Chapter 87: Anticipation
Peeta arrives back at the house while the evening is still bright. Katniss greets him at the door with Pik in her arms and Prim at her feet. She kisses Peeta lightly on the lips and he takes Pik from her. Prim is dancing around their feet and asks Peeta if they can go for a walk. He tells her that sounds like a good idea, and the four of them get ready to head out to the graveyard. It doesn't take long and Peeta takes Pik up on his shoulders while Katniss takes Prim by the hand. They tell the Peacekeeper guarding the door that they want to take a walk to the graveyard and he calls a fellow Peacekeeper over, telling him to accompany the family on their walk. The Peacekeeper falls into step behind them as Peeta and Katniss begin the short walk to Prim's last resting place.
"What do you think is happening in the Capitol?" Katniss asks Peeta quietly.
"We probably won't know until Haymitch gets another opportunity to go back" says Peeta. "If there's any major developments there will probably be a Capitol alert…".
"I can't stand being cooped up here, Peeta. We should be doing something to help our Tributes…" Katniss says in frustration.
"I know, Katniss. But we still have Haymitch…and Gale is doing what he can as well. We have to think about Prim and Pik. They need us. And even if we could travel back to the Capitol, I'm not sure there is anything we could do…"
Katniss knows the children have to be their first priority, but Snow would always be her priority, too, as long as he was still alive. Peeta is right, but that still doesn't curb her frustration, or her anxiety for their two remaining Tributes. As they come to the graveyard, Katniss turns to the Peacekeeper.
"I would like a moment alone with my sister" she says.
The Peacekeeper looks uncertain and hesitates for a moment, but finally decides there isn't much Katniss can do to cause a problem here, so he lets her go ahead with Peeta and the children. Katniss draws close to the grave and takes in the beautiful array of primrose that Peeta had arranged for them both as she thinks of Prim. Somehow they have to bring this nightmare to an end so they can finally live in peace. Otherwise, Katniss asks herself, what had Prim died for, and why had she and Peeta lived? Peeta lowers Pik from his shoulders and puts an arm around Katniss. Prim goes to pick a flower. Katniss reacts.
"No! Prim! Don't touch the flowers!"
Peeta looks at Katniss. Prim runs across to Peeta and hides behind his legs.
"Katniss…"
Katniss doesn't know what is wrong with her, she just knows she doesn't want anyone to disturb Prim's grave again. Ever. This was her resting place and it was as close to Prim as Katniss was ever going to get now. Moments later, gathering herself, Katniss regrets her harsh words to Prim.
"I'm sorry Prim. It's just that mummy likes the flowers the way they are, the way your daddy planted them for her, and for me…" Katniss remembers how overwhelmed she had been when Peeta first brought her there and she feels overwhelmed again now, too.
"It was for you" Prim says, her bottom lip trembling as tears fill her eyes.
Katniss' eyes begin to fill with tears, too. She is taking out her frustrations on Prim and none of what was happening now was Prim's fault.
"I know. I'm sorry" Katniss says again, leaning down and picking Prim up, holding her close and kissing her cheek.
Peeta takes Katniss' hand and, after few silent moments, they turn back, towards the Peacekeeper and towards home. Both of them know things won't be right in their world again until Snow is caught. They are quiet on their return and must wait until the children are in bed before they can tune in to the Games again and any possible Capitol newscasts.
Lorcan and Ottilia have followed the petal trail until eventually coming upon the landmark they have been searching for. The trees branches hang down, heavy with blossom, and the smell is enticing. They know this is somehow an indicator of the exit, but are not sure yet how it will lead them out of the first arena. Lorcan stands at the base of the tree, inspecting it. It has a thick trunk and strong branches that he thinks he should be able to climb. There is nothing at the base of the tree that makes Lorcan think the mechanism to release them from the arena is here. Lorcan tells Ottilia to wait while he begins to climb. He leaves his backpack with her as he ascends into the branches. As he reaches a point higher in the tree, it begins to shift, lowering Lorcan suddenly in a manner where he thinks he might fall. He grips the branch tightly so he doesn't slip. The branch dips precariously and close enough to Ottilia that he grabs her hand as she reaches up to catch him. Suddenly the two of them are catapaulted high into the air and thrown several metres, finally landing in a net. It catches them just as the forest erupts into a ball of flames. The arena is alight. The net is on some kind of a trolley mechanism that whisks them to the edge of the forest where it drops them into a chute. Ottilia screams as they slide downwards for several feet before hitting some soft sacking at the bottom.
Lorcan jumps up first and checks to see if Ottilia is alright. She is having trouble getting up, but tells Lorcan she is ok and not to worry. The two of them take a moment to look around. They are in an enclosed space, a small concreted area, and there is a green door in front of them. It must be the door that will lead them to the second arena. Lorcan wants to open it right away, but Ottilia holds him back.
"No, Lorcan. We don't know what's behind the door" Ottilia tells him.
"It has to be the exit to the second arena" Lorcan says.
"But we don't know what could be behind it!" Ottilia says.
"No, we don't. But we've just lost all our supplies and there's nothing else to do now, except keep moving forward". Ottlilia looks at him dubiously. "I'll go first, Ottilia. You stay behind me and, if anything happens to me…"
Ottilia doesn't let him finish.
"We've managed to get this far, Lorcan. Don't think like that. You have to be positive" says Ottilia, not feeling very positive herself. But, she doesn't want anything to happen to Lorcan, so she tries to convince herself as well.
"Ok, but I'll go first. Agreed?" Lorcan asks her.
"Ok. Agreed" says Ottilia.
Lorcan reaches for the lever beside the door.
Ebony has taken food and rest in preparation for the last leg of her journey. Now is the time to gather herself, to take her courage in both her hands and see what awaits her on the other side of the door. It's a lonely place to be, made lonelier by the fact that even her grandfather, Coriolanus Snow, doesn't have her back. He has left her to die. It is as simple as that.
Ebony reaches out her hand to pull down the lever beside the door. She has to use all her weight, but eventually it shifts and the door begins to lift from below. Ebony flattens herself against the wall beside the lever and waits to see if anything appears from underneath as the door slowly ascends. She hears nothing. Sees nothing. There is a glimmer of light and it must be a signpost to where she needs to go. Ebony tentatively turns to face the opening. As she peeks around the edge, she sees a winding tunnel with a shaft of sunlight trying to bend its way around the corner. She is headed out of darkness and into light. Ebony hopes the odds will be in her favour.