Fire is Raging On (A Hunger Games Fanfic) [#Wattys 2016]

Chapter Thirty-five

Chapter Thirty-five

Peeta's POV

    "Well, here we are again. Hopefully, this will be the last time," our attorney Daren Calkins says.

    "Hopefully, do you think we'll be successful today?" I ask.

    "Yes. I think the judge realizes he was pretty lenient last time, and I don't think he'll make that mistake again."

    "Okay, let's get this over with then," Katniss says taking my hand.

    When we enter the courtroom, it reminds me very much of our previous time in here. Everything is the same, even many of the same people sit in the room. Once everything settles down and people stop shuffling in their seats, the judge begins without preamble.

"Ms. Snow, Ms. Hadley, Ms. Pyrmont, Mr. Keene, Mr. Galloway, Mr. Dunbryll, Mr. Rosehearty, Ms. Lockhearst, Ms. Renfrewshire, Ms. Arausio, and Mr. Saltcoats I must highly recommend that you not represent yourselves in this case," the judge says. "I believe Ms. Snow and Ms. Hadley that you both know the consequences of this course of action from last time."

"We will represent ourselves, thank you very much. I think we all know how well your punishment worked because here we stand once again. Obviously, you can't keep us in prison."

"Nevertheless, I must ask if any of you would like a new court appointed attorney?" the judge asks.

Every member of the Snow Regime looks to Vada for direction. Apparently, they can't answer for themselves. "No, all of us for perfectly capable of representing ourselves. Isn't that right?" Vada says. Her statement is followed with the hurried nodding of the member of her little Regime.

"Very well, then.  Please rise then," the judge sighs. "How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Vada says.

"Alright, Mr Calkins your opening arguments," the judge gestures to our lawyer. 

Mr Calkins clears his throat and stands up, "I think we all know that these people are guilty.  They broke into the Presidential mansion, captured President Paylor, and then killed her on national television. Not only did they do that, but they then took control of the nation and reimplemented the Hunger Games which is crimes against humanity. Finally, they did not stop with killing our President, taking over the nation, and subjecting our citizens to Games once again, but they also kidnapped Willow Mellark from inside the Mellark home." Mr. Calkins turns and looks back and forth from the jury to the people in the courtroom listening to the trial. "We must ask ourselves. Can we, as the nation of Panem, let people like the Snow Regime to go unpunished? Can we let them threaten our security, send us and our children to fight to the death? We just overcame a ruler like them. Are we going to let those dark days come back to us? Or are we going to stand up against them and make sure this nation is a safe and happy place to raise our children?"

As Mr. Calkins sits back down, the judge says, "Your opening statement," nodding toward the Snow Regime.

"Let me just start off with the fact that previous ruler you mentioned is my grandfather. You don't actually know him. You claim he was a vicious and murderous ruler, yet think back. We once had a nation like the one you tried to set up with that Paylor. If you can recall that nation didn't last, so what makes you think it will now? It won't and it will crumble like before.'

'Now, let's move onto some other matters," Vada gets up and paces right in front of Mr. Calkins, Katniss, and I. "Am I really such a horrible person? Do you consider yourselves to be horrible people, Katniss and Peeta? No, you don't even though you've murdered people. But, because I've murdered people, I'm a horrible person. Because I brought back the Games I'm a horrible person. Are you horrible people? You fought in the Games. Doesn't that make you just as bad as me."