Losing Your Memory - RyanStar.
"What good is a secret if it remains a secret ... Secrets are meant to be discovered..." - Jocelyn Murray.
It was one of those moments where the teens were actually to scared to move.
They were frozen in place, even to scared to breathe.
It was one of those moments were you don't regret what you did until you get caught.
Just a few days ago, the four were sitting in the kitchen. Hunter making muffins. Finnick pouting because he couldn't have one. Tessa rolling her eyes at Finnick for acting childish. Hope covered in sweat from her run and laughing at Tessa and Finnick.
And the box of tapes, up under Hope's bed. Not watched.
Just a few days before that, the box of tapes was in Katniss' and Peeta's closet, not known of by the teens.
For a split second, Hope wished she could go back in time. Back to the time before she even found the box.
"What are we going to do?" Tessa asked, her voice just above a whisper.
"If we move fast, we can make it out the window and into the woods." Finnick jumped up and made his way to the window.
Hope sat on the bed and watched as Tessa slowly got up and followed Finnick to the window. Hunter also got up, but just stood next to the bed.
Watching as Finnick opened the window, him and Tessa sizing up the fall, Hope suddenly felt like a coward.
Here they were, running away from their parents like five year old. The same parents, who faced death in the face several times. And the teens couldn't face them once about the tapes.
Some children of Victors they were.
"They were my age." Hope said softly.
Finnick and Tessa turned around to look at Hope.
"What?" Tessa asked.
"Mom and dad." Hope explained. "They both were my age when they went into the games." Hope got up off the bed. "They had to kill people against their own will and we are trying to run away for them."
"Exactly. They killed people. That's reason enough to run away." Finnick pointed to the window.
Hope gave Finnick an 'are-you-serious' look while Hunter spoke.
"Hope's right. If we run away its showing them that we are still kids. We need to show them that we are proud of what we did and we would do it again if we had the chance."
"Would we do it again if we had the chance?" Tessa asked softly.
No one answered. Maybe because they didn't really know the answer, or maybe because they didn't what to know the others answer.
As they were quiet, Hope noticed that they couldn't hear any sounds coming from downstairs, which scared her.
"We need to show them that we can handle the truth." Hope said after a while. "And that we can handle watching these tapes."
"So what? We just walked down there?" Tessa asked as Finnick closed the window.
"I think that would be best." Hunter nodded.
"And we just talk to them?"
"Yeah. We know they will yell and be mad. But if we just talk to them, it may calm them down." Hope said as the four made their way to the door.
"And if that doesn't work?" Finnick asked, making Hope stop at the door.
"They we go to Plan B."
"What's Plan B?" Hunter asked his sister.
"We cry." Hope answer, then pulled the door open.
Hope was right before about there being no noise coming from downstairs. In fact, if they never heard yelling before, the teens would have never known that the parents were here.
They slowly walked down the hall, careful not to make a sound, and when they reached the top of the stairs, they stopped and listened.
"Maybe they left." Tessa whispered after a while.
Hope opened her mouth to spoke when someone cut her off.
"HOPE EMBER AND HUNTER RHY! Get down here NOW!"
"FINNICK LAKE ODAIR! COME. HERE."
"I don't think they left." Finnick whispered.
"I think they're mad." Hope said, also in a whisper.
"Come on guys." Tessa said in a normal voice. "They can't be that made."
"ROBYN TESSA FOSS!"
Tessa's eyes went wide and she turned to the other three.
"Still think they aren't that mad?" Finnick glared.
"Think we still have time to run?"
"Guys. We have to shown them that we can handle this." Hunter said.
"Hunter. Aunt Jo called Tessa Robyn. We'll be luck if we make it out of there with both our eyes." Hope told her brother.
"Hunter's right." Tessa sighed. "We need to get down there."
The teens all shared a look before they slowly started to make their way downstairs.
Halfway down, a thought hit Hope. This is the first time they are seeing their parents after finding out about the tapes and watching them.
Suddenly, she got a nervous feeling in her stomach. Not about facing their parents about what they did, but about seeing her mother, father and Aunts for the first time, now that she knew their past.
It was like seeing someone after years of them being away. You knew them and remembered what they looked like, then you start to think of ways they changed and what they look like now.
They teens stopped on the bottom step all of them looking down.
Slowly, Hope lifted her head and looked at her parents for what felt like the first time.
