Everything is great

Everything is grand

I got the whole wide world in the palm of my hand

Lenovo Cane, 18

Victor of the 31st Games

I woke up in a white room that was small and filled with hospital equipment around an hour ago. People have been in and out of the room telling all of the things I want to hear but one. Where the hell is the president to congratulate me?

This is hergames after all. The reason that I had to go through all of this was that she wanted to keep them around this year. So how dare she not show up and tell me that I did incredibly. That's not even a pride thing. That's a polite thing to do at this point.

"So much for manners," I mumble as I turn on the tv in my hospital room. I demanded they move one in here after it became apparent that I was spending longer than a few days in here.

"Breaking news:" says the broadcaster on the news. I hate the news. "The president's mansion is currently under attack. Civilians are encouraged to stay inside, and at all cost resist a fugitive entering your home, punishable by death if not obliged. This story is brought to you by Micronesia McGee for Channel 4 news, and we'll bring you updates as this continues."

A knock at my door sends me jumping up in my bed, as a man I have no idea walks in. He holds a hand up and apologizes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't scare me," I say quickly. "I'm a Victor."

Truth is I jump almost anytime I hear a foreign sound. The games have really been messing with my head since I got out, and I constantly have to remind myself I'm no longer in them. "Now who are you?" I ask him with an authoritative tone.

"Oh, you'll have to forgive me. I've seem to have lost my manners. My name is Robert Antony. I'm the director of The Agency, a secret organization that protects the president at all cost. The reason I'm here is because you, Lenovo, can be used as leverage to bargain with the president due to your status in the games and where you are. I've been asked to pick you up immediately to bring you somewhere safe."

Something about this doesn't sit right with me. Call it paranoia of just getting out of the games, or complete instinct, but I don't trust this man. Something about him seems iffy.

"Well, that sure looks like it's going to be a problem," I say.

"Why's that?"

"I wouldn't trust you if the only interaction we had was with a 6 foot pole, Mr. Acevedo. I don't even know if that's your real name. You've shown my no credentials, no, don't dig in your pockets now." I say as I watch him try to pull something out. He quickly pulls his hand back out, and I don't see anything in it. "So no, I think I'm quite safe here." I say.

"It's Mr. Antony, Lenovo." he says looking a little angered that I got his name wrong, and that's the first sign of him either not being who he says he is, or he's not doing what he says he is.

"Mr. Cane, you need to cooperate me," he says quickly. "It's of the utmost importance."

"It's of the utmost importance," I say mocking him in a fake deep voice. "Eat it, Andromodon."

"Listen to me, you little brat-" he says rather aggressively.

"BINGO!" I shout. "We have real colors." I press the panic button on the side of my bed repeatedly. "NURSE!" I scream. "NURSE! HELP."

"Screw it, get out of the bed, kid," he says as he grabs ahold of my arm.

"Dude, at least buy me dinner first," I say as I get out of his grip.

"Stop playing around, kid. I don't have time for your crap. Alexandra Rabbel is waiting."

"No," I say defiantly. "Make me. I don't do well with strangers telling me what to do. Or, really, anyone for that matter!"

He makes a move for me and I quickly take the IV out of my arm and stick it in his eye. He screams as he clutches his face and I go for his other eye. He screams in pain as I kick him over, and run out of the room and run down the lobby. The nurses are staring at me with concern, but I just keep running. By the time they try to stop me I'm already out the doors and running towards the street.

"Can't trust anyone anymore," I say as I look around at the empty streets. There are a few people out and about when a girl with blonde hair, and a girl with a child walks up to me.

"Are you Lenovo Cane?"

"Yes," I say hesitantly. "Who wants to know."

"My name is Sailor Graceland-"

"Hey, isn't your father Shores-"

"Yes, but Lenovo, this is a serious time. The Capitol is being ambushed and the Victors from the past games are being rounded up and executed. They want to start a regime. We need to get you out of here-"

"Hey!" screams Antony as he emerges from the hospital. "Sailor I order you to grab him."

