The Hunger Games - Extended Epilogue -- ON HOLD

Chapter 8 - The Willow

Katniss' POV

I wake up in Peeta's arms. "You okay?" He asks. I nod. "Do you want to get up?" I nod my head again. Peeta helps me sit up on the couch.
"Here, have some tea." Peeta says, handing me a mug. I drink it up. It's still warm. The heat soothes my throat. I cough.
"How long have I been out and what is the time?" I ask him, wanting to receive the surprise from Rue.
"Umm... You've been out for 20 hours. It's 15:20. Why?" He asks me, confused.
"I need to go to the Willow at 16:00. Please!" I say, determined.
"You shouldn't, I don't know how safe that is."
"Please I have to go. And if you won't let me, than I'll let me." I say. I will not give in.
"No, you really shouldn't."
"I'm going, and that's final."
Eventually we compromise. I can go, but only for half an hour. I will return immediately, and I will take a bow and arrows.

Quarter of an hour later, I grab my jacket, put on my boots, and hook a bow and arrows safely on to my back. I then walk towards the Meadow with Peeta by my side. We get there at 15:55. He turns around and leaves, making sure that I know he will be back. I then walk towards the Willow. At 16:00 exactly, I see a shadow. I close my eyes, not believing it. When I open them again, I see her, standing right there, with her arms a little bit up, like a bird.
"Rue?" I ask, not quite sure whether this is right.
"Katniss?" I hear her song-bird voice ask. I nod, and she runs up to me, arms wide, ready for the biggest hug in the world. "Oh my gods, Katniss I've missed you so much!" She says with a muffled voice into my top.
"Me too!" I say, crying. I bob down so that I am equal length to her. I examine her. She looks well-fed, and totally healthy. She looks better than ever. "Oh my gosh, Rue! I can't believe you're here! How... Why... When...?" I say, unable to complete my sentence. We sit down, and she tells me everything. She tells me that as soon as she died, my dad pulled her into this land called Death. There she stayed with him. There is a Meadow there, and a Willow, and that is why the Capitol didn't bomb this place. This place is the only place in the whole of Panem where you can meet up with the dead.
"Rue, oh Rue. I'm so sorry that I couldn't save you. When I saw you lying there, dying, with a gaping wound in your stomach, I lost it completely. I needed you. It's so good to see you again, aliv- well, all well. I've missed you so so much. How is it in the Afterlife? Is it nice? Are you happy? Are there trees for you to climb in? Is there enough space for you to live with my dad?"
"Oh Katniss! I've missed you so much! When I saw what you did for me... Well, I couldn't believe it. I realised that I wasn't just your ally, I was your friend. You cried for me. Then you decked me in flowers. It meant so much to me. When the Capitol took my body they got rid of all the flowers, put me in a dark, disgusting, black box, and sent me home to my family. As you can guess, it didn't go down well. Can you tell them that I might be dead, but I'm alive, and all well. Please! They need to know that they shouldn't mourn any longer. Everyone from 11 that they are mourning are all with me, and they are all happy. The Afterlife is incredible. There are thousands of nice people, literally thousands. It is massive, bigger than Panem, I think. It's like Panem, except it feels like you're floating. To get from one place to the next you just stamp your feet three times, and then you jump up, into the floor, and say how far you want to go and where. There is this "setting" where you can just say "home" and you'll go home. It's really cool. I am so happy there, even though I miss people like you, and my family. There are plenty of trees for me to climb in. I have started teaching Prim how to climb trees as well. She loves it. I share a room with her, and it's so nice! I..."
"Katniss? Katniss, it's been half an hour. Where are you?" I hear Peeta's voice say. At the same time Rue turns her head away from me.
"Katniss, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'm really sorry. I'll meet you here same time next week, okay? But until then, we'll just write letters to each other, okay?" Rue says to me.
"Okay." I say, hugging her goodbye.
"Katniss, you coming?" Peeta asks.
"I'm coming now!" I say turning around and running towards him. I reach his shoulder and collapse. I start crying. "Oh Peeta!" I say into his shirt.

Somehow we get home, and Peeta makes me some tea. He then lies me down in my bed, and grabs a chair to sit by me. I fall asleep almost instantly.
I wake up, screaming and kicking. I just had a nightmare about Rue. Peeta is by my side. He's saying words in a soft and calm voice. He's doing whatever he can to keep me sane. If not for him, I would be dead by the first Hunger Games. I am so grateful that I love him, and that he loves me. I need him in my life, and now that I've got him in my life again, I will never let him go.

AN: This chapter is dedicated to NothingEvenMatters for helping me with the idea of houses in Death.