First, her eyes landed on her father. His ashy blonde hair and blue eyes. The same blue eyes that she had. Also, the same blue eyes that watch people get killed. All of a sudden, Hope got flashes of the 74th Hunger Games and everything her father seen and lived though. She just couldn't believe that this man, the same man who tried to teach her how to bake and draw, who helped her tie her shoes and write her name, was the man who told the world he loved his mother and almost died in the Hunger Games.
Then, slowly, Hope's eyes moved to her mother. The mother who showed Hope how to use a bow. And suddenly, Hope got a sick feeling in her stomach, knowing what her mother had to do with a bow and arrow to stay alive and then she showed her eight year old daughter to use one. But, at the same time, Hope was grateful. Now, if need, Hope could protect herself. Like her mother did. Katniss and Hope now had more in common then Hope thought.
In both her parents eyes, Hope saw a flash of different emotions. Angry, sadness, a bit of confusion, even fear. But, mostly, hurt. And Hope felt ashamed. Her parents were hurt all because of her and her stupid curiosity. Which she did get from her mother, by the way.
"So?" Annie raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. "What have you four been up to?"
"Just hanging out." Tessa answered, innocently.
"Nice try." Johanna narrowed her eyes.
"Let's start with something easy." James said, pointing in the living room. "Why is Haymitch passed out on the couch."
"Oh. That." Tessa laughed nervously.
"Yes. That."
"Fine, you caught us." Finnick threw his arms in the air. "We had a party."
Hope, along with Hunter and Tessa, wanted to slap their foreheads, or Finnick.
Peeta raised an eyebrow. "A party?"
"With just the four of you?" Johanna added.
Finnick nodded slowly. "And Haymitch. Someone had to bring the liquor."
"Okay then." Katniss stared at Hope, making her look down. "How about we join Haymitch in the living room and you can tell us all about your party."
The adults started to make their way into the living room and the teens had no choice but to follow them.
As they enter the room, the teens found that it was just as they left it, which was what they feared. The TV screen was still on, Haymitch passed out before he could even turn it off, and showed the static from the last tape. Bottles were on the floor around the chair and Haymitch was passed out on the couch, dead to the world. Worst of all, the first four tapes, along with the mystery tape, were still on the table.
James and Peeta walked over to Haymitch and shook him awake.
"What the hell..." Haymitch glared, slowly sitting up before he looked around the room and seen what was going on. "Oh."
"Oh?" Johanna glared at him. "Oh. That's all you can say?"
"For the record. They were already started when I got here."
"Haymitch." Hope hissed while Tessa shook her head.
"Started what exactly?" Peeta turned to the teens. "What have you four been up to over here."
Finnick, Hope, Hunter and Tessa all shared a look. They were hoping that, after they finished the tapes, they were have same time to go over what they were going to say to their parents. But, they just had to come over now.
Before they could even think of what to say next, Johanna walked over to the coffee table and slowly picked up a tape. Her tape.
Slowly, she looked at the teens, shock all over her face. What ever she thought they were up to, it wasn't this.
"What is it?" James asked his wife.
Looking at the teens, who were looking down, for a few more seconds, Johanna turned to Katniss, Peeta, Annie and James, holding up the tape for them to see.
It was the longest few seconds of Hope's life. All the parents were shocked. No one was moving. The parents trying to piece everything together. While the teens and Haymitch were waiting for them to blow.
Then, suddenly, Annie slowly walked over to the table and picked up her tape. However, she only held her tape for a moment before putting it back down and picking up another, Finnick's tape.
"Mom?" Finnick said softly after a while. But Annie didn't answer, she just continued to stare at the tape, though it looked like she wasn't really looking at it anymore.
James moved over to his wife and took the tape from her, placing it back on the table before picking up another one.
"The 50th Annual Hunger Games: Second Quarter Quell." He read out to no one in particular as Peeta walked over to the table with Katniss behind him.
When they saw that their tape was missing, Peeta looked up at Hope and Hunter, as if to ask them were the tape was. However, but they could answer, Katniss walked over to the remote and picked it up, pressing play.
The teens didn't turn around as the big, fancy, gold letters faded onto the screen, reading out, The 74th Annual Hunger Games.
The voice of Caesar fulled the quiet in the room before it stopped, Katniss pressing pause.
It was a long moment of just standing there. No one really knowing what to do or say.
Out of all the things the adults thought the teens were doing. This wasn't one of them. They didn't know how to react. They wanted to be mad and upset, but really, they were just to shocked to even think right.
Meanwhile, the teens just stood there, looking down, while Haymitch still sat on the couch, looking like he wished he had some liquor right now.
"How many?" Katniss asked, eyes closed, so suddenly and so low, no one really heard her.
"What?" Hope asked, her voice not as strong as she wished.
