Revolt 13 | Y.Jw

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In the morning the train pulled up to the old and dusty station back in District Thirteen. Venus had prepared me for any possible scenario when I stepped off the train. It would be televised, so he adviced me to just smile and look thankful.

However, when I stepped off the train I was still excited to see majority of the district gathered around the station - looking at me with no expression. I had initially turned to Venus, murmuring that I just wanted to go home, but he had urged me on, gesturing for me to continue walking. No one was saying anything, everyone just watched.

It was first when the group parted and I was able to walk through it, as if I was walking through a forest, that something happened. Somewhere in the crowd a four tone whistle came. I threw my head around in confusion to see where it had come from.

Instead of finding the source Venus had started rushing me through, giving me small pushes and shoves from behind to get me to walk faster. Halfway through the tunnel of people they started raising their arms. Kissing three fingers together and up in the air they raised their hands. It hadn't been a sight seen for decades, I knew that. Mom told me how it was a banned gesture since the second uprising after the 74th Hunger Games.

"Remove yourself from the situation," Venus hissed as he started shoving a bit harder to get me to quicken up.

"Uprising... they're uprising," I whispered in shock as I looked around myself, feeling a small ounce of relief when I saw the support of the people in Thirteen.

The Victor's village wasn't even far from the train station, but due to the amount of people and their defiance it seemed much shorter than usual. To Venus it seemed to have been miles long as he shoved me through the large gates into the Victor's village.

"Your family has already moved into number one, I suggest we go see them before anything else bad happens," Venus declared as I turned to look out the gates.

"What do you mean bad?" I questioned and looked back towards everyone else out in the crowd, still showing their symbol of defiance.

"They have just given themselves death sentences, get inside," Venus sternly spoke. It was so unlike him to speak like that.

My smile immediately dropped and I looked at him in shock before hearing the first loud bang. Within seconds of the bang Venus had me turned around and pushed up towards the first house, where the door opened as it on cue. I tried to keep looking out the gates but quickly tore my head away from the sight when an elderly woman had been kicked down into the dirt and shot straight in the head by a peace keeper.

"Get her inside," the usual scolding tone of my mom's voice echoed in my ears as I got locked inside the warmth of the first house in the Victor's village.

I still stood shaking in my spot, trying to string together everything that had just happened since I stepped off the train. Somewhere Venus was loudly complaining about setting me up like that. Meanwhile, something warm had embraced me. A familiar scent filling out my nostrils as I noticed the warm sharp scent of my mom.

"Mom," I whispered and immediately hugged her back as one of her hands went to flatten down my hair gently.

"My girl... my sweet, sweet girl," she whispered before pulling away and smiling warmly at me, holding my face in the palms of her hands, "my brave, sweet girl. You must be exhausted."

I could still hear the shots outside, but they seemed to dull down and get deafened by the childish instinct in me that could only nod at what my mom had said. She didn't even mention anything about where I had been or what had happened, she only smiled at me and I knew I was safe and sound.

"I'll go make tea," mom reminded gently as Venus quickly followed after her into the kitchen and I was left in the front hall.

I stood in silence for a while, slowly tuning in to the shots outside of the house once again. They didn't stop, but the silence between them got longer. I didn't even dare think about the dead bodies laying sprawled around on the ground outside.

"Yeon!" An excited voice from the top of the stairs to my right had made my head snap upwards.

A small smile spread on my face when my brother sped down the stairs and threw himself at me with a large hug. I couldn't help but let out a small laugh as I hugged him back. His laugh echoing out in the house and eliminating any sound of death outside the house.

"I knew you'd win!" he happily laughed as he pulled away and I looked down at him. He had aged remarkably over the time I was gone, "did you hear what I yelled when you had to leave so fast?"

"Have you grown?" I only questioned and he let out a small laugh.

"Only a little," he let out a small laugh and gestured with his hand from the top of his head and straight onto my forehead, "still shorter."

"You'll grow above me some day," I assured him with a small laugh, "what did you yell?"

"Just for you to have good luck," he waved it off with a small shrug, "but I did also yell that you'd change the world if you won. Am I right yet?"

"Change the world?" I chuckled and he immediately nodded, "we'll see about that," I excused and ruffled his hair.

"Great, then I'll be back for December," Venus came out from the kitchen with a small nod to my mom, looking over at my brother and I, "handsome brother you've got there, shame he isn't coming with us on the Victory tour. You'll hear from me at some time at the start of November. I expect to make my arrival in Thirteen again in December."

With that Venus went out of the door and now all traces of the games were gone from my life. Except for the house I stood in. I guess I couldn't escape the games completely from now on. Not ever. 

The End of Part 1

Part 2 Publishing Date: November 1, 2023