War - 2437 and 2454
2437
Peeta
The train started to slow down as I finished my hot chocolate and I glanced over to the doorway to see that nobody was coming anytime soon meaning that we would be late.
Again.
I swirled the dregs around using a breadstick before knocking them back and setting the mug down, I glanced over to the door again before walking over to the window eating the breadstick, to see how much our fan base had grown. There was less than last year and almost none from the Capitol, I thought about it for a few seconds before noticing the guards all around the station and realised that the attack from the week before was a lot worse than Paylor was telling everybody, though we can't really blame them. The door opened behind me and Effie's shoes clicked on the floor.
"Hurry up Katniss we're going to be late, look Peeta's ready and – Haymitch what are you doing?" I turned around and tried not to smirk as Katniss rolled her eyes while sixing her pin on her shirt and Haymitch swayed hesitantly.
"Nothing." He drawled and I knew instantly that he wasn't as drunk as he was pretending to be.
"Well come on then." Effie grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the door out onto the platform picking up Katniss along the way who jumped slightly at being grabbed and I followed not really wanting to be manhandled to the door, well Effie-handled. I stood next to Katniss as Effie walked over to the control panel which controlled the opening and closing of the door and smiled at us.
"Big smiles don't fall over, wave and don't glare at anybody Katniss." She rambled off before opening the door and letting the weak morning sunlight blind us. I blinked a few times before smiling and grabbing Katniss' hand and leading us down onto the platform, Katniss did her usual trick of ignoring as many people as possible while I waved and steered us through the crowds into the station where we collapsed down on adjacent chairs and watched Haymitch try to navigate his way over to us with Effie tutting the whole time behind him. By the time they arrived another train had pulled in at the other platform and citizens streamed in, there had only been five people wanting to come from Twelve and they had all gotten off before us Victors so I assumed the same thing was happening with every district only the one which had just arrived had a few more people than five. Very few people looked over at us and the few who did gave a small start but never got anywhere as they were pulled along with the tide as they were lead out into waiting vehicles to be lead to their accommodation. We waited a few minutes until the flow of people stopped and looked over to the train to see which Victor would emerge, I hadn't been able to tell which district the people were from but the Victor would tell, or lack of Victor. A few seconds later a short woman with flowing brown hair and District Four's trademark sea green eyes stepped forward holding a small bundle in her arms.
Annie walked into the station her eyes on her baby when she looked up and saw us, her face broke into a smile and she practically ran over before pulling me and Katniss into a one armed hug. She did the same to Haymitch before stepping back and tacking us in.
"Hello Annie." Katniss greeted.
"Katniss." Annie replied happily.
"Is that Finnick?" Katniss asked tentatively and for half a second Annie's eyes darkened before getting even brighter than before.
"Yes." She said holding her little bundle out and we all lent in to look, even Haymitch couldn't resist. Finnick Jr. was asleep in his blanket showing only his already sun tanned face and a tuft of his father's bronze hair.
"He's adorable." I said smiling at Annie who smiled back even more. "How is he?"
"Loud, until I take him outside onto the beach." Haymitch laughed. "Did you want to hold him for a minute I need to go to the bathroom?" Annie asked gently and Katniss nodded and gently took Finnick Jr. Annie ran off and I leaned over Katniss' shoulder to look at him.
"He's going to be as bad as Finnick isn't he?" I asked and Katniss laughed.
"Probably, let's hope he gets himself an Annie." We stood in silence for a minute while Haymitch and Effie talked behind us before the door opened again.
"I didn't know you finally had a kid! Why didn't you tell me?" A voice demanded and he both looked up to see Johanna marching over to us. "First you vanish on me now this! You need to get your act together people!"
"It's Finnick." Katniss said when Johanna paused for breath. "Not ours, defiantly not ours, we're just babysitting." Johanna raised her eyebrow and followed her arms coming to a stop directly in front of us.
"Uh huh." She said doubtfully. "Where's Annie then?" I opened my mouth to reply when the woman in question ran over to us and took Finnick from Katniss, nodding to Johanna who looked a little disappointed.
"Ready?" Effie asked bouncing over before ushering us over to the cars outside. "We need to go! Don't want to be late." Me and Katniss got into a car and Johanna managed to sneak in while Effie was occupied helping Annie with Finnick and we left.
"A Hunger Games memorial." Johanna said. "Never thought I would see one of those, guess what else I never thought I would see?"
"Our names carved into a three hundred year old wall?" Katniss guessed while I stared out of the window. I had been wondering who would get to us first today to ask that: Gale or Johanna and I could honestly say I was glad it was Johanna. It had been three months since our little adventure and we hadn't seen either of them because we were all in different districts, today would be the first time we would see them and we had mentally prepared to be bombarded with questions.