"How many of these did you watch?" Katniss opened her eyes, looking right at Hope. Her eyes held so much angry, disappointment and hurt that Hope wanted nothing more there to look anyway. But she couldn't.
"All of them but the 75th Hunger Games." Hope told her, trying to sound strong and proud. But failed.
"And you let them?" Johanna turned to Haymitch, so angry that she was basically radiating heat.
Still, this surprised the teens. They thought for sure their parents would yell at them for hours when they found out what they did. Sure, they knew Haymitch would get in some trouble. But, not to be the first yelled at.
Then again, it was probably easier to yell at Haymitch right now. Especially since the adults didn't really know how to react to the teens yet.
"Like I said, they were already started when I got here." Haymitch said calmly.
"How many?" James asked.
"They had mine, Finnick's and Annie's done." Haymitch answered.
"But you still let them. Plus you stayed and watched these," Johanna grabbed her tape and held it up. "With them!"
Haymitch shrugged. "They were already started the tapes. They knew more than enough about the Hunger Games. But, still had questions. So I answered them."
"You answered their questions?!" Katniss glared at Haymitch.
"That's what I said sweetheart." Haymitch then stood up off the couch. "They were confused. They just watched three tapes of people killing each other. The least I could do was answer their questions."
"When did you start caring so much?" Johanna crossed her arms, glaring.
"I told all of you that you should tell them about the Games as early as possible. But you thought it would be a good idea to keep it from them. Now look," Haymitch pointed at Hope, Hunter, Finnick and Tessa. "The fabulous four just went behind your backs and watched tapes about their parents being in a death match. They had to watch their parents get reaped. Kill people. Almost get killed." Haymitch took a breath before continuing. "They watched the tapes in order. So, they watched my tape without knowing anything at all. That's look going into the Games blind. I was a mentor for years, it's pretty much second nature for me to answer questions and help people, as much as I hate it. I helped them understand that, this, cruel world a bit more."
"Why do, did, whatever, you want them to know about the Games as bad?" Johanna asked after a moment of quiet.
"Because. As much as you four try to run from it and put it behind you. It's part of you. It's made you who you are. Meaning, it's part of Hope, Hunter, Tessa and Finnick. Hell. You didn't even put them in school because of the Games."
"That's way we're home schooled?" Tessa blurted out, which got her a glare from her parents.
"I can't believe this." Peeta sighed, eyes closed as he shook his head.
"Believe it." Haymitch crossed his arms. "Now. If you want my opinion-"
"Which we don't." Johanna mumbled.
"-stop yelling and leaving your kids in the dark. Let them know the truth."
Everyone was quiet. The parents all glaring at Haymitch, not believe what he just said and what just happened. The teens also couldn't believe it. Haymitch just backed them up, 110%. He took their side. And this would help them in the long ride. Or hurt them.
Suddenly, Annie let out a small scream.
Everyone turned to her, alarmed, the teens not really knowing what was going on. They watched as Finnick's tape fell out of Annie's hands and onto the ground as Annie brought her hands to her ears and started to mumble to herself.
"Mom?" Finnick asked, panicked. He ran over to his mother,who was now on her knees, and wrapped his arms around her.
Hope, Hunter and Tessa, along with the adults, watched as Finnick continued to speak softly to his mother and comfort her, even though he didn't really know what was going on.
He knew his mother was... Different. He would catch her just staring at nothing or mumbling to herself. But it didn't happen a lot. In fact, the last time it happened was a few years ago.
Still, Finnick never seen his mother like this before.
After a few minutes, Annie's mumbles turning into tears and her hands went from her ears to Finnick's shirt as she cried onto his shoulder, grabbing him like a lifeline.
"It's okay mom." Finnick whispered in her ear as he hugged her.
Finnick slowly turned his head to look at Hope, Hunter and Tessa. All three of them staring at Finnick and Annie, confused.
His eyes landed on Hope, and she gave him a small smile, nodding her head. Silently telling him she was here for him.
Hope suddenly got a flash of Annie when she won her Games. Starring at nothing, not moving, mumbling to herself. All because she watched her partner being beheaded.
This was the first time the teens seen Annie, or any of the parents, in their weakest moments.
Still, they didn't really know what was happening. They were still left in the dark, even after watching the tapes. And Hope had a feeling they would always be in the dark, until their parents would talk to them.
"Are you okay?" Finnick asked his mother softly as she whipped her tears.
But, Annie didn't look at Finnick, she looked at Katniss, Peeta, and Johanna.
