Day of Freedom
Prompt: Can I get something with Everlark commemorating Juneteenth? Maybe Rue teaches them a little bit about the history of the day? Thanks!
A/N: As POC I've always heard of Juneteenth, but I didn't understand what it was until I began writing this story. Thank you to the person who asked for this prompt. It is a day of importance because of the emancipation of American Slaves. Although the Emancipation Proclamation became effective on January 1, 1863, after being signed by Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, many slaves were not freed until Union Soldiers won southern territory during the Civil War. In Texas, it took nearly two years before the slaves there would learn about their freedom on June 19th. I'm taking a little bit of liberty in the story. I can see Katniss and Peeta in this great struggle, set in the civil war, with Rue being a descendant of Peeta and Katniss. Hunger Games AU Historical off Canon. -note I put my research at the end of the story
Rating: M ( mature content, mentions of violence, mentions of slavery, mentions of rape)
I do not own the Hunger Games
1979
Rue sat in her rocking chair, looking out toward the mountains. A soft warm wind blew. It was hot today, but it was cooler in the higher elevations. She could hear the coyotes howling as night fell. Rue's family gathered on June 19th for a family barbeque at the site of the family cabin in the woods where she lived.
This was the Cabin her great grandfather built for his wife Katniss. Rue smiled at her memory, recalling the tall white man with gentle blue eyes. He saved Katniss. Saved her from death. Rue's hands gripped the armrest of the rocking chair where their initials were carved, P and K.
Rue smiled and hoped she'd done enough to tell her family their history. She was the last survivor who had seen them, met them, broke bread with them. They were a couple, but it was against the law for them to marry because she was black and he was white. In the eyes of the law, she was not his equal.
Rue's dark eyes traveled over her family as they gathered around the table. They were a mixture of all skin tones and hair colors. If not for Katniss and Peeta and their bravery, this family would not have been possible. Rue rocked gently and watched one of the little ones approach.
"Meemaw," she called out in her baby voice, her arms raised.
Rue opened her arms to her grandbaby. Leaning down, she picked up Ruby and settled her on her lap. All of the children call her Meemaw even though they lived in New York. It was what Rue had called Katniss. She had had a soft southern drawl and often had a faraway look filled with untold sorrow. Only Peeta could clear that sorrow from her eyes. Rue kissed Ruby's cheek.
Another of her great-grandbabies came along. This one, Rye, was a rascal. He had a head of blond hair and blue eyes. He sat down by the rocking chair with a slingshot clutched in his hand. He had mud on his boots. Rye aimed his slingshot toward the yard.
He stopped to watch the family eat and interact.
"Rye what is on your mind, dear boy?" Rue asked.
"Meemaw, why do we celebrate June 19th?"
"Why?" Ruby parroted.
Rue looked at her with her dark black hair and grey eyes. Ruby was the spitting image of her mother. Rye and Ruby were the spitting images of their ancestors. This generation needed to know the story.
"We celebrate June 19th as a way to celebrate our freedom."
"Freedom?"
More grandbabies started to appear. "Hey Rye, do you wanna play?"
"No, Mimaw is going to tell us a story about Freedom."
At the news, they decided to sit down. Meemaw always told the best stories. Rue rocked back and forth as she waited for the children to settle. The news of her storytelling was catching fire. Soon even the adults began to join. They sat down around her, waiting patiently for her to tell the story. Meemaw was gettin on in her days and it was important to listen to her sage words.
"Back in the days before cars, electricity, telephones, and even television, when the summers were long and people of color were slaves, your great, great, great, grandmother Katniss was born on a plantation."
Rue took her time to look at her family and she could see the spirit Katniss and Peeta peeking out from their eyes. "Her mother was a white woman, a beautiful white woman with pale blond hair and light blue eyes, named Florence. She fell in love with Jobah, a slave her father owned. He was a gentle soul with a voice so beautiful that when he sang the birds became quiet."
"Is that why you sound pretty when you sing?" One of the children asked.
"Yes, I suppose so," Rue chuckled. "I learned from listening to Katniss sing. Peeta called her the Mockingjay," Rue smiled, as she rocked back and forth.
"But why June 19th?" Rye asked.
"Because that's the day Katniss and many others who were born into slavery were set free." Rue smiled. "Florence was heartbroken when Jobha was sold. But having Katniss helped her melancholy."
Rue's eyes took on a faraway look and her voice shook with power as she recalled the history. "Her life changed the day she turned eleven. Katniss was put on the selling block, and Florence was to be married."
1858 The Seam Plantation
11 Years of Age
It was the coldest winter, a wet cold miserable winter in the south. When spring came it was still cold and they called it a Dogwood winter. No one dared plant their crops until the dogwoods bloomed, and that had yet to happen.
"Your papa was a good man, Katniss," Florence whispered, holding Katniss close before releasing her and continuing to comb her long black hair. Her olive skin tone and her pin-straight inky black hair spoke of her mixed heritage. Jobha himself was also mixed.
"Mama," Katniss whispered. Outside of this room, she couldn't call Florence her mother. Katniss was a house slave, cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. Her mama taught her numbers, how to read, and how to write, but it was a secret. If the master found out what Katniss knew, she for sure would have been sold.
Why do you call me your little Mockingjay?"
"Because of your birthmark; it's in the shape of a Mockingjay."
"Mama, what's a Mockingjay?"
Florence chuckled. Katniss loved to hear about her Mockingjay birthmark.
"A Mockingjay is a bird that can hear any tune and repeat it, just like you can hear anything and repeat it from memory."
Her mama combed her hair and braided it into a coronet. "Go to the kitchens Katniss; they're waiting for you."
