The Future Mockingjay🕊️

Chapter Eighteen

▫️Willow ▫️

I don't even see Thyme when I wake up. But soon, a hovercraft comes to pick me up. When I place my hands on it, I freeze instantly. I am glued to it while being brought up. After that, a woman injects the tracker into my skin on the inside of my forearm. I wonder how Mark is doing. And Thyme. And Perla. And Dylan, who I don't really know.

Breakfast is laid out. Since it's the last day, I try to eat as much as I can, although I'm half sick from nerves. The whole ride lasts for about one hour, if I'm correct. I am directed to the Launch Room, as everyone around tells me.

I shower quickly, clean my teeth as my braid is done, with a pattern that begins from the left to the right. The outfit arrives, and I am dressed in a thick leather jacket, black furry trousers, a dark blue belt, and what looked like winter boots.

Suddenly, Alex pulled something out of her pocket. A pin. A mockingjay designed on it in gold. My mom's bird.

"Who gave that to you?" I ask.

"Your mother" She replies softly, fastening it on my jacket.

I look into her eyes, and see tears threatening to spill out. All of a sudden, I feel like crying too. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this, Willow. Truly." She hands me a glass of water. "Want some?" I accept it.

I sit with my fists clenched around the glass of water, with Alex's arms around me until someone announces its time to prepare for launch. Alex lets go of me.

I walk to the metal plate the shape of a circle, and step into it hesitantly.

"Good luck. Your mother...would like you to win. To come back..." She breaks off.

A glass cylinder encloses around me. I remember my mother's words. Head high. And I do lift up my head high, as the plate rises.

I am in the arena. All I can see is blankets of snow everywhere, but right there, in the middle, is the cornucopia. And my bow and arrow.

Then I hear Claudius Templesmith. "Ladies and gentlemen, let the first annual Hunger Games begin!

I search for Mark, and found him right beside me. I startle. He glances at me and startle too. We look at each other, then nods. He would go for the knives, probably, or spear, I would go for my bow and arrows. Thyme is 9 tributes to my right, and Perla is nowhere to be seen.

I look behind me, and found it packed with bushy trees. My mommy taught us to run, and it's a handy skill. I'm fast. Really fast. I met eyes with Thyme, and he looks at me nodding his head towards my weapon. I mouth 'OK', and whip my head towards the cornucopia.  The countdown is down to 10 seconds.

I prepare to sprint, and it's either I make it, or I don't. I want to make it through, no. I have to. For my mom and my dad. For Thyme, who volunteered to protect me.

But only one can win.

I grit my teeth, pushing that thought out of my head.

And focus on the battlefield in front of me.