"Screw you, Antony," she says as she pulls a gun out of her pocket and aims it at him. "Walk away,"

"Screw that," he says running towards us.

"Alma, Lenovo, run!" she says as she fires the shot that sends a bullet into Antony's head.

Suddenly life isn't what it used to be

Suddenly, everything is topsy turvy turned around

Suddenly, my heart beat means less

And my breaths are scarce

Suddenly

Katherine Farrow

President of Panem

The alarm is blaring in the mansion and Gretchen is nowhere to be found. I know that Sailor and Alma made it out alright through the secret tunnels, and I haven't heard a single thing from Clyde since the ambush has started.

I hear glass shattering and people running around screaming. They all wear a mask and dance around as they look for me and my family. I duck behind a panel and watch as three masked assailants run past me and towards my bedroom. I watch as they kick open the door and gleefully squeal as they run around and look for me in there.

I run out of my hiding place and make a dash for the secret bookcase room. When I get to the office there is no one in there, and I begin to throw things in front of the door. When I get to the bookshelf I start pulling out the books in the order they unlock the shelf in. Someone is pounding on the door and screaming, and when the door finally opens I hear a click of a gun and feel a cylinder shape against the back of my head.

"Ms. Farrow, we seem to have you in a pickle."

"Yes," I respond with a whisper as I raise my hands over my head. "You do," I say.

I guess this is it. A gun to the back of the head by a stranger is how Katherine Farrow is going to die. This is where, after everything I've been through with the Snows, Jada and Amber, the games, it all comes down to this moment. I guess I deserve this in a way. I was an awful person.

It's funny. When your life is flashing before your eyes you see everything. Most of what you retain is the memories you aren't proud of, but nonetheless still have. I can still see Leonis, the District 2 male from my games, everytime I close my eyes. He was a dispicable person, but I still killed him. And for that as I sit here with my eyes closed I see him. I see Jason, the boy from 6 that was a prisoner. I see Abel, the scumbag nazi from 5.

There was more of course, but I'd rather not waste my last potential moments of life focusing on things I can't change.

Something good did come out of the games though, my husband, Clyde. He is the best thing that ever happened to me. The best part of me. I hate myself for what I did in the games, but I thank the games everyday for bringing the girl from 1 and the boy from 12 together. Almost like the Princess and the Pauper.

"You thought you were such hot shit, Madame President." says my attacker. "Alexandra Rabbel is the legitimate President of Panem. Or should I say, Alexandra Snow."

"Alexandra?" I say surprised.

"You're so dim. It was right in front of you the whole time. She even has an eagle on her wrist!" says the guard as he laughs. He laughs a hearty chuckle, and finally begins to cough, and then he's silent. I feel a pressure release on the back of my head, and I spin around to see Clyde with a bloody knife in his hand.

"Oh my gosh!" I say as I jump into his arms. "I love you so much."

"Unlock the shelf!" he says urgently. "Hurry!"

I finish the combination on the books and Clyde and I disappear into the bookcase room. We walk to the basement hatch and lift the lever that reveals a secret staircase that leads to the garden stock room that we found Olive in when Andrea and the Patriots helped kidnap her. Walking through the tunnel my heart begins to beat faster.

"Where's Alma?" I ask quickly.

"She should already be there," he says, Clyde, as we make the last turn and knock four times on the door as we planned in our emergency meeting. We hear the latch unlock and my heart skips a beat as my daughter stands before me with a smile.

"Mom! Dad!" she says as she hugs us both.

"Get inside," says Clyde as he continues the hug but ushers us inside. "We have a lot to plan."

"Madame President," says an unfamilar voice as I look up from my hug with my family. Lenovo Cane sits on one of the bunks in my room with a sly smile on his face. "You've caused quite the controversy haven't you?"

"It's Alexandra Rabbel," says Sailor who is standing watch at one of the only openings in the bunker. It is under a flowerbed, but the glass that the soil is on top of allows us to see through it. "Gretchen made contact as well. She's still inside. She's deep in hiding, though. Also, I killed Alexander Rabbel."

