Ileana: Katniss's Daughter

Chapter Three: The Knowing

     I woke up the next morning feeling cheerful and excited. But, I had this feeling that something had happened....and then it all came flooding back to me: The Huger Games. The tributes. District 13. The District 12 bombing. The Peace Romps. Garel and I, Mom and Dad. A fight to the death.

     I fell back onto my bed with a thump, feeling as though I had been hit by one of the coal miner's carts. I stared at my hands for a minute. Then I looked around me. If what haymitch had said was true, then I might never see this room again. Might never see this house again. I shed a single tear and then remembered that this would effect Garel too. I would be pitted against my own brother!

     I stood, a bit too quickly and getting dizzy, and hurried down the hall.  I stubbed my toe on the doorjamb and and almost fell into Garel's room. I stepped on a few trucks and blocks before making it to his bedside. I sat in the chair mom kept by the bed. I watched my little brother sleeping for a few minutes. My mind wandered: Did Garel know yet? Was he afraid? How was I going to keep him safe?

     I glanced at his clock, 11:30! I leapt out of the chair and skidded to my room. I had told Trace I'd meet him at the library at noon! Why had no one woken me up!?! Ugh. I rummaged through my dresser, yanking out jeans and a layered tank top. I crossed my room and went into my private bathroom and stepped into the clawfoot tub (see I told you, pretty fancy house). I let the water from the shower run over me and quickly scrubbed my hair. I hopped back out of the tub five minuted later and into my clothes. As I toweled my hair I studied myself in the mirror. My eyes were puffy and dark, my skin was pale as death. I sighed. I pulled out my makeup, which I didn't usually use, and dabbed on some concealer and blush. There, that was better...ish. I brushed and then braided my hair. I wore it the same way my mother had when she was my age: in one french braid down my back, nice and simple.

     The kitchen was desolate when I got there. It was almost eerie, being alone in what was usually the central part of the house. I grabbed two eggs from the fridge and stuck them in a frying pan on the stove. Just as I sat down to eat them, Garel plodded downstairs, licking his lips.

     Garel was 9, but he acted like he was 35. He was a dark haired boy, almost as tall as me, though that isn't saying much. His eyes were always laughing, even today. He grinned at me from under his messy hair. 

     "Mornin' 'Ana" he called to me from across the room. "What's for breakfast?"

     "It was going to be eggs....but I have to go...I guess you can split them with me."

     Garel bounded across the kitchen and plopped down on a stool next to the island. I slid in next to him and handed him a fork. As we ate he kept glancing at me nervously.

     "What Garel? Don't be so secretive! What's up?" I asked him...but I already knew...the Peace Romps. "You know." I said flatly. He nodded. "I'm so sorry Garel." I whispered my eyes filling with tears again.

     "It's okay Ileana. let's not start the day like this. C'mon. let's do something. There aren't a lot of days left where we will be free."

    "You're right. we should do something. Why don't we take a picnic to the feild later? I have to go to the library and meet Trace this afternoon. I want to do some reseach on the games. You wanna come?"

     Garel looked at me for a moment and I thought for sure that he was going to say no. But then he grew serious and nodded at me, "okay," he said.

     Fifteen minutes later the two of us were at the library wih Trace pouring over old record books. After an hour of searching Garel called to Trace and I from across the media room. "Hey guys...I found something you are going to want to see!"

    Garel had found tapes of the hunger games. One tape for every year. I satched up the one that said it was for the 74th annual Hunger Games. I shoved it into the Library's video player. I watched My aunt and father get called for the reapring, and saw my mother volunteer to take Prim's place.Saw my mother singing and crying to a girl named Rue, her ally. I witnessed my mother fall in love with my father, almost lose him, and then save him. I watched it all. at the end of the tape when my parets defied the capital with the poison berries, I screamed. When the tape was over I sat on the floor, my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth. Trace stared at the blank screen with an equally blank expression and an open mouth. Garel sat with tears in his eyes. he then reached into the box again and pulled out the Quarter Quell tape. This time we watched as our family fought for escape...and the tape ended with an explosion. I just stared. Trace sat on the floor with me and kissed my forehead, wiping away my tears.

     "Ileana, it's okay, you're gonna be okay."

     "How can you say that Trace? Garel and I, we're going in there into the arena! Remember what my mother told that guy in the woods at the beggining of the video? 'There are 24 of us...only one comes out alive'! We, we aren't fighters, Trace! We're screwed! I can't handel this! I'm going to miss out on my life. I'll never go to Prom, or see Italia or make creme Brulee..."

     "Wait," Trace cuts me off, "You could die and you are worried about creme brulee? I'll make you creme brulee right now if that is what it will take to calm you down." he says laughing.

     Garel looks at me and I look at Trace and then the three of us start laughing so hard that the librarian comes up from the first floor and tells us we have to get out.

     The three of us run out into the streets. It's strange, but at terriffied as I am about the Peace Romps, I also feel a little lighter, because although I could die, i also know the secret I have been trying to find out my whole life. My mother was a Hunger Games tribute, so was my father. I finally have a piece of my history. At least, if I die, I will die with the truth.

     As Garel leads Trace and I though the woods and into the clearning by lake, I see someone I have never met, but know instantly. It's the man from the videos, the man in the videos from the Reaping and the Woods with my mother. It's Gale Hawthorne.