A Million Pieces - Hunger Games (Catching Fire & Mockingjay)

Chapter 14

The lights go out.

In my confusion, I let go of Beetee and Finnick's hands and when I grope around to find them again, I can't. I stumble towards the way I came in and someone grabs my arm. It's Johanna. Together, we find Finnick and run for the elevators. We spot Peeta and Katniss in one and we take a step towards them, but Peacekeepers block us off and the doors close. Johanna yells as she is dragged away from me and Finnick and I are ushered into our own lift. The Peacekeepers push the button for us and we shoot up to our floor.

We wait alone in the main room for an unbearably long amount of time. I have no idea what is happening downstairs. Could it be violent? Finally, the elevator opens and Caspian comes out. He looks unharmed, but in complete disbelief.

"They've sent the others home," he says. "It's chaos. No one knows what to do with themselves. I've never seen anything like this."

"Are they asking for the Games to be cancelled?" asks Finnick.

Caspian shakes his head incredulously. "I suppose that's what they're getting at. But there isn't anything official. I can't believe that happened. Katniss with the mockingjay, Peeta with the baby, you all with the handholding..."

"How much was planned?"

Caspian shrugs helplessly. "Cinna must have talked to Haymitch about the dress. Peeta might have told him about the baby. But I don't think Haymitch would have told Katniss to do the hand holding and I can't believe she would have listened to him if he had."

"It was impulsive," I say, and I know it's the truth. "It finished off everything we'd been saying all night. It's never been seen before, unity between tributes, between the districts."

"Do you think it got on television?" Finnick wonders.

"It must have," Caspian answers. "We were all too stunned to react at first. You saw how long it took to turn the lights off."

"And... the baby?" Finnick asks. "That can't be true, can it?"

Caspian and I both shake our heads. "Peeta was convincing, but it would be too terribly perfect," Caspian reasons. "But there won't be enough time to run the tests and change the story and convince the whole country before tomorrow morning."

"They'll get sponsors. Everyone will root for Katniss," Finnick adds.

"And it will make it harder for her to sacrifice herself for him," I realise. "Because she'll be responsible for more than her own life."

"He's brilliant," Caspian decides. "Peeta Mellark is a genius."

We say nothing for a moment, stunned by the events of the evening.

"So we won't see Janus again," Finnick says.

"Tell him thank you from us," I say. I think of the way Janus looked at me at the reaping, with such regret, and then tonight, with pride. "That we're grateful he's been our escort."

"Cas, what about you?" Finnick asks.

"I'll make sure I see you before you leave tomorrow," he assures us.

We all know he can't promise anything, but it doesn't feel right to say goodbye now.

I can't fall asleep. And I don't want to spend my last few hours of freedom alone, staring at the ceiling. So I tiptoe out of my room, my bare feet cold against the marble floor, and I make my way to Caspian's room.

I could be embarrassed that I'm sneaking into his bed. But he spent years waking the house up with nightmares. They were so frequent at first that I began waking up just as he was shifting in the next room, before the actual shouting started. I would gently rouse him so that the rest of the family could rest and then we would both fall back asleep. Sharing a bed is not uncomfortable, but we don't talk about it in the daytime.