Remember in Death when my chapters were barely 2,000 words...then Fear chapters progressed to 2,500 words...well, now Freedom chapters are averaging over 3,000 words a chapter. Wow, I'm getting good. Maybe if I do another story, chapters will be over 4,000 words...well, one could only hope.

To Sing A Song Of Sorrow

The train chugged along the familiar ocean bringing Liviana home. The television was on, the eight new tributes were currently being paraded around in chariots. Liviana was ignoring the television. She should still be in the arena, not on a train going home as a loser.

If only she could have volunteered. She would have gladly of gone back into the arena. Even if it meant dressing up as an oyster. Because that was what the current district 4 tributes were wearing.

Buildings could be seen in the distance. Home was near. Her heart quickened up at the prospect of seeing her district. She had never really been homesick, not with her broken down shack and drunk mother. But it was nice to be back in familiar territory. Buildings that she had stepped into before, people that she had talked to before, and scents that she could place in less then two seconds.

This was home, where she had been born, where she grew up, and where she was stuck for the rest of her poor life. The train began to slow down as it pulled into the station. The welcome committee was waiting for her. It looked like almost everyone had come to welcome her back.

Julia and Seth were the first two faces that she was able to pick out of the crowd. Oliviana was missing, but Liviana didn't expect anything else from her deadbeat mother.

"LIV!" Julia exclaimed as Liviana stepped off the train and wobbled. It was as if she had been off to sea and was trying to adjust to her land legs again. "You're so skinny, we're going to have to feed you up again."

Julia had no problems slipping back into old routine. It was more difficult for Seth and Liviana to go back in time. So much had happened and it was difficult to forget.

"Hey," Seth whispered softly.

"Hey," she said back, just as softly.

"I missed you."

Liviana blinked, this was getting to emotional for her. She was not a 'lets all go around the table and share our feelings,' type of girl. Seth knew this about her, so he just grinned at her. Liviana was jostled as the residents hugged her and offered congratulations. They were happy to see her. She might have come home a loser, but she was still being treated like a hero. It was strange to be treated as if she belonged, because usually the others avoided her like the plague. She didn't feel any different, but she was being treated differently.

"You did really good," Louka offered his hand, but Liviana ignored it. She hated Louka, because he was living in a beautiful home over in the Victor's Village with his wife and daughter. He had been the lucky one. He had won, and she had not.

Not everyone was happy to see Liviana. Because she had come home, Olive and Marin had gone in her place. And Artis was gone too. Liviana knew Marin, but not Olive. She thought Marin had a good chance of winning, she had fought against him before in training, he had never beat her, but he was definitely good.

"Your mom's at home," Julia said as she and Seth pulled Liviana away to safety. Liviana was thankful for that because she had been starting to feel very claustrophobic.

"I don't want to go home," Liviana said. If she went home, that meant that she was back to being the same old Liviana. The girl who cleaned up after her mother. Who fought as a Gladiator to earn some extra cash. And she didn't want to be that Liviana anymore.

"I know," Julia said. She had always been very understanding. So the three of them headed to the tavern instead. Just like old times.

XXX

Ross stepped off the train and ran to his mother. He hadn't seen her in so long. There were tears streaming down her cheeks as she threw her arms around him.

"Mom," he whispered as she held him tight and whispered soothing words to him.

His whole family surrounded him, he was being touched everywhere as they made sure that it really was him. His father was standing right next to his aunt. Ross didn't say anything because he didn't want them to realize it. For once they were in the same vicinity without yelling at each other.

"Oh Ross darling, I missed you so much," she cried. Ross could feel the tears himself. He hadn't cried when his cousin David had been reaped. His eyes stayed dry as he volunteered and walked up to the stage. They weren't even misty when he said goodbye. Not a single drop for when he watched the others die. But now that he was home with his family around him, now he was crying freely. Because he was happy to be home, happy to be away from all the death he had seen.

"You did good son," his father said gruffly. Ross knew that his dad had trouble admitting something like that.

"Good?" His aunt scoffed, "he did great."

"Let's go home," his mom said before a fight could start. Ross wished that he would never have to deal with another fight ever again. He didn't understand why people fought. Life was too short to be angry. Too short to have a pointless argument that no one would remember the next day. He had never understood grudges either. Like the one that his dad had against his aunt. Pointless.

"Let's," Ross agreed. They inched their way through the crowd and headed home.

"There's going to be a party tonight in your honor," his mom informed him, "but until then, you look like you could use a nap."

The walk home took too long, but when they finally reached the house that Ross had grew up in, he finally felt like he was home. This was real, he was alive, and he was safe.

For now.

Who knew how long that would last though.

