"Bloodbaths, Fire, and Tracker Jackers"
Katniss
I'm dressed in the same outfit, lifted by the same metal plate. My hair, longer than it was ten years ago, is in the same braid. The only noticable differences about my appearance are my aged skin and the unmistakable absence of my mockingjay pin.
Sixty seconds. That's how long Peeta and I, as well as 22 Capitol citizens portraying the other tributes, wait. I was informed that the bombs were not activated for this return, but I don't risk stepping on the undisturbed ground.
Undistrubed. In order to place the bombs back into the ground, they must have dug. But there appears to be nothing wrong with the dirt and grass around me. In fact, I can see the spot where I blew up the Career's food, unscathed. The arena looks the same as it did when I first came here. Are they planning to reinact the whole Games?
No. The real Games lasted for about two weeks. This visit will only last for one.
When the gong rings out, I hear some squeals of delight from my fellow "tributes." They all run for the Cornucopia, where they snatch up blunted weapons and packs of food one might find in the actual Hunger Games; beef strips, dried fruit, bread. Not the extravagent stuff they are used to eating. Most leave the food and just pretend to kill each other.
Soon I figure out that every person has been assigned a tribute to play. The ones that really survived the bloodbath stay away from the fight, while the eleven that died stab and slash until they all lay on the bround, motionless. After the fake cannons sound, they get up in delight.
A man comes and directs me into a car. In a few minutes, I'm at the tree where the fireballs attacked. Panic begins to rise. I can't do this again.
Peeta and the lucky citizens taking part in this are waiting nearby. I'm handed a sleeping bag like the one I used that night and instructed to climb into the tree and pretend to sleep. The man who led me into the car earlier tells me the fire will be synthetic, and the others will be by my side.
So I climb and close my eyes. Soon the familiar hiss and heat are upon me and I scramble down, breaking into a cold sweat. I run before anyone can stop me, forgetting that it's not real, that I'm safe. All I know is that the smoke is getting thicker and Peeta is calling my name.
A tangle of thorny bushes trips me before I can go far. I fall, panting, and see the smoke clearing. The "fire" is still burning, though. Trees fall and animals run as if it were all real. But Peeta is at my side, holding me, rocking me. Telling me that it's okay. And I want to believe him. I do.
I just know Snow is chuckling in his office, safe and sound. He knows he's getting to me, breaking me down. The thought of him being satisfied, the thought of my children watching me, it brings me to my feet.
"I'm okay. The smoke was choking me, that's all," I say with a smile. Some of the tributes - I mean, Capitolians - sigh with relief. Peeta's not entirely convinced, but he smiles too, for the camera's sake. Just like it used to be.
"Alright, now that that's over..." the man from before says. "We're scheduled in the tracker jacker tree as our last event today. But first, lunch." Tracker jackers? Already? That was on day... four, I think. I've only been here a day. Peeta senses my confusion.
"They're doing some of your... memories, today. Then we'll do some of mine tomorrow, and yours again. Back and forth until you find me. Then it'll be like it was," he says.
"But it won't be like it was. This time I know you're safe," I say and give him a kiss. I think one of the other tributes faints. I refrain from rolling my eyes because these Capitol people get worked up over everything. Really, I've had better moments.
We're fed a feast, well, I suppose it's meager compared to some of the feasts I had on my Victory Tour. But nonetheless, it's delicious.
"Well, come on, then. Into the car," the man instructs once we're done. In no time at all I'm hoisted into a tree a few branches below a simulated tracker jacker nest. Peeta and those playing Cato, Clove, Glimmer, Marvel, and the girl from Four - Savannah, are in their positions below. There's a small girl in the tree next to me. She's older than twelve, maybe fifteen, and has purple skin instead of brown. But she's definitely portraying my little ally.
The girl points out the nest and then disappears. I climb up, knife in hand, and begin to saw.
This time, the mutts don't come out as I disturb them. Somehow I'm stung in the same places I was the first time, but I don't see the bug that did it. And the stings don't hurt that much. They're more like a pinch. My skin swells a little, but I don't get dizzy or hallucinate.
Soon the nest is freed and it breaks open on the ground. Peeta takes on the same reaction as he did before, screaming, batting, and running away. Others laugh a little, dance around, and then follow him. "Glimmer" and "Savannah" twitch on the ground for a while and then go still. I climb down and retrieve the bow and arrows from "Glimmer's" tight grasp. Then the man, who tells me his name is Adrian, claps his hands.
"That's a wrap! Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Mellark. You were wonderful. Okay! Be at the Cornucopia by ten tomorrow morning people!" There's a bit of confusion as Peeta and I are hustled into a car, driven to a part of the arena I've never been to, and settled into a small house built for the two of us during out stay.
The next day we travel back in time and see some of Peeta's "exciting" moments, as Adrian calls them. It's mostly Cato killing people. But then I get to see the battle they had after the tracker jacker attack. Peeta tells me to run, "Cato" finds him. They argue about betrayal and love, and then "Cato" cuts Peeta before he gets a chance to block.
"Cato" leaves him there to bleed to death, but Peeta staggers off to the stream, where he spends the night. Then next day he drags himself downstream until he couldn't go further. He collapses and slowly camoflauges himself to become the muddy, bleeding boy I found.
Adrian announces that this is how he stayed for days while I had numerous "victories." He continues to list them, including my alliance with Rue and how I destroyed the Career's food. I do notice that he refrains from speaking about Rue's death, and I how I sang until she died.
Hm.