Katniss nodded and walked away. It was another day where she washed dishes, cleaned the floor, and hauled wood into the kitchen. When the master showed up, his pale blue eyes took in her form as she held a pail of dirty water.
"Katniss, come here," he ordered.
His voice was cold and her heart pounded as she walked to him. It was when she stood in front of him did she see the other man standing in the shadow. He had cruel eyes and a strange beard.
"Open your mouth."
Katniss's hands became slick with sweat. The only time the master inspected someone's teeth was when they were going to be sold. There was nothing she could do, even if she was his daughter's child. Her lips trembled as she opened her mouth.
The man with the strange beard peered into her mouth.
"She's got good teeth."
"She's strong too," the master said. "Good for outdoor work or indoor work."
"She ain't got colored hair?"
"She's black," the master stated firmly.
"She's pretty enough to work on the inside. I will get you a good price today." This bearded man grabbed Katniss by the arm and began dragging her from the kitchen through the back door. Katniss had tears slipping down her face, but she dared not yell. She had seen what could happen if she dared to struggle. She was loaded into the back of a wagon with other slaves, including a boy who was a little older than her. Her mama said he was family with her papa. He stared out at their master, his dark eyes glinting with hate.
"Papa," Florence screamed as she ran from the house.
"Florence you will restrain yourself," the master said, catching her and holding her back.
"Please," Florence said, reaching for Katniss.
"She's mine, papa!" Florence said.
Her father slapped Florence and shook her. "You will bite your tongue girl."
"NO!" Florence cried desperately trying to get to Katniss.
One of Florence's brothers came out of the house and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly and dragged her away.
"You must forgive my daughter, she's attached to that one. But she won't need her anymore. She's going to get married today."
Katniss's eyes lifted to her mama and she knew she would never again see her.
"Women," the bearded man said.
"I want her sold today," her master bit out, his eyes raking over Katniss with disgust.
"The next sale is this evening."
"I will see you there."
The bearded man mounted his horse and Katniss gripped the back gate of the wagon.
Katniss watched as the only home she had ever known faded into the background. The wagon jostled and Katniss fell onto the boy.
He pushed her away. "Get away from me," the boy said. He was tall and because of the arduous work in the field he had arms like a man.
"Gale you hush, this child is innocent and she's a hard worker," said Celia who worked in the kitchen with Katniss.
"Look at her, she's not one of us," Gale spat.
"She'll be sold like one of us," Celia pointed out.
Katniss didn't dare speak as the nightmare before her, unfolded. They were put inside of a hot cramped room. Katniss's olive skin tone was lighter than that of the others in the room, her hair was different and her grey eyes made her stand out. She kept quiet grasping Celia's skirts as they waited for the auction.
The door opened and they were brought out to a scaffolding where the master and the bearded man stood. The bearded man had put on a top hat. They spoke quickly and she could see the master silently watching her with a smirk on his face.
When she was brought out, the bidding began and the numbers grew higher and higher, her exotic looks touted. The bearded man forced her mouth open as if she were livestock. Katniss was sold at a higher price than Gale or Cecilia. The man who purchased her looked cold. He had white-blond hair, with an autocratic stature, though it was his reptile-like yellow eyes that made Katniss shiver. This man also bought Gale and Cecilia.
This was her new master and Katniss knew that this man held no light in his heart, only evil.
1860 New Years Eve
Panem County
War was coming; the south had succeeded on December 20th of that year. The south rebelled in its secession from the Union. Peeta and his brothers felt this was just the precursor to war.
He and his family were abolitionists who were part of the underground movement to help slaves escape to freedom. Now their job would be nearly impossible, more so than when the fugitive slave act was signed into law. Any person of color, even if they were free-born could end up as a slave if a white man claimed they to belong to them.
The Mellarks weren't conductors, but their business was a station. Peeta and his family hid slaves in their bakery, providing food and a safe haven until they could once more continue their journey, with the next conductor. It was too dangerous for one conductor to guide the passengers to freedom. There were many stations and conductors that transported the passengers to freedom.
His family had to keep their beliefs private, not wanting to call attention to their position. There were times though, like tonight that he and his family had to put on their legendary charm before society.
The Snow Plantation was holding a gala to ring in the new year.
"Son, are you ready?" his father asked.
"Yes sir," Peeta said quietly. This was his first year attending the gala, as he was now fourteen. In previous years he had stayed home because he was considered far too young.
The Mellark men were all blond, blue-eyed, and muscular. Lifting heavy sacks of flour and sugar, and heavy crates built up their stocky frames. Peeta was the youngest and shortest of all of them. His oldest brother Graham was as tall as their father, in the six-foot-plus range. Michael Ryan, or Rye as he preferred to be called, was nearly six feet. At fourteen Peeta was short, shorter than other boys his age.
Peeta followed his father down the stairs. They were a house full of men. Peeta's mother had passed away giving birth to him. His father moved them from Boston to the south as a way of starting over. However, the plight of the slaves caused his father to teach his children about the evils of the slave trade, and slavehood.
They mounted the wagon they used for deliveries. They were going to the largest estates in Panem County. The Snow's had so much territory and so many slaves he divided them up into districts with an overlord for each one. No slave had ever escaped from Snow's plantation. His slaves feared him.
Peeta had only ever been to the Snow Estate for deliveries before, but he hated going there, and if not for his father he would have stayed home again. As they drove by Peeta heard a voice singing. He sat up. Her voice was so lonesome and it filled the air with pain and sorrow that his heartfelt as if it was going to explode from his chest.
