Catching Fire: You and Me

Chapter 31:

"now, because of the circumstances, we have something special planned for this year." Caesar says.

all the tributes are sitting blocked off in the front of the audience and he sits alone on the newly constructed stage platform.

"for those who have never experienced, or at least witnessed the games, we have a little something to help explain things for you."

the screen lights up with a new remixed versio of Panem's Anthem with the same seal symbol as before. 

"From the ashes of confusion and loss, one great nation rose up." the narration says in english, with poorly translated subtitles.

"but to ensure the saftey of their citizens from ever having to go through such pain again, the annual Hunger Games were created." a clip of a girl with a crane beak through her neck flashes, along with the man who tried to eat another tributes heart after losing his mind, then showing the man get blown to pieces.

"each year, a few people sacrifice themselves for the protection of others. these humbled warriors shall always have a special place in our hearts." another montage of killings and deaths appear on screen in vivid definition.

"for seventy four years this continued. but for some, the kind gesture was not enough." a picture of me as Katniss in the 74th games comes up, followed by a flash of Peeta.

"and the happiness we once had was ruined again." it shows us both right after they announced us both victors.

"so extreme meassures were taken to." now it shows a bunch of the Victors from the Quarter Quell, including blonde haired blue eyed me and Peeta holding hands in the training gym.

"outside forces continued to beat down on us, putting us to shame." now they see me and him making out in the forest.

what the hell are they trying to do? this film is making me and Peeta look like the ones to blame for everything...

"and then the final strike." you see someone shoot one of my arrows into the force field, blowing it up as a lightning bolt hits the one tree.

i dont remember any of this, it must have happened after my coma black out.

"a war broke out. and who is to blame now?" a shot of the Eifel Tower comes up.

"in our time of deepest need and regret, a seperate nation tried to tear us apart." it shows me again, but from when i was around 10.

im in a huge flowing dress, with a wicked smile i dont recall ever having.

"in order to sustain liberty and justification, we propose a new event. the World Hunger Games!" the cornocoupia is shown.

"to help provide a safe living environment with dicsipline, and order, brave souls will be put to the test. a new era is beginning. a new life spawning. prosperity awaiting us in the future." the seal comes on again in shining color before the screen goes black and the Capitol people cheer, the French are aghast, and the British are a little stunned as well. 

they also announce the new procedures. 

there is no opening ceremonies, since there are so many people. 

training starts tomorrow morning and lasts four days, the fifth being the private sessions.

then the free day for prep followed by interviews the next night. 

and the games will start at 10:30 am in 8 days. 

i think thats plently of time to piss some people off. 

"Katniss, did you really want to hurt all of us?" Prim asks worriedly. 

Prim is still hanging onto that name. 

she says i look more like a Katniss, and im okay with that. 

"no, Prim. they dragged me- literally. remember?" she just nods. 

"Peeta, i better not catch her sneaking into your room tonight like on the train. its strictly forbidden." Effie scolds.

"dont worry, Eff. im not going to sneak. most likely i'll just walk right in." i say grinning and she just walks away. 

Prim runs off to talk to one of the girls she met in the military base and Peeta looks at me.

"you were really cute when you were little." he smiles.

"uh! of all the pictures they had, they picked that  one?" i huff. 

"i still think it was adorable." he says snagging a bottle of whisky from behind Haymitch.

he winks at me, and we run off the the new training center.

training starts tomorrow, and im as ready as i'll ever be.

which is pretty good in my case. 

my main fear is Prim. 

i know from experience just how well she shoots. 

and dont be fooled by the word well...

she also cried when i smashed a spider with my boot. 

and even though she can stare at and dig a needle through a leg wound, she cant stand to look at my kills from the woods. 

but the private session is one thing i cant do for her. 

all is can do is protect her the best i can. 

that is while also protecting Peeta.

and if i have time, myself too.

in a perfect world, all three of us would make it out alive.

scratch that- in a perfect world none of this would be happening in the first place.

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thanks for reading i know short again, but im still going to write more tonight. dont be alarmed if next chapter takes a while. i want it to be at least longer than normal and i need to get a lot of good information in with it. 

-Aaliyah <3