A Night in The Woods

The Beginning of Rebellion-

*edited

   I remember feeling fear for Katniss's little sister, Prim, when she was reaped at 12 years old. I remember feeling fear for Katniss and Peeta when they were the only two left in the arena. I remember feeling fear for Katniss when she had to go back into the arena for the Quarter Quell.

You get the point. But I never, ever, felt fear for myself. Not if the Districts are raging, the 75th Hunger Games is failing, and the President wants Katniss Everdeen and her crew dead.

I am a loyal fan of Katniss Everdeen. Just like everyone else in the colorful Capital, I was intrigued to no end by the star-crossed lovers. It was beautiful...and so unrealistically entertaining. I've always watched the Games, though none of them were as interesting as the 74th. When Peeta explained that Katniss was pregnant, I raged. It was like a terrible turn of events in a book! But if Katniss died, so be it. Her baby probably wouldn't have wanted to grow up in a dirty coal mine.

Oh wait, silly me. I forgot people in District 12 actually had homes.

I tune back into the TV, eating birds with the luscious orange sauce. "Oh, dear." My Mom mutters. "It looks like it will be the end of Katniss. The girl on fire," She says sadly. I look at the screen, and see Katniss lying on the ground, with fire all around her. I watch in horror as the Capital Hovercraft picks a dead Katniss off of the ground. The metal claw basket hauling her up reminds me of one of those claw machines, picking up a stuffed bear.

"No!" I cry in agony. "I betted on her to win! Now I'll have to pay Cecillia in caviar, which we don't even have."

Mom looks at me. "Milady Abner! What have I been telling you about making bets? You'll have to tell Cecillia we just don't have the caviar."

I spit out the saucy bird onto the carpet. "Mother! I can't! I'll just have to get some. I'll just travel to District 4."

"Absolutely no—" Mom was cut off by the loud shrieking of the TV. I grab the remote and turn the TV down, but it's loud enough we can still hear it. Cameras from hovercraft are filming...whatever is going on. I realize that it's District 12. Small fires are dotted everywhere, black coal dust flying in every direction, and bodies are lying everywhere. Bodies bodies bodies strewn across the rough gravely ground.

Dad hears the noise coming from the TV, and yells, "Turn it off, Milady! I was sleeping!" He's drunk, yet again, and all I can think is, why does that surprise me? I reach for the remote but I can't turn off the TV. So, I just turn it down. The images of the bombs rain down for a minute more, and all I can think about is District 13. Didn't it's destruction happen like this? At the start of a rebellion, bombs from the Capital rained down to calm the flame of the rebellion spreading. I remember it vaguely from Grade 2, when they started teaching about the Dark Days...

I grab my Mom's wrist. "Mom, don't you see? It looks like the beginning of a rebellion. Don't you think Katniss has something to do with this? The Mockingjay costume, and the pin?"

"Well, Katniss and her little crew won't get very far." Mom purses her lips, like she's eaten the sour lemon-raspberry soup I love so much.

I look over at Dad to get his opinion on the matter, but he's passed out drunk on the couch again, so I can't.

"Okay then. Well, I'm going to District 4. I need to get the caviar." Mom tries to object again, as expected, but I don't care what she's going to say about it. I'm craving something a little salty. And we just don't get enough fish or clams from District 4 anymore. Before I can walk out the door, Mom stops me again. "Milady, why don't you re-dye your hair again?" She touches my soft blue hair and I yank her hand away.

"I don't need to. My hair is fine."

"Maybe we should dye your skin, then. This is an awful color."

"Mom! It's my natural skin. I'm sorry, but I don't want to look like you." I'm not fully against dying my skin. I just don't want an over-the-top bloody red color like my Mom's. She looks like she killed someone.

"If it makes you feel better, I can get some eye surgery. Maybe get some jewels implanted or something. But I'm not dying my skin, and my hair is fine right now. So goodbye, I'm off to District 4."

I walk along the train tracks, until I'm in the line for buying a train ticket. The line moves along rather quickly, and before I know it, I'm on the train, sitting on smooth velvet. Everyone that's mostly on the train is from the Capital, heading to some other District for reasons I don't know. But if I'm right, if there is another rebellion going to happen...

I let out a gasp, which makes a zebra-skinned lady turn to me and asked, "Are you okay, child?" I wave my hand, signaling to her that I'm fine. But I'm not sure if I am fine.

If another rebellion were to happen, it would be targeted at the Capital. The Districts...they wouldn't dare! Not with their little Girl on Fire laying six feet under.

It doesn't matter anyway. We would win, given the fact that we have the power, we have the food, and we have the weapons. Any puny District that farms or makes colorful fabrics wouldn't even overpower the Capital.

I giggle. Fabric covered shovels. How entertaining.

The train speeds along, and I do nothing but sit and watch the scenery. I think about Katniss, about how terrible it will be for Peeta now. I'm not sure if Peeta was killed anyway. The screen of the bombings took over the Hunger Games showing. I'm certain, after Katniss firing her arrow through the dome, that the Hunger Games was put on hold. Maybe the rest were caught up in the explosion as well.

But then I wonder, who would the Victor be? Possibly Enobaria, from District 2. I don't think she was around any of the wire that Beetee had put out. She's pretty cool, but I was really hoping for Peeta and Katniss to win. A double victory in a Quarter Quell!

Before I know it, I'm in District 4, walking around near the shoreline and getting strange looks from District 4 citizens. My cheeks feel red as I get stares. Of course, why should a Capital citizen ever have the need to never come to a District? Everyone ships things to the Capital, everone travels to the Capital if they're allowed. It's not the other way around.

As I approach the rickety pier, I get stopped by a Peacekeeper. "Sorry. There will be no shipments of...anything. I suggest you get back on the train and go back to wherever you came from."

I narrow my eyes. "Excuse me?! I need caviar! I dont understand why I can't get any. There's people on the pier right behind you!" I try to move past the Peackeeper, but he grabs my wrist. "I suggest that you better take your pretty little head back to the Capital. Before anyone finds out you're here," he snarls.

I yank my hand out of the Peacekeeper's strong grip. "I've been in other Districts before. To get what I need. It's no different now!" I argue.

"Oh, but it is," he says. "Their's an uprising going on. Since you're from the Capital, I wouldn't expect you to know anything about it anyway. Now, you'd better get out of here before District 4 tries to capture you for being from the Capital, for supporting President Snow."

"An uprising? I don't understand--"

"And I don't expect you to. Now be gone, or I can tie you to the town square and whip you, because I won't hesitate just because you're from the precious Capital."

I turn around and walk vastly towards the train. This was such a waste of time. But it wasn't a total waste of time.

There was a rebellion happening, an uprising of the Districts. And I was going to find out why.