The Third Everdeen

Chapter 29

"Start with the basics. My name is Lily Everdeen. I lived in District 12. I was in the Hunger Games and I got out. Peeta. Peeta got taken." I cried in fetal in the cold lower sector. 

There was a flash of light as someone tried to find me, I hid behind some pipes, "Miss Everdeen?You can't be in here."

I shivered, "I wasn't feeling well. Just give me a minute." I requested.

"You need to sleep. We can help you sleep," The woman's voice seemed compassionate, she wanted to help. 

"No more medications," I croaked, "Just give me a minute." Footsteps approached me and i started shaking me head and pleading, "Please no, just a few more minutes..."The a person grabbed me and tried to move me, I started thrashing, "Don't touch me! Let go of me! Get off! No!" I felt the injection in my neck and I went limp.

I wake up again in my little bed with monitors in a line on the wall to my left. I hesitated a second before getting out of bed, my bare feet touching the cold floor, the "hospital" gown swaying with every footstep I made towards the door. I opened my door and peered out into the hallway, there was no one in sight. I closed the door behind me and walked down the hall quietly. Two rooms down a door was open, I walked in and there was a sniffling little traitor sitting in his bed crying. 

"Finnick." I spat.

He was quiet for a moment, he stared at the wall, "I wanted to go back for Peeta and Johanna, but I couldn't move." He paused and looked at me, his eyes were no longer glistening with hope, "They have Annie too. They took her," He gripped the sheets of his bed harder, more angry, "She's in the Capitol. I wish she was dead. I wish they were all dead and we were too."

A tear rolled down my eyes, I understood what he was feeling. I thought being dead would be better than what we were all going through too. 

~

I was given a forest green sweater and matching bottoms to wear,along with some light grey boots. When I was changed into my clothes I sat on my bed as Prim brushed my hair. I started at the wall blankly as she did so, neither of us had anything to say. I could see my reflection on the wall; my face was pale, my eyes were red and puffy from crying so much and my nose was red.

A man walked into my room, he stood at the door with his hands behind his back, "Miss Everdeen. Colonel Boggs, District 13's head of security. I know you've been discharged but President Coin's requested to meet with you first."

I sat up a bit straighter, "Has there been any news?" I asked.

"I'm just here to escort you."

Prim gave me a small smile and Boggs and I walked out of the Hospital wing and into an elevator, with a push of a button we started going down. Neither of us said a word to each other. I started looking at all the floors of the underground camp of 13, I hadn't been out of the hospital wing often so it all looked new. 

"We were always told there was nothing left of 13." I said looking down at it all.

"Capitol bombed the surface to rubble. But we're military, so we learned to survive down here. Preparing, training. The war never stopped for us." He looked at me, I frowned. I knew the story wasn't the same for 12. The elevator slowed as we made it to the ground floor, Boggs opened the door and led me out. There were dozens of people out and about. We didn't stop to speak to anyone, Boggs led me to a small staircase and opened a door for me. Inside was a conference room with an old friend sitting inside -Beetee in a wheelchair-.

"There she is. Our Girl on Fire," Plutarch walked in with a woman who had streaks of white in her hair, "Madam President, may I present you with The Mockingjay." He introduced politely.

She walked up to me and outstretched her hand warmly, "What an honor it is to meet you," Her voice sounded like fresh honey, "You're a courageous young woman. I know how disorienting this must be. And I can't imagine what it's like to live through the atrocities of those Games."

Plutarch looked at me, "Lily, this is President Alma Coin."

Coin put her hand on my shoulder, like a doctor trying to comfort a patient, "Please know how welcome you are. I hope you'll find comfort with us. We've known loss in 13 too." She reminded me.

"This is history. Right here at this table," Plutarch and Coin spoke, I was half listening as I examined Beetee's wheelchair, I hadn't seen him since I woke up in the aircraft, I didn't know he couldn't walk.

"I apologize. I wish you had more time to recover, but unfortunately, we don't have that luxury. Please, have a seat." Coin told me, I turned away from Beetee and sat at the head of the table, with Coin and Plutarch on my left and Beetee sitting on my right hand side. "Are you aware of what's happened?" Coin inquired, I lightly shook my head, "When you shot your knife at the force field, you electrified the nation. There have been riots and uprisings and strikes in seven districts," She sat back in her chair, "We believe that if we keep this energy going we can unify the Districts against the Capitol. But if we don't, if we let it dissipate, we could be waiting another 75 years for this opportunity. Everyone in 13 is ready for this-" I interrupted her.

"What do you know about Peeta?" I accused, "Is he alive? Dead?" I looked at Plutarch.

"I don't know. And I wish I did," He answered. "But there's no way for me to contact my operatives inside the Capitol."

"The Capitol has always suppressed communication between the Districts." Beetee informed me, I just sat there quietly, my eyes darting to each person as they spoke, "However, I know their system very well. I managed to break through. All we need now is the perfect message."

"Lily, here's what we need you to do. We need to show them that The Mockingjay's alive and well and willing to stand up and join this fight. 'Cause we need every District to stand up to this Capitol. The way you did on more than one occasion. So we're gonna shoot a series of propaganda clips, propos, I like to call them, on The Mockingjay. Spreads the word that we're gonna stoke the fire of this rebellion. The fire that The Mockingjay started."

My face was like stone as I looked at him. I had no emotion, my voice was like a serpent's hiss, "You abandoned him. You left Peeta in that arena to die."

"Lily, there are so many-" Plutarch started but I slammed my fist on the table, there was a loud bang.

"Peeta should not be in the Capitol right now. He was the one who was supposed to make it out of the arena."

"Miss Everdeen," Coin piped up, "This revolution is about everyone. It's about all of us. And we need a voice."

I leaned closer to her menacingly, "Well looks like you're screwed cause Peeta was the better choice." I stood up and swung the door open and walked out with Boggs behind me.