Clove's Story (Hunger Games)

Chapter 15: Home

The train pulled right up to the center of town where they held the reaping ceremony each year. I got out of the train and walked onto the platform that was in the place of the stage. It was golden with a banner that said "Congratulations Clove! Our Incredible Victor!"

I stepped out to where the audience could see me and I immediately spotted Axel ontop of my dad's shoulders clapping as big as he could. My mother who was standing next to my father was crying tears of joy.

I waved to the audience and blew kisses at them while smiling. I turned around to see Holt and Silver smiling proudly behind me also waving. 

"What do I do now?" I ask them. Holt looks at me and puts his hand on my shoulder. 

"Go home, you'll love it." he tells me with a true smile on his face.

I walk down the steps of the platform and run to my family. The audience starts dispersing as soon as  I do this. 

"Clove!" I hear my mother cry proudly. I run up to her, still in my golden dress and crown, and give her a big hug. It was so nice to see my mother again. I hope I'll never have to relive the games. 

"I love you, Mom." I said to her releasing the hug. My dad put Axel down so he could hug me. I hugged my father back taking back every bit of him I could've lost. "I missed you so much, Dad."

"I missed you too, Clove." he says to me. Then I go over to hug Axel. He's taller now, even after only a week, but I can still pick him up. I lift my little brother into my arms and spin him around. 

"You were so awesome, Clove! I never knew you were that cool! Did it hurt when you fell and had all the knives cut into you? Did you actually bleed real blood from your stomach and have a real black eye? Did you actually kill people?" he asked me eager to know every detail. The last question kind of bothered me now. I didn't like to think of them as people; I liked to think of them as tributes. I wasn't even a person in the games. I was a tribute. You didn't see the real Clove Kentwell in those brutal games. You saw the girl who wanted to survive and knew how to. 

When we got to our new house in the Victor's Village, house number 13, it was absolutely perfect inside. It was a four bedroom house with a huge interior and a pond in the backyard. The backyard was completely private too which has never been the case for a regular home in District 2. 

I ran to my new bedroom and found it as a vision of gold. My name was printed on the wall above my headboard. 

I sat on my bed and then realized there was a note of my nightstand. It was in a maroon, Capitol envelope. 

I opened up the envelope to find a note from President Snow. 

Clove, 

Here are some things you'll need to do for the victory tour coming up in the next two months. 

1) Write a list of your favorite events in this year's Hunger Games.

2) Write down your most memorable moments about this year's Hunger Games.

3) Write what you would change about next year's Hunger Games.

Please do this as soon as you can, in the next month if possible, and send them to my office. Thank you for your support of the Hunger Games. 

Sincerely, President Snow. 

P.S.

Don't get too comfortable.