The four adults, including Haymitch, had watched the scene before them, also in silence.
Katniss looked from Annie and her son, to her own son and daughter.
Hope and Hunter were watching Finnick and Annie with confused looks and, really, for the first time, Katniss understood what Haymitch was talking about.
They children grew up thinking their parents were their heroes, just like every other kid does. They never seen Annie, or Peeta or even Katniss in their weakest moments.
They never seen Annie break-out before. Or Peeta really lose his mind - not counting that one Halloween. Even Katniss was good at hiding her nightmares now.
Now, their kids were standing in front of them, having just watched their tapes. And it was just as Katniss feared.
The innocent look that Hunter had, and the innocence in Hope's eyes. It was gone.
The Hunger Games took away her babies innocence. Just like it did hers and Peeta's.
But still, Katniss couldn't bring herself to sit down and relive all those memory's, especially when reliving those memory's meant sitting down and telling them to her kids.
And she still found it hard to believe that her sixteen year-old daughter and fourteen year-old son, along with her niece and nephew, went behind their backs to watch the tapes. Speaking of the tapes...
Sighing, Katniss turned to her daughter. "Hope. Where did you get the tapes?"
Hope could feel everyone's eyes turn to her as she stared at her mother, the words 'Never go in the closet' bouncing around in her head.
"Umm... How do you know it was me?"
Okay. Deja vu.
Katniss narrowed her eyes at Hope before turning to Hunter.
"Hunter?"
He just shook his head. "No."
Katniss turned back to her daughter, raising an eyebrow. Hope thought about asking her how come she didn't ask Finnick or Tessa, but knew better.
Sighing, Hope looked at the floor then back up at her mother. "The closet." She said so low that she didn't even know if Katniss heard her.
"The closet?" Peeta asked, confused.
Hope nodded. "I seen the box when I got the arrows."
"So, you took it?"
Again, Hope nodded.
"And what else was in this box?" Katniss asked, even though she already knew the answer.
Hope turned to Hunter, who nodded and walked up the stairs to his room.
"Where is he going?" Johanna raised an eyebrow.
"You'll see." Tessa said to her mother, shifting her weight.
A few seconds later, Hunter came downstairs with a bag in his hands. He placed the bag on the table and stepped away, next to his sister.
Katniss slowly walked to the table, the other adults following behind her.
Finnick walked back over to Hope, Tessa and Hunter. Annie told him she was fine and went to join the others at the table. Though Finnick was on guard incase something happened again.
Haymitch looked at the four teens and raised an eyebrow, but they wouldn't look him in the eye. They never told him about this part.
"For the record," Haymitch said as Katniss was about to open the bag, making the parents look at him. "I had no idea about this, and I still don't. Just keep that in mind before you yell at me again."
Turning back to the bag, Katniss slowly opened it.
Tessa bit her lip and Hunter sighed, closing his eyes. While Finnick reached out a grabbed Hope's hand tightly as they watched Katniss pull out a small metal pipe. The spile.
"Is that..." Johanna started as Katniss held it up for the others to see.
Katniss nodded as she put it down and reached back into the bag. A million thoughts running around in her head but she couldn't bring herself to say one thing.
Next, Katniss pulled out a beautiful, shinning pearl.
She held it up, not know what to say. And no one else did either. It had been years since Katniss looked at these things. And she thought it would be another few years before she had to again.
With out really realizing what he was doing, Peeta reached over and took the pearl from Katniss, turning it over in his hands, his eyes narrowed a little.
Katniss watched him as he did this, as if waiting for something to happen.
Meanwhile, Johanna reached into the bag and pulled on the black tailored outfit.
"Katniss." She said softly, making Katniss look away from Peeta and at the outfit.
Her eyes went wide and she reached out to touch the outfit, but she pulled her hand back, as if the fabric would burn her.
For the first time since they started looking at the objects, Katniss turned to the teens.
As Hope looked at her mothers eyes, she saw more hurt. But, she also saw an emotion she couldn't place. It was almost like the outfit brought back memory's.
Suddenly, Hope got an image of her mother, wearing that outfit. The body armor. And it all made sense.
Her mother did wear the outfit. Haymitch said that her parents started a rebellion, meaning that her parents could have also ended it. Meaning her mother would need body armor.
After all, President Snow doesn't like the Girl on Face.
Turning back to the bag, Katniss reached in and pulled out the mockingjay pin.
The same pin that was the sign of the rebellion.
The teens didn't know how long Katniss just stood there, staring at the pin. It was like she was reliving all the moments she wore the pin.
