No Games Left to Play

6: Traveling

It's the early afternoon when Peeta and I board our train at the station. Peeta goes and places our suitcases in the bedroom portion of our cart and I sit on the couch. Peeta and I opted for a private cart. Now that people are allowed to come and go as they please, we knew that it was going to be difficult to travel in peace; seeing as we are well-known people from our games and the rebellion. When Peeta comes back he must have seen me fidgeting in my seat.

"Nervous?" he asks.

"Yeah, a little."

"Don't be." he says as he sits next to me. "Remember on the victory tour when Effie told us, how wonderful it would be for us to experience the beauty of all the districts?"

"Yeah." I snuggle into his arms.

"Find the beauty in the districts as we pass through them. This time there won't be any peacekeepers, no rebelling districts, no speeches. Try to enjoy it."

"Thank you, Peeta." I take a deep breath and try to relax. "I love that you always know just what to say."

Peeta smiles and rubs his hand up and down my arm.

Somehow I end up falling asleep in his embrace.

I jolt awake when the train comes to a stop. "What's happening?" I ask Peeta.

"Nothing, we just need to make a stop. We're in eleven now."

"How long have I been out?" I ask.

"About an hour." he tells me.

I forgot how small twelve was. It's only been an hour and we are already in another district. Then again, the train does travel at 200 miles per hour. We still have to pass through the rest of eleven, District Ten, District Six, and a small portion of District One before reaching the Capitol. The train will stop four or five times; two or three times in eleven since it's so big, once in ten and six. We wont stop in District One because we are only traveling through a little bit of it. The doors open to let on new passengers and I can feel the warmth of the district seep into the train.

I get up and walk over to the window. I want to see what's changed since the rebellion. I'm happy to find that it's not much, and what has changed, has been changed for the better. There is still a fence, but it's not as high as the one Peeta and I saw on the victory tour. Plus, it doesn't look as dangerous. I see a little girl playing in the distance. Happy, free from the games. I start to think of Rue. A tear escapes onto my face. Peeta comes to join me by the window. His arms wrap around my core and he places his chin on my left shoulder. I tilt my head to the right and place my arms on top of his.

"Are you okay?" Peeta asks swaying us side to side.

"Yeah, just thinking of Rue."

He lifts his head off my shoulder to kiss me on the cheek, and then places it right back to where it was. After admiring the little girl I notice the rest of the people in the square and lock eyes with one woman who is around my age, maybe a few years older. She nudges the boy standing next to her, I think it might be her younger brother, and points to me. He waves down his fiends. Then I realize what is happening. Peeta and I are being recognized through the window. Luckily the train starts moving again before more people start to recognize us. I should've known this would happen. I'm unprepared for this. I've just started being able to walk through town and handle the recognition. Twelve is so small, I'm about to pass through four districts. I start to shake in Peeta's arms.

"It's alright, Katniss." Peeta says. "They're just excited to see you."

"I know. I just—"

"Katniss, you have to learn to let go of that fear you still have bottled up inside."