Everlark- The Years After the Epilogue *Editing*

Remembering The Past

Willow was back at school today and my mother had come to collect and take her, as she does every Wednesday morning. Peeta was getting ready to go back to the bakery, he was in the shower and I could hear him singing some old lullaby which we’d sung to Rye the night before. I was just clearing up breakfast when I heard Rye start to stir, so I went into the nursery where he’d just started to cry. I lent down and picked him up, giving him a kiss on his forehead. ‘’Morning you, shall we get you changed, yes, yes we are’’, I said grinning and messing with his fingers. I quickly dressed him into a navy and white striped t-shirt with a pair of dungarees, he chuckled as I tickled his stomach, his big grey eyes staring up at me. I carried him into the kitchen, placing a bowl of grapes in front of him just as Peeta had finished getting ready. He walked into the room and immediately I was greeted by a hug. 

‘’Morning Kas’’, He whispered into my ear.

‘’Good morning to you too’’, He leaned forwards and placed a gentle kiss upon my lips, when it lasted longer than I’d expected I ran my hands through his hair, as his hands cupped my face feeling that stirring sensation in my stomach once again.

‘’I’ve got to go, or I’ll be late’’, he said in between breathes.

‘’Alright, you’ll come check on me later?’’ I said, worried about him leaving me alone as I was feeling really anxious after having another nightmare last night. We’d both been getting those more frequently lately and I wished they’d stop soon enough.

‘’You know I will’’, he said pushing my hair behind my ears, ‘’Call me if you need’’ and then he slowly turned away, loosing my gaze and walked out the door. Seeing as I had nothing to do I decided to call Johanna, I hadn’t seen her in what seemed like forever and I was missing her, after all she was the closest thing to a friend I had. I dialed her number and she picked up straight away.

‘’Katniss! Hey! What’s up?’’ She screeched down the phone.

‘’Hiya, I was wondering if you’d like to come over, I think Rye’s missing his Auntie JoJo’’ I heard her sigh at the fact I’d shortened her name, she hated that.

‘’Well, I’m a little busy right now but I can come down for tonight and stay over if that’s alright?’’

‘’Yeah, yeah that’s fine. I’ll see you tonight. Byeee.’’

‘’Byeeee’’, she said and then the line went silent.

‘’Looks like it’s just you and me today my love’’, I said going over to Rye, who was gurgling with excitement. I picked him up and went into the front room. I turned on the TV to see a very old looking Caesar Flickerman presenting ‘Panem TV’.

‘’And lastly folks it’s a very special year…today would have marked the start of the 92nd Annual Hunger Games, let’s take a look at a few of our favourite years to remember what has past’’.

They started to show a few of the earlier games, including the two Quarter Quells and a few others. The more recent ones, I’d started to recognise a few faces from watching them as a child. That’s when Peeta and I’s reaping was showed the ‘star-crossed lovers from District 12’ and 'their amazing love story’, they showed us first shaking hands and then later me finding him by the lake. The memories were still fresh in my mind, every detail, every moment, every second of being in that arena. They had started to show some of the tributes, including Rue, I suddenly turned off the T.V as I saw my arrow fly through the tree’s and into Marvel’s heart. I sat there frozen, breathing in and out, I tried to control it, but that’s when I started screaming, the memories wouldn’t stop playing over and over in my mind. I put my hands over my ears to try and block them out but it didn’t work I screamed and screamed, my eyes were crying rivers. Rye had started to cry now, not knowing what was happening. I couldn’t move. By this time I’d fallen to the floor, squeezing my eyes shut as hard as I could, rocking back and forth. Suddenly I felt somebody shaking me.

‘’Katniss, Katniss’’, but that voice went as quickly as it came. Until once again, not one but two voices were shouting my name. Someone had their arms wrapped around me, rocking me from side to side telling me it was going to be ok. Rye had stopped crying now and somebody else was calming him down. I opened my eyes and for a few seconds my eyes didn’t focus- I looked to my left and saw Gale calming Rye down. Peeta was holding me tight repeating endless amounts of

‘’Shhh, calm down. Katniss, It’s not real, don’t worry, calm down, it’s not real, shhh. Please baby come back to me…’’