Future of the mockingjay

Chapter nine: Flowers at a Funeral

I look at Peeta, grasping his hand as if it was the one thing keeping me from floating up into space. "Ready?"

"Yes. Are you?"

"I hope so," I say. "You go knock."

He squeezed my hand and then stepped forward in his crisp, black suit to rap three times on the door. The murmuring voices inside were hushed, and the door opened slowly.

"Katniss, you made it!" Matt says as I step forward to hug him. He was trying so hard to make his voice sound happy. Not an easy thing to do at a funeral.

"Hi, you must be Matt," Peeta says, shaking his hand. "I'm so sorry about your mother."

Matt's cheerful attempt stopped. "Thank you," he says, nodding his head. "And you must be Peeta, it's so nice to finally meet you."

We walk inside and I am hit with a wave of remorse and sadness. The large room is filled with walking figures of black. Ladies in back dresses and men in black suits. I clutch at Peeta's hand again as Matt brings an elderly couple towards us.

The man has gray hair and dull green eyes. His face sags and he is hunched over a stick. The woman's raven black hair, obviously dyed, is in a neat bun and her eyes are a striking color behind her glasses. They are right between blue and green. A wonderful color; like the sea on a perfect day.

"Katniss, Peeta, these are my grandparents," Matt introduces. A knock is heard again and Matt excuses himself to answer it.

For a while we stand there, unable to say anything. I just stare Peeta, waiting for him to say something.

"She spoke of you often," the man says, his voice cracking a little.

I look at him in surprise, still struggling with the right words.

"Annie used to say she wished she was brave, like Katniss," he continues, staring off into the distance. "When she had Matt she was so afraid, so confused." His eyes focus on me. "But she wanted to be brave, to be stronger. Just like you."

"Annie was an amazing person," I whisper.

"Indeed she was," the woman adds. "But you inspired her, Katniss. You helped her live a little longer," she softly says.

I feel my prick, and I try to will the tears to stay down. She takes my hand in hers.

"Thank you so, so much, Katniss, for saving our daughter."

And then the tears overflow.

...

I press my hand to my mouth, trying not to make a sound. We are all standing in the garden as the Priest stands over the hole in the ground, containing Annie's coffin. The parents wanted her to be buried in their garden. Even when she was forever in sleep, they still wanted to protect her.

"Annie Cresta was a great woman. A loved daughter, wife, and mother," the Priest states, his voice ringing out. "We are all gathered here today to remember the wonderful person that she was, and to pay our respects." With that said, he steps back and motions to her parents.

The slowly walk forward and stand over her grave. Her mother opens her mouth, but starts crying instantly. Her father pats her back and steps closer. He takes a flower from the jar and looks down at the grave.

"When you were just a little girl," he starts, his voice barely audible, "you used to come out here and pick flowers just before winter would come. You'd pick so much, the house would be littered with flowers everywhere." He smiled faintly at the memory. "You said that you had to save them, that the cold would kill them if you didn't try. So you tried," he said softly, "you tried to help them survive." He drops the flower into the grave, unable to say more, and walks away with his wife.

Matt is the next to come.

"Hi mom," he greets, his voice wobbling. "I just want to let you know how grateful I am to you. Even when times were tough on us both, you stayed strong through it, mom. You showed me you were brave." Tears are running down his face. "But I saw how sad you were inside. How everything tormented you. You needed dad, and I saw that." He lets go of his flower. "I just hope you find him now."

People start coming up slowly. Heather the next door neighbor, Susie the baker down the street, Paul the hardware man, Mr. and Mrs. Stephens her closet friends, George the milkman, until there were only two more flowers in the jar.

Peeta and I step forward, and I motion for him to go first. He takes a flower and clears his throat.

"Hey, Annie. It's been a long time," he starts. "I remember when we were at the Capitol together. You were so brave, so determined," his voice trails off. "Annie you are one of the strongest people I've ever known. You've touched the lives of everyone here today, and you've raised a wonderful son. I'm so glad that I can look back and say that I knew you." He lets the flower float to the ground, and then it's my turn.

I slowly pick up the last flower, fingering the stem. I look down at the pale blue coffin, covered with flowers.

"I could not count on both my hands all the people who loved you," I say. I gathered the courage to go on. "When we were at District 13, and Finnick was waiting for you to be rescued, he was ripping apart at the seams, Annie. You meant the world to him. We both went crazy, both of us together," I say, my cheeks getting wet with the tears I can't control. "And then you came back, and it was like all the problems in the world disappeared. I know that feeling Annie," I pause to take Peeta's hand, "and all I can say is that it takes someone really special to be loved the way Finnick loved you. You are an amazing woman, and you were so brave to raise Matt the way you did. I know I speak for more than myself when I say that I am proud of you." I watch as the flower slips through my fingers and lands on the pile.

We step away as two men with shovels cover the coffin with dirt. I take the hand of Mrs. Cresta, who is sobbing uncontrollably. There is silence in the crowd and all you can hear is the dull thud of dirt as it hits the bottom and Mrs. Cresta's sobbing.