4 Days Later

"Are any of the Districts rebelling this time?" I ask Axel.

He shakes his head, staring up at the sky for a moment before back at me. "Not that I've heard. No word on any of them from the Victors."

I sigh, white air pluming out into the frosty air. We're out by by the fountain that's still frozen, the frozen water still as its bubbling up from the spout near the top.

"I don't understand how the Districts stopped so quickly,," I say for a moment before laughing. "I wonder if the Capitol is going to put this into the text books like they did the Rebellion."

Axel flexes his pale fingers which are turning white quickly without gloves. "I hate history."

I nod. "Me too. Not that we learn much history in school."

We're both silent for moment and I turn away, watching the forest behind my house that extends down in into the Shopping District, only a little separated byt he fence of the Victors Village. For some reason I touch the back of my head, where the Capitol Bandage has worked it's magic and since left my hair which is still as fiery as ever.

I turn back to say something totally random, just to make him laugh so I can hear it.

Instead Axel kisses me.

For a moment, I'm completely still, just staring at him, my stomach fluttering, electricity running from his cold fingertips on the edge of my face down to my toes.

I let my eyelids slip closed, focusing on the warm buzz spreading through my arms before he pulls away, and my eye's flicker up to his fabulous grey ones.

He looks at me for a moment, dropping his hands while I feel the warmth leaving my lips as their exposed to the cold wind.

"I couldn't pretend I didn't like you any longer," he says simply before walking back to his house while I stare after him, red lcoks whipping in the chill.

The smile creeping across my mouth.

The Next Day

I'm humming on the couch, thumbing through some old book while Mother is straightening our family pictures on the wall. Pine bursts through the door, huffing as she slings her backpack to the tile and kicks off her snow boots.

"The street," she gasps. "Is like an ice river! Every time you try to walk up you just slide back down!"

I giggle and she gives me a wicked grin, tossing her snowy scarf onto me while I shriek.

She smooth's her gold hair, sitting beside me as I throw the scarf off.

"Are you excited?" she asks me, rubbing her hands together.

I give her a quizzical look before spreading the burgundy blanket over the two of us. "Excited for what?"

"The Quarter Quell announcement. Everyone was talking about it today," Pine says simple like it's the most obvious thing in the world. I turn towards Mother who's walking over to us.

"Quarter Quell? What's that," I ask.

She sighs, sitting in the armchair near the nice flames in the fireplace. "It's like a special Hunger Games that they hold every year that has a special theme. In the first, the districts voted on the tributes and in the second they had double the tributes."

Pine nods vigorously. "And today they're announcing this one!"

I don't quite see how a special Hunger Games is more fun but I don't persist on the topic. Instead I read Pine some of my book while Mother sews until the Television flickers to life.

Pine points to the screen in front of the window where the moon is already up at President Snow quieting the Capitol Public while smiles and waves.

My fists clench automatically before he begins talking. He talks about both the first and second Quells which are just like Pine and Moth said and then he begins on the newest Quell announcement. "And now we honor our third Quarter Quell," he says before getting an old envelope from a box a little boy is holding besides him and taking out the card. "On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors."

Pine gasps in air that sounds like she can't breath and Mother drops her things.

My mind takes a moment to process what President Snow is saying.

"Mother they can't do that! Mother they can't, can they?' Pine shouts.

I don't hear Mothers answer because I'm already running out the door.

The first thing that hits me is the biting wind and the pitch black sky. My socks get soaked in less than minute I the snow. A crash makes me jump and notice the tears streaming down my cheeks.

A dark dart flying across the circle and to the forest is Nyla sprinting into the forest.

My feet shuffle, trying to figure which direction to go in. A yelling, twisted voice makes me turn to Johanna's house. Through the large front windows I can see her clearly, not to mention hear.

One of the decorative axes from her wall is lodged in the sparked TV while she's standing up and shrieking at the television "I will kill you, Snow! I will! Do you hear me Snow? I will get you!"

I stay another moment fore I feel the ice nipping my toes before I'm running towards the woods. Just as I pass the tree line I star t to scream. I hear Lexi and Hendrix and my sister and Maple and myself ringing in my head.

When I close my eyes and press my hands to my ears I just close them inside me. I fall onto my side, my coat collecting the cold slushy snow and hugging my side. I just scream and cry realizing that I may go back into the Arena.

And if I don't someone I know will. They will go into the Arena and probably not come out a Victor twice.

And once again President Snow will have won.

REVEIW!

Don't you dare leave this page without reviewing! Please review?

Tell me what you thought about Axel and then the Quell Announcement. I think I did Johanna pretty well in this chapter although she only had two sentences of a part in this chapter.

So tell me who you want to see and just review! I love hearing from you all!

Love you all! Thanks for reading!

~Meghan

6/6/15: I think I took an idea from another story, but I changed it. So, yep.