Not enough though.
"Right in one. Now why don't you explain to me exactly what happened." And we did, stopping only to walk up to our rooms before continuing again. Johanna listened patiently until we got to the end of our story and then waited for us to grab some dinner before even looking at us.
"Well that sounds interesting so I'll tell my part of the story. Now while you two were off gallivanting some thousand years in the future Gale and I were stuck digging a hole after receiving a couple of creepy messages. On another wall it was like 'there will be a rebellion and the districts will totally win' which we could have found earlier, it would have been nice to be certain,and told us to dig underneath the wall-"
"Did you?" Katniss interrupted.
"Yes, now shut up. Anyway there was also this, which magically appeared on your bedside table which had us searching the camp for spies but I guess it was actually magic but what I want to now is do you recognise the handwriting?" She pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket and handed it to me.
Listen to me and do what I say. I didn't spend an hour chiselling thirty feet from the first wall for nothing. Johanna and Gale have a point you should listen to them as well. Good Luck.
"Johanna and Gale have a point you should listen to them as well?" I read out loud.
"We still don't know exactly what that means but I have a vague idea and I think it's too late anyway."
"What do you mean?" Katniss asked.
"What we dug up." Johanna replied and glanced around the room dramatically, Katniss rolled her eyes and I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing. "You know the attack on the Capitol earlier this week, the one in the square outside of the president's house?" I frowned.
"Last week?"
"No, this week last Sunday." Katniss and I exchanged glances.
"The only recent attack I know was last Friday in that square." I said slowly causing Johanna to roll her eyes.
"Do you get any communication in Twelve? You made a trend, they hid in the sewer for three days under the square while every searched above them, then on Sunday morning they attacked the front of the Presidential palace and with smoke bombs and then hung every District person who came near them, about twenty guards and ten people who ran to help. Left the Capitol people who ran to help alone just hung the District ones and then gratified all along the wall, it was the only damage done to the building and then they left. All in about ten minutes, half of which was spent lobbying smoke bombs at the building and there was nobody there when the smoke cleared minutes after the guards went in followed by the District people after they heard their screams. Nobody left and the sewers were over flowing so they can't have gone that way, they think they slipped into the building but they aren't sure and they couldn't remove the ropes until Sunday evening they were glued to them."
"And you think it was magic?" Katniss asked.
"Everybody who heard about it thinks its magic, I don't know how they're even letting this go one, but yeah now I've heard your story I defiantly think it's magic." Johanna snapped.
"Okay but what's that got to do with you digging something up?" I asked.
"Because at the same time the lovely building in Four where it was being stored got blown to smithereens, but the box we dug up was fine and was calmly unlocked and its contents removed before they walked a hundred meters down the path and performed a nice little ritual involving a live sacrifice, an awful lot of burning twigs and some magic in some old language all on live camera." Johanna replied in fake cheerfulness.
"Live sacrifice?" Katniss asked.
"One of Finnick's old friends." We sat in silence for a moment, thinking.
"What did the ritual do?" I asked.
"And what was inside the box?" Katniss added.
"There was a load of purple light and then they vanished, nobody knows what they looked like either so we can't search Panem but both groups were wearing the same cloaks. I'll show you the tape tomorrow before the ceremony and what was written on the wall outside the Presidents Palace, and what was in the box too if you don't mind a detour. Most of it's hard to explain, there were two books in the box one of which they read the ritual out of but we couldn't understand it." Johanna said uncertainty before getting up and walking over to the door to the outer corridor, Katniss opened her mouth as if to ask something else but then couldn't think of anything to say and closed it as Johanna opened the door to reveal Haymitch standing awkwardly outside, Johanna smiled at him before shoving past and turning around at the last second. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight." Then she vanished and we looked at Haymitch.
"I just arrived." He said holding up his bottle and wandering in. "And Effie's getting a bit annoyed about not being let in."
"Well the door's open now; she can come in any time she wants." Katniss retorted stiffly before marching over to the bedroom and slammed the door open and then closed. I hesitated a second and then walked over the desk in the corner of the lounge room we had been sitting in and wrote a short note to Effie explaining how we would be going on a tour of the Capitol with Johanna at eight the next morning and not to worry about us. Then I followed Katniss to bed thinking about what that box had to do with anything and who the hell put it there. I had never wondered who had written the prophecy and out names on the wall before but now it was all I could think of.
