Under the Willow--After Mockingjay

Nightmare

2 days later (Monday)

"Willow Mellark." calls Effie Trinket. Of course it's me. I'm going into the arena. I walk to the stage and climb the stairs, my face void of emotion. I will not cry. I will be strong for Rye and my parents. I will show the tributes that I am the one to fear. I will not appear weak. Effie looks at me sadly. She knows the reaping is rigged. She crosses to the boys bowl and I have a bad feeling of who it will be. But I can only hope it's not him, it's not him, it's not him. Effie reads the slip of paper in a sad voice.

     "Rye Mellark." My brother makes his way to the stage. Face void of emotion like mine. We will not give the Capitol the satisfaction of seeing our tears. Effie lets a tear drop. "The tributes from District 12. Willow Mellark and Rye Mellark." We shake hands and are escorted into the Justice Building to say are goodbyes. One of my only friends, Emma, walks in. She knows I won't be coming back. That I will protect Rye.

     All of a sudden I am in the Tribute center, my parents standing before Rye and I in tears. The games are tomorrow. This is the last time we will all be together. The last time I will see them.  We hug and tell each other we love one another and goodbye. "Here." My mother hands me her gold Mockingjay pin. "Show them what a Mockingjay can do." I nod. Grandpa is their to. I give him a hug and whisper in his ear, "Convince Mom and Dad to give the sponsors to Rye.  He lives.  Not.  Me." I see a tear slip from his eye and he nods.

     I am in the tube, being lifted into the arena. The sunlight blinds me for a second but my eyes focus and I see we are in a forest, with a vally to the left of me, as well as a lake. "Lady's and gentlemen, Let the 76th Hunger Games begin! And may the odds be ever in you favor." says Claudius Templesmith. I look around and spot Rye about four platforms away to my right. He nods to me. We are the ones to fear. The children of two victors who brought down the Capitol. We are thinking like careers. I spot a bow in the mouth of the cornucopia. That's mine.

10, 9, 8

I position my feet, ready to run for it.

7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2

     Stay alive.

1.

The gong sounds and I am sprinting for the bow. I throw a quiver over my back and instinctively load the bow. Rye is right by my side grabbing knifes, and another bow I hadn't seen. I shoot at a boy tribute running towards us and hit him in the chest. Rye and I both grab two packs near the platforms as we run for the tree line. I make sure Rye is infront of me before I turn my head back to look. The bloodbath has begun. Night falls when Rye and I climb a tree to sleep in. I take first watch and watch the fallen in the nights sky. Then it's morning again when Rye and I are setting up snares, when I hear a scream. I whip my head around, bow loaded, a boy has slit my brothers throat. The arrow flys into the attackers head and he falls to the ground, canon sounding.  I rush over to Rye crying. I know I won't be able to save him. I lay his head in my lap and he whispers "Win. Win for the both of us." He says. I am sobbing now. "I will. I'm so sorry Rye. I'm so so sorry." He shakes his head and winces. "Sing?" He wants me to sing. I can't deny my brothers last wish. It's barley audible, but I do.

Deep in the Meadow
Under the Willow.
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow.
Lay down your head
And close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open
The sun will rise.
Here it's safe and here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow bring them true
Here is the place, where I love you.

His eyes are starting close. I have to finish the song for him!

Deep in the Meadow
Hidden far away
A cloak of leaves
A moon beam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when it's morning they'll wash away
Here it's safe, here it's warm
    Here the daisies guard you from every harm
   Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow bring them true
    Here is the place, where I love you

     His cannon sounds but I sing the last line of the song for him.

    Here is the place, where I love you.

    I am sobbing and making choking noises, but I don't care.  I just watched my brother die.

     I sit straight up, hair stuck to my forehead, and tears streaming down my face.

It was just a dream. Or should I say a nightmare.

     Today is the day we begin watching the 74th Hunger Games.  My parents games.  Next, the 50th Hunger Games, the second Quarter Quell.  That's Grandpa's game.  Then, after that, the 3rd Quarter Quell and 75th Hunger Games, where my parents will compete again.  I don't know why we will watch them in that order.  Finally, war footage. 

     I get up and walk to Rye's room.  Just to convince myself he is okay.  It's only 6:00am, he still has thirty more minutes of sleep.  I walk down stairs where my dad is cooking our breakfast.  "Willow.  Since when are you a morning person?  You still had thirty minutes of sleep!"  He jokes.  He is trying to delay this day as much as possible.  "I had a nightmare and woke up.  I didn't think there was any point in trying to go back to sleep seeing I would only have thirty minutes."  He looks at me worried.  "What was your nightmare about?"  I shake my head. But he just says,"Sometimes it helps to talk about them."  Him and my mother should know.  I tell him about the nightmare and he just looks at me sadly.  "I'm sorry."  He says. 

     "Why? It wasn't your fault."

     "But the nightmare probably came from what your going to be watching today."

     "I'll be fine."  I assure him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     Rye and I walk to school together.  "Your lucky!  You don't have to do any other subject for weeks!"  He complains.  I just role my eyes.  When you are in 11th grade, the weeks you watch all the games, you have no other school.  Personally, I'd rather do regular school then watch these games.  As we approach the school, I notice kids looking at us.  Wondering how I will react to today, I guess.  I hug Rye and tell him goodbye.  As I make my way to the classroom, I notice some teachers all huddled around talking quietly.  But, unfortunately for them, I have good hearing.  "What do I do if she freaks out?"  ask my teacher.  "Just send her out of the room.  Luckily District 12 only has two victors who have kids.  There the only ones to worry about."  And right then, I get it.  They are talking about Rye and I.  How we will react to seeing our parents kill.  This rubs me the wrong way for some reason.  I glare at them as I make my way to my desk.  The teachers seem to be afraid of me.  My teacher, Mrs. Don, calls me over.  I walk up to her, trying to mask my anger.

     "Willow, I just want you to know, that if this gets to difficult to watch, you can always leave.  No one would blame you." 

     "Thank you.  But I can assure you, you don't have to worry.  Not about me or my brother.  If you didn't know, my parents are Katniss and Peeta Mellark.  I can handle it."  I say sarcastically.  I stomp back to my seat.  Mrs. Don starts to rattle on about what the games were, the four whole victors District 12 has had, ect.  She turns on the projector, and the tape begins.  It starts with the name that started it all. 

     Primrose Everdeen.

     I almost cry at the sight of my late aunt.  But I don't.  I keep my face expressionless.  Then, the words I know caught everyone in Panems attention.  The words rarely spoken at a reaping in District 12.  But, a girl in a blue dress and dark hair braided in a updue shouts them out for all of Panem to hear.

     I volunteer as tribute!