Justice, the 4th hunger games book, the story after mockingjay

Chapter eight.

“We need to tell the kids what is going on, it is only fair to them. We ask for your help on this though firstly we need to tell them from the beginning, once we get to a part that could be better explained to them by one of you or get to a part where we meet you, like the quell with Johanna, Beetee, Annie and Enobaia. Is that OK with everyone?” They all nod in agreement and Peeta turns to head to the kitchen leaving me in the doorway.

“I was thinking also if you would all like to get yourselves settled in my house or Haymitch’s as this could take a while. I was thinking if Johanna, Annie, Nick and Rhys stayed in my old house. Its three doors down on the left and Enobaia and Beetee stay with Haymitch? This door will always be unlocked so there is no need to ever knock OK?”

“What about me?” Asks Gale frowning.

“I’ll talk to you later, provided you still want to?” I raise my eyebrows questioning him to which he just shakes his head and smiles slightly.

“OK, I’m going out for a walk, should probably go visit mum since I’m back. Haven't seen her in a while.” I nod and turn on my heel and head down the corridor towards the kitchen. When I get there the door is slightly a jar and I can head Peeta talking.

“When your mum comes in we are going to tell you things that you may not like, things that may upset you, that may upset us all but these are things that we both think you need to  know.”

“What about?” Asks Rue, she was always too curious for her own good. I walk in a go to stand behind Peeta’s chair resting my hands on his shoulders.

“About our past, things that happened to us when we were younger, things that are going to be happening to us again and we feel that it is only fair that you both know about them OK?” I answer as Peeta covers my hands with his knowing this will conversation will be sure to bring back the nightmares tonight.

“Yes mummy. Please don’t tell us anything that will upset you.” She was so much like Peeta always caring for others before themselves.

“Don’t worry baby your mummy and I will be fine, we’ve been living with these memories since before you were born.” He encourages. Peeta pulls me onto his lap and begins. “You remember us talking about your Aunty Prim?”

“Yes, she died before we were born didn’t she?” Asks Rue, Peeta and I nod.

“Well there used to be this yearly event.” He spits the word. “Called the hunger games where a boy and girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen were chosen from each of the twelve districts at something called a reaping. The tributes as they were called were then placed in an arena and forced to fight to the death until only one remained.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair and I continued.

“On the day of aunty Prim’s first reaping I was out hunting in the woods with my friend Gale. I remember thinking she will be safe as she only had her name in for the reaping once, I had my name in twenty-two times and Gale had his in forty-two times. I wasn’t worried about myself or even Gale, we would be able to handle the fighting since we knew how to hunt but Prim, she was just too fragile.” They were both listening intently to our story both keen to know about our past. Rue had learned a bit about it at school but we had never told her more than she was taught.

“Prim’s name was called in the reaping and I volunteered to take her place as the girl tribute.”

“Then my name was called for the boy tribute.”

“But then how did you both get out alive?” Asks Fin.

“I owe my life to your mother, she saved me, it was her idea which got us both out alive but unfortunately this angered the president at the time convinced that our love for each other was an act.” I rest my head on his shoulder and take a deep breath as all these memories come to the forefront of my mind. Thankfully he left out the part about my acting that we were in love. He went on explaining about everything that happened telling them about Haymitch and the victory tour and the quell ending with the rebellion and my shooting of Coin then I take over again. We had decided not to call anyone in and just to introduce them all once we had finished explaining that way they would be able to ask questions once they know the full picture.

“Well president Paylor has decided to bring back the games but this time it is for anyone who has committed a crime and been imprisoned in the past ten years which includes me. Whoever is reaped will be expected to fight in an arena again. But what makes it worse is a loved one will be thrown into the arena as well to try and discourage more crime.”

“And you and daddy are going to end up going back in?” Whimpers Fin and we nod. His next words catch me off guard completely. “Promise us you’ll try and win, maybe you can. I mean you both survived two games and the war. Promise us?” Before anyone can stop me I have got up off Peeta’s lap and ran full pelt out the front door I hear him calling out to me but I don’t stop. Only one memory comes to mind. Prim. She said that just after I volunteered for her, insisting I could hunt and use a bow. Making me promise that I would try and win for her. I did all of it to try and protect her but it didn’t make a blind bit of difference. She’s still dead, only this time its because of me, not Gale, not the rebellion, me. if I hadn’t pulled out those berries, if I had just died in the quell, if I hadn’t become their mockingjay she would probably still be alive. I run blindly round a corner, tears streaming down my face and collide with a tall figure knocking us both to the ground. I just lay there where I fell curling up into a ball sobbing.