It was as if the heavens above and everything below stopped to listen to the plaintive song. Using his hearing, he pinpointed where the song was coming from. Her voice was joined with other voices. In the darkness, he spotted a group huddled in a circle slowly singing.
"No more auction block for me, no more, no more…"
"They're burying someone," Ryan said. "They can't do it during the day, so they wait until late night to do it quietly."
Peeta wondered who had passed away that caused them to sing so passionately.
They reached the main house and Peeta saw the blithely decorated main house in holiday cheer. They parked to the side and they jumped down. One of the valets took the reins and drove the wagon away. Peeta noted there were many fancy carriages, and rigs being parked into the carriage house.
The crush of people at the estate was impressive. The topic of conversation was the succession from the Union. Peeta understood the succession from the Union wasn't about the rights of slaves, that was an altruistic fairytale. Any bold move by the southern states was driven by two things: power and money. These two items were almost always at the center of any precursor to war.
Peeta walked further into the room where women were dressed in their finest. They fanned themselves as they took in his older brother Graham as he walked by. Peeta could hear their whispered conversation. It was odd seeing the lady's flock toward his brother. He was of marrying age though Graham was cautious when it came to the attention women gave him. He knew the work they did for the underground railroad was important.
They lived miles from a territory that wasn't part of the Union. It was only a small journey from their town to the territory. Peeta watched the men and women interact knowing many of them thought nothing of the souls they crushed to gain their wealth and position. Since he was so young he wasn't expected to interact.
It was toward the end of the evening that he found himself heading toward the kitchen. It was there he heard the stunning voice once again. As if enchanted, he followed the voice until he saw a girl singing softly to a child.
"Deep in the meadow," she sang.
Her back was to him and she was softly pushing a cradle back and forth. Peeta saw he was in a nursery. There were lavish draperies in a light rose color. There was rich mahogany furniture in the room. Peeta made a move to enter the room and he tripped.
The girl stopped singing and stood up and turned around.
Peeta gasped, he had never seen a girl more beautiful in his life. Her olive skin, combined with raven-colored hair and grey eyes that looked like the twinkling stars at night. She stood up from the ground. Her clothing was shabby, she looked alarmed at the sight of him.
"Please don't stop singing."
"Please sir," she said. Her southern accent was thick. "Please walk away. If my master catches you here..."
Peeta didn't want her to get in trouble.
"What is going on here Katniss?" Miss Snow questioned. She swept into the room and her eyes fell on the baby.
Katniss didn't reply, her eyes were cast down.
"The baby was crying and she was singing to the child, ma'am," Peeta said.
Miss Snow lifted an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Yes ma'am, you wouldn't want me to sing, I'd scare the poor child. Probably cause the baby to have nightmares." Peeta smiled. "My name is Peeta Mellark, ma'am. It's my first time coming to such a fine gala. I got lost and found her working, as she should be."
"You are so right, there is no rest for the weary," Miss Snow said. She turned to him. "You are one of Josiah's boys?"
"Yes ma'am, the youngest, as I said before, I've never been. This is my first year and I got lost. Tell me," Peeta said, noting she looked to be around the same age as his brother Graham. "Did you need a map to find your way around?"
'What is going on here, Tigress?" Coryo said from the door.
Peeta watched Katniss grab her shaking hand at the sight of Coryo Snow. He was the image of his father. He often accompanied his father to buy slaves.
"Young Mr. Mellark got lost. I was bringing him back downstairs when I stopped at the nursery to check on my sweet Lilly."
"Is that so?" Coryo turned his frightening eyes on her.
Peeta buried his reaction to Snow and smiled. "Like I said to Miss Snow, this house is so grand that I do not know how people do not get lost here."
"This house was built by my grandfather. Come, I will escort you both back to the gala."
Miss Snow quietly said, "Katniss, do not leave this room."
"Yes, Mistress Tigress."
Peeta smiled, but internally he was seething.
Later that night as he and his father were waiting for the wagon, he saw a tall boy arguing with a smaller figure.
"This ain't fair," he growled.
"Gale, you have to calm down."
"This is no type of life for us, workin' till our hands bleed, sunup to sundown under the threat of being whipped or shot. Cecilia, a kind gentlewoman, was whipped to her death because she broke a cup."
"Gale you need to calm down, if they hear you they will whip you too."
Peeta recognized the voice. He knew it was Katniss. He furled his hands in helpless desperation. He hoped that if war did come that the North won so that the slaves could be set free.
1863
Panem County
February
The war showed no signs of stopping. The Union Army was doing poorly and many in the South touted that the Confederacy would be victorious. The tales of glorious battles moved many to join the war effort. In Panem County, the absence of many of the young men was apparent. They didn't have enough overseers for each district of land so they worked in shifts.
It was hot outside and the sun beat down as Katniss worked spreading seeds. It was planting time and all of the slaves were required to help. Katniss hummed to herself as she planted. She was running out of seeds and she held her bag up to the overseer to let him know she was going to get more seeds.
Gale was by the barrel drinking water.
There were rumors President Lincoln had signed some sort of law that set the slaves free. No one knew the truth as Snow and his family kept a tight lock on their plantation. Katniss was glad to have Gale with her from the original plantation. Only he knew her true origins. Many seeing her skin tone, straight locks, and strange colored eyes thought she was the result of another owner abusing a slave.
Gale offered her the cup of water he held. She shook her head. Gale glanced over his shoulder at the woods.
"Katniss, we should make a run for it," Gale said in a low voice. "I heard the call of the railroad, they're makin' a pass tonight."
"Gale," Katniss warned as she watched one of the overseers tilt his head their way. He stood with a shotgun over his shoulder.
