The Next Day
When the Hovercraft lands, I notice the Train has already left. That means Johanna, Balsam, and Axel should already be back home. Spring has just left over the course of the week, and the tree buds are blooming into leaves. That means that the Lumber Mills have reopened.
As if in answer, the smell of freshly cut wood and chopping sounds cover up all the sweet flowers and buzzing bees.
The Town Square is buzzing with action. Markets are open with wood products now and little bark chips are covering the grey stones. Peackeepers are relaxed, talking to citizens happily. Everything is back to normal.
However, up to the right of the Justice Building, the large screen is projecting every second of his years Games. Right now, the Career pack is deciding which was to go through the dense woods.
I walk quickly, abandoning Blight who's trying to find some new shirts at the Clothing Market.. Walking up through the Main Square I take a bit to admire the new scenery around the Shopping Center before going up past the forest and up the large hill that leads to the Victors Village.
Axel is sitting there on the Fountain when I get through the gates, reading. When I get closer, he glances up, setting his book down. "How'd it go?"
I open my mouth planning to say some clever remark or something, just so I don't have to think about mentoring. But instead I start crying. He doesn't tease me like he normally does, but stands up, and pulls me into a hug.
I'm surprised for a moment but I'm so glad to have someone hug me, I don't move. I just cry, and lay my head against his shoulder, hoping I'll never have to go.
When I get inside Mother and Pine tackle me with more hugs, not asking questions. Mother had soup ready for me with some juice. I ate immediately before Pine went over the details from school.
I decide not to watch the Games inside where Katniss is stumbling around mumbling something about water. Only thing is she doesn't realize she's about forty yards from water. We get an aerial view of her walking towards it until she's collapsed fourteen yards from it. She may have been stunning and eye-catching in the beginning but she won't last these Games.
Instead I try to bake a cake with Mother since it's supposed to be my Talent. Every so often a Capitol Visitor shows up to buy one. Mother usually does all the work and I take the credit but she just loves cooking so much she thinks it's funny.
At some point during the day, Johanna visits with Balsam. After stealing two cupcakes Johanna leaves and Balsam stays behind to take to Pine about something.
Finally I just resolve to do nothing. Something I haven't done in a long time.
1 Week Later
Pine is at school, Mother is sewing up a rip in a pair of pants, and I'm idly watching the Games. In the past week there was a fire storm and then the Careers were ambushed by a Tracker Jacker nest set by Katniss. I couldn't blame her for doing it, but the District Four girl and the District One girl both got stung too much. I called Mags and apologized about her Tribute.
Right now Katniss and Rue are formulating some plan about getting rid of the Career supplies. The boy from Three has helped them building a mine field around the stash weapons and food and other necessitates like bandages and water bottles. Anyway, the two girls are carrying giant branches of leaves around, making about as much noise as a bear..
"Their being to loud," I say to no one in particular.
Mother glances up for a moment at the screen. "I don't think anyone is close to them."
I shrug. "Doesn't mean there aren't any wolves or something in that forest."
She nods. "Maybe."
The Games have been pretty boring but I am looking forward to what's going to happen with the whole get-rid-of-the-Career-supplies plan. It takes a while but soon the girl from Five who's name I don't recall is jumping around trying to get to the supplies. Finally, she gets some food and leave just in time for Katniss to start emptying her quiver.
The loud boom and fire pluming into the sky makes me jump and mother drops her thread, the pair of pants slipping to the carpet. "What happened?"
"The supplies are gone," I murmur, staring at the screen where the Careers are sprinting back through the forest to their camp.
Katniss stirs on the television, clutching her ear. Stumbling up and gripping her bow loosely, she gets back into the cover of the brush just as the Careers make it into the clearing in time to see their supplies scatter the ground, every bit of food burnt- down to the bread and apples.
The young boy from Three tries to run for a moment but Two gets there first. I squeeze my eyes shut as Cato grabs the boys neck. When the cannon sounds about the Career's yelling, I look back up. The two other remaining members of his alliance are pointing to the sky arguing that whoever set off the mines will be in the sky. They don't know, I realize quickly, that Katniss did it and is currently crawling into a small dip in the ground.
They don't show Rue much, except a shot of her in a tree, watching the Careers- the last fire of their plan unlit. She must realize Katniss isn't coming back yet because she lays out on the limbs of the foliage, relaxed. For a moment, I wonder if Katniss had abandoned Rue.
Before I can think anymore, Pine walks in, gushing about what she just saw about the Games in the Square. She tries to watch more of the Games with us but nothing happens. Just the Careers sorting the wreckage, the girl from Five eating, and Thresh sitting in the wheat field, staring at the sky.