The next morning Katniss and I were up bright and early and ended up sitting on Johanna's couch waiting for her to get ready though it didn't take her long and we were soon in a car driving towards a large shopping area where we got dropped off before disappearing down a side ally and then down a ladder into somebodies basement which turned out to be a corridor which we followed for ten minutes until we came to another door which opened up into an official looking computer room. A teenaged guy sat fiddling with a pack of cards by the door when we came in and for a few seconds he didn't notice us until he looked up and fell off his chair. The girls both snickered and I helped him up then waited while he regained his composter.
"Arr well, sorry 'bout that Mildew said we was expecting special company but I really didn't expect to see you's walk through ma door. It's an honour to actually meet you." He stammered his words not really fitting with the squeaky Capitol accent, or maybe it was just his voice that was squeaky.
"Thank you, Phineas?" I said glancing at his name tag and Phineas almost wet himself with excitement when I knew his name. "Could you take us to whoever's in charge please?" I asked politely and he nodded vigorously and turned and led us through a maze of corridors.
"Are we going the right way?" Katniss murmured to Johanna who I saw shrug out of the corner of my eye.
"No idea, I've never been to this place, the one in Four? Yeah: here? No."
"I'm sure we're going in the right direction." I muttered to them and turned back to see Phineas turn right at the next intersection a second later both girls elbowed me in the stomach, one on either side, at the same time. I turned and glared at them before marching as fast as I could around the corner hearing them explode into giggles the second I disappeared from their view. We kept walking until we reached a small office and Phineas lead us in and then skipped off. I sat down on one of the plush leather chairs and looked around.
It was very office like with few personal belongings. Johanna and Katniss both sat down either side of me and a few minutes later an elderly woman with flyaway grey hair rushed inside carrying a large box.
"Sorry I'm late." She said putting the box on her desk. "The printer was playing up."
"It what?" Katniss asked and I stared at her too.
"It kept stopping and starting and then not printing in colour. It's an old printer." She explained. "It's a pleasure to meet you live and in the flesh and today of all days. Anyway thank you for coming, I understand that you've already seen the writing on the wall, so to speak in New York and then vanished. Professor Hill wouldn't give me any details but feel free to jump in with any that you think might help." She paused for a second then pulled the box closer to her and pulled off the lid. "We made a copy in as much detail as possible in the same material, if possible, of everything in the chest Johanna and Gale dug up. In some cases that was impossible and we either didn't know what the material was or we couldn't get hold of it. We kept the copies in District Thirteen until Sunday when I took them with me and made a few more here to examine, I made you three a copy of everything too so what's in this box is yours and if you can help us understand what it means that would be great. I was just finishing printing the books when you arrived otherwise I would have met you at the door, I hope Phineas didn't drool too much?"
"NO!" Johanna yelped. "No he was fine, thanks Mildew." She reached over and started to empty the box. There were two falling apart books as promised, one in the same gibberish language that had been on the wall and another with letters formed out of straight lines in different positions, there was another piece of paper of what looked like a map only nothing was labelled and there was a small gold object with a tiny hourglass in the middle of a few circles it was attached to. "Recognise anything?" Johanna asked and we both shook our heads. "What about this?" She said pulling out a piece of fabric which I recognised as a red and gold scarf with a small lion sown in at the bottom and underneath that were the letters J.S.P. we shook our heads again as Mildew put the box on the floor.
"Okay, think on it and we'll go watch the tape from Sunday, I printed out a transcript for you and wrote the graffiti under it." She said and led us out of the room into the next one where there was a huge screen and several seats. Mildew waved us over to them and then fiddled about on a computer until the screen lit up, then she joined us and we waited a few minutes until text flittered across the screen: Error. Mildew stared in surprise as if something not working was impossible, though it was the Capitol so it probably was, while we District folk just waited.
"How about you give us a portal copy?" Katniss suggested, "Preferably with something to watch it on, and then we can see it? We have the transcripts anyway so…"
"Yes, yes I'll do that. It could take hours to correct and you have to get to the ceremony. Yes." Mildew said in a daze getting up, picked up a few piles of paper stapled together, gave them out and then left.
"And that wasn't weird at all." Johanna said picking up her papers and leafing through.
"She's from the Capitol." Katniss said doing the same thing.
"Good point." Johanna replied. I rolled my eyes and flicked through my papers seeing nothing of interest jump out at me until the last page titled: Graffiti. The page consisted of random phases such as 'good back to your districts' and 'Hunger Games rule' and other things the rebels would find offensive while the last two were in the gibberish language and stick one. I didn't recognise any of it but the word Chaos.
"Look at the graffiti page at the back." I told the girls who flicked back and read down the page.
"Why am I reading these insults?" Johanna asked.
"Surrexit Thantomyraid Chaos revertetur." Katniss read out.
