what happened to Daniel happen to you. The Capitol is dangerous, just keep doing your duty in silence and you will be okay."
"I promise," I say with a nod, and by then the train has started to slow down. Through the window, I can see the boundaries of District 5 and the train station getting closer, Shelby wakes up just in time to join us. I can also make out a crowd of people as we slowly pull in, and when the train stops, the crowd erupts in a loud cheer, welcoming me home. The doors open, and the cheers grow louder – practically all of District 5 is here. One group in the crowd unfurls a welcome home banner.
"This is your moment," says Devon as he pushes me forward onto the platform, "you've earned it. Enjoy it." A smile crosses my face as I wave to the cheering crowd, I can see my family and some of my friends. A warm hand reaches out to me, it is Mia's mother, I recognized her from the goodbye session that followed the reaping.
And then I see her.
Emma stands in a small pocket in the middle of the crowd, I recognize her red hair anywhere. She is dressed in a green dress with a yellow sweater over it, and in her hands is a bouquet of flowers. I feel a tear trickle from my eye as I descend from the platform, run through the crowd and thrust my arms around her. Of everyone that I've missed during my time in the Games, it is she that I have missed the most.
"I never thought you'd return home," she says, her own voice full of emotion. "I watched every day of the Games hoping and praying that each day you would still be alive. I dreaded the nightly death recaps, and when you won I was crying."
"There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think of you," I say as I reach into my pocket and pull out the locket. Unclasping the chain, I place it back around Emma's neck and open the pendant to show the photos of the two of us. I remember my promise.
"I love you, Emma," I say. "That's what got me through the Games. Just before I was launched into the arena, my stylist showed me the photos in your necklace, and right then and there I made a promise to come home to you and tell you how I feel. You've been my world, Em, ever since we were kids. You were my strength in the arena, and for that I am extremely grateful." I lean in and kiss her gently on the lips, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. I then take Karma's bracelet and fasten it around Emma's left wrist. She looks at the charm dangling from it.
"It's beautiful," she says. "Where did you get it?" I think of Karma and smile.
"From a very brave friend from District 3," I reply, "who gave herself to allow me to come home to you." A fresh tear trickles from Emma's eye as she takes my hands in hers.
"I love you too, Will."
The celebration continues long into the day. On the steps of the Justice Building, the mayor of our district congratulates me with a glass sculpture and the keys to my new home in the Victor's Village where me and my parents will be living from now on. As well, my name has officially been added to the list of District 5 victors that will be read at future reapings. There is a feast in the district square for everyone to enjoy, and not only am I asked to give a speech, but I am also coerced to sing, so it becomes an impromptu concert of sorts as I perform some of my favorite songs. No doubt cameras from the Capitol are filming this homecoming celebration.
Later, after the main part of the celebration is done, I am joined by Devon, my parents and Emma (who I invited to come with me) on our way to the Victor's Village, which in our district is situated about ten minutes north of the town center. Twelve large and beautiful homes surrounded by well-manicured lawns and lots of green space stand before me as we arrive, even Emma is in awe. I have been given the keys to house number 3 (Devon is right next door to me in house 2), so as I turn the key in the lock, open the door and walk in, I am amazed at how well it is decorated – perhaps the houses in each district's own village are decorated in different ways. Everything in the house is very modern, from the comfortable living room to the full kitchen and dining room. I decide to explore upstairs while everyone else continues checking out the main floor. There are four bedrooms (one for my parents, two guest rooms and one for myself) and a study, and the two largest bedrooms each has its own private bathroom. I see my guitar case leaning against the wall in the bedroom closest to the stairs on the left, so there's no doubt that this is my room.
"Will, come down," I hear Devon call from downstairs, "there's something you've got to see!" I rush back down to the main floor and follow Devon's voice to a room at the back of the house where the window looks out at a beautiful backyard. My hands fly to my mouth when I see what Devon and Emma are standing next to.
"Oh!" I exclaim.
In the corner by the window is a shiny black grand piano, a stack of sheet music tied together with a silver ribbon sitting on top of it. My mentor gestures for me to sit down on the bench, so I do so, open the lid and touch a few of the keys. How did they know I knew how to play?
"This was the gift all your sponsors pitched in to give you when you won the Games," Devon says as Emma sits down next to me on the bench, "they have a habit of knowing all the special talents of each of the tributes. I just hinted to a few of them that you loved music, so it was decided that upon your victory that this part of the house would be your own personal music room – a place you could escape to whenever you felt the need to be creative. Do you like it?"
"I love it," I say, a wide smile on my face.
"I'll leave you two alone then to get reacquainted," he says. "I'll be right next door with your parents if you need me." He quietly slips out of the room, leaving me and Emma alone.
"Play something for me, Will?" Emma asks. "Even as kids, I've always loved hearing you sing."
"Anything for you, Em," I say, and I think for an instant of a song. When one comes to me, I start playing, Emma resting her head on my shoulder as I begin to sing.
It feels so good to be home, especially with the one I love.
