I don't own The Hunger Games.
A grin makes its way onto my lips. My Father, Godfather, Grandmother and Aunt Prim are all alive. I lance over at my Mother. She is smiling and laughing, tears of happiness streaking down her cheeks. She hugs Mitch close. He is ecstatic. He never knew Haymitch, Mrs Everdeen, Prim or our Father Peeta. He was unborn when they died. Now he is getting the chance to know his Father, and I can see that it means the world to him. Still smiling, I slowly make my way down the wooden staircase with my cane. In the sitting room, people are rejoicing. Johanna is humming and happily polishing an axe, a smile never leaving her face. Annie is sat on the couch crying and smiling. Finlay stands with his hands in his pockets, smiling at his Mother. Like Mitch, he will also get a chance to meet his Father at last.
"How's your leg?" Finlay asks, walking over to me when he sees me at the foot of the stairs.
"It's fine. I'll be able to walk without this cane in a week at most." I say.
"It's amazing isn't it? They're all alive, Lillia! My Father, your Father, everyone else that died in the rebellion. They get to live again." He cannot keep the smile off of his face.
"It's wonderful. But aren't you worried about the conditions they're in?" I ask, the thought hitting me like a ton of bricks. Johanna jumps out of her seat, leaving her axe on the cushions.
"You don't need to worry about that, Lillia." She says, making her way over to us.
"But they could have been kept in some prison cell and never seen the sun since they 'died'." Finlay points out, frowning. Katniss and Mitch also make their way down the stairs to join us.
"We know where they are. Snow is keeping them in some kind of holding cavern under his mansion."
"How are we going to get there?" Katniss asks calmly.
"Our man on the inside said that the sewage tunnels run right over the roof of the cavern. They're connected to Snow's shower and toilet. We can get in through there." Johanna says, like it's simple.
"That's where the tunnel we dug leads to…the sewage tunnels. Right?"
"Right. We can leave tomorrow. You and me, Katniss, Lillia and Finlay."
"What about Mitch and Annie?" I ask. "The Capitol could find this place while we're gone." I ask.
"She's right. I'm not so sure about leaving my Mother." Finlay says, biting his lip.
"The Capitol has been searching for me for more than twenty years. They haven't found me, and I rarely leave this forest. Annie and Mitch will be fine." Johanna rolls her eyes.
"Okay. So we leave in the morning." Katniss says.
When I wake up the next morning I go down stairs and organize my things. I am taking three spears, and like when we freed the prisoners, I have six throwing knives in my jacket pocket. The spears I am taking belong to Johanna and have no rope. The only spear I brought here with me was snapped when my Mother hurled it at the prison guard who shot me. I also have a shoulder bag containing a torch and spare batteries, dried fruit and dried meat, a litre bottle full of water and a box of matches. As I place my spears into their holder and sling it onto my back, I cannot help but think of the Games. And thoughts of Michael are never far behind thoughts of my Games. I shake the image of his face out of my head before tears can well up in my eyes. My determination to kill Snow grows stronger every time I think of Michael Hawthorne. I strap a knife around my thigh and pull my bag over my shoulder. By this time, the others have made their way down the stairs and are organizing their own gear. Katniss has a bow, a sheath of twenty arrows and a rucksack. Johanna has two axes strapped to her sides and a backpack. Finlay has a trident in one hand, a torch in the other and a rucksack slung over one shoulder.
"Everybody ready?" Johanna asks. I look at her wall clock. It is seven o'clock in the morning. I nod my head, and so do the others. She eases open the door quietly so we do not wake Annie and Mitch.
"Boo." Somebody outside whispers. I jump, startled, and pull out my knife. I cannot hit whoever this person is with a spear at close distance. Finlay drops his gear and pulls a hidden knife out of his jeans pocket. He launches himself at the intruder and they go tumbling into the grass. Finlay is the smaller of the two but he has the element of surprise and pins the man.
"Who are you?" He asks. It is a dark morning and the middle of winter, so I only realise who the man is when Katniss shines a torch on his face.
"Trent! What are you doing here?" I whisper. When Finlay sees that I know him he gets up and reassembles his gear. I offer Trent my hand and pull him up.
"I've been looking for you for days! I even went to other Districts looking for you, until somebody in seven gave me the coordinates for this place." He glares at Finlay. "I come to help you on your suicide mission, and this is my greeting? Charming." He turns his gaze to Johanna.
"Hey, pal. This isn't a suicide mission. We know what we're doing."
"Whatever you say. Anyway, I'm helping you. Fill me in on what's happening." He says, running his finger down the length of his sheathed sword. We tell him everything, and his face goes dark.
"I lost my younger brother in the rebellion." He mutters.
"Then we better get moving." Katniss says, and we follow her over to the tunnel that led us here in the first place. I watch everybody jump down, take one last look at my surroundings and plunge myself into the dark tunnel.