The Hanging Tree. *ON HOLD*

The Hanging Tree ~ Prologue

The Hanging Tree

Prologue

I stumbled into a dark forest with trees surrounding me. The only source of light was the thin strips of moonlight that fought through the tightly packed foliage. The snap of a twig sparked a reaction and I started to run. My feet snagged on tree roots which grew around me, teasing my ankles by wrapping around them with hard fingers. The mossy floor beneath me began to morph, until I was looking into an empty black pit. The darkness made my stomach turn and I tried to run, but my feet were stuck. Defeating shouts, horrifying screams and forbidding laughs emitted from the very depths of the chasm. Tears were now pouring down my face as a sudden pull of force dragged me towards the entrance. I gripped the ground, but my fingers fell into inky black liquid. I lost all grip on the ground and I tumbled into the pit. Other people started falling with me, their faces twisted and distorted, but not enough so as I couldn’t tell who they were. There was Prim, her delicate features burned and scarred. A sharp pain in my arm made me whip my head to the left where I was met with an awful sight. Cinna, blinded by his awful beating; prodding the darkness hoping to find something to cling to. A small cry made me force my head up. In front of me was Finnick. His toned, beautiful body had holes in it, and his seductive green eyes were ripped from his head. But it didn’t stop salty tears from dripping down into his arms, which were rocking back and forth. As if he was cradling a baby.

I managed to twist away from them but I was greeted with more bodies careering towards me. Finnick, Cato, Glimmer, Thresh, Marvel, Seneca, Plutarch, Finnick, Rue, Boggs, Legg 1, Legg 2. The bodies just kept coming. Everyone who had died because of me, because of my stupid decisions, was hurtling towards me. Suddenly a high pitched bark came from above me. I looked up, through the gaps in the bodies, and saw a mutt. Its brown fur was matted with something black and sticky, it’s eyes… Eyes that had once smiled at me, were warped beyond recognition. I shut my eyes tight and shoved my hands over my ears and allowed myself to scream.

‘Stop, stop!’ I shrieked.

‘Katniss, honey, it’s a dream. That’s all it is.’ Peeta’s soothing whisper broke through my nightmares. The fragmented images in my imagination shattered and I found myself in my own bedroom. Tears blurred my vision but I could feel Peeta’s arms around me, holding me tight. I sniffed and tried to wipe the images from my mind, unsuccessfully. Concentrate on Peeta, I told myself. But for once it didn’t comfort me. It didn’t give me the feeling of security it usually did. His arms made me feel trapped like a bird in a cage, stuck, vulnerable and scared.

‘Mum?’ A small voice whispered from the doorway. There stood my little boy, his grey eyes worried about his mother’s sanity. I tried to stop crying for his sake but for once the nightmares had taunted me to reality. I squeezed my eyes shut trying to force the dreams and horrors from my mind. But all I saw was Rue, the little girl who was so young, who had her whole life ripped out from under her with the quick flick of a wrist. Or Cato and Clove; the real star-crossed lovers, the way Clove had looked at Cato. It reminded me of how Annie looked at Finnick. Finnick, dear Finnick. He died following my idiotic plan, knowing it was false and yet still taking the risk for me. His life was finally turning around, with a beautiful, albeit, slightly dysfunctional wife who was pregnant with a beautiful baby boy, whom he would never have the chance to meet. Finnick Odair was the bravest, most charming young man I had ever had the pleasure of meeting. I hope my own son can live up to his name.

‘Move aside Finnick.’ There was my beautiful daughter Prim. Her long brown hair spilled over her shoulders, and her blue eyes shone with determination and strength. I was glad to see innocence in there too, because otherwise her eyes would have been a perfect match to my little sister’s.