"I just know the rumors are true," Gale whispered before he drank.
"It could be hearsay, made up by other Masters who are waiting to punish us," Katniss said, thinking about what it could possibly mean. She poured more seeds into her bag.
"I don't think it's false. I heard that there is a negro army."
Katniss's hands faltered as the scoop fell into the barrel with the seed. "A negro army?" she whispered then twisted her eyes to the overseer, thinking perhaps he could hear them.
"If I could, I would join that army."
"Gale," Katniss whispered. "She put another scoop into her feed bag. "Stop that wild talk."
"I'd rather die fighting for my freedom than to stay a slave and die at the hand of the Master."
Katniss had no reply. Master Coryo was evil. He was cruel and unhinged. Katniss had seen him cut up a horse for the sheer pleasure of it. Even his cousin Tigress feared him and there were rumors the daughter Tigress gave birth to did not belong to her husband. They all thought Master Coryo would join the war, but he stayed behind.
"I got to get back to the field," Katniss muttered walking away.
Later that night Katniss was back in the big house cleaning carpets. Her day began at four in the morning in the kitchen, then she went outside to help with the planting. Before the evening she came in to help with the evening meal. Served, cleaned, and now she was cleaning the carpet. She was bone tired.
As she whacked the rug, she heard the soft call of the Mockingjay. She looked up to see Gale standing in the semi-darkness. "Gale, you're supposed to be asleep."
"You need to come with me," Gale urged.
Katniss wanted to escape but she knew that she had to wait for the right moment. Master Coryo kept an eye on her at all times. When she worked outside, he wasn't far away, and he checked up on her many times when she was required to work in the kitchens. Master Coryo considered her an aberration, as she was half white. There was one other girl on the property who the Master was quite taken with and that was Lucy. Poor Lucy was often called to his bed chambers at night.
"I can't Gale." Katniss began to beat the carpet.
"Fine stay," Gale said as he walked away.
Katniss kept working quietly.
"Don't you ever grow tired, girl?"
The soft voice of Master Coryo had her heart beating swiftly in her chest. She looked at the ground and shook her head no.
"I get tired of looking at you."
Katniss braced herself for the pain, but it didn't come.
Master Coryo laughed then walked away.
Katniss let the breath she held free. After putting the rugs back down, she walked to her pallet on the kitchen floor and fell asleep, until she was woken up by frightened whispering and the sick sound of whipping. Katniss jumped up and rushed outside and gasped.
Gale was tied to a tree, with an overseer brandishing a whip. Master Coryo watched as it happened.
Master Coryo's eyes collided with hers. His eyes swept down her body before he turned to look at Lucy. The girl's eyes widened. Katniss looked down, and something in her spirit ignited. She vowed she would escape and so would Gale.
Two weeks later she found herself going into town with Tigress. Gale had suffered greatly and he was still ill, but Katniss had vowed to him that she would find a way to freedom. They stopped in front of the brick building. "Come with me Katniss," Tigress said.
Katniss walked behind Tigress, into the building. When she looked up she saw a white man carrying sacks easily. She watched his broad shoulders as he put the sacks down.
"Peeta," Tigress called.
Katniss's eyes widened as she saw the young boy who had come to her defense all of those years ago. He smiled and paused when he saw her. "Hello, Miss Snow."
"I need a cake for a meeting tonight," Tigress said.
Peeta's eyes widened momentarily. He walked to the back, and Mr. Mellark came out.
"Good afternoon, Miss Snow. What kind of cake are you looking to bring?" His father asked.
"Chocolate," Tigress said.
Katniss frowned; she had never heard of chocolate cake.
"For tonight, that's rather a short period of time."
"It is very important, it's my daughter's birthday."
Katniss was surprised and looked at Miss Snow. Her daughter's birthday was not today.
"That is a special request. I think we can make it. I am sure Mr. Snow will be happy with the chocolate cake."
"Mr. Mellark, my cousin is never happy," she said, putting down money on the table. "Come along, Katniss." Katniss followed behind her as she quietly said, "Tonight you and Gale are going to be free. I am going to put something in Coryo's tea. It will make him sleepy. You listen to the Mellarks. Do you hear me?"
"Ma'am?"
"I won't let Coryo do to you what he has done to Lucy, or do to Gale what he did to Cecilia. Do you understand, Katniss? It was Coryo who whipped Cecilia, and he has his eyes on you and Gale."
Katniss nodded. Mistress Tigress was a kind woman; she was as much of a victim as they were. "Yes ma'am."
That night Katniss was so nervous she stayed out of the way. It was a Saturday night and she quietly waited.
When Tigress came downstairs, she motioned to Katniss and Katniss quickly followed her. Together they walked the grounds of the property until they reached the woods. There in the woods stood Young Mr. Mellark.
"Go with him," Tigress said.
"What about Gale?"
"He's already on his way."
Katniss wasn't sure, but she knew enough to run. She ran toward the man waiting for her.
"I'm Peeta," he said. "I'm your conductor and you'll have to listen to me if you want to be free."
Katniss nodded.
"Okay come on," he said.
Katniss followed him through the woods until they came to his horse. He picked her up and put her on the horse, before climbing up behind her. Katniss wasn't used to being touched by anyone, much less a white man. She bit down on her bottom lip as he grabbed the reins of the horse and they rode into the dark. They rode all night long until they arrived at a small farmstead. Katniss nodded off several times during the night. She could not believe she had entrusted her very life to a white man.
It was getting light out. Peeta jumped down, and led the horse to a barn, he opened it and helped Katniss get down. "Stay in here," he said as he walked away.
Katniss nodded.
