A MockingJay Story Part 1 Chapter 4
"How was it?" Shay asked Liam in the cafeteria that evening. She had a tray of food in front of her, uneaten.
Liam sat down with his tray. "I don't really know what I was expecting... but I still feel disappointed."
"I'm sorry." Shay said. "Any news on the others?"
Liam nodded slowly. "Patrick's dead."
Shay stared at him. She looked down at his hand and put her hand over it.
Clara sat at the table. "Liam, you're back." She smiled.
"I am." He said. "And is found something while I was there." He pulled the stuffed animals out for his lap under the table.
"You found Fluffles." Clara beamed. She stood up, reaching over for it. She clasped it in her hands and hugged it in her arms.
The table was all smiles for a moment. Then Clara asked, "What about my bunnies? Did you find them?"
Liam put his fork down on his tray. It clincked, touching the metal tray. "They got away."
"All of them?" She asked.
"Yeah." Liam said. "But that's okay. They're safe."
Clara pursed her lips. She glanced up at the TV screens hanging up in the cafeteria. The news was on, narrated by the capitol. She looked down at her food, picking at it. "Do you think we'll find them when we go back?"
Liam gave her a weird look. "I don't know if we can go back."
"It's our home!" Clara said.
A couple people in the cafeteria looked over at them.
"Mama fought for us to live there." Clara said.
"You have no idea." Liam said.
Shay sat up. "He means that you can't go back yet. And it may be a while before you can go back to your district. It's not safe there right now."
Clara took a bite of her food. "Does that mean I'll be spending my 6th birthday here too?"
Liam chuckled a little.
Shay smiled, "It's possible."
Liam looked over to Shay with gratitude.
The TV screens in the center of the room showed Caesar Flickerman. He was doing an interview with Peeta!
Katniss stood up, walking over to the television monitors.
Liam, Clara, and Shay turned their heads to the screens. Everyone in the cafeteria was watching.
"Oh my," Shay said.
"Peeta?" Clara said. "What's he doing on TV?"
"Shh-Shh." Shay said.
Peeta looked so different from the last time they him in the games. He was thinner. His cheeks weren't as full. His eyes looked dark.
Shay noticed something strange too. She stood up and got closer to the screen. Peeta wore a white suit, but something was off about it... there was a pointed piece at his neck.
In Peeta's interview, he asked for a cease fire. He asked the districts to stop fighting and rebelling against the Capitol. The members of district 13 were upset by his request, calling him a traitor.
Shay walked over to Katniss and whispered her discovery to her. "He's been threatened to say that. It's not really how he feels."
"They're torturing him." Katniss said. "Probably starving him or... I don't know." She covered her mouth.
"There was a spike on his collar, for posture. He couldn't even slouch or lower his head." Shay said. "Capitol used those for children with poor posture."
Katniss closed her eyes.
"But this is good." Shay said. "He's alive. And if he's alive, so are the others."
Clara sleepwalked that night, stalking the halls of the dorms on her floor. Her bare feet shuffled against the carpet as she moved along.
Katniss saw her in hallway when she got up in the middle of the night, struggling to sleep. Clara was almost at the end of the hallway, but Katniss could recognize her by her size. She saw a glimmer on her arm, from the bracelet Prim made her. Katniss smiled a little to herself and went back to bed.
The members of District 13 were still talking about Peeta's broadcast three days later, until the meet big interview.
Clara got in trouble for sleeping during her history class. Her teacher made her clean the chalkboard erasers during lunch time. Her teacher had another talk with Liam about it.
Clara stayed in her room for much of the day after school. She read her new book and started to cry. She hugged her book and cried on her bed.
Finnick heard her from nearby, and entered her room. "Hey, Clara. What's going on?" She said calmly.
She cried for a few more seconds, before answering him. "I miss Mama."
Finnick sat at the edge of the bed. "I miss Annie. You don't see me crying. Well, not at this very moment."
Clara sniffled.
"And Katniss misses Peeta. And Shay misses Joanna and your mom. You brother misses his sister." He said. He paused for a moment, thinking of what to say. "But we have to keep a brave face. Crying isn't going to do anything."
Clara wiped her eyes and sat up. "Writing." She said.
"What?" He asked.
"I can write about it." She said. She looked at the journal on her dresser.
The next day during Dinner, there was another interview. People were still talking about Peeta when Caesar's interview aired.
"I have another special guest with me today." Caesar said. "These riots have still continued."
Katniss looked up at the screen, confused. She looked over to Gale who also looked puzzled by this information.
