Embers

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

I got home from trading in my game, freshly caught, spotting Peeta in the back yard. His back was turned, laughter ringing up in the air. I smiled at the thought of him playing with our two kids Finnick and Rue, who is seven. I yelled "Peeta!" and he turned around, his face lighting up with happiness in seeing me. As he started towards me, I saw the slight limp. After so long, he still hadn't gotten used to his artificial leg. Whenever it was cold or damp, he would fall hard to the pain and the tightness of his leg. 

Peeta beckoned me over to play, his face warming. His eyes danced as our two children danced happily around us, singing songs and playing nicely in the open meadow. By the time the sun began to lower in the sky, they were exhausted. They raced back to the house laughing and screaming, their cries echoing in the air. Peeta and I followed not far behind, watching them as they climbed upstairs. A massive thump echoed through the Victor's Village home, followed by a girlish "Ow!", and laughter. I rolled my eyes. 

Rue is always getting concussions because she likes to take a lot of risks. We have to tell her that she is going to end up really hurting herself. Finnick , which is only what Peeta and I call him (everybody else calls him Finn), is much more cautious of his surroundings. For some reason, I believe he got that from me. 

Peeta and I spent the lowlight of the evening flirting with each other while he made dinner for all of us. That is, until the doorbell rang. Peeta frowned, heaving himself up and answered the door. His face registered his surprise, shocked by the person at the door. He shut the door and hurried over to me with his stubbled face close to my face." You are not going to believe who is at the door." 

I shivered, the sudden intensity making my muscles tense."Who?" 

He looked at me softly, and quietly said, "President Snow and President Coin." 

My mouth fell in absolute shock and I thought how they are alive? I got up off the couch and opened the door, seeing the two people that I hate the most standing in from of me. I growled," What do you two want?" 

Coin hissed, but Snow pushed her away and tried to smile. His teeth were rotten from the bleach he was said to ingest when he was still 'alive'. He dipped his head to the both of us and said, "Katniss, my dear. May we come in? We must to talk to the both of you." Without consulting Peeta or even remembering that my own children were upstairs, I cautiously let them in. Snow's eyes tried to show the warmth he thought was needed to show his gratitude, but it did nothing for my nerves. In fact, it scared me, not knowing what there up to. I couldn't even believe myself, letting the man that made me participate in the Hunger Games twice and the women that intentionally killed my sister into my home, my sanctuary. They took a seat on the couch, facing me and said," Well, Katniss. Are you surprised to see us?" 

I bit my lip. "Yeah, I am. I honestly thought that the two of you were dead. " 

"Ah, so did we. So we had some of the stylists make two criminals replicate us. So you were tricked." Peeta's hand touched my shoulder as my mouth fell slack, thinking how in the world was I this stupid, I knew that they had some tricks up their sleeves. Then, they stood. Peeta's grip tightened as they opened the door. Before they left, they turned around and winked." May the odds be ever in your favor Katniss." 

I stood in complete shock, confused. The Games had already been abolished after Paylor became president. Peeta's grip hadn't loosened even after they were gone, his fear just as high as my. He gently pulled me onto the couch, where immediately I felt myself begin to shake. "Katniss," He soothes, "Everything is fine.'' 

I shuddered. "They really didn't want anything. They were just smiling at me the entire time and... and... it was creeping me out." 

Peeta sighed, shaking his head. "Everything will be alright." 

Before I could respond, Finn and Rue rushed downstairs, eyes glistening with happiness. "Help!" Rue said plainly, shoving her paper into Peeta's face. He chuckled low in his throat. It sounded scared to me, but to them, it must have sounded like acceptance. The things you learn when you grow up. I thought, shaking my head as he reached for Finn's pencil. The kettle on the stove boiled with water for the food Peeta had been making before my two greatest enemies had come. While he was distracted, I scurried up the stairs and into my room. I hurried over to the cupboard and pulled out a picture of my mom and dad looking each other in the eyes. They hadn't had even this much fear at the time, just happy newlyweds. Then there was me, holding Prim as a baby. My lip began to quiver, my hand flying to my mouth to stop the tears from falling. 

"She's happy where she is now, you know." Peeta's husky voice startled me. "She's got all the herbs and cats and goats in the sky." Tears trickled down my cheeks quickly, but Peeta just as quickly wipes them away. "I promise you." He whispered, taking my hand and pulling me to his burly chest. 

It seemed like minutes before he sighed and pulled me away. "Come on. Your favorite stew is downstairs waiting." He teased softly. After I stopped crying, I followed him downstairs. Though it was my favorite, I couldn't eat. It's normal. I was mostly stressed that my daughter will learn in her class at how much I had to do with the war. 

"Finn! Rue! Dinner!" Peeta called, both of us not trusting my voice. Dinner went uneventful and nobody really talked. After dinner, I hurried upstairs and grabbed my bow and arrow to go hunting. I snagged my father's hunting jacket and threw it over my shoulder. I wasn't supposed to be hunting at night, but I do a lot anyways. I walked towards the fence and went underneath the second wire and walked deep into the woods. I saw a deer and aimed my bow and arrow, but something startled me from behind. My finger twitched and released the drawstring, completely missing the deer. I turned around, thinking, hoping, for one second that it was Gale. But it wasn't. 

I saw someone running in the distance and I raced after them. The mystery person threw a knife at me and it caught the side of my head, making me stop in my tracks. I touched my head to feel the blood and wiped it off of my mind, focusing on the chase. I finally caught up to it and tackle it to the ground, screaming," Who in the hell are you?" 

She glanced at me and said, "Look at me, really closely, and think about it." 

I frowned at her, keeping her tightly under my hold when it hits me. She looked exactly like Glimmer, the contestant from my first Hunger Games who had my silver bow. I l growled at her, snarling," Are you related to Glimmer?" 

She winced at the ferocity in my voice but nodded." I'm her younger sister and I need to talk to you." With much hesitation, I yanked her up and lead her back to my house. Her face was frightful as she sat on the couch, waiting for me. She hesitated, I saw, before turning to me and sighing." How bad did I cut you?" 

I glanced at her, frowning. "Pretty bad. But I bandaged it and it'll probably be better in a couple of days." 

She whimpered." That's good. I didn't mean to, but I didn't know who it was and so I got scared and threw it. Lucky it was you who I'd come to look for. " She hesitated again. "All of the upper districts are rebelling against Paylor and the capitol." 

I frowned even more. "What? Why are you rebelling?" 

She looked away. "Paylor is a horrible president. I swear, she is just like Snow. I think she wants to bring back the Hunger Games." 

The night's events played back in my head. Snow and Coin gave heed by their quote earlier. "Why is she a horrible president?" 

"She tortures the upper districts and she has tried to kill District 1 off more times than I can count." 

"What's your name?" 

"Taylor. I'm sixteen. Today would have been my first Hunger Game availability." 

She looked sixteen, or at least, acts it. She was frightened, not sadistic. Warm instead of cold hearted like Glimmer was. "You should leave. But come back tomorrow when there is more time to talk." 

"Of course, Mrs. Mellark." That stunned me. In 12, everyone knew me as Katniss. Not even Peeta went by Mellark, hardly at least. Sure, it was still on the marriage certificate, but not once had I heard it said by someone other than the priest at the wedding. 

And it scared me. 

"Please," I explained to her, opening the door. "Call me Katniss." 

Before she left, I saw the weakest of smiles form on her face.