Chapter Thirty-Eight

Jason stared wide-eyed at the screen. This wasn't his Johanna. His Johanna had wept over the death of a rabbit in a field. His Johanna had cared about people and he'd thought after watching Cathella's death that his Johanna was still in there somewhere but it seemed impossible. He watched the bloodied girl standing over the corpse, axe in had with a strange smile playing over her face.

He grabbed his well-worn jacket and headed out the door. District Seven was almost unrecognizable. People in the street whispering excitedly about the extra food they would receive, people discussing if they'd ever seen Johanna before and if they'd ever thought she was capable of winning the Games. Most people only seemed to know about her because she was the unlucky one who's name had come out of the reaping bowl twice; and now because she was the first female hunger games victor from District Seven.

"Jason! Jason did you see? She won she did it!" some girl Jason vaguely recognized from school ran up and hugged him. He awkwardly wrapped one arm around her back, wondering what the hell had gotten into everyone.

"I saw," he muttered back, wishing the girl he was holding now was his Johanna.

"Isn't it just amazing! You must be so happy," she released herself from the hug remembering Jason wasn't really the hugging type.

"I'll be happier when she's back," he smiled at the girl before turning and heading back towards the woods. He couldn't deal with people at the moment. Couldn't deal with them being happy about the deaths of 23 innocent kids because it meant more food for them. Couldn't deal with them being happy a girl they had never known before was now ruined, with just tiny pieces of the girl she was before still haunting her mind. And above everything else, he couldn't deal with the fact he still loved her, still loved that she'd done it because it meant she could come home. He hated that he was happy those others had died because it meant she could live, meant that he could still have her.

"Jason Beech," Jason rolled his eyes before turning around to face the peacekeeper.

"Yes," he asked, barely managing not to snap at the man.

"You live with Johanna Mason, correct?"

"Currently yes."

"In that case I have been asked to escort you and your belongings to the victors village."

"I thought Johanna had to be back for that to happen?"

"She can chose the home but we will move her possessions out there now to save time when she returns."

"I see." The pair stared at each other for a moment, neither really sure how to react. "Can this wait until another time?"

"No it must be done now," the peacekeeper stated. Jason tried not to smirk at the ridiculous schedule of the peacekeepers. He sighed before simply walking towards his house knowing the peacekeeper would follow. "You must be proud," the man tried to make conversation. Jason knew he was most likely to be from Two meaning if his friend had won the Games he would be proud, how was he meant to know that in the outlying districts winning the Games wasn't so much an honor, more lucky.

"Yeah, I guess I must be."

Author's Note: Hello, I apologize for the shortness of the chapter I really wanted to write more into it but I have a few surprises for later on that would have been spoiled if I wrote too much now. However I hope you are all still enjoying the story and thank you for all your lovely reviews! Please do keep them coming :)

-R