See? told you I already had it up!
No longer in District Eight.
Now in District 12
Katniss and her crew were going to film some more propos of Katniss and Gale in the ruins of their home district. Starting with Katniss's childhood house.
"What do you want me to do?" Katniss asked Cressida.
"Whatever you feel like." Came the reply.
Well, Katniss didn't feel like doing anything. She just stood in her old kitchen, staring up at the sky. After a few minutes, Cressida decided it was time to continue.
Gale's house was next. The crew filmed him as he walked around the destroyed rooms, and pulled a twisted metal poker from the fireplace. Cressida began to question him about family, his life, his job, etc. She made Gale reenact the night of the firebombing.
By the time they reached the lake in the forest, everyone was exhausted and sweaty. Cressida called for a break.
Katniss sat next to Pollux, a member of the crew, and a former Avox, so that she wouldn't have to talk. No one was really talking, though. The mockingjays were the only ones who disrupted the silence. Katniss nudged Pollux, and pointed out a small black bird with a crown. Pollux turned toward her, and pointed at her mockingjay pin, eyebrows raised. Katniss nodded, confirming that it was a mockingjay. Pollux suddenly whistled a few notes. The bird answered him immediately. Back and forth. Pollux whistled. The mockingjay repeated. The sounds attracted yet more mockingjays. Pretty soon, six of them were perched on the branches.
Pollux turned to Katniss. He grabbed a twig, and wrote in the dirt with it. SING?
Well, Katniss couldn't exactly say no to Pollux. She found herself singing Rue's four note song from the first Games. The mockingjays picked it up, and began copying what they heard with their own voices.
"Want to hear them do a real song?" Katniss suddenly said. She stood, and laid her hand on a tree near by.
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where they strung up a man
They say who murdered three?
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at mid-
Night in the hanging tree."
The birds began to silence themselves, listening.
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where dead man called out
For his love to flee?
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at mid-
Night in the hanging tree.
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where I told you to run
So we'd both be free?
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we meet at mid-
Night in the hanging tree.
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Wear a necklace of rope
Side by side with me
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at mid-
Night in the hanging tree."
The birds remained silent, waiting for her to continue. But then finally, they began their rendition of "The Hanging Tree." Pollux had tears falling down his cheeks. Everyone was watching.
"Cut!" Cressida called.
Plutarch, who was with them this time, crossed over to Katniss. "Where do you come up with this stuff?" He laughed. "No one would believe it if we made it up!" He threw an arm around her shoulders. "You're golden!"
"I wasn't doing it for the cameras," said Katniss.
"Lucky they were on, then," he said. "Come on everybody, Back to town!"
Some more exploring. More taping. More questions. Finally Katniss announced, "I'm done. I'll meet you at the Victor's Village. Something for… My mother."
Next thing she knew, Katniss was sitting on the floor of her victor house. She stood, and grabbed some medicines from her cabinets. Bandages. Jars. The like.
When she turned, she found Gale standing in the doorway.
"Remember?" He said. "This is where you kissed me."
Katniss did remember. Very well, in fact. "I didn't think you'd remember that."
"Have to be dead to forget. Maybe even not then. Maybe I'll be like that man in 'The Hanging Tree.' still waiting for an answer." Gale had tears in his eyes. Katniss slowly walked over, and pressed her lips to his. When Gale pulled away, he gave a wry smile. "I knew you'd kiss me."
"How?"
"Because I'm in pain. That's the only way to get your attention." He picked up Katniss's box of medicines. "Don't worry, Katniss. It'll pass." He left.
Katniss rode the hovercraft back to 13 in silence. She went straight to bed upon arriving. After breakfast the next morning, she went to take a nap in the supply closet. By the time she came back around, It was dinnertime. She ate, then headed back to her compartment. But then Beetee intercepted her.
"There's a meeting in Command," he told her. "Disregard your current schedule."
"Done," said Katniss.
"Did you follow it at all today?"
"Who knows? I'm mentally disoriented. Why do they want me in Command? Did I miss something?"