She watched him walk away, hidden behind the barn door. A few minutes later he came back with a pitcher of water and a change of clothing. "Wash yourself, take off those things and put these on," he said, handing her the bundle.
Katniss watched him lead the horse to a stall. She walked to a different stall and did as he asked.
He took her clothing and put them in a barrel that was filled with a funny-smelling liquid. She watched him take the liquid and spilled it on the floor of the barn.
"What is that?"
"It's spirit vinegar, it throws off your scent."
"Do you think Master Coryo is looking for us?"
"Yes," Peeta said. "My paw left yesterday afternoon. He let it be known we're visiting my sister-in-law who is expecting her first child. Everyone thinks I went with him because Graham is fighting in the war."
"Is he fighting for the south?" Katniss blurted.
"No he's fighting for the north, but we don't tell anyone."
Katniss was shocked. "Where is Gale?"
"He's with Haymitch."
"Who is Haymitch?"
"Look Katniss, the less you know the better for you. If anyone asks, you belong to me, though you could pass for white."
Katniss nodded.
"We'll rest here today and leave at dusk."
Katniss said nothing.
The state was huge and they traveled by night, Peeta often changed horses. Little by little Katniss came to trust Peeta. He was quiet and kind. She learned he was a year older than she. He was quick-witted. Always charming and quite handsome.
Time slipped by and one month later they were close to the free territory.
"Are you alright?" Peeta asked.
"Yes," she whispered from her hiding position. She was surrounded by bales of hay.
Peeta stood by the back of the covered wagon. Their new conductor was inside of a feed store. "We're only a few days away from the border.
Katniss couldn't wait to reach the border. As long as they were in Texas, they were still within Master Coryo's reach.
"What are you going to do when you reach heaven?"
Heaven was the code word for the freedom destinations such as Canada, Mexico, or one of the Caribbean islands. Peeta was taking her to Canada, but she had never stopped to think of what she would do once she arrived there. "I don't know."
"You could find yourself a good man and settle down."
Getting married was out of the question. "I can't do that Peeta."
"Why not?"
"Because I am a Negro woman and I don't ever want to see my children sold into slavery."
"But the war…"
"Fiddlesticks," Katniss muttered. There was a real fear that the Union wouldn't win. General Lee was a better leader than Mclellan. "What if the Union fails? And slavery remains, or the Confederacy takes over. That will mean that men like Master Coryo will hunt my children."
"What if you married a white man?"
"Peeta, I would be terrified to have children. I could very well have a child that was darker than me. How would I explain that to my husband?"
"If a man loves you, he would not care what color the children are."
"It did to my grandfather," Katniss whispered.
"What?"
"My mother was a white woman who fell in love with a slave named Jobha. My mothers told me my father was a mulatto, with a voice so pure even the birds stopped singing to listen to him. I inherited my father's voice."
"Your mother was white?" Peeta had never heard of anything like that. He thought her father was one of those men who took advantage of the women on their plantations.
"Yes, she was the daughter of the plantation owner."
"How did you end up at Snow's plantation?"
"It all started when her father found out about them. He sold my father thinking he had gotten rid of the problem. But my mother's waistline grew. He was furious when I was born. When I turned eleven he sold me and forced my mother to marry."
"How could he do that?"
"He never saw me as kin, Peeta. I was an aberration, a shameful secret he wanted to bury."
Peeta turned around and Katniss saw the tears running down his face. "I would never do that."
"Some men, Peeta, aren't like you. To them I'm a possession - as worthless as a footstool, I only exist to do my Masters bidding until I die. The only value I have is when I am sold on the auction block."
Peeta turned around and in a low voice, he said, "Listen to me Katniss, never let anyone determine your worth. You are a divine creation and you have no idea the effect you have on others with your courage. There isn't one person that we have met whose convictions for the cause haven't been renewed. They believe that even if we do not win this war, we will continue to do everything to keep on freeing people."
Katniss was stunned to hear how fervent he was. She waited sometime before saying. "What about you? Are you going to go back to Panem?"
Peeta turned his head. "I don't know if I want to go back to Panem County, to be honest. I do want to continue helping in the underground railroad."
Their new conductor came outside but Peeta's words about her worth stayed with her. She had never considered herself valuable. When she was torn away from her mother's side and sold, she felt devoid of humanity. Laboring under Master Coryo's dominion was belittling. She never shared that she knew how to do numbers or that she knew how to read or write. Katniss became afraid of what he could do to her.
One Month Later
When they came to the Indian Territory, Katniss stood in the vast plains looking up at the sky. She inhaled deeply, she was free from Texas. Lifting the hem of her dress she began to dance around. Her hands spread wide. Peeta laughed, and she grabbed his hands and together they twirled around, feeling euphoric.
However, their journey was just beginning. They still had to traverse through the territory and it was slow, because of the war. Even though they were in the territory there were many southern sympathizers who would gladly capture her and take her back to Master Coryo.
They arrived at a bordello owned by a woman named Effie Trinket. She rushed them inside. "Quickly," Effie urged them into the cellar. "Coriolanus Snow has a $100 bounty on her head."
"Just today I had a hunter ask if a mulatto girl with gray eyes came this way?"
"What did you say?" Peeta asked.
"I said nothing, of course, and then Glimmer offered her services. He's upstairs with her right now."
"I need you to stay here for the next few days until it's safe."
They stayed inside the cellar for a long time. One of the girls came downstairs with blankets and food for them. She told them there were many patrons upstairs. They ate in silence.
"Are you cold?" Peeta asked that night.
Katniss was used to sleeping on the floor, however, they were still in March, and the further north they moved, the colder it became. "Yes."
