Real or not real? (everlark)

3

The paper crinkles in my hand as I read it, the elegant words swept onto the paper. I sip my sugar and creamer loaded coffee as I read on, my eyes scanning the page quickly, taking in every word.

Dear Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark,

Upon your vote to have one last Hunger Games with children from the Capitol, we call you to the office of the newly appointed President to discuss the details of this new project. All of the survivors who voted before will attend, as well as Haymitch Abernathy and any remaining mentors. You will stay on the same train you stayed on before your first Games, and it will pick you up promptly at 11am tomorrow morning.
Thank you,
The Capitol Board

I was never sure if they were really going to carry this out, but I can see now that they are. But I don't regret my decision, the Capitol people deserve to have a taste of what they had given to us. I doubt it will be a very long Hunger Games, it's not like the Capitol children have much survival skills. Peeta reads the paper as well, and a tear slips from his eye as he sets it down with finality.
"Katniss?" He asks, breaking my train of thoughts. I look up to his sad face.
"Yes?"
"Did you vote to have one more of the Games?" He asks, and his eyes bore into mine, begging me to say I didnt. But this is Peeta. I can't lie to him.
I nod my head, not looking at him.
"Katniss. These are kids, kids that are going to die, and it's going to be all of our fault." He says to me. "We ended the Games, won the war, so that no one else had to die like that. And now you're voting for one more?"
"Peeta, they did the same to us, we aren't doing anything worse than they did. And besides, Coin says that Snow had a granddaughter." I say, but I have trouble defending myself. I sound so mean, so horrible, and Peeta presses his view of the subject onto me.
"You're doing this to kill Snow's granddaughter? I met her, you know that Katniss? Before I went insane, and then after I did, she brought me sandwiches and cut them up into any shape I wanted. She gave me medicine when I was sick. She used to talk to me, she told me that she lost her parents. The poor girl has just lost her grandfather, and now you want to take her life?" He says, and his words stab me in the heart, just like they have every other time. I sigh and almost look into his eyes, but I know that those will be all it takes to break me, to make me call the Capitol and reclaim my vote. "Katniss. Look at me, please."
I get to my feet, and grab my hunting jacket from the hook. I need to clear my mind, so I leave him sitting there in the kitchen.
When I reach the fence, I hear a gentle hum, and know that it's on. It has been ever since we overtook the Capitol. I very cautiously slide under the fence, and then stand up on the other side, brushing the dirt from my pants. I retrieve my bow and arrows from the log, and move into the woods.
An hour later, I have no game, and I sit at the base of a tree, my stomach growling. It has to be past lunch time, and I haven't eaten since Peeta's breakfast of pancakes and sausage. I close my eyes momentarily, listening to the sounds of the woods, and that's when I hear it.
"Mockingjay?"
"Mockingjay?"
"Mockingjay?" The words echos throughout the woods and I jump to my feet, pulling the arrow and the string back. Those are jabberjays, and jabberjays only repeat what they hear. Someone else is in these woods with me.
A stick snaps behind me and I whip around, my arrow poised to shoot. I glare, with one eye open at a figure, crouched beneath a bush.
"Show yourself or I'll shoot!" I holler, and slowly they emerge. It's an older woman, her grey hair a mess and a few sticks stuck into it. Her face is lined and sleep deprived, and she looks as if she hadn't eaten in weeks.
"Please don't shoot! I'm just hiding, I didn't mean to startle you!" She raises her dirt coated fingers to me in surrender, and I lower my bow.
"Hiding? What on earth are you hiding from?" I drop my arms limply to my sides, now sure that she isn't going to harm me. She looks at me as if I'm insane.
"The Capitol, what else? Child, the Games, the Games!" She hollers at me, wringing her hands. I feel my eyes widen in surprise, and I step back.
"What are you talking about?" I ask her, and she sighs.
"The Hunger Games, child. My sister was selected, and as soon as they took her away I ran off here, into hiding! She was selected to be in the 20th hunger games, and I feared them, so my mother and I escaped into the woods." She says, and I raise my eyebrows slightly. The 20th games? She's an old woman.
"Then I hear rumors from the others, saying that a girl and a boy, star crossed lovers they say, plan to take the Capitol over! But, I'm afraid. They gave me pictures of you, the Mockingjay, and I had hope, my dear child. But there are still things to hide from, still reasons to stay in these woods." She says and sits where I had been before. She looks as if she has barely any energy left, and I kneel beside of her.
"But, the games are over." I say, and she looks up at me, confused. "Peeta and I ended them- there was a war- but it's over now, it's all over." I tell her and her eyes shine with tears.
"You must be an angel, you saved us from the Games! Our own guardian angel!" She wraps her bony arms around me and sobs into my shoulder. I feel like I need to help her.
"Why don't you come with me?" I ask her, and she gets to her feet. "I'll get you some food, and a shower with fresh clothes, and you can stay in my old house."
When we reach the fence, I worry if she will know how to get underneath, but she slides underneath with ease. She smiles at my surprised expression.
"That weak spot has been there since our very first games child." She laughs as I lead her back to my old house, and I squint my eyes at it.
"I'll fix it up for you, and I can bring you food daily...." I say and she smiles at me once more. I lead her into the bathroom, and she starts the shower. I keep telling myself to stop being surprised that she can do so much of our new stuff, but I shrug it off. She's a smart old woman.
"Im going to go get you some food from the Market, there's fresh clothes waiting for you on the bed next door." I say and tromp out the door.
My phone vibrates in my pocket as I shop for food. I take it out and turn it on, to see four messages from Peeta.

Peeta- Katniss you've been gone for hours.
Peeta- where are you???????
Peeta- Katniss, I know you're angry with me, and I'm pretty irritated too but you have to come home
Peeta- Please, we need to talk.

He's right, I am angry. Angry that he can't understand, angry that he tried to make me see it from his point of view. Angry because he grew fond of Snow's granddaughter. Angry that he doesn't get it.
By the time I'm home, the older woman is sitting on our old couch in front of the static TV. She grins at me and she watches me carry all of the bags in. I heave and set them onto the table. She gets up from her position on the couch and sits at the table. I start to chop vegetables and some of my own game and stir them into a pot.
"So I bought you some food, erm....." I say as I stir it, unsure of what to call her.
"Beatrice. And this is all very kind of you, I must say." She says as I set a bowl of stew in front of her. I nod.
"Anytime. So you've lived in the woods all of your life?" I ask her and she nods, scooping up a spoonful of my soup.
"Yes. My mother and I built a little cottage and lived there most of our lives. My sister ended up dying in the games, and my mother died when I was 60. I've been alone ever since." She says and I feel a surge of pity for this woman. "Its been 11 years since I've seen her. I've been on my own." She says, and I pat her hand sympatheticly.
"Well you arent alone now." I say and she smiles at me.