"What?"
"Second to last line."
"And the pretty pictures?" I looked at the line below it: ᛞᛖᚦ᛫ᛁᛊ᛫ᚲᛟᛗᛁᛜ᛬
"I have no clue what either of them means." I told Johanna who nodded.
"Here." Mildew said bustling in and handing Katniss a small portable screen. "The ceremony will start in an hour and you need to be there so if you get going now you should get there early." I started to put everything back in the box when Mildew scooped it all up and dumped it in before almost running from the room.
"Is something wrong?" Johanna called after her.
"No, no, no, not at all you just should really be going." Mildew replied sticking her head back around the door. I glanced at Katniss who slide her screen into her inside pocket and grabbed hold of something in her trouser one. I placed the box under my arm and followed her out until we reached a small square lined with cars, Mildew opened the door to a small one with blacked out windows and went and sat in the driver's seat. I slid in first, did up my seatbelt and balanced the box on my knees, I had barely got sorted when Johanna closed the door and Mildew sped off.
"Mildew." Johanna said clearly. "What is wrong?" She asked slowly.
"I don't know, just that somebody must have tampered with my computer and I don't know who." I rolled my eyes at how panicked she sounded and stared out the window. In no time we reached the ceremony and Mildew let us get out of the car and then sped off before we could say goodbye. The three of us stood still more a moment and then walked over to the mass of people queuing to get in, we had only taken a few steps however when Effie came charging over to us and dragged us over to the VIP line and then into a tent.
"We only have half an hour to get you ready." She cried. "You look horrible and you need to make a speech." She pushed me down onto a seat and dragged Katniss over to a dressing room while Johanna waved and walked away laughing her head off. Effie materialised next to me while I glared after her and tutted at the box in my arms. "You're going on stage soon why have you got that?"
"A fan gave it to me and I need to take it home so is there a bag I can put it in?" Effie tutted again but walked over to a rail and pulled off a plain bag that looked quite big, she gave it to me and then ushered me into my changing cubical. "You can sort your things out later. Get changed now." I got changed and when I emerged just before I needed to go on stage I saw a bag the colour of sunset orange lying on the seat I had left and the box next to it. I gave the box a quick peek and saw it was empty and that everything had been transferred to the bag. I slung the bag over my shoulder and walked over to Katniss' changing cubical only have her entre and smile at me. She was wearing her mockingjay outfit which was now lined with fire and had her bow and quiver slung over her back.
"Got it?" I asked and she tapped her suit by her left side, I nodded and took her hand to lead us outside and in to the newest riot. The soldiers who were supposed to be guarding everybody were running around, guns out looking for where the trouble was coming from, the guests were all screaming and fires burning and over by the stage I could see Annie holding what was obviously a very distressed Finnick Jr. while Johanna stood in front of them waving two knives around daring anybody to come close to her. An arrow shot past my head as I saw two masked and cloaked people get up on the stage, as one pulled out a spray can and started to write words on the stage backdrop, the other pulled something out of their pocket and the next second the stage floor was illuminated by flickering flames causing the blood red words the first person was spraying to flash menacingly. I watching them slowly appear and tried to figure out the purpose of the attack when the second person pulled out a gun and aimed it in Johanna and Annie's direction where they were keeping the masses at bay.
"Katniss, stage!" I yelled and started to run towards them, there was a loud crack and I looked up to see the second masked assailant falling to the ground an arrow in his neck while Annie looked around furiously. The shot had been the first one to be fired and now everybody was panicking even more as the soldiers finally started to fire at anybody wearing a mask.
"Peeta!" Katniss yelled and I stopped dead, just as a burning marque pole landed in front of me. "We'll go around." She said stopping next to me and still firing at anybody who came too close for comfort to anybody we deemed was on our side. I nodded and took hold of her collar to lead her backwards while she still fired until a blinding light bust into existence next to us causing me to slip and drag us down rolling through the dirt in a ditch until we were freefalling connected only where I was holding her shirt.
2454
Coral
The storm seamed to personally hate me. I don't know why seeing as I haven't done anything, unless you count being grounded, for the last week. When we had sailed out the sky had been clear and despite Rye's protests about the weather change predicted we had gone anyway. Mostly because I insisted that I needed to get out of the house and what better way than by going out on the family boat? And because Willow was daydreaming. Again.