"I think Cressida wanted to show you the Twelve propos. But I guess you'll see them when they air."
"That's what I need a schedule of. When the propos air."
Up in Command, Katniss took her seat between Finnick and Plutarch. The screens were already playing normal Capitol feed.
"What's going on? Aren't we seeing the Twelve propos?" Katniss asked.
"Oh, no," said Plutarch. "I mean, possibly. I don't know exactly what footage Beetee plans to use."
"Beetee thinks he's found a way to break into the feed nationwide," Finnick explained. "So that the propos will air in the Capitol, too. He's down working in Special Defense now. There's live programming tonight. I think it's starting."
Snow suddenly appeared, greeting the nation. The camera pulled back. Okay, there sat Peeta, sitting in an elevated chair in front of a projected map of Panem.
But the camera didn't stop there. Katniss was confused when the camera pulled back more than it would've needed, until it revealed the second guest that would be on television that night.
Katniss gasped along with Finnick when she caught sight of Link, sitting in a chair identical to Peeta's. He was clearly uncomfortable. Thin from hunger. Bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. His eyes were wild and angry. His long ears twitched slightly. His fingers were clasped together tightly at his lap. Katniss could see the obvious through his makeup and clothes. He was in great pain.
"Link…" Katniss whispered. Finnick grasped her hand. She clinged to it.
Peeta began to speak in a frustrated tone, telling the rebels about the need of a cease-fire. Link simply sat in his seat, letting him talk.
As Peeta spoke, parts of the map lit up, highlighting where damage had been done in the districts.
Peeta paused. Katniss could tell that the pause was a signal for Link to start talking. But he didn't. He just sat quietly in his seat, looking down, ears twitching. Peeta coughed, trying to get Link's attention. When Link still didn't speak, Peeta stuttered as he tried to say Link's lines for him.
Bam! Suddenly, Katniss found herself on television, standing in the rubble of the bakery.
"He did it!" Plutarch jumped up. "Beetee broke in!"
The room was practically throwing a mini party when Peeta and Link reappeared. Peeta was distracted after seeing Katniss on the monitor, but he tried to continue on. Katniss took a look at Link's face. His head was up now, eyes wide.
Another propo of Finnick talking about Rue replaced Peeta and Link.
Then the battle began.
Capitol. Propo. Capitol. Propo. Capitol.
Everybody in the room was cheering Beetee on. But only Katniss and Haymitch knew the truth. With every cheer, Peeta and Link were getting farther and farther away.
The Capitol seal appeared along with a flat audio tone. Twenty seconds later, Link, Peeta, and Snow appeared again. The set was in great confusion. Now both Link and Peeta sat in silence, eyes wide. Snow spoke into the camera, saying that clearly the rebels were trying to disrupt the dissemination of information, but both truth and justice will reign. He asked Link and Peeta if they had any parting thoughts for Katniss Everdeen.
Peeta's face contorted in effort when he heard Katniss's name. "Katniss… How do you think this will end? What will be left? No one is safe. Not in the Capitol. Not in the districts. And you… In Thirteen…" he inhaled sharply. "Dead by morning!"
Snow's voice came off screen. "End it!" He said.
Katniss watched as Link suddenly gasped. He leaped off his chair. Beetee threw in three-second intervals of Katniss standing in front of the burning hospital. But between the shots was the real action. Peeta's attempt to continue speaking. Link pulling Peeta off his chair, motioning for him to run. The scuffle of feet. Link throwing himself in front of Peeta as if to protect him. The camera got knocked to the floor, recording the white tiles. "NOO!" Katniss heard Link cry out at the top of his lungs. Suddenly, there was the sickening sound of something heavy and sharp whacking a person. Link screamed in pain. There was another loud WHACK! This time, Peeta cried out.
The floor that the fallen camera had been recording was suddenly coated with Link's and Peeta's blood.
That would be the end of part 1 in the book Mockingjay. stay tuned!
R&R plz!
