The Return of the MockingJay

Chapter One - I Accept

As we near the Council's Hall the streets begin to be filled with eager citizens awaiting their new Mockingjay, shouting and screaming my name, trying to get a glimpse of me as we pass by. As we reach a stop light Dallion takes a quick look out the window before speeding off.

"Wow Alli, seems like these people really like you, better not mess up." He says.

"Thanks for the pep talk it's a real big help." I say sarcastically.

He laughs at my remark. "You are so welcome!"

As we enter the Council Hall the crowd outside screams even louder with joy. Do they really want ME to be their Mockingjay? I'm anything but qualified for the job, but I suppose because of my mother's reputation they expect me to live up to her name. As we reach the large double doors to the Conference room, I get nervous. I don't think I can do this. I'm scared. I turn to my brother.

"Dal... do you think I'll do a good job? You know... being the Mockingjay. I haven't done anything with my life. And mom, she..."

"She would have been proud. You're going to do fine Alli. Mom was only 17 when she became the MockingJay, and she didn't even want to do it, but look at what she accomplished!"

"You really think so?" I ask.

"Al, come on, you've got mom's skills and dad's charm you're pretty much born for this."

"Well so do you..."

"Yeah and see where I am? Sergeant in the Army at 18! You're going to do so much more, you don't even know." He says with so much enthusiasm in his voice I have no choice, but to believe him.

"I guess..."

The Conference room is nothing like I had imagined. It was a large, white room, with no windows and virtually nothing but a glass table in the center of the room with 8 chairs. Five seats were already occupied by the Council men and one occupied by a man in uniform. He had brown eyes and brown hair so dark you would think it was black. He had to be a little over 6 feet because he was taller than my brother who was 6 feet exactly. For a moment I couldn't take my eyes off him, he was tall and extremely handsome in his military uniform and for some odd reason he seemed familiar, I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"General Hawthorne! It's an honor to meet you!" My brother says rushing over to shake the man's hand.

"I was just about to say the same, Sergeant." The man replies.

"Alli this is Bryce Hawthrone, by far the best soldier in all of Panem. He is LEGENDARY!"

"Thank you I'm flattered, but today isn't about me. It's about, Alli is it?, It's a pleasure meeting you" He reaches his hand out to me, but I just stare at him.

"My name's Allium."

"Okay well Allium, let's get started now, shall we?"

I take my seat across from Bryce with my brother beside me hopping around in his seat like a little school girl; happy that he got to meet the "legendary" Bryce Hawthorne. I don't see what's so amazing about him, well besides his good looks, there's not much.

Out of the five Councilmen I only knew one personally and that's Councilmen Kyon. He was at both my mother and father's funeral and has been around since I was little. He's given me permission to call him Uncle but I never really got around to it. Dillion does though; I find it odd. It feels weird calling someone your uncle when they aren't really related to you.

"Little Alli! Look at how much you've grown! I almost didn't recognize you when you walked in. How old are you now?" He says excitedly.

"Twenty." I say.

"My my, you're so old now!"

"Kyon there will be time for catching up after we are done here." says one of the other Councilmen. I don't recognize this Council Member from any broadcast, city event, or council meeting I had been forced to attend with my parents when I was younger. This is how I usually knew who was in the Council. He must have been new. Most likely he was the replacement for Councilmen Gread after his sudden death a year ago. He was found by a housekeeper sitting in his office, head tilted back as if he were sleeping. When his wife came into his office and tried to wake him up there was no response. He was pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics who arrived moments later. It is rumored that he was murdered by Capital Activists (C.A.) in their attempt to corrupt the Council by electing one of their own into office. Was this it? This man sitting before me, was he a member of the C.A.? He sure did look like it. Ice blue eyes that could pierce through your soul and take away every bit of your being, white hair, not from old age but bleached white that made his eyes look even more deadly, and skin as pale as winter snow. These features distinguished himself from the other Councilmen who were often plain in looks despite the ravishing garments they all usually wore. Today , though, was a special day for everyone in Panem which required them to wear their Council uniforms. Regular grey uniforms with a black trim, neck high, with their names stitched onto the shirt pockets.

We go over my responsibilities as Mockingjay, should I choose to accept the job. I will become the new symbol of the Rebellion that over threw the Capital and the new face of Panem's Government and Military. I have to support them in all that they do and address the media with any problems that may arise. They assure me that I will most likely not be out in the battlefield, but I will still be trained for combat in case bad comes to worse and I have to fight. I want to be on the front lines like my mother did when she was young, but given my poor, undeveloped skills I know I'll never make it out alive. Finally, as Mockingjay since I will be the one the citizens of Panem will look up to from here on out, I have to maintain my mother's good reputation and high performance expectations. This is what scares me the most. So much that I consider backing out, but then I remember the legacy my brother has tried so hard to maintain, the screaming citizens chanting my name. Without saying they have already made me their Mockingjay from the day I was born. Dallion was right. I was born for this job.

"So, Allium with all this being said, do you accept the roll of the MockingJay?" asks one of the older Councilmen.

I hesitate for a moment.

"...yes, I accept."