However long it took, it was long enough to make Peeta, who was still turning over the pearl at the time, put the pearl on the table and reach into the bag.
"Peeta..." James started but stopped when he saw what Peeta pulled out.
Katniss stopped staring at the pin and watched Peeta as he took out a picture. A picture that he drew. The picture of them as puppets. The picture of President Snow controlling them.
The next few moments happened so fast, that Hope wasn't even sure what happened.
Peeta suddenly grabbed the paper so tight that his fingers went through it. He then opened his hands and let the paper fall to the floor, his eyes closed.
Hope and Hunter, along with Tessa and Finnick, watched, confused as Johanna, Annie and James backed away a bit. But Katniss stayed by his side.
"Peeta." She said softly, trying to get him to open his eyes.
And when he did, Hope couldn't help but gasp out loud.
They weren't her fathers loving, bright blue eyes staring back at her mother. They were cold, dark ones.
The same ones her and Hunter seen that Halloween night.
"YOU!" Peeta yelled, pointing at Katniss. He yelled it so loud that the four teens jumped.
Finnick pushed Hope behind him a bit, Hope grabbing his arm as the four watched in horror.
Peeta then started for Katniss, making Tessa and Hope scream.
However, he didn't get far when he was knocked to the ground by James jumping him.
"Leave. Now." Haymitch said to the teens with narrowed eyes, before walking over to help James with Peeta, who was struggling to get to Katniss.
The four didn't need to be told twice. They ran out of the living room and to the front door. Hunter threw the door open and the teens ran all the way across the road, back to Hope's and Hunter's house.
They ran inside and Hope closed the door behind them.
She leaned against the door and tried to catch her breath before looking up at Hunter, Finnick and Tessa. Their eyes mirroring her's with the same horror look.
A million and one thoughts were running around in Hope's head, as she tried to make sense of everything.
"What... what just happened?" Tessa asked softly after catching her breath.
"I don't know." Hope said, looking out the window in the door.
"That only happened once," Hunter explained. "And it wasn't that bad. Dad just had a death hold on a chair, his eyes closed. He never yelled at mom like that before."
The four stood in silence for a few moments until Finnick spoke.
"What are you thinking?" He asked Hope, who was still looking out the window, as if she could see into Peeta's house.
"Not thinking. Wishing." Hope then turned around, facing the others. "I wish I never found those damn tapes in the first place."
When Tessa, Hunter and Finnick didn't saw anything, Hope turned back to the window.
"We should move into the living room." Hunter said softly.
The others nodded and followed him, with Hope staying behind for a few more minutes.
Sighing, Hope turned around and starting to make her way to the living room, trying not the think of the giant mess that she made. All because she had to watch those stupid tapes.
"Stop it." Finnick said as Hope came into the living room.
"What?" Hope narrowed her eyes, sitting down next to him.
"Stop thinking about how you wished you never found the tapes."
"But it's true!" Hope sighed. "If I never found those tapes then we wouldn't be in this stupid mess to beginning with."
"We also still wouldn't know anything about our parents past." Hunter told his sister. "Sure. They are pissed now. But, we know enough about the Games for them to tell us about it themselves. It wouldn't be today or tomorrow. But they will."
No one said anything, mainly because they knew Hunter was right.
Their parents would let them everything. It wouldn't be anytime soon. But they would. And, hopefully, it would be sooner than if they didn't find the tapes.
Now, as Finnick grabbed Hope's hand, the only think left to do, was to wait for their parents to come over. And the teens knew, that the yelling would then start for sure.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I feel like, seeing everything at once like that, would make Peeta break down one more time. Especially with the stress of worrying about what Hope and Hunter did.
IMPORTANT! If anyone is able to send me the events in chronological order for the 75th Hunger Games (Arena only), it would be greatly appreciated. For the 74th Hunger Games, I got it on the Hunger Games wikia. But, I can't find one for the 75th Hunger Games.
Also, please follow my twitter - LovingAwkward - I love talking to you guys and twitter is an easier way of doing so. Also, PM me if you would like my personal twitter.
Thank you so much for all the reviews you guys! Sadly, there is only four more chapters plus an epilogue left (if everything works out). I wanna see how close to 1,000 reviews we can get by the end. I know you guys can do it!
Love you to the moon and back, xox :)
PS: What do you think of the new poster?! ;)
If anyone would like to make a poster, please do! I have any idea for the end of this story, but I need some posters from you guys. In case you were wondering...
Ben Mckenzie - Finnick
Victoria Justice - Hope
Rachel Bilson - Tessa
Chad Michael Murray - Hunter