After Mockingjay

Chapter 9

Peeta and I walk onto the hovercraft. It's just us and the driver. We sit down on seat next to each other. We get comfortable, trying to prepare ourselves for a full day of flying. "Why do you two need to get to the Capitol?" asks the driver. I'm about to say why when Peeta cuts me off. "To visit some friends." Peeta says. I look at him confused, then he whispers in my ear "It's not safe to tell everybody why we really are going." then he kisses me on the cheek. I nod and lean my head against his shoulder.

Most of the flight for me was spent thinking about Annie and what they are doing to her. Are they hurting her? Torturing her? Killing her? Then the slight possibility slips into my head. Could they be treating her nicely? I drift off to sleep for about an hour. Peeta wakes me up when we are about to land. "Buckle up!" the drivers shouts to us. I put on my seat belt and get prepared for what is down below.

It takes about 15 minutes for the hovercraft to land. The big door in the back opens and the light blinds me for a second. "Thank you." Peeta says to the driver. We both pick up our bags and start to walk out. "Are you ready?" he asks grabbing my hand. "I'm just ready to see Annie." I say grabbing his hand back.

We walk outside and all we see are houses. Nothing but houses. I start seeing things again. I see the Seam. Coal miners are all walking to the mines. Children are sitting on their porches. Mothers are washing clothes. Elder children are taking care of the younger ones. I snap out of it when I hear the gunfire.

"Duck!" Peeta says pulling me down to the ground. He and I look around trying to see where it came from. We hear it again. He quickly pulls me up and we run into a deserted apartment. I look out the window and see a dead body, but nobody else. The woman is just laying in the middle of the street in a pool of blood. 

I start seeing things again. I see the Cornucopia. The blood-bath is about to begin. The numbers on the screen are counting down. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" All the tributes are running in different directions. Career tributes running towards the Cornucopia. Other tributes and myself running away from it. I turn and see children around 12 years old getting slashed in the stomach by Cato. Stabbed with a spear by Marvel. Shot with an arrow by Glimmer. Or hit with a knife by Clove. I disappear running into the woods. I snap out of it when I hear a loud scream.

The man who shot the gunfire steps into the street screaming "Come out! I know where you are! I'll shoot you if you don't come out!" He then disappears into and abandoned house. "Now's our chance! Let's go!" Peeta says and we run out of the apartment. 

We're both running in the street. I hear a click come from behind us. We both turn around and see a 40 year old man pointing a gun at us. He has a mad look in his eyes. Peeta grabs me and shield s my body behind his. "Please! Don't shoot!" I say trying to sound as innocent as possible. "Give me one good reason not to!" the man yells to us. He's only about 10 yards away from us. "We are not from here! We are from District 12. Whatever has made you like this, I'm truly sorry! Just don't shoot!" Peeta says. 

"They killed her." the man says pointing his gun down. "Killed who?" I say moving next to Peeta now. I grab his hand just for protection. "My wife. They killed my wife." the man says still yelling, but with watery eyes. "They'll kill our daughter if we don't get to the old Mayor's Building soon." Peeta says with a tear going down his cheek. "Really?" the man says pointing his gun back at our heads, "Yes sir. We are not here to hurt anyone." Peeta says wiping away his tear.

"Alright. Just this once 12. For your daughter." the man says running away. This makes me think of Thresh. He spared my life and I owed everything to him. This man just spared my life again. "I owe him something too" I think to myself.

Peeta looks at me with relief. I look at him and kiss him and look down at the poor lady once more. We both turn around and run to Mayor's Building.