One Last Hunger Games

Chapter 48

Me and my family take a seat just as the funeral is about to begin. The area around us is decorated in vibrant colored flowers and topiaries. Noah would like that.

I stare at the ground until I hear a voice and look up. Gale, his father, is speaking in a hoarse, heavy voice. "Let's get started," he says and we begin the funeral.

Gale speaks some words about his son and while he speaks I try to find a coffin but I don't see one. The body wasn't so torn up, they couldn't recognize him. In fact, it wasn't torn up at all.

He starts to speak about my relationship with Noah and tears get thicker and thicker in my eyes. I let one fall from my lashes and it hits my dress and seeps through the deep black material. "Primrose," Gale says and I jerk up. It's my time to do what I practiced.

I solemnly walk to the front of everybody and begin speaking. "Um..." My voice trails off as I look out to all of the eyes that seem to burn into mine, daring me to cry or mess up. I take a deep breath and start over. "This is what I sang to Noah while he..." Gale shakes his head and I take that as a signal I don't have to finish my sentence.

Gale told my mom to tell me to sing this. He thought Noah would like it. I take a deep breath and I begin singing.

"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
They strung up a man
They say who murdered three
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree

Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where the dead man called out
For his love to flee
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree."

The image of Noah slipping his head through the loop of the rope flashes into my mind. I close my eyes and regain my control. I start singing the next verse.

"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where I told you to run
So we'd both be free
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree

Then the image of Noah tightening the rope around his neck flashes through my mind. My voice gets softer and I feel like I'm almost leaving my body. Like I'm losing my self control. I can't continue the song and before I know it, I collapse to the ground. The image of all of the lifeless bodies flash through my head and I can't bear it.

I cry out and I bury my head in my knees while I'm gripping my hair tightly. I hear people rush over as I do this but I continue screaming. What has the Games done to me? Just look at me. I just want everything back like it used to be. There's no going back. I'm ruined. Forever.