The Hunger Games: The Rebellion

Chapter 9

"Cinna, I thought you were dead!" Katniss cried happily, tears running down her face.

"Why are you dressed as a woman?" Peeta asked.

"I had to disguise myself in order to come here and help you guys," Cinna replied. He motioned for them to sit down on the bed next to him.

"Plutarch said they had to kill you," Katniss said.

Cinna scowled. "Plutarch, Boggs, and Haymitch were all completely wasted when I told them this rebellion was ridiculous. Haymitch freaked out and hit me with a wiffle bat a few times, and then they dragged me in a closet and shut the door. They never bothered to lock it or even to come back and check on me. I heard Haymitch yell, "Well, he's dead! Let's go celebrate with booze!" And they never came back."

"Let me get this straight. They thought you were dead because Haymitch hit you with a wiffle bat." Katniss said slowly, trying to comprehend the idiocy of Plutarch, Boggs and Haymitch.

"I know," Cinna replied understandingly as he patted her on the shoulder.

"How did you survive?" asked Peeta, his eyes wide. Cinna and Katniss just stared at him.

"Seeing Snow naked has really traumatized Peeta," Katniss whispered sadly to Cinna. He nodded sympathetically.

"So you don't think we should rebel against the Capitol and kill Snow?" Katniss asked him.

"I do, but not for the same reasons Haymitch and his bunch want to. I think Snow is a cruel and inhumane person. We need to end the Hunger Games. We need a kind compassionate leader who treats everyone fairly. I've read in history books about the type of government they had in a country called America, long ago. It wasn't perfect, but it was a lot better than the type of government we have now. "

"Cinna, you're the only person in this story that actually MAKES ANY SENSE!" Katniss replied happily, hugging him.

Peeta scowled.

"From now on though," Cinna continued. "My name is Cinnamon and I'm a former District 1 tribute. I'll have to stay dressed like this to avoid letting Haymitch, Boggs, and Plutarch know I'm alive."

"Did Snow capture you? Boggs said you were with Annie when he rescued you guys. I don't get it. It all seems too simple. Nothing makes sense to me anymore,"Katniss moaned.

"Snow has been too busy drinking these past few weeks to really care about anything else. He's been throwing wild parties at his mansion every night. I was there to try to see if Snow would slip up and say anything incriminating when he was drunk, but it just got worse. He's not terrorizing the Districts right now with threats or Hunger Games, but he's appearing on television completely nude, which is creating a whole other type of horror for everyone. People are killing themselves to avoid having to see his naked body. Others are purposely putting harmful objects in their eyes, hoping it'll cause them to go blind. You know whenever the Capitol broadcasts anything on television its mandatory viewing."

"Wow," Katniss whispered in awe. "Do you think Peeta will ever be normal again?"

Cinna looked at him sadly. Hearing Cinna tell his story about Snow on television nude made him break down again.

"Find a happy place," Peeta muttered to himself, rocking back and forth.

"Only time will tell."

"The winner of the Swimsuit competition: Haymitch Abernathy!" President Coin announced.

Katniss, Peeta, and Cinna watched with amusement.

"What?" Finnick cried in astonishment. Annie patted him on the arm sympathetically.