"Would you mind sleeping by my side?" he asked shyly.
Katniss nodded. She found it endearing that he asked her to sleep next to him to conserve the heat. He always asked her what she wanted, he never assumed or took, never told her what to do, and it was different. She'd grown up being told what to do, assuming what her needs would be, and taking her very essence. Once more she couldn't help but think of how gentle Peeta was. Even now as they laid next to each other, he asked her if she wanted his blanket.
In the morning, Katniss awoke wrapped in Peeta's arms. Katniss usually hated being touched, but it felt good to be in his arms. She felt at peace. For the next few days, they slept together, innocently seeking warmth. Each day, Ms. Effie would come downstairs and give them food and water. She would provide them with the news. They were waiting for a conductor to take them safely to the next station. They waited until one night she gave him the all-clear.
Ms. Effie dressed Katniss up in a fine dress and gave her spectacles to wear to hide her eyes.
"You listen to me Katniss, you stay by Peeta. He is good people."
Katniss was beginning to believe that Peeta was a good man. Their conductor was a small wiry man who was a minister. He picked them up in his covered wagon heading north and drove them through the territory slowly. The rains made the passage harder but it afforded her time to get closer to Peeta.
They often spoke late into the night. She learned he loved the sunset, loved the shades of oranges found in the sky as the sun descended into the horizon. He painted such pretty words that Katniss often fell asleep listening to him speak.
Peeta was unlike anyone she had ever met in her life. He was kind for the sake of being kind. If there was a child who was hungry regardless of the color of their skin he shared his food with them. He was truthful with her and did not hide the troubles that they would face.
They were headed toward Missouri, a southern state, to get to St. Louis and then cross into Illinois. From there they would travel to Chicago. Once there, they would take a boat ride from Chicago through the Great lakes to reach Canada. Once in Canada, they would make their way down to a territory that bordered New York.
The moment they entered Missouri, Katniss felt the oppression once more. Missouri was a hotbed state, both the Confederacy and the Union claimed it. It was deeply divided. Those who sympathized with the Confederacy joined the Confederate army and maintained the fugitive slave act. Those who sympathized with the Union joined the Union army and many helped escaped slaves.
Katniss was not a great liar, and the tension of traveling and fear of being caught were causing her to lose sleep. Peeta constantly told her not to be afraid to put her head up and to act as if she was his wife. It was silly to think that she, a woman born into slavery, would be considered a white man's woman.
But everyone who they met treated her as such. She was Mrs. Mellark. To the world, they were a poor immigrant couple traveling to meet family up north.
Peeta had gotten them a room in a steamboat traveling up the Mississippi River. Katniss hardly left the room. They feared that prolonged exposure would somehow get to Coryo. Katniss was still being hunted; the Bounty was now at $300.
Coryo had not stopped looking for Katniss. Peeta had heard from various contacts that several slaves had escaped from the plantation following Gale and Katniss's disappearance.
They were set to arrive at St. Louis the next night. Katniss lay in the bed and Peeta lay on the floor. "Why help me? Why try to save my life? If you're caught I know Master Coryo would not hesitate to kill you."
"If it means bringing you to Freedom then I won't mind dying."
His honest answer shocked her.
"You deserve to be free. All people, regardless of their race or creed deserve to be free. Man was not born to be owned by another. We were born with a free will for a reason, and when we die that's the only thing we take with us."
Katniss had never heard Peeta speak that way about someone of her race. She turned onto her side and looked down at him. In these weeks he had become dear to her. He spoke words that she could never think to say.
Katniss slipped her hand down and grasped his. His large hand encircled hers. "You're a good man, Peeta Mellark."
He chuckled. "I've been a goner since I heard you sing at that New Year's Eve gala. Can you sing me a song?"
Katniss couldn't deny him this request. It was unusual for a conductor to travel with slaves to their freedom; they usually only traveled with them from one station to hand them off to another conductor at the next station. Before Peeta, only one person had done that, a woman they called Moses. Katniss had never met Harriet Tubman, but the courage the woman displayed was an inspiration to Katniss.
As she sang softly she noticed Peeta's grip did not slacken.
The next morning, Peeta and Katniss stood along with the other passengers of the steamboat waiting to arrive at St Louis. Their plan was to hide in plain sight and meet a man by the name of Plutarch Heavenbee. According to Peeta, he would be wearing a purple suit.
He was their conductor from St. Louis to Chicago.
"Stay close to me," Peeta said.
Katniss nodded. Just because they have reached St Louis didn't mean they were home-free. They still had to cross into Illinois to be free.
They set down the gangplank. Once they reached the pier, Katniss was jostled and she lost her grip on Peeta. Katniss searched the crowd for that familiar wavy blond hair and broad shoulders.
A hand grasped Katniss's elbow and pulled her from the crowd.
"Hello, Katniss."
Katniss tripped and fell backward. She looked up as she recognized the voice of Master Coryo.
He was dressed in all black, his eyes ablaze with anger.
Katniss saw when he was jostled from behind by a thick-necked man. Seeing an opportunity, she ran, using her short stature she slipped through the crowd. Katniss searched for Peeta, but there were so many people at the pier she became disoriented.
Master Coryo was quick on his feet and caught up to her quickly. This time he grabbed her roughly. She glanced up to see him looming over her, like a snake coiled to strike. She wanted to lash out and hurt him, but there was a magistrate with him.
He was going to kill her, but suddenly Katniss wasn't afraid. She squared shoulders. If she was going to escape she needed to be astute. Master Coryo did not believe women or negros were intelligent enough to outsmart him. Traveling with Peeta taught her to have faith and value in her person.