"How did she made contact?" I ask curiously. "And good job." I say bitterly. She ushers me to the window and points to the far left corner of the mansion, Alma's room. A single white t-shirt is tied to the balcony. I smile. "Good, she's okay," I say.

"Mom what are we going to do?" ask Alma. "There are so many of them."

"We're going to run," I say plainly. "There's no other way around it."

"Count me in too," says Sailor. "I'm an enemy of the state now."

I look around the room and see who is present. We have Alma, Clyde, Lenovo, Adela, and Sailor. Gretchen is still in the house, and-

"Wait, where's Jada?" I ask nervously.

Let's play a game

Called hunter and prey

I'll be the hunter

You be the prey

Alexandra "Rabbel" Snow

Rebel Leader

I sit in the President's office with a glass of scotch in my hand as the raid on the mansion continues. Katherine Farrow is nowhere to be found, and once again I'm left waiting for my idiot brother to get his bearings together and be on time for once.

"I'll give you this, Katherine," I say as I pick up the picture frame she has on her desk of her and her family. "You're a hard woman to kill."

A knock at the door sends a jolt through me as I quickly set the picture frame down on the desk. My secretary comes into the room in a rush looking extremely frazzled and scared.

"Mam," says the secretary as she walks into the room with a hurry. "I have news of your brother."

"Good," I say with a smile. "Where is he. He isn't picking up his phone at all."

"He's dead."

I drop the scotch glass on the floor, and just as the glass shattered I feel my whole life just did. How can someone that you literally shared a womb with just die? I start to hyperventilate as I take deeper and deeper breaths, like mother used to tell me too, but she never taught me how to deal with this.

"By who?" I ask sternly.

"Camera footage shows Alma Coin pulling the trigger. We also found two people hiding in the house."

"Bring them in," I say say as I quickly wipe my cheeks. I hadn't even known I was crying. Jada Mastiff and Gretchen Creek enter my office with disdain in their faces. I smile at them as I see them thrown to the ground on their knees before me.

"Hello, girls," I say as I walk up to them.

"Fuc-" begins Jada as I pull a gun swiftly from my desk and shoot her in the head. Gretchen's eyes get wide as I pull the trigger on her as well and both fall to the floor, dead. I pick the picture of Katherine and her family up off the desk and bring it to my gaze.

"Mark my words, Katherine," I say with distaste staring at the picture. "You hurt me; now I'm going to hurt you."

I hurl the picture at the wall and watch as the glass breaks into hundreds of tiny pieces. Seeing that no one is in the room with me, I fall to the floor and begin to cry. Today was supposed to be a successful day.

Though the battle may have been won, the war is far from over. My phone rings and I look down at the caller ID and see it's a call from Alexander.

"Hello?" I ask over the phone with a tone dripping with venom.

"Alexandra, long time no see," says the voice of Katherine Farrow. "If it's a fight you want then it's a fight you'll get. Bring it bitch." The phone clicks off, and I let out a scream so loud I feel the world begin to spin.

I know I said that there was one more chapter, but how do you follow up with something like this? I think this is it for Free Falling, and that's entirely scary to say. I loved this story, and it's been my most successful to date. I can't believe I'm anywhere close to 550 reviews. That blows my mind. You guys have made this such a pleasure to write, and an honor as this is my 10th SYOT.

I said at the end of the story that I would tell you guys what my foreshadow was. With the exception of Lenovo, how far the escort stuck their hand in the bowl was almost a direct correlation to where they placed in the games.

But now I'm taking a break from this universe, and it's on to my 11th. Home of the Brave 2. I hope that if you haven't submitted that you will. I think I'm going to set the deadline for Next Wednesday. I need seven more male spots filled. Please consider, if you haven't already, submitting to that story.

Geez, it sounds weird signing off on this story for the last time, but I'm excited about new beginnings. Thanks for making this story what it is. Love you guys lots, and for the last time this story:

Keep it classy,

Caleb