Everlark- The Years After the Epilogue *Editing*

The Perfomance

One by one, each child came out holding a lantern to form two lines and they started to sing a lullaby over many 'dead' people. It wasn't just any lullaby though, it was mine. They were singing 'Deep in the Meadow', I sat there watching my daughter and her friends paying their respects to all the fallen tributes in the games and I couldn't have been prouder. Throughout the first half of their performance Peeta had a comforting grip on my hand as we both stared up to the stage, watching and listening intently. The first half was full of remembrance, poems, readings and songs, it brought back so many memories, but it was bearable. Willow and another boy played a big part during it all, they both had the most important, the most meaningful and the most powerful lines. They were representing Peeta and myself and the change we brought. Every so often when the Capital was mentioned Peeta's grip became tighter, but all I had to mumur was a few 'It's okay, it's not real's' and he was fine again.

The second half was due to start in a few minutes and we were all taking our seats when a young couple came up to us. ''Is that your daughter up there?'' They asked.

''Yeah it is'', Peeta said with a beaming smile on his face, looking so proud.

''Oh wow, she's a credit to you, honestly,'' the couple say.

''Thankyou, it means a lot'', I say smiling at them.

''Well we best get going it's starting in a minute.'' They seem hesitant for a minute before quickly saying ''Thankyou'' and scurrying off. It's always so weird when people thank us both, it doesn't happen often, but the times it does it really makes me think of how much has changed. Peeta and I sit down in our seats as the curtains are opening. The next half seemed to be about the start of the rebellion and me...the mockingjay and how it was a symbol of hope. I sense Peeta fidgeting about in his seat, but they then mention him too and his courage. That's one thing Peeta can't understand, how his courage helped District 13 and others in times of need- without him the games would still be going on. As the play goes on it focuses on how it was the end of the games forever and how life as we knew it had changed.

''Without the rebels, we wouldn't be here now. This time, this moment and this play couldn't be possible- each year parents would still be forced to send their children to the reaping. And for what? We'd like to end this performance by singing a very special song. Thankyou for coming and enjoy.'' Willow says, she stands at the front of the stage so brave, so confident and I couldn't have been prouder. We'd both been waiting for this moment. The moment they started singing the 'Hanging Tree'. Before I could stop myself I had started to mummur the words along with them.

''A dead man called out for his love to flee'', I stood up and carried on singing. Before I know it the whole hall, including Peeta had stood up to join in. ''Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we met at midnight in the hanging tree''. I was about to start clapping when something happened. Everyone on stage had put up the 3 finger salute, I turned around and everyone was crowding myself and Peeta doing the same salute. Before we had got the chance to take in what was happening , we slowly raised our arms and did the same...