"Unhand me, sir. Who do you think you are?" she said in a voice loud enough so that others could hear her.
"Where is Gale? Is he here with you?"
"This man is accosting me." She pulled away from him, feeling the outrage rather than just acting the part.
'Stop this nonsense," Master Coryo said. "Where is Gale?"
"I have no idea what you're speaking of," Katniss said. She really didn't know where Gale was, but she hoped that no matter where Gale was, he was free from malicious men like Coriolanus Snow.
"Do not test me, girl," his voice was soft, like the hiss of a snake right before striking.
The magistrate stared at her, as if not believing her. Katniss was determined to fight until the end.
"Katniss!" A woman yelled from within the crowd. "I see her, my baby!"
Master Coryo, looked confused as he saw a blonde, pale woman, with pale blue eyes dragging a portly man dressed in a deep purple outfit.
Katniss turned and smiled; her eyes filled with tears as she recognized the woman who was barreling her way toward her.
"Hello, mama," Katniss greeted as she was enveloped in a hug.
"Sir," the magistrate looked at Katniss. He frowned. "Are you sure this woman is a negro?"
"She is my property!" Coryo growled.
A crowd was beginning to form around them.
The portly man coughed into his handkerchief. "Sir, are you telling me that this man claims my daughter is his property?"
"Mr. Heavensbee...I...I didn't see you there,'' the magistrate stuttered.
At the mention of Hevaensbee Katniss had to hide her shock. This was the conductor. She wondered, how it was her mother came to be with such a man?
"I want to know who this man is who dares make such false accusations," Plutarch huffed.
By now the gathered crowd had swelled. The passengers who had disembarked the steamboats and other ships stayed behind to listen to the brouhaha.
"I am Corlionaus Snow. I own the largest plantation in Panem County."
Plutarch raised an eyebrow. "Well, I own half of this city and the one beyond."
Master Coryo's eyes turned deadly. If they had been on his plantation Katniss knew she would have surely been dead.
"Don't worry none, Katniss. Plutarch is a good man," her mother whispered.
Katniss smiled. She couldn't believe she was reunited with her mother. Katniss held onto her mother's hand.
A little old man stepped forward. "Look at them, they're the mirror of each other. True, the mother is fair, but they have the same height, the same nose, and the same chin. The only thing that is different, are their eyes. None of my kids had my green eyes, they had hazel eyes or brown."
Several men murmured in agreement.
The magistrate looked between Katniss and her mother Florence.
"I'm telling you she is my slave!" Coryo yelled. "Now arrest her so I can take her back to my plantation." The way Coryo said his words left little or no doubt that if the Magistrate did not follow his instructions the man would lose his job.
"Ma'am, can you prove this is your daughter?"
"Of course I can. She's my little Mockingjay. She has a birthmark of a Mockingjay…"
"On her thigh," Peeta said as he joined them. He gently held her hand. "Katniss, I told you to stay close," he admonished gently.
"Sorry," Katniss said. She was apologetic, regretful that she had been caught. "There are a lot of strangers. This man tried to take me."
"And who are you?" The magistrate asked.
"That's her husband," one of the passengers said.
"And you are?" The magistrate turned to the person who shouted the answer.
"I, my dear man, am Caesar Flickerman. I run the Chronicle." He stood with his hand in his pocket. "I can attest, they are a lovely couple, newlyweds, who were traveling to the north to visit family."
"This farce has gone far enough. I have a bill of sale for one mulatto girl." Coryo's voice turned cold, "That is a mulatto girl, and she belongs to me."
Her mother gasped. "How dare you say such a filthy accusation."
"I've heard of men like you, who capture gently bred women and sell them to nefarious black markets," Caesar Flickerman said.
The crowd became incendiary, muttering how men did not respect wives and gently born women. "Arrest that man," someone in the crowd shouted.
"Arrest him," another one shouted.
The Magistrate glanced at Plutarch, who gave a slight nod.
The Magistrate took off his hat before turning to Master Coryo, "Look, sir. I don't know what type of depraved game you are playing. Clearly, this woman is married and her parents are standing here. I need you to come with me."
Coryo moved backward. Another officer of the law showed up and cuffed Coryo. "You are making a mistake," Coryo growled and resisted being arrested.
"Let us leave this place," Katniss said, wanting to getaway.
The Next Day
By the time they reached Plutarch's palatial house in Illinois, it was late evening. Everyone was exhausted and barely touched the evening meal.
Katniss woke up in a large room and her first thought was of Peeta. After months of being together, she missed his presence.
There was a knock at the door and her mother came in.
"Good morning," her mother said.
Katniss's heart warmed at the sight of the one person she thought she would never see. "Good morning."
"I can't believe you are here," her mother said.
"Me either." Katniss had many questions.
"When Plutarch told me he was meeting a couple arriving on the steamboat, I thought I would go, thinking to help. When you have two people escaping it is necessary to have someone who is quick on their feet." Florence sighed. "I never thought you would be the person that we were supposed to bring to safety."
"I am still in shock. Plutarch was the man we were supposed to meet?" Katniss asked.
"I am sure you have many questions."
"How did you escape the man you were forced to marry?"
"I didn't."
Katniss wasn't following.
"When my father married me off, he had no idea Plutarch was an abolitionist." Florence looked at her daughter. "I was determined to help him after you were taken... I understood that what my father and so many others were doing was wrong. You were a blameless child. Slavery is wrong, and it separates families." She stopped speaking and wiped her eyes.
"So all of this time you've been part of the underground railroad."
"Yes."
