By the time I'm walking up to the Everdeen residence, I finished coughing. I open the door, and call out as I'm shutting it behind me. "Mrs. Everdeen."
"I'm in the kitchen." I hear Mrs. Everdeen say.
"You wanted to talk to me?" I ask as I enter the kitchen to Mrs. Everdeen washing dishes.
"How do you plan to use my daughter in this great scheme of yours?" she asks.
"It all hinges on her getting reaped, and doing so naturally." I say.
"Naturally." she asks.
"I'm not going to rig it where Katniss gets reaped. The system will draw her name on its own. From there I have somebody in the Capitol that is going to work with me to build Katniss up until the rebels have what they lost with me. And don't worry about Katniss, I have her cover as best as I can." I say.
"Except in the arena." Mrs. Everdeen says.
"That too, but I'm banking on Peeta getting reaped too." I say.
"You're leaving a lot to chance." she says.
"We don't have a choice, and not only that Katniss and Peeta are our best option to break the Capitol's tyrannical hold on the districts." I say.
"Still leaving a lot to chance." she says.
"What do you want? A guarantee? The only thing I can guarantee is death to the all the districts if we stay under the Capitol's rule." I say.
"Death is the only thing that is guaranteed in this life." she says looking up from the dishes.
"Among other things." I say.
There was a moment of silence, and we just stood there staring at each other. I felt the bracelet on my forearm vibrate, and I check what Cross has written me. Mrs. Everdeen's eyes grew to the size of saucers when she saw the bracelet. The message Cross sent read: Peacekeepers scouting the forest again. Going to be in there for a couple of days. I sent my thanks back, and then looked up to see a horrified Mrs. Everdeen.
"You understand why I try to stay out of the square as much as possible." I say.
"They would drag you into the square and kill you if they found that." she says.
"A chance I'm willing to take." I say.
Next we hear the front door open and close, followed by Katniss' voice. "Mom!"
"In the kitchen." Mrs. Everdeen says.
I remain silent as Katniss walks into the kitchen. "Mom, have you seen Kai?" Katniss asks.
"What do you need?" I ask.
"I didn't realize you were here." Katniss says, after she regains her wits. "What are you doing here anyways?"
"Your mom wanted to talk to me. What do you need?" I ask.
"Are we still on for tomorrow?" Katniss asks.
"We can't. A Peacekeeper patrol will be in the woods for a few days. I'll let you know when we can go back into the woods to train." I say.
"Okay." Katniss says, and then looks at her mom. The two of them make eye contact, but I can feel the tension radiating off of Katniss at her mom's abandonment. Mrs. Everdeen looked away in shame, and then Katniss left the house. I walk after Katniss, even though I here Mrs. Everdeen calling after me. I hear the door open and close before I get to it. I open the door, and I see Katniss walking back to the square.
"Katniss!" I shout.
Katniss stops in her tracks, and waits for me to catch up to her. "I know I have no place to say this, but you need to forgive your mom." I say.
"Do you have any idea what I have been through because of her? How much I suffered because of her abandoning us?" Katniss asks, her face red with anger but there were tears in her eyes.
"I'm almost certain she didn't do it willing. No mother would leave her children willing." I say.
"Well she did! She left me and Prim on our own for six months!" Katniss screams. It seem like she wanted to say more, but the tears over took her. I pull my baby sister into me as she arms wrapped around my torso, and let her cry. She was to the point of sobbing uncontrollably.
"Your mom didn't do it willing. I watched as my girlfriend died in my arms. I watched the light leave her eyes." I say, tears streaming down my face. I felt Katniss squeeze my torso hard. After a few minutes Katniss pulls away, and I wipe her tears. "If you want a taste of what your mom experienced, just think what would happen if Peeta died?"
A grave look came over Katniss. "Don't even joke about that." Katniss says, punching my arm.
"Katniss!" a voice calls out.
We turn to see Peeta come walking up, and then he see the tears in her eye. "Are you okay?" he asks.
"We had a conversation that was a long time coming, but we'll be fine for the time being." I say.
"We'll let's head to the square. Talk to you later, Kai." Peeta says
"Later, Peeta." I say. I walk in the opposite direction of the square. Peeta wrapped an arm around Katniss' shoulder, and Katniss wrapped an arm around his waist. As they were entering the square Peeta asked. "What did Kai say?"
"He said that I should forgive my mom." Katniss says.
"Haven't I been saying that for the past six months?" Peeta asked.
"Yeah, but you didn't give me a compelling reason to, either." Katniss says resting against Peeta.
"Oh, yeah. What was that?" he asks.
"He said to imagine what it would be like if I lost you." she said.
"OW! That's pretty brutal. Come to think of it what would you do if you lost me?"" he asks.
"I don't want to think about it." she says through gritted teeth.