"Just this morning in District 8, there was a horrible fight between the residents and the peacekeepers." Caesar said. "4 people are confirmed dead and at least a dozen others are injured."
Shay stood up in her seat.
"If you won't listen to one victor, maybe the words of another will move you." Caesar said.
Shay walked closer to the sceen. "Please be Violet or Joanna." she whispered to herself.
Everyone in the cafeteria of 13 had their eyes glued to the screen. Liam squeezed the can of juice in his hand. Shay's heart raced.
Who could it be? Shay wondered. Joanna or Violet. Or maybe just Enobaria. I don't know who I want to see more. Violet has a family and Joanna...
The camera switched over to Violet Alexander. The people in the cafeteria gasped and whispered to each other. Shay covered her mouth with both hands. Liam let go of the can.
Clara jumped up out of her seat. "Mama!"
Violet was there on the screen, but she too looked different. It had been months since they last saw her. The camera was close to her face, much like Peeta's interview. The closeness only drew more attention to her heavy make up. What are they trying to hide? Bruises from beatings? Dark eyes from insomnia? Her hair was cut short, above her shoulders. Oddly enough, she wasn't thinner, like Peeta was.
"Now, Violet," Caesar said, "I understand you have a message for these rebels."
Clara left the table and ran to the middle of the cafeteria, were the TV monitors were.
Prim saw Clara walk over and gave her a sympathetic look.
Violet nodded on the screen. "Yes. It's getting worse."
Liam got up and followed her. He picked Clara up, so she could be at eye level with the screen.
"These rebels are only stirring up more trouble. It's not helping anyone." Violet said.
"Traitor." One person in the cafeteria said.
"Just like the other one." Another person said.
"All these attacks are just getting people hurt or killed. It's not going to change anything. The games are still happening. This won't change that." Violet said.
"Mama." Clara said again, reaching of for the screen.
"History is repeating itself." Violet said. "They rebelled, and 13 is gone. What will be left this time? It's repeating with me too."
"How do you mean?" Caesar asked.
"The last time I here, you tried to silence me. Keep it secret. Here were are again." Violet said. Her face turned cold. Bitter.
Shay smiled a little. She's still in there.
Caesar looked uneasy. "I don't know what you mean. We're running out of time."
"It's the real reason you won't lower the camera. What are you afraid the people will see?" She asked. She leaned over to the side.
"Thank you for joining us." Caesar said, as a couple crew members escorted Violet away. The camera stopped showing her, focusing on Caesar before she got up.
"She's alive." Shay said, optimistically. She looked over to Liam and Clara with a smile on her face.
Clara's journal entry 1
Hi. My name is Clara Alexander. This diary is about my life in District 13.
I used to live in 12. I had lots of bunnies. I lived in a big house with my mama, uncle Liam, grandpa, Jerome, and Patrick. Jerome was my friend. He like liked my mom. My uncle liked a girl too, named Emily. She isn't around anymore. He was very sad when Emily died. I know now that she died. It's scary but also confusing. Jerome used to make food. It was good. I miss him. He died too. It was weird. I saw him on the TV. He was bleeding a lot. My mama was there, crying. It was part of these games. I'm still not sure what they are. But they are scary. I think these games might have bad people in them and have to live for a few days to win. But I also know that there is only one winner. It is weird. A lot of my friends here were in the games. Shay is really nice. Finnick is nice too and sometimes funny. No one likes to talk about the games.
It seems like I have lived in 13 for years. I think it has only been a few months. 13 is boring. We wear grey all the time. They don't do birthdays. The food is boring too. It's the same thing. Jerome made food that was more good. I go to a real school now, but it is not fun. I was told it was fun but it is not. The other kids are mean. They do not want to play with me. One kid tried to pull my bracelet off. Prim gave it to me. She is very nice. She plays cards with me and hide and seek. Finnick likes to play cards too. Shay likes to help me with writing and spelling. It is not as fun.
I sleep walk now too. I do not know why. I know it scares Liam. I do want him to be sad. I do not know how to stop sleepwalking. I wish I knew. It makes me really tired in the day time and I fall asleep in school. The teacher gets mad. I do not think she likes me.
It's not all bad here. Prim is really nice. Shay is cool. She spends a lot of time with Liam. Katniss is also here. I like her. She seems like famous around here. Finnick is here and he is funny. Haymitch is also nice to me. He seems like he doesn't like many people. I'm glad that he likes me.
I miss my mama so much. I wonder what she is up to and if she misses me as much as I miss her...
