Update update! Reviews are greatly appreciated. xxx


Haymitch

Everyone was assigned a room in the president mansion after they arrived. Things fell into place and people assumed positions. "Interim President" that was what Coin called herself when they had their first meeting after taking over the Capitol. He didn't like the sound of it at all but with current circumstances he would just flow with it. For now, it was best to comply since she was the figurehead of the rebellion. They just finished with another round of meeting when he heard that the first hovercraft from Thirteen had landed. He thought of going to find Effie first but Katniss was in a really bad shape and he hadn't had the chance to visit her since she was admitted into the temporary hospital set up in the north wing of the mansion.

She was concussed and had third degree burns over a third of her body. They placed her in a medically induced coma to help speed up her healing process. He saw her through the window in her room. Her entire body wrapped in a layer of pressure dressing and her hair cut short because of the burns. The doctors said that due to the large areas of burnt skin, medication could only do that much, the rest was up to how fast her body heals itself.


He stayed with her for almost a half hour before heading back to his assigned room. Settling down by the window which overlooked the front yard of the mansion, he reached into his pocket for his flask. A habit of his whenever he needed to take things off his mind, over twenty years of drinking, this habit wasn't an easy one to shake. Though now alcohol had been replaced with just water. He put back the cap on the flask and set it down by the window frame. He could see a light layer of dust over the glass window, giving the world outside an eerie shade of grey.

He watched the snow fell from the sky. First snow came the night before. He knew because he couldn't sleep so he found himself in the same position as now, watching the world by the window. It dusted the city before him with specks of white, which reminded him of icing sugar on cake. A mesmerizing sight indeed. Over a few days, the entire city was covered in a thick layer of snow.

The snow covered the grey of yesterday. What transpired in the yard before him just a few days ago was erased without a trace, buried beneath the fresh coat of white. How strangely befitting. He thought to himself. Because he knew under the white snow was a land of red and grey.

The smell of smoke seemed to have dissipated through his days here. Or has it? Maybe he just got used to the smell. He couldn't tell.


That night he found himself restless again. But this time he decided to venture out of his room. Wandering the halls unseen at night wasn't an easy feat even when most people were in their own rooms, there were guards patrolling at regular intervals. He retraced his steps to the best of his memories which brought him to the door that lead to the rooftop. Pulling his coat around himself tighter, he slipped through the door. Three flights of stairs later, he was met with another door. With a push, a gush of cold air assaulted him in the face. He welcomed the refreshing air outside with both arms even though it stung his lungs. He let out a few puffs to let his lungs get used to the cold weather.

Being trapped within the four walls of the mansion was suffocating. There was something about the entire place that didn't sit well with him. The sight of hidden rose symbols scattered throughout the building. From the wallpaper and furniture to the silverware he ate off. And the nagging thought that even with the downfall of Snow, freedom was still not within reach. It was like a posh prison and he just needed to get out. He stuck his hands in his pockets as he trudged his way through the snow to the edge of the roof and found a bald spot where he sat down. He grabbed a handful of snow and made a snowball. Tossing it between his hands a few times, he looked across to where Snow was held and launched his snowball towards it, albeit it didn't go very far. He watched as the snowball fell six stories down and hit the ground.

He made a few more snowballs but decided against throwing them in the end because it might draw attention from the guards. He pulled his beanie over his ears, crossed his legs and settled in a more comfortable position. The city which was once so bright was left in ruins. Destruction caused by not only the rebels but the Capitols as well in their attempts to keep the rebels out. The layer of white concealed most parts of the damage but he knew beyond what was visible to him in the darkness of the night were everything and everyone who were lost in this war.

What he failed to see was the little figure wrapped up in a few layers of clothes huddled by the end of the stairs at the entrance of the mansion. She heard the snowball hit the ground. Puzzled, she scanned the area where the snowball could have come from. Letting her gaze wander a little higher, she spotted a shadow on the roof.