One-Shots (The Hunger Games)

One Shot 1

Willow's POV

The old squeaking stairs that you have to you to get to the basement have always scared me as a kid, but I'm twelve now and I think the things my parents, Katniss Mellark and Peeta Mellark, have been through much more frightening situations. We're learning about the Hunger Games at school and my teachers adores me because of my parents. The teacher even asked if Katniss would like to say anything but she refused. That same night I heard sobs coming from her room. I'm used to sleeping with noise. Mom always screams because of her nightmares and dad sometimes get flashbacks. They haven't explained why dad gets flashbacks or about what, but when he does his goal is to kill mom, nobody else but mom. I find it strange and scary.

What I don't find scary (anymore) are the stairs that lead to the attic that are right under my feet. Slowly and careful not to make too much noise, I walk down them and it seems as if at each step the creeks of the stairs become louder. When I reach the bottom I gently turn the doorknob. To my luck, it isn't locked and I walk in. I see a light switch and flick in on and with some trouble, it's on but still flickers every few seconds.

Nothing seems to catch my interests. Old clothes, lamps, paper, and more nonsense. I stop in my tracks and focus on something that is hidden behind a pile of weird pink clothes. I throw the weird clothes off and find a gorgeous wedding dress. The dress that mom wore at her first wedding, more like her fake wedding. I've seen it before in the interview that they show us at school. Now that most of us are twelve, and that's the age you could've gotten reaped, they are showing us the last Hunger Games that changed everything. Back then my mother was young and beautiful, she was seventeen, sixteen when she was in her first games. The Girl On Fire is what they called her. The Mockingjay.

The dress is huge and I don't know how she thought that those few clothes would cover it up. But then I think of something.

Didn't she twirl around and turn into a mockingjay? Was it special effects? Maybe it was a con and the had to use 2 dresses. I don't bother to think about it anymore.

When I touch it it's soft and I imagine it being heavy. I turn it around to see the back at see an old broken box hidden behind it. I hesitate before I grab it. The box feels and looks like it'll fall apart any second. When I place it down in front of me I look around to see if anyone is watching me, not that Rike, my younger brother, would have the guts to come down here.

I open it and find a pretty blouse and a skirt neatly folded. The rest of the box is empty so it's kind of a waste of space. I pick the clothes out of the box and hold them in front of me. They look like my size. I could try it on. It won't possess me or anything so why not. I quickly slip out of my clothes and hop in the the other ones. Maybe mom will let me keep it.

I run up the stairs, this tim not caring about anyone finding out that I've been down there. I run to the kitchen where my mom is sitting at the table looking into nothing. Her fingers are clenched around the mug where steam is rising from. The expression of fright is all over her face. This happens a lot, you just have to snap her out of it.

"Mom, look! Do I look pretty?" I say and pose by gently bending my knees and holding the tips of the skirt.

She snaps out of it and look at me. Her first is expression seems to be shock but it later turns into sadness. Eventually she stands up smiling but the sadness can't be wiped from her face.

"You look gorgeous." She now stands in front of me and places a soft kiss on my head and pulls me into a hug. "But let's tuck that tail in, Little Duck." She does it and I see her wipe a tear away.

"What's wrong?"

"It's... uhm," She wipes another tear away and let's a nervous laugh, probably to lighten up the mood. "Those were you aunt Prim's reaping clothes."

Oh God... I should have never have gone down there.

As if she read my she says, "It's okay. You should keep it, you look beautiful in it." She strokes my hair smiling.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Very sure, my Mockingjay. I love you, Willow." She pulls me into another hug and I hear her crying again but this time it's a mix of sadness and joy.

"I love you, mom." I say and give her a tight squeeze.