XXX

Amira wished that the train would just turn around and take her back to the arena. This wasn't fair at all. She wanted to win this thing fair and square. She wanted the chance to show Panem that she was capable of winning. That the Starks family had it in them to actually win the games. Aven and Allura couldn't do it. But Amira could, for them. She would do anything for them.

Instead of turning around, it chugged to District 5.

"You okay?" Her mentor Teya asked as she sat down.

"I'd be better if I had actually won."

"No, you wouldn't," Teya said, handing Amira a mug of some kind of hot liquid. "Winning is even worse. Sometimes I wish that I didn't win." Amira hadn't expected any victor to admit that. Winning brought glory and riches to the family and district. And life. "Because I won, someone else died. His name was Frindle, and I killed him."

"You had to," Amira tried to comfort her mentor. Something that she shouldn't have to do.

"I killed three people during my games Amira, and they all affected me, but Frindle's death was the worst. It still pains me. I close my eyes and I think of him. The only way to escape from the pain is death."

"It's part of life, you do what you have to to survive. If you have to kill to stay alive, you kill."

"Children have to grow up so quickly here, it's awful. You're wise for your age Amira."

Teya stood up and left the room, leaving Amira by herself. Amira glanced out the window to see that they were close, so close indeed that she could pick out her mother's face.

Amira smiled in spite of herself. At least she would be able to see her mother again. The only good thing in her life was her mother. Amira wasn't done with her quest for revenge though. She would never forgive Panem for what they did to her siblings.

They should keep in mind that there was nothing she did better than revenge.

XXX

Annabel smiled as she hugged her sister and refused to let go.

Stephanie wrapped her arms around Annabel's waist. "So glad you're home," she said in her soft twelve year old voice. "You did so much better then I would have."

"Don't think about it," Annabel assured Stephanie. "You'll never have to go into the arena, you'll be okay.

"Let's get you home," her dad said, glad that he had his family back again. Minus Annabel's mom, they were all together again

"You okay?" Gretchen asked as they walked down the path. Annabel could feel everyone's eyes on the back of her head, boring holes into her as they wondered how she was.

"Fine," Annabel said, even though she wasn't. But that was the answer that everyone expected, so that was the answer she gave. But after what she had been though, she would never be fine again. So she threw up a front and pretended that everything was just dandy. Annabel always did what was expected of her.

They reached the house and Annabel chatted with her family as if nothing was wrong. But they all knew something was. Annabel had witnessed the death of her best friend, had seen a boy being ripped to shreds by a sea lion. Annabel was the victim of something awful. And she couldn't talk about it, because no one wanted to hear it.

"I'm tired," Annabel made an excuse and went to her room she shared with Stephanie. She locked the door to keep everyone out and collapsed on her bed. The mattress felt too soft for her. It wasn't the dirt like she had gotten used to. "Oh Janie, I miss you."

There was a knock on her door. "Anna, please let me in."

It was her boyfriend Steven. She hadn't seen him in forever, and she missed him so much. She ran to the door but it seemed like she was running against the wind.

It felt so good to be in his arms again. To feel protected. She had understood why Janie had fallen in love with Angelo while they were in the arena. Because Janie wanted to feel like someone was protecting her.

"Anna, I-"

"Please don't say anything," Annabel cut him off. "Just hold me."

So the two of them made themselves comfortable on her bed. Annabel could almost pretend that things were back to normal. Almost.

XXX

"WELCOME BACK!" The residents shouted as the train pulled into the station.

Nyx ran to her brother, tears streaming down as he kissed her on the cheek.

"My little priestess, how I missed you," Dag whispered. "I'm so so sorry for what you've been through."

"Is grandma okay?" Nyx asked. Dag nodded grimly. "Bad day?" Another nod. Nyx sighed. It sucked that her grandma was having one of her bad days on the same day that Nyx had come home. It seemed like the bad days outnumbered the good days now.

"She didn't see any of the games Nyx, I wouldn't let her, she's been asking for you though, she really misses you."

"Nyx, congratulations, and welcome back," Mr. and Mrs. Rafter said as they fought their way through the crowd and gave her a hug. "We're so sorry about Seth, we had no idea he was like that."

"You don't have to apologize," Nyx assured them, "it wasn't your fault."

But they felt as if it were. Nyx gave them a reassuring smile before saying goodbye.

"If you ever need anything, you know where to find us," Mrs. Rafter said.

Nyx was tired of putting on a brave face and thanking everyone for their congratulations. She just wanted to go home and collapse in bed.

For once she was tired enough to sleep for a year.

"Let's go home," Dag finally said, the three words that could bring a smile to her face.

"Let's," Nyx agreed, they linked arms and headed home.

