The Future Mockingjay🕊️

Chapter Two

"Like this?" asked Willow, her hands placed firmly on the bow, arrow strung, ready to engage. Ready to engage. I received a flashback.

The bow in the cornucopia. Peeta shaking his head. Me running towards the pack. The boy's blood splattering my face. Clove's knife. The bloodbath...

A pair of warm and sturdy hands guided me somewhere and I fall back into reality. I'm safe. Peeta's here. I have Willow and Thyme. I have to be strong for them. There is no Hunger Games anymore. I glance over at Willow. Her 13th birthday was a week from now. She hasn't decided what cake she wanted, but I knew what she would want as a present. Her own pair of bow and arrows.

Willow shot a bird, not my usual clean shot through the eye, but I take it because she was younger than me. The arrow pierced the throat of it though. Meanwhile, Thyme was not far away, a knife in his hand. I watched as he threw it with sharp accuracy, and with a squeak, the squrriel fell on the ground with a thud. They were getting better each day they were in the woods.

"Daddy! I shot a bird!"

"Mom, I got a squirrel!"

"Well done, kids! I'm so proud of you!" he replied, smiling at them, then smiling at me. "Your mom and I are so lucky to have you" he said, pulling me into an embrace. Our kids join in, laughing.

"Let's cook your kills, shall we?" I asked, leading them all home.

"Yes!" Thyme and Willow shouted.

******

As we got home, something felt wrong. The door was open. I hurried into the house, grabbing my bow and arrow as weapon.

"Someone's been here" Peeta told the kids gravely, and he is by my side in a minute. As always, protecting me.

But I put down my weapon as soon as I saw our mentor in the Hunger Games, Haymitch Abernathy. Beside him was Effie Trinket.

After a brief hug, I asked him "What brings you here?"

He exchanged looks with Effie. A nervous look. Bad news. I knew it wasn't over. It would come back. I knew it, but I tried so hard to ignore the feeling.

"No...it isn't, is it? You can't do this. You can't. I have Willow and Thyme with me now..." I nearly collapsed on the ground. And I would have, if it wasn't for Peeta's reassuring hand steadying me.

"What is it, Katniss?" Peeta asked with worry coating his words.

Effie sighed. "There are still many people who's fire had not died down, and wants another Hunger Games. A symbolical Hunger Games. And President Paylor has agreed to it. The reaping will be held tomorrow. I'm so, so sorry, Katniss. After all that you've been through..." she ended with tears. Haymitch avoided my gaze.

I gave a small yelp and sat down on the chair, frozen with shock and fear.

"Thyme, bring your sister upstairs with you. We have something serious here to....talk about" he told the kids with a tight smile, pushing them gently towards the stairs.

"I don't understand. Why would they still want the Hunger Games? After all that they've seen?" I asked shakily.

"I don't know, Katniss. I don't know" Haymitch, who has been quiet this whole time, replied.

"Well, all there's left to do is rest today, as tomorrow is a big, big day!" Effie tried to improve the mood.

"I'm finding Paylor" I said.