A few weeks later and the seventy fourth hunger games are all everybody is talking about. Even President Coin has taken more of a notice. The signs of rebellion. They're there, all spurting up inside the Girl on Fire. We can all see it, and if they look close enough the districts will too.
There is already reports of riots in District Eleven. After their tribute Rue was killed by Marvel, Katniss laid flowers around her body, showing she generally cared for this young girl. Then she turned to the cameras and gave a three finger salute - a symbol of respect used by those in District 12 - it was intended for Rue's district but it also mocked the Capitol whether Katniss knew it or not and it certainly incited the riots in Eleven.
As for the games themselves, they're almost at an end now. If one of the four remaining tributes out of Cato and Thresh were to win, they'd be crowned as a singular victor. But because Katniss and Peeta are from the same District they'll both be crowned victors thanks to a slight rule change by the gamemakers. I'm assuming this is because the Capitol have fallen in love with the lovers from twelve - yeah they're in love apparently - and killing even one of them would likely make the Capitolians themselves riot. I should've thought of using this tactic with Johanna during our games, who knows what might've been now.
I was currently sitting in President Coin's Office, watching the games with Boggs and the President herself. Ever since i passed my tests, Coin has kept me close at hand. I'm still unsure as to why, but being in my current position means i get the news on everything. On the large screen in front of the meeting table, the finale of the seventy fourth games is continuing on. They're following Katniss and Peeta mostly, but occasionally they do switch to the other tributes still in the games. Especially when they release mutts around the arena, giant dog like creatures each sporting a resemblance to the fallen tributes. The boy from Eleven was fighting with Cato from District Two, but he doesn't last long when three of the creatures jump on him, they practically tear him apart limb for limb. Cato managed to break into a run heading for the cornucopia, but the mutts chase him all the way.
With only three tributes remaining you just knew the Gamemakers were going to try and push them all to meet up at the cornucopia and end this. What better way to do that then with the mutts chasing them there. Both Katniss and Peeta are very nearly caught by them as they climb up onto the top of the cornucopia, but when they're up there the mutts are the least of their worries. Cato was laying in wait for them and he put up a hell of a fight before finally grabbing Peeta and using him to shield himself from the arrow Katniss had trained on them.
"Go ahead. I'm dead anyway. Always was right." He looks up to the sky and shouts. "Is that what they want to hear, huh?!."
Peeta is struggling against the grip Cato has around him, but apparently can't find the strength in him to throw him off. Regardless, Katniss does not lower her aim. When Cato looks back down at Katniss he laughs and tightens his grip around Peeta's neck, moving his hands so it would only take a simple tug to snap the neck.
"Nah nah. I can still do this." He nods and tightens his grip even further. "I can still do this."
There's a pause as Cato and Katniss stare each other down, but it doesn't last long. The second Cato actually moves to snap Peeta's neck, Katniss releases the arrow. It cuts straight through the air and lodges itself in the centre of Cato's hand. He then proceeds to losing his grip on Peeta, who then elbows Cato in the stomach, sending the final career tribute tumbling off the cornucopia and down into the mutts. There was no way Cato would live, even if the mutts let him be, which they didn't, not until Katniss put the poor guy out of his misery. At which point the mutts lost interest and began retreating back into the trees.
"Unbelievable." Coin smiles ever so slightly as she watches the victors of the seventy fourth games climb down off the cornucopia. "Two victors it's..."
Claudius Templesmith's voice on the tv cut Coin off. Where we thought he would announce them as the victors, instead he surprised us all. "Attention tributes." He says. "The previous rule change stating that two victors will be crowned from the same district has been, revoked ... Only one may be crowned victor."
The conniving bastards must have felt like genius' for that sucker punch. They had Twelve believe they could both go home only to destroy the notion of them being able to be together in the end. Snow had very clearly had his say in the matter and he didn't want to make hero's out of these two. I wonder if he'll make a martyr by killing one of them?
We were waiting for either Mellark or Everdeen to turn on the other but a death didn't come. Instead of fighting Peeta to the death, Katniss pulls out small, dark berries from her pocket. Nightlock. She mutters something we can't here to Peeta as she pours some of the berries in his hands. Katniss showed earlier on that she knew of nightlock and what it did to those who consumed it. So now, as she and Peeta both raised these berries to their mouths, it was an act of defiance. That these two would rather commit suicide than lose one another to the games will make the Capitol look stupid. They have to have a victor, otherwise where is the justice? Where is the kindness and generosity of the Capitol? It doesn't exist without a show pony.
It's all very poetic.
"Stop! Stop!" Templesmith was panicking, if they had no victor at all how bad would that look. "Ladies and gentleman, the winners of the seventy fourth Hunger Games."
All three of us were completely silent as a hovercraft collected both tributes from Twelve and air lifted them out.
"President Snow isn't going to like this." Boggs comments after the cameras leave the arena and pan to Caesar Flickerman.
"That two of the games underdogs won?" Coin nods. "Yes. But i'm more interested in how he reacts to the girl pulling out those berries. Suicide is frowned upon by the Capitol."
"Do you think people will take this as a sign?" I ask. I hope it is, with each day that passes i want to take the fight to Snow more and more.
Coin stares at me briefly and shakes her head eventually. "It's not enough to go on just yet, but it is a start."
Thats good enough for now i suppose. Now all we need is for others to start showing the Capitol they do not own them. Sooner rather than later.
Katniss Everdeen has shown them they can. They just have to be brave enough to see it.