"I couldn't stand the idea of another man, woman, or child being treated as if they were not created equal. Our constitution states that all men are created equal. The proudest day was when Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation declaring all men to be freed. I hoped you would be free, I believe it is our God-given right to be happy, and slavery brings nothing but misery."
Katniss nodded. Peeta had said similar things to her.
"That young man who risked his life to travel with you," her mother trailed off.
Katniss looked down.
"He is special and your eyes light up when I mention him. Do you have feelings for him?"
This conversation felt like the ones she had with her mother as a child. She was safe and comfortable and without much thought, she blurted, "Yes." It was true she had grown feelings for him, but she wondered if it was one-sided.
Her mother took her hand then said, "You have every right to be happy. If you have feelings for him you should speak to him. Tell him before the journey ends."
"What about the war?"
"If you are in Canada, no one can touch you, but we can visit you."
Katniss nodded, but she was nervous. She had no idea if he felt the same way, but she needed to find out.
She found Peeta in the library, looking at a trick door that led to a secret compartment. "This is where they hide the passengers. It's wondrous."
"It is."
"You were amazing yesterday, standing up to Snow."
"It's what you said. You said I am worthy, and I knew that I could speak up for myself."
He took her hand, "No one will ever be able to belittle you. You are a strong, capable woman. I would love to be present for the rest of your journey if you allowed me?"
His words caused her heart to beat rapidly and it opened the door for her to speak in earnest. Katniss took a deep breath before she spoke, "I think that if we had a station, we could put in something like that."
Peeta's lips broke into a smile. "Or if we lived in Canada, and opened a bakery we could help those who sought freedom if they need to find employment or a place to stay whilst they get on their feet."
Katniss smiled. "Really."
"I told you I was a goner when I heard you sing. You are beautiful and if we ever decide to have children, I would love them no matter what color they are."
He opened his arms and she stepped into them.
June 19th, 1866
The war was over, it ended on April 9th of the previous year. It was a relief that the Union had won. Katniss held her daughter Liberty in her arms. She was born this morning a free woman. Peeta was in their small kitchen baking.
As the news of the end of the war spread, freedom came to those who were still living on a plantation. Katniss couldn't believe freedom had finally arrived and her eyes were filled with tears as she looked at her daughter.
"Libby," she said. "You're named after the day of freedom."
Libby's eyes were closed, her small lips were puckered together.
Katniss couldn't believe how much her life had changed in the past three years. After she reunited with her mother they traveled up to Chicago and took a boat into Canada. They settled in a small town and soon Peeta's family began to move around them. Graham was injured at the Battle of Fort Sanders, in 1863 and returning he and his wife their child moved there along with his father. After the war, Rye made his way there as well. Katniss's mother and her husband Plutarch bought a house nearby and spent the summer with them.
After that day at the piers, Katniss had never seen Coriolanus Snow again. He was arrested and imprisoned for trafficking of white women of all things. He was kept in prison until the end of the war. Mistress Tigress wrote to her that when he returned he caught tuberculosis and succumbed to the illness a year later. Tigress and her daughter sold the land and kept the house, they were living comfortably off of the money of the sale.
A gentle knock at the door caused her to look up.
"I just received a notice, Gale is on his way," Peeta said.
"How did he know about the baby?"
"Plutarch sent him a notice that you were going to have our baby."
Katniss smiled. When they were settled in, they learned from Plutarch that Gale had made it to freedom. He joined the Union Army and served under Harriet Tubman. He fought valiantly. When the war was over, he was part of the team of soldiers who helped spread the word of the Emancipation. He was headed toward Texas when he got the news she had the false labor pains.
"I am glad."
"Are you alright?"
Katniss smiled, she was and now they were truly free.
Present Day, Rue
"My grandmother Libby was born on June 19th, 1866; the same day freedom arrived in Texas," Rue said. "We celebrate Juneteenth not just because of Libby, but because that's when our people were free. Later that year, Peeta began building this very cabin for Katniss. When we get together here, we have to remember those who came before us. Those who struggled and fought for freedom. You can vote, speak your mind, be educated, and marry the love of your life."
"That is so romantical," one of the grandbabies sighed.
"Memaw did gran-gran Katniss marry Peeta?"
"Yes and no," Rue said. "They had a private Toasting, and jumped the broom in Illinois."
Most of the children knew jumping the broom was the way slaves got married, and Toasting was something Peeta and his family did to signify marriage.
Rye looked up, "So it's our freedom day."
"Yes."
"Okay, can I play now?" Rye asked.
Rue chuckled. "Yes, young man, go and be free."
RESEARCH
Emancipation
.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation#:~:text=President,and .
Abolitionist
topics/black-history/abolitionist-movement
June 19th
topic/Juneteenth
wiki/Juneteenth
Civil War
topics/american-civil-war/american-civil-war-history
event/American-Civil-War/African-American-troops
Free states
.edu/facultyblog/2012/12/before-there-were-red-and-blue-states-there-were-free-states-and-slave-states/comment-page-1/#:~:text=In,by.
. /items/show/2008
topics/black-history/underground-railroad#:~:text=the-,How,as.
Map of the Union in 1860
photo/union-confederacy/
Harriet Tubman
education-resources/biographies/harriet-tubman
topics/black-history/underground-railroad
Underground Railroad
.
topics/black-history/underground-railroad
history/traveling-the-long-road-to-freedom-one-step-at-a-time-1-43841138/#:~:text=The,took.
Slave History
/2010/10/14/slave-names-in-the-americas/
Dogwood Winter
what-is-dogwood-winter-12086
Slave SongBook Documentary
watch?v=8zeshN_ummU
No More Auction Block sung by Odetta- song youtube link
watch?v=SfbpsmbxE2c