The Spark of a Revolution {Book 2 in the Daughter Trilogy} Watty Awards 2015

Chapter 3

  I sit on the roof alone terrified to move.

  Tears have welded up in my eyes, and I have ran out of any anti-depression or anxiety medication, therefore all of the prolonged emotions of the past sixth months flow through me as fast as a river after a shower.

  My mind flashes through memories of everyone in the arena and the prices they paid for simply participating. I can hardly breathe when my mind comes to Molly, sweet innocent Molly, with her bright red hair and freckled face. 

  A tear falls from my eye and soon the tears form a steady beat on the metal roof below.

  After an hour of sobbing I realize I still have my earpiece in from training.

  "Rosie? Rosie?" Max's voice rings in my ears.

  I clear my throat letting myself reply with one single sentence.

  "I need to see my mom." the tears threaten to start up again, but I gulp them down in hopes of sounding and acting brave.

  "Rosie! Where are you? You had us all worried sick." He shouts sympathetically through the earpiece.

  "He was worried sick!" I hear Eli say in the background with an added giggle.

  "Cut it." Charley says rather snarkily.

  "Left roof. Be down in a minute." I say smiling slightly at the boys attitudes.

 I run towards the conference room at full tilt, holding my breath as I snake through halls of crowded people.

  Max is pacing by the door, and when I reach him he embraces me without a second thought.

  He keeps his arm around me as the boys ask simple yes and no questions as to why I dissappeared for three hours.

  "You could've gotten hurt." Max replies.

  "But I didn't." I reply calmly.

  "You don't get it do you?" I stare wide-eyed at the expression on his face, "I risked my life for you in the arena, and you repay me by dissappearing, having me worrid sick that I am going to lose you again!"

  The others back up as Max's tone raises.

  "Max! You don't need a play by play of everything I do! I can protect myself!"

  "That is the problem, Rosie, you can't! You don't know what is out there!"

  "You wanna bet?"

  "You know sometimes, I wish we had never met."

  "Be careful what you wish for." I reply turning on my heals and stomping off like a toddler after a tantrum.

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  My mom sits in a corner curled into a ball, she mutters words to herself just above a whisper, and I catch four, "I am Katniss Everdeen." Soon this is the only thing she says, making it into a chant of sorts.

  "Mom?" I ask reaching out for her.

  "Mom?" She asks back, "Prim? Prim you aren't dead!" She reaches out to me and pulls me in for a hug, "I thought you were dead, the bombs, they blew everyone else sky high!"

  "Mommy?" A tear falls from my eyes.

  I gulp down the sobs and play along.

  "Yeah, I ducked behind one of the vans and was almost decapitated, but I survived." I watched the footage of my Aunt's death on multiple occasions, since I agreed to be Mockingjay, making it easier to play along.