The Beginning of the End (Clove Kentwell)

Chapter 29

   Iris licked her lips as she walked through the town of district one. Feeling the cold wind against her wet lips. She then suddenly stopped and looked around. There were people all around her minding their own business, living their own lives, and raising their own families. Iris saw a little boy walk out of a store with a chocolate bar in his hand smiling from ear to ear. Iris observed the way these people walked around, the way they carried themselves, the way they spoke to one another. Iris saw an old couple on the bench holding hands, the old man just sat there and smiled as he listened to his wife tell him about whatever she was talking about....Iris looked at them for a little bit longer. She watched the old man as he gently took his wife's hand in his and kissed the top of it making her stop talking and smile at him as he returned the smile. Iris smiled at them then felt someone bump into her back making her turn around. Pollux stood there with his bag in his hand. Iris looked down at the small briefcase in his hand without a word. "Sorry about that I was tripped by one of these little demons." Pollux said looking around at all the little kids running around. Iris chuckled at his statement before looking back down to his briefcase, "Is that all of your stuff?" "Oh no I had Laub pack the rest of my things and take them to the hovercraft along with your other two friends. Iris smiled at him for a second before turning back around only to see that the old couple had already disappeared. A frown came upon her face but as she looked amongst the crowd she saw them dancing hand in hand swaying along to the slow music a band played nearby. Iris closed her eyes as she let the song fill her ears. Suddenly she was turned around by a hand and her feet started moving at a slow pace. Iris opened her eyes and saw Pollux dancing with her. "I just love this song don't you?" He asked still dancing way more gracefully than Iris ever could. Iris nodded her head as she let Pollux drag her along to the music. After a little bit of dancing Iris decided to really start trying to keep up with Pollux. She followed his movements one by one and started slowly getting better. "Oh looks like you got the hang of it now." Pollux said as he smiled at Iris. Iris smiled back but then quickly looked down at her feet watching Pollux's moves then doing the same. Just as the song ended Pollux put his hand around Iris's waist forcefully pulling her closer to him. Their faces ended just inches away, Iris could feel Pollux's heavy breathing against her face. He slowly leaned in closing his eyes as Iris heard applause around them. Iris felt so in the moment as his lips crashed against hers making the crowd erupt into even louder applause. Iris quickly got ahold of her senses realized how wrong this felt as she pushed him off of her. He looked at her for a second in shock before Iris pushed past him, "Don't forget your briefcase on your way back."

Iris stepped onto the hovercraft and saw Gale and Finnick sitting there talking. Iris went and sat next to Finnick taking a deep breath. "What happened?" Finnick asked putting his hand on her arm. "I refuse to be in the same room as that man...actually you know what I can't even call him a man because in my eyes he is an immature little boy." Iris took another deep breath as she opened her eyes and saw Pollux coming towards the hovercraft with his briefcase. Iris rolled her eyes as she got up and headed to the cockpit. "Come on we have to find a place to sleep." Finnick said walking into the cockpit. "Nope I'm fine right here." Iris said somehow closing her eyes even harder. "No you're not come on." Finnick said grabbing her arm and pulling on it. "No Finnick.....I'm being serious I refuse to look him in the face again." Iris said looking him dead in the eyes. Finnick see back down at her for a second before sighing, "Okay" Finnick disappeared for a little bit but quickly came back and sat in the seat next to Iris. "What are you doing?" Iris asked rubbing her eyes then looking at him. "I'm sitting next to you." He said with a duh tone in his voice. Iris rolled her eyes, "Well yeah but what happened to finding a place to sleep?" "Um I told the guys that they could go find a place to sleep and that I was going to stay here with you." Iris looked at him for a second before smiling, "Gale and Pollux headed back to Pollux's house to sleep for the night. We will head out tomorrow." Iris nodded laying her head back against the back of the seat and falling asleep.

   Iris woke up to someone tapping her shoulder repeatedly. "Sorry I let you rest as long as you could but we have to get a move on." Finnick said looking from Iris to the view outside the front windshield. Iris stored for a moment before really getting her bearings and looking around. Finnick left for a brief moment and Iris faintly heard his voice say something to Gale and Pollux. Then he came back in and sat down. "What was that about?" Iris asked getting situated. "Oh I was just asking then if they had everything and was ready to go." Finnick said starting the hovercraft as Iris felt the vibration under her as the engine roared to life. They slowly lifted off the ground and headed towards the capital.

   Reality hit Iris when she saw the capital building in the distance. Her stomach started twisting and turning making her heart hurt which made her head hurt even worse. Iris put her hand up to her head as it throbbed. "Feeling okay?" She heard Finnick ask in a low voice. "Yeah just a little scared I guess you could say." "Scared?" Finnick repeated making it a question. Iris briefly looked over at him as he kept his eyes in front of him. Iris turned her eyes back and looked at her hands as the gripped the control wheel in front of her. "I just......" her voice trailed off before she got the courage to speak again, "I just don't know if we are going to be able to defeat Snow. What if he has already killed Max or Clove. I would have no reason to live anymore..... I live because I have the hope of seeing them again. But if he takes that away from me.......I don't know if I will be able to go on." Iris's vision got blurry as tears welled up in her eyes. "Don't say that. We are going to do this no matter what. And I can promise you that Clove and Max are still alive." "You can't promise anything." Iris said as a tear finally broke loose from the pool in her eyes. "What if he has already killed them both..what if he already knows he has won and he is just waiting for us to come so he can kill us..what if we fail the districts?" More tears came down her cheeks. "We won't fa-" "You don't know that Finnick!" Iris said as her voice rose out of anger. Iris quickly felt bad as guilt washed over her, "I'm sorry I shouldn't have yelled." Iris saw movement out of the corner of her eye so she turned her head and saw Gale poke his head into the cockpit. "Um I was just wondering if one of yall needed to switch out if you are tired or something." "Switch her out." Finnick said never taking his eyes off the front windshield. Iris looked at him for a second before getting up and walking past Gale as he sat in her seat. Iris walked and saw Pollux sitting in a chair with his head rested against the back of it sleeping. Iris chose the farthest seat away from him and sat down laying her head back trying to sleep. Her thoughts got the best of her as she sat there with her eyes open staring at the ceiling of the hovercraft. What if Snow really did kill Max and Clove, what if they really did fail the districts.