Forgetting The Fire's We've Started

For Once, Since I Was Sixteen

Chapter 37:
It started getting dark as I ran into the woods as fast as I could go. I'm getting older now and let's face it—I'm not the same sixteen year old girl running for her life anymore. I stopped running when I heard the familiar whistle of a mockingjay. I looked around. There were no birds fluttering around in the trees. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I whipped around to see Lila Snow—who was now taller than me, forcing me to look up into her eyes—pulling out a gun. She held it to my head, inches away from my forehead. My hot, sweaty palms contrasted the cool, metal barrel of the gun. 

"You're still alive. I guess I should have tried harder to kill you last time... Then again, trying to kill you feels like a game. A fun game. It's a shame these types of games were outlawed, thanks to you, but right now, you and I are going to have our own special version of The Hunger Games." The amount of emphasis she put on those words frightened me. I was unarmed, but for once, since I was sixteen, I was not ready to die. 

I had something worth living for: my family; Peeta, with his warm smile and sugary vanilla smell; Rye, my son, who is a splitting image of his father and—from what I can tell already—is going to be a creative handful that will leave me clueless from time to time; Willow, my daughter, who in every way is just like me, except she's braver than I, she doesn't push her feelings aside like dust on a shelf. I wasn't going to leave them behind. 

Lila put her gun back in her holster. "You know, that's a nice trident you've got there in that cottage. So shiny! It's not how I'd choose to decorate a house, but you know, you do you. Me and you though, we're going to have a fair fight. No weapons. That way, killing you will feel so much more satisfying." 

Lila and I turned our backs to each other. We walked ten paces forward. With each pace, my heart skipped a beat. My stomach turned like every time it did when I faced a conflict. On the tenth step, we both turned around, looking at each other in the eyes one last time. She charged at me, pinning me down on the dirt of the forest floor. She shoved her hand over my lips, covering my mouth. 

"Happy Hunger Games-" 

"And may the odd be NEVER in your favor." I heard a familiar voice say. The voice was aggressive, but carried through the air like a sweet song with the hint of a lingering Capitol accent. Effie. 

An arrow flew through the air, puncturing Lila's body. I pushed her off of me and sat up to look over. Everyone I care about was standing right there—Effie, Haymitch, Annie, Noah, Johanna, Gale, Avan, Peeta, Rye, and Willow, who was holding my bow and quiver of arrows on her back.  She threw her stuff on the ground and ran over, her arms enveloping me.

"I love you, Mom." 

"I love you too, Willow. So much for a fair fight," I joked.

"Mom, I think we're so past 'fair' at this point," she replied. She has her father's knack of knowing just the right thing to say.

We stood up and I held Willow's hand as we walked inside the cottage. I grabbed Finnick's trident. The rusted piece of weaponry was now sparkling silver with writing engraved into it: Noah Odair—Love, Dad

We walked back to our family and I asked Peeta what time it was. 

"A quarter to midnight," he said, checking his watch. 

I kissed him on the lips and mumbled to him as seductively as I could, "I'll see you at midnight." 

I presented the trident to Noah. "Happy Fourteenth Birthday, Noah." He stared at it, astonished and Annie was twice as surprised. There was a note attached to it that I didn't see before. A note from Finnick to Noah. 

"Come on, let's head home." I ushered everyone out of the woods and turned around one last time. Finnick's spirit stood there waving at me. I put three fingers to my lips then held them in the air.