(A/N: This is last chapter of part one. Part two will still be posted under the same story for those who might wonder. Thank you so much for all the feedback and recommendations! Sorry for the short chapter, but it should be the last for a while (the rest are pretty excessive in length). )

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The next day I wake up to my mother's slightly aggravated face. "Willow, we have to go." I slowly rise and glance out the window across the room. The sky is a grayish tone signifying the early morning.

"Now?" I ask drowsily.

She nods. "Yes, please hurry." I watch regrettably as she leaves the room. Why did I want to go to thirteen again? I silently ignore the nagging question, and wrestle the tangled sheets from my tired body.

As I get dressed I remember my mother asking me not to bring too much, for it will just increase the suspicions of nearby people. I mild disregard her request and place a few meaningful belongings into the front pocket of my pants. It's of little value, but more so sentimentally – just a photo of my family and a small wooden toy bird that was given to me as a young child. I turn over it's worn body in my hand. The carvings done by my mother are thankfully still intact, but my dad's paint has mostly chipped off.

"Willow!" she shouts from down the stairs. Can tell by the tone in her voice that she is growing impatient. I haphazardly shove the toy back into my pocket and race in her direction.

When I reach my mother and the rest of my family, I can't help but notice the bulging game bag slung over her shoulder fraught with numerous things. I see the corner of the big book sticking blatantly out the top. Funny how she almost disobeyed her own rule.

Asher is sound asleep with his head on my dad's shoulder, his ruffled blonde curls sticking up in all sorts of directions. I quickly take sight of Everest and Annie standing behind them. Everest displays a sort of painful visage as if the whole idea of thirteen is unappealing. I face him. "So you are going." I state at a volume only audible to his ears.

"I told you we might be Tree." Everest's voice is surprisingly cold, and hinting irritation. I narrow my eyes at him in question, and he just turns away, focusing on something much less important.

I travel side by side with my mother on our journey to the meadow. As soon as we approach the hovercraft, District 13 officials quickly usher us inside, where we are seated and strapped in. "How long will this take?" I ask nervously. I have never in my entire life been on a hovercraft and I sort of don't want to start now.

"Not as long as you probably think. Just relax." reassures my mother.

Relax. The word sounds foreign in a situation like this. How am I suppose to 'relax' when we are like thousands of feet in the air, and headed to a place that I have never been before. I inhale deeply. "Yeah, relax." My reply is completely doubtful.

I glance over at Asher who is still softly snoring. At this moment, I very much envy his ability to slumber.

The ride is smooth... until about halfway. I am trying to mimic Asher's somnolent actions, when my stomach seems to flip. My hands abruptly grip the seats and I jerk awake from whatever subtle daze I was in. The hovercraft is plummeting. Cacophonous sirens pierce the air around me. I whip around only to see flames engulfing everything in their path – rapidly making their way toward Asher's seat. "Asher!" I scream at the top of my lungs, while dashing over to him. Can he not hear the sirens? I try my best to shake him awake, and wrestle his limp body from the restraining seat belt. "Asher wake up!" He doesn't move. Only then do I notice the reddish welt on his small forehead. My throat closes – Asher has been knocked unconscious. Who would do such a thing?

When I finally relieve him of whatever safety straps he was in, I take him limp body into my arms. Fire surrounds us, and I know that know we are trapped. No more hunting. No more baking. No more times that we spent as a family. Without even thinking, I gentle place Asher back in his seat and throw my body over his in protection. Tears escape my eyelids, and I try to ignore the distant "Willow's" and "Asher's". Soon I can almost feel the heat burning the floor my feet, each part of my future melting with it. Right as I make out the sound of hovercraft hitting ground, I black out.

I wake up to a soft repetitive beeping sound and the sterile smell of medicine that burns my nostrils. As my eyes gradually open, a bright light blinds me, causing the pounding sensation in my head to increase. Numerous blisters and scrapes dot my arms like sleeves of pain. "What happened?" I croak, my voice raspy and dry.

Then I remember. The fire, the crash, Asher. How am I even alive? Images of my brother being burned suddenly haunt my mind. Maybe he's alive; I mean I survived, right? Warm tears run a river down my face as I begin to call his name. "Asher!" I scream. "Ash –" A door creaks open. "Asher is that you?" No response, just footsteps.

"Ah, your awake." informs a feminine voice. "Willow Mellark, I do believe. Well, welcome to the Capitol."