The couple stood there for a while, just holding each other. After a while the children came out to play, and then they split up to play with the kids. I watch as Katniss and Peeta play from a behind the butcher shop. It reminds me of the time I was in their shoes, and Tessa was with me. The memory brings tears to my eyes, I guess I haven't left my feelings for my dead girlfriend behind. I feel my bracelet vibrate again. I check and see a message from Cross. We're going to attack the Peacekeepers. Want in? I type back that I will just be using my bow, but I'm in. I make my way towards the fence. I get another message. We're going to attack them tonight.
I grimace at the night attack, and elect to grab my uniform for the assault. I look into the sky and see that it is about three o'clock in the afternoon. I head back to my house and gear up for the raid. After the sun goes down, I meet Bardan, Etain, Ashono, Reimi and a couple of new people.
"Names Kai. Who are you two?" I ask.
"I'm Phoebe Wales." the woman standing next to me said.
"I'm Gage Wales." Said the man standing next to her.
"Another brother sister duo?" I ask chuckling.
"Cousins" Bardan said.
"Well, as long as you two can work together and take orders I don't care." I say. "Gage and Phoebe, you two will follow Bardan and Etain."
"What will you be doing, sir?" Phoebe asked.
"Don't worry about him." Etain said. "Kai has his own means of hurting the enemy."
We stayed where we were for about ten minutes before the Peacekeeper patrol walked by. The five of us were on them before they knew what hit them. The attack took longer than expected because another patrol of Peacekeepers came a few seconds later. One of the Peacekeepers got a shot off, and it grazed Gage's arm. Back in the district, all that could be heard was the continuous sound gun fire, and the screams of death. I make it back to my house at three in the morning. I pull the swords off my back, and then cleaned the blood off my uniform. I hung my uniform in the hall closet to dry, and then went to take a shower. One thing I didn't miss these past six months was having to wash dried blood off my skin.
Don't miss it. I think.
I place the swords under the floor board, after I cleaned them up, and then finally crawl into bed. I slept until noon, at which point I crawled out of bed, got dressed, and made a pot of tea. After I set the water to boil, there was a knocking at the front door. I opened the door to Katniss and Peeta.
"What have you been doing this entire time?" Peeta asks.
"Judging by the look in his eyes I would guess that he's been asleep this entire time." Katniss said.
"What did I miss?" I croak.
"You alright?" Peeta asks.
"Late night." I say.
"That would have anything to do with the-"
"Choose you next words wisely." I say cutting off Katniss. "Because here in the districts you have no idea who could be listening."
Katniss and Peeta both turned and looked to see if there was someone behind them. "What did you come here for?" I ask.
"We were wondering that, after the events of last night, that if we could go… you know." Peeta says.
"Come in." I say. "And don't touch anything."
I shut the door behind Peeta and they walk towards the kitchen, as I walked into the bedroom to change into warmer clothes and grab a coat. By the time I was exiting my room the pot was whistling. "Tea?" I asked as I entered the kitchen.
"I'll have a cup." Katniss says. I pour Katniss a cup and give it to her. I reach into the cupboard and pull out a metal flask, and pour the rest into the flask. I turn to see Peeta and Katniss sharing the glass. I head into the bathroom and brush my teeth. When I return both Peeta and Katniss were waiting by the front door. I step into the kitchen to grab the flask, and then we leave my house. We head to the hole in the fence, climb under, and then head to the same spot we have been practicing for the past few weeks.
Another six months passes, and when we weren't in the forest practicing, I was hunting with Gale, making rounds at the Hob, or making trips between the base and District 12. And then on the second week of June came the day that I had all but forgotten about. I make my way to the Hob, but the mood of the district was somber, melancholy. I enter the Hob, and make my rounds. As I'm heading home I see Prim.
"Prim." I say.
"Yeah, Kai?" she asks.
"Why's everybody so down?" I ask.
"It's reaping day." Prim said in a soft voice.
"Ah. What's reaping day? I ask.
"Meet in the square at one o'clock, and you will see." she says, and then runs off.
I knew this day was coming, just forgotten about it. I head home, and wait for the event to come. When I get home I get a cup and grab the alcohol from the cupboard. I allow myself two shots, and then put the alcohol away. Most likely I'll pull it out again on reaping day the following year. I get a shower, and a bite to eat. At twelve fifty I make my way out to the square. When I get there I see that children were getting registered. I feel a light touch on my back, and I turn to see Mrs. Everdeen. I follow her and Prim, who is nine years old, to where they would be standing for the event. The hour for registration came and went, and then the mayor steps up to the podium and read the Treaty of Treason beginning the ceremony, which as I did in years past I tuned out. I felt a small pair of arms wrap around my waist, I looked down to see Prim had snuggled into me. I wrapped my arm around her, and whipped a tear with my free arm. Mrs. Everdeen patted my arm, as if to let me know that it will be alright, and I nod my head back. The mayor had just left the podium when a new face had stepped up to the podium. It was the envoy from the Capitol, and just as eccentric as Nikki.
"Who's that?" I ask.
"Effie Trinket. Nikki got promoted two years after you left." Mrs. Everdeen whispered.