XXX

Nolan hadn't seen Mallow since the interview on stage with Caesar. As soon as it had ended, the eight of them had been separated. Angelo had been taken away to go back to the arena, while the other seven had been put on trains to go to their separate Districts.

He missed her. He missed the way her lips curled upwards in a smile, the way her hips swayed when she walked, the way her boobs jiggled when she sighed. He knew exactly what mood she was in when she bit her lip.

There was the way that her fingers moved as she pretended she was weaving. And she had sung several wobbly notes while in the arena.

"Will you love me forever- Will you love me when my hair is gray." Those had been the last lyrics Mallow had said before she had been ripped away from his arms. Nolan kept saying them back.

He needed to see her again and tell her his answer. "I'll love you forever- I'll love you when your hair is gray and your boobs are sagging." Of course, the last part he had added in himself. It might be a little white lie though. Sagging boobs weren't that pretty. But he didn't have to worry about that. Mallow's boobs were too perfect to sag.

The train squealed as it braked. He was home.

He couldn't pick his family out in the crowd. The platform was packed with district seven residents, everyone was there to welcome him home. Nolan got off the train and wondered who would be the first to wrap him in a rib-breaking hug. His question was soon answered as Celia got to him first.

"Nole, you're home," she squealed in that innocent child like voice that he had missed so much. He reached down to pick her up. It was too crowded to swing her around in a circle like he usually did though.

"Darn," he heard his other sister said with disdain. He knew Odie well enough to know that she was being sarcastic. Well, kinda. "But your room is so comfortable.

"Odie," their mother chided. Nolan just reached over and pulled a lock of her hair, causing her to wince and glare.

"Keep that glare, it does wonders for your complexion," Nolan teased her. Just like always. He really was home.

Others fought their way through to congratulate him and pat him on the back. He barely had room to breathe, but he was happy to be surrounded by friends and family. Only one person was missing.

And she was the one that mattered the most.

XXX

The train ride was long. She was cold and hungry. There was a blanket sitting next to her on the seat, and hot food steaming from the table over in the corner. But Mallow didn't want the blanket or the food. No, she just wanted to curl up into a ball and die.

She didn't want to go home. There was nothing left for her. She had accepted long ago that she was going to die. That she was never going to see her family again.

And now she was. Mallow had been wrong. Home was right around the bend. Death would have been more welcomed though.

Lights could finally be seen in the distance. Home. Warmth.

Death. That was all she saw when she closed her eyes. Dying children of all ages. Some older then her, some younger. It was death all the same.

And somehow she had survived. Or had she. She felt like a she was dead. Dead Mallow walking. Just going through the motions of life.

"Come on Mallow," her escort said gently. "Time to go home."

It wasn't home anymore though. She didn't belong there. She squared her shoulders and stepped off the train though.

And was swept up in hugs almost immediately. She didn't even know half of the people.

"We're so glad you're home safe."

"It's great to have you back."

"You did so good."

The voices echoed in Mallow's mind as she tried to force out the other thoughts in her mind.

"Mallow! Mallow!" Exclaimed the only person who could make Mallow smile now. Ash, her little brother. "I knew you'd make it home, see what happens when you're optimistic?"

If only it were that simple though.

XXX

Seven tributes had arrived home to find family and friends, and even strangers and enemies waiting to greet them.

With help and time, they would heal, they would learn to forgive, but never to forget.

They would slowly get better.

At least, most of them would.

To sing a song of sorrow, close your eyes and let the words flow.

Opinion Question: What have you learned from this trilogy that you never knew before?

I don't have to say 'please review' do I? We should all know by now that I like reviews. You do? Are you sure? You've never mentioned that before. Oh sush Nolan. I'll sush if you return Mallow to me! I'll sush myself by- We don't want to hear what you'll do to her Nolan. There are sensitive ears around. Psh, I was just going to say I was going to kiss her. Hey, if the readers review, will you let me kiss Mallow again? We'll see. Maybe.

Blood Bath Chapter Guidelines: Yup, I told you there would be another opportunity. Blood bath chapter will be chapter 40. Deadline is April 20th (I might push it back if you need more time). If you are interested in writing it, then let me know. If it doesn't seem like anyone is interested then I will write the chapter myself, but I hope you are interested, because it is really fun.

This time, you get to choose the deaths! You can kill up to three tributes.

Must be 2,000 words or more and proof-read.

Must include a scream, someone tripping, and a fly.

Must include the line "what else do you have up your sleeve," and the line "don't make me laugh, seriously, don't."

Must include the sea lion, a fight between Jace and Angelo, the color maroon, and the word inconceivable.

They are going back to the same arena, exactly the way that it was left, so weapons will be scattered all around. There still might even be some fish that Artis caught lying on the ground.

Any other questions, then please pm me!

Good luck and have fun!

~*Misty*~