"Rye, pull that rope and tie it off!" I yelled struggling with the wheel while both Mellark's ran around like headless chickens. Rye ducked under a mast and pulled at the wrong rope effectively causing the mast to swing around and knock Willow onto her back and getting her tangled up in her bow she had insisted on bringing. "That rope!" I screamed realising the wheel for a second to point, Rye crawled under the mast next to Willow, probably apologising the whole time, and grabbed the right rope and tied it off. I allowed myself to jam the wheel using the first thing I came across which happened to be my favourite fishing rod and slid over to the side to tie off the rope on that side I glanced over to see Rye had finally got his rope done and that Willow was tying off the one he wasn't supposed to have touched a large cut across her forehead. I brushed my sopping hair out of my sopping face and looked down at the compass at my hip. We were going in the right direction but I still couldn't see the lighthouse, I glanced around as my rod shattered and the wheel started to spin very dramatically throwing us all to the floor as it did a full 360 and tilted flooding the deck as a wave slammed into the side and submerged Rye and Willow. I hauled myself up and over to the wheel to set us straight as Rye and Willow surfaced.
"Light!" Willow yelled pointing slightly to port and I turned not even looking at my compass as lightning zapped down and hit the water about a hundred yards ahead of us, Willow's scream was lost in the thunder and I slipped in shock causing the wheel to spin again and the boat to get flooded again.
"No! NO! NO!" I screamed trying to get us back on course only to have the wheel stick and not budge no matter how much weight I put on it. I gave up once I saw a flash of light in the distance which wasn't lightning and stumbled over to Willow and Rye who were holding the ropes which had come undone for dear life. I grabbed our three life jackets which we probably should have had on beforehand and pushed one into each of their chests. "Wheel's stuck!" I yelled slipping mine on as they did the same releasing the ropes and ducking as the mast swung around at us again. "We're gonna have to wait the storm out!" I saw another flash of light, this time actually lightning slam into the water causing the boat to tilt sideways again. We all stayed on our feet this time and I saw a very steady light mere meters away from us and we were heading straight to it.
"Is that the lighthouse?!" Rye yelled at me.
"NO!" I yelled back and they both looked at me and then the light in horror. Another wave flooded the deck up to my ankles but I was so wet anyway I hardly noticed, the light was directly next to us now and I saw that it was under the water and in a rippling square shape, or that might have been the reflection of the water.
"That's not another ship!" Willow yelled the relief evident when the water level rose up to my knees and the boat slanted and we all hit the ground our feet pressed up against the side when another wave flew over our head knocking Willow, the tallest, overboard and me and Rye into a heap in the corner completely submerged. I kicked upwards dragging Rye up with me and in the few seconds I gasped for air heard Willow scream before I was under again. This time it only last a few seconds before the boat levelled a bit and most of the water ran off leaving me and Rye flopping on the deck, Rye scrambled to his feet first though and looked overboard searching for Willow.
"She's hanging on!" He screamed and looked around until he saw the bow which he grabbed and stuck over the side, I managed to get to my feet and joined him in holding the bow which Willow held as she attempted to keep her head above the rough massive waves just too far away to grab. "Come on Willow!" Rye wailed and she managed to grab the bow with her other hand. We immediately started to pull the bow up until I let go with one hand and tried to grab her hand. It took a few tried but I grabbed her hand and started to pull her up when another wave slammed into the other side again and the boat started to tilt again even further than before sending both me and Rye overboard, Willow's weight dragging us under for about a minute when the life jacket pulled me up.
I was still holding the bow in one hand and Willow's hand in the other but as I opened my previously closed eyes to gulp down air I saw the boat veering towards me as it started to capsize, obviously not satisfied with just turning on its side and throwing us off. I stared in horror when somebody grabbed my jacket and pulled me under in time to avoid being crushed; I opened my eyes under the water and saw only darkness. The current was different under the sea and while the boat was being dragged one way we were being dragged the other, I twisted under the water enough to see behind me but not enough to through off Rye holding my jacket, at least I hoped it was Rye, and saw the light we had seen under the water earlier come towards us, or us towards it? It grew bigger and bigger and then we were being tugged through and I could breathe, if only for the few seconds we were surrounded by the light and then we were falling and I felt my eyes widen in surprise before we were underwater again.
Very cold water.
So how obvious is it that I know absolutely zilch about sailing? Anyway Peeta's bit explains the answers to a lot of questions I had forgotten I had asked in TATEOT so sorry if it's boring and long and has less action than Coral's page and a half compared to its 7 and a half. So anyway the bad news is this: this story is officially on hold until beginning of June earliest, mid-July latest for my exams which shouldn't be a problem as 0 people have read last chapter and I'm talking to myself… Oh well, this story's still gonna be finished and all that shit. I need it off my conscience so I can do EF, or BTV or HGAD; I really need to do something about that one anyway, me you are awesome keep up the good work. ;-D
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Because I can.