I nod my head, and then watch as the Effie continued the reaping, albeit, I ignored her. The children who were called were nobody I had met, so my plan is on hold for another year. Katniss and Peeta split from their ranks and attend to babysitting duties. I watch as Gale took his family home, and I watch as Prim runs off to play with her friends. I turn and walk away. I make it ten feet before Mrs. Everdeen says. "I'm sorry about Tessa."
"I still have her birthday present that I made her when we were thirteen." I say. I pull out the locket, open it, and show the picture to Mrs. Everdeen. Mrs. Everdeen got choked up when she saw the picture of me, Tessa, Katniss and Peeta. "When this is all over you have to show them." she said.
"Your husband told me the same thing. That was four years ago." I say.
"You will tell them. When the time is right." She says.
"That's if they don't hate me for everything that has happened." I say.
Mrs. Everdeen shakes her head at me, and then heads home. I stand in the square for a few minutes before I decide to head back into the woods. I take the long way, circling around the Seam. I get to the hole in the fence, and scan the area for people who might be on the Capitol's payroll. I crawl under and scanned again. I jogged instead of walked seeing as how it was the middle of the day. I don't even make it two feet into the woods when I lose consciousness. When I come to the room was a bright, sterile white like the room in the Remake Center in the Capitol.
"It's been a while." A voice from behind me said.
I knew that voice. Even though I haven't heard it in years, I still remember it. I turn around and see my dad. I walk up and give him a big hug. I try not to cry because I know this isn't real, but it's hard not to. "I've missed you." I say.
"I know." he said.
"I'm sorry." I say, when he break the hug.
"Don't be. If we were still alive you would still have us, but the Capitol would still be able to use us against you. Just tell me it was worth it?" he asked.
"Yes, it's just taking me longer than expected." I say.
"That's good. What happened to your face?" he asked.
"The night I escaped the Capitol, I distracted a group of Peacekeepers so they wouldn't stop the rebels from escaping, but before I could get onto the hovercraft a Peacekeeper fired a shotgun in my face." I say.
"The eyepatch is a nice touch, if wasn't for the fact that your eye is dead." he said.
"How's mom and Li?" I asked.
"Your mother misses you, and says that she's sorry that she couldn't be here. And you know how little brothers are." he said.
"That I do." I say. I noticed the lights were starting to wane, and I realize that I'm starting to regain consciousness. "I don't want to go."
"You have to. There is no place for you here. Not only that, you are the only one that can free the districts from the control of the Capitol. We will see each other again. Just not yet. Not yet." my dad said.
The room fades to black, and when I wake up I'm back in the woods, but the sun is nearing the horizon. I stand up and make my way back to the hole in the fence. I head home after crawling through the fence because knowing either of my young three friends has made their rounds while I was unconscious. And sure enough waiting for me on my porch was Peeta.
"What's up Peeta?" I ask.
"I would like to ask you a question?" he asked.
"Where's your girlfriend?" I ask, as we entered my house.
"How'd you know I was dating Katniss?" he asked.
"You guys kissed a lot." I say.
"So." Peeta says.
"You two are of age." I say, and then entered my house with Peeta on my heels.
"What's that supposed to mean? You think they could rig the reaping?" he asks, as we entered the kitchen.
"I wouldn't put it past them? You want some tea?" I ask.
"Yeah, so they rig it. How do you think they would do it?" he asks as I was putting water on the stove to boil.
"They could do it one of two ways, either way I see it your name gets pulled anyway you go about it. Katniss could get her name pulled, or, and this is the more dramatic and sadistic way, Prim's name gets picked." I say.
"So you think they could rig the reaping to pull our names?" he asks.
I think about that for a minute. And then I think back to my reaping, and if it was a possibility that there were spies that in the district. "That's very real possibility." I say.
"And if we get reaped?" he asks.
"Wasn't that point of the sword fight training?" I ask.
"No! We really wanted to learn how to fight with swords, but now I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't anything else we should be doing." Peeta says.
"There isn't. The Hunger Games aren't something you can't train for." I say.
"Yet the careers are always winning." He says.
"Let's say, hypothetically, that both of you get reaped, then what?" I asked.
"I would protect Katniss." he says.
"True, but Katniss will need you to survive." I say.
"How so?" he asks.
At that point the water had finished boiling. I put the tea leaves in the cups, and then poured the water. "Thanks." he said when I handed him his cup.
"If Katniss is going to make it through the Games, she is going to need you to survive until the very end." I say.
"Okay, and?" he asks.
"If Katniss is going to win the Games, she is going to need you to be the final kill." I say.
"Katniss won't kill me." He says.
Katniss won't kill me. Peeta's words echoing in my mind. That's it! That's how I get the districts to rally behind Katniss and Peeta! I think.
"And that's what we need to do. Peeta you're a genius." I say.
"Huh, what do you mean?" he asks.
"No matter what happens, you can't repeat this conversation to anybody. Do you understand?" I asked.
"Okay, but what about Katniss? She won't be happy." Peeta says.
"When the time comes you will understand." I say.
Peeta finishes his tea, and then heads home.