Let the Games begin

Epilogue

Epilogue

Mitch was remembered. Remembered as the very first victor of the first edition of the Hunger Games. Nobody was expecting it. I meant, a District 12 random guy victor of the first Games? But I guessed everyone was proven wrong.

President Bitarve crowned him, with a little bit of disgust, not noticeable by anyone but Mitch. He hated him, with all his heart. Not because he won. But because he won with the help of the famous Celestia Johnson. The rebel number one of Panem. Bitarve put her in the arena to die alone, not by trying to make win another tribute.

When Mitch walked in the train to District 12, Bitarve promised himself that he would venge Mitch's victory. The Games were just beginning, and all Mitch's family and friends were about to take part in it.

Two weeks later, Bitarve got assassinated, by some random rebels who were disguised in fake peacekeepers. Unfortunately, he didn't share his plans of killing all the Abernathy family. That was why they had been spared of the Games for fifty years.

When Mitch came back home, he was loved by each girl, admired by every child and envied by every guys. But he didn't care about the flowers and flirts that girls gave and did with him. He was only caring about Celestia. He was alive, but at the same time, dead. The money was coming every months and he started to give some to poorer families in the entire District. That was how he met Ava. The daughter of a miner. She was poorer than everyone else because of her six brothers and sisters. But she was kind, caring and beautiful. Her pale skin, greasy, curly, auburn hair, due of the lack of water, and big smile charmed Mitch. She was nothing like Celestia, and that was maybe how he succeeded to forget her. Well, he always kept a photo of her from the interviews before the Games hidden in his pocket, and she was always in his heart, but he started a new life. Like she wanted to. She was surely proud of him.

One day, on the spring before the 10th Hunger Games, Jadden Abernathy was born. The first son of Mitch and Ava's new family. He was beautiful, innocent. Too innocent to learn about the Games. But unfortunately, he did. Like every child at school. He was seven year old.

Years later, Ava passed away from a rare sickness. Mitch felt into a big depression. He lost for a second time the women he loved. Why can't the world spare him from the tragedy? Didn't he suffer enough? Luckily, Jadden was there to help him. To get up, eat, go through the days and be happy. It worked. It really worked. But then, that day, he came back from school with the question Mitch was hoping to not hear from him.

"Could I watch the Games you were in?" He asked, gently. Mitch stopped eating and stared at him. "Please, dad. I heard the Capitol sent you a DVD of it as a souvenir." His son begged. Finally, Mitch agreed and both of them spent the night watching it. Surprisly, Jadden didn't get scared or anything like that. He watched it as a grown man and didn't say a word. At the end, Mitch was crying. Too many bad memories. They hugged each other and the day had gone as if nothing happened.

A month later, the subject came back. It was only a question, another innocent question. But for Mitch, it was the most heartbreaking one.

"Who was Celestia?" Jadden asked, out of the blue. "I saw a photo of her on your pocket before washing your pants. I know she was the girl you kissed in the first Games, and I honestly wanted to ask you about her sooner but.. things happened." He said. That afternoon, Mitch explained all to him. How he first met her in the elevator, how they became allies, how he loved her and never forgot her.

"And mom? Did you ever love her? I mean, truly love her?" Jadden asked. He waited for an answer that never came. He walked back to his room, closing the door. Mitch spent the rest of the day and a part of the night wondering. Did he love Ava? Yes. But.. was she the girl for who he'd stand up and kill everyone who'd want to kill her? Was she the girl for who he'd die for? Was she... Celestia?

He immediatly knew the answer. And he hated himself to think like that.

Since that day, Jadden and Mitch took their distance. Mitch began to drink when Jadden move out with a girl named Cecilia. She had dark hair and pale blue eyes. She remembered Mitch from Celestia so much that it hurt. So, he drank. To forget. But when Jadden knocked on the door of his old house to announce that they were having a baby, Mitch stopped all.

Nine months later, on the eve of the Reaping of the 33rd Hunger Games, Haymitch Abernathy was born. Mitch cried when he learnt the name Jadden and Cecilia chose. It remembered him of Celestia and how she said that she prefered this name than his real one.

He realized that he still loved her.

Years passed, and Haymitch got chosen for the second Quarter Quell. Tears were shared. But Mitch believed in Haymitch. He knew that he was going to make it. And he was right, because Haymitch was crowned victor of the second Quarter Quell.

Mitch died a few years after that, from a pneumonia. He finally went back to Celestia. And life continued.

- THE END -