A Night in The Woods

Knives and Assignments-

After Katniss leaves, I smile to myself. I get changed in the boring grey pants and shirt that everyone else in 13 has to wear. I grab my skin colored Cyrano earpiece and slip it into my ear. To make sure no one else hears my conversation, I turn on the sink and turn on the shower. "Snow? President Snow, are you there?"

"I'm surprised to hear back from you so soon, Milady. I was expecting the first incoming message to take a few days," Snow says.

I waste no time getting to the point. I'm worried that someone will hear me. Then report me to Coin. "I am a Mockingjay now."

I hear Snow guffawing loudly. "That's not something I ever suspected to happen!"

He doesn't congratulate me. Doesn't even say well done. Just doubted that I'd even gain their trust in the first place. We talk about nothing else, and I slip the Cyrano out of my ear and put it into a drawer under other clothes.

I decide to go explore this underground maze of a District. I find an elevator and realize that I'll need a key to it to use it. Plutarch, Katniss, and I think Plutarch's assistant—Fulvia?—come around a corner and see me staring at the elevator.

"Ah! Our other Mockingjay! You should probably come with us, my dear. Perhaps this surprise will make you happy as well." Plutarch says. He unlocks the elevator and we all usher inside. "Let's see. It's Compartment Three-Nine-Oh-Eight." He pressed a button marked 39 but nothing happens.

"You must have a key to it," Fulvia says.

Plutarch pulls a key attached to a thin chain from under his shirt and inserts it into a slot in the wall. The elevator starts to descend, and my ears popped. I can tell that we're descending down into the ground more than we already were. Finding any information about the rebels' plans are going to be harder than I had originally imagined it to be. The elevator opens on a long white corridor lined with red doors. Finally, some color in this place!

We move along in the corridor and I notice that it smells odd. Like too much antiseptic trying to mask another smell. I look over at Katniss, and she wrinkles her nose at me. The smell must be getting to her too. "Good morning!" Plutarch says cheerfully to the guard.

"You have the wrong floor," the guard says abruptly. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave now. Assignment discrepancies can be addressed at the Head Office," say the guard.

The caustic smell of antiseptic is so strong that I almost throw up. I'm certain that it's trying to mask the smell that's on the other side of the door. "You can find the Head Office on Level Seven," the guard replies once more. So, Level Seven. Maybe that's where I can find the information. I'll have to check it out later.

From behind door 3098 comes a sound. Like a tiny whimpering. Like something a cowed dog might make to avoid being struck. It's too human. My eyes meet Katniss's for a second. She drops her sketchbook that Cinna made for her, and the guard tries to pick it up from the ground. Katniss does to and they bump their heads together. "Oh, I'm sorry," Katniss laughs. She looks at me urgently and darts her eyes from me to the door. I race around the distracted guard and push open the door marked 3908. That's when I find them. Capital citizens, bruised, half naked, and shackled to the wall.

Capital citizens that are Katniss's prep team.

The stink of unwashed bodies and stale urine make me stagger backward. "I-I have to go!" I yell. Katniss sees Venia, Octavia, and Flavius, and anger glints in her eyes. "What happened, Venia?" she asks.

"Milady, wait! Where are you going?!" Plutarch yells.

"I'm sorry. But I can't be here if you're going to treat Capital citizens like this. Why do you have them chained up?! I cried.