Phoenix felt her whole body ache as she began waking up from her sedated sleep. Even though she was now awake, Phoenix felt as though her eyes were too heavy to open. This meaning she simply laid there in the bed, both unmotivated and unwilling to move. Combined with the feeling the restraints tight on her wrist, Phoenix felt as though she had no fight left to give.
As Phoenix lied there she listened to the white noise that filled her room. Believing that maybe if she closed her eyes hard enough, when she opened her eyes she'd be back inside the arms of Finnick Odair. Long before the Quarter Quell, a time where it was just the two of them on the beaches of District 4. A time where they had nothing to worry about.
Yet the moment she heard the door to her room open, she was once again reminded where she was. Phoenix was still a prisoner of the Capitol, where she was beginning to believe that this was where she would live the rest of her days. Inside these same four walls. Through her closed eyes, Phoenix heard the sound of two pairs of shoes inching closer to her bed. Phoenix could tell that there were others inside the room, others that believed she was fast asleep.
Phoenix listened as they began checking her vitals. The woman took advantage of this, making it seem like she really was asleep. Half of her not wanting to deal with them talking to her, and the other half of her wanting to hear what they had to say while thinking she couldn't hear. She listened closely to the shuffling until she finally heard them start talking. " You hear what happened inside District 5? " One of them asked, with the voice belonging to a man.
It took everything in Phoenix's power not to open her eyes at this moment. Not to drop the act and wake up demanding to know what happened. But Phoenix knew doing that would probably result in the opposite of that. This resulting in a wave of sickness washing over her body as the question settled in her mind.
Did they even realize who they were talking over? But as Phoenix laid there still, she hoped to find out what happened inside her home District. A part of her knew that this might be the only way to find out what really happened. So she ignored all her raging emotions and continued to act as if she was asleep. " What is wrong with you? " The other voice called out. Following his words was a sound of a punch being landed, with that being followed by a groan of pain.
" Do you ever pay attention? " One of the men called out. " This is Phoenix Flack of District 5, what if she's listening? " The same voice asked, not knowing that Phoenix actually was in fact listening. Phoenix felt the restraints being undone from her wrist, followed by a hand wrapping around her thin bruised wrist. She held back a wince at the feeling of her bruise being pressed against while her arm was lifted in the air. She felt the man's grip loosen as they both watched Phoenix's hand fall on the bed like dead weight. Both men now believing Phoenix was still knocked out from the sedation.
" See? She was out like a light. " The man who had gripped her arm reassured, with his friend nodding. " She better be, they drugged her up real good. The last thing we needed was her freaking out while trying to figure out what was going on. " One of the voices said and she wondered how much drugs they were putting inside of her, especially for her to just knock out with one poke. Yet Phoenix didn't seem to care for long, just needing to know what happened to her home.
Phoenix felt a bit of relief as both the restraints were taken off her as the men continued talking above her. " So what's going on with 5? " One of the men asked with the other man audibly scoffing at this question like this subject was common knowledge. " The dam they used for all the power, you know, their only purpose? " She could almost hear him rolling his eyes but she got more anxious as the seconds went on. " The rebels bombed it, that's why all the lights got cut off. " He continued, with Phoenix feeling it harder and harder to pretend to stay asleep.
" Bombing their own District, where will that get them? Bet District 5 is in shambles about now. " The man says, and all Phoenix could hope was that he was wrong. He had to be wrong. District 5 had survived so much over time and there was just no way it could be in shambles. She just couldn't believe it, she didn't wanna believe that the war had finally made it to her home District. " Any news of how the Capitol will respond? " Phoenix could tell that they were walking towards the door, with their now faint voices mixing with the sounds of their shoe hitting the floor.
" Capitol's bombing 13 tonight. "
These words made Phoenix's eyes snapped open the moment they hit her ears. She stayed completely still, listening to the door close behind the men. Yet she felt like her body was stone, feeling as though even if she wanted to move, she couldn't. And oh did Phoenix want to move. All she wanted was to scream through the halls of the mansion and somehow warn the 13th District about what was to become.
Yet all she could do was lay there motionless in her bed, feeling tears running down the side of her face. Phoenix tried to process what she had just heard, but all it did was replay in her head. Was the Capitol really planning on bombing District 13? Phoenix thought harder about this question and realized that this was the Capitol she was talking about. And the more she thought about it the less surprising the whole thing got.
Phoenix's mind scrambled with thoughts as the seconds turned into minutes. One moment Phoenix felt herself hating this war and all the rebels because of where it had led her. With it being the reason she was in the Capitol, the reason she was being tortured, and the reason she lost Finnick. But hearing what she had heard, knowing this information, made her feel sick. It made her feel like she was no better than all the people inside the Capitol who had planned this horrid attack.
This is when Phoenix thought of her conversation with the woman. The same woman whose name she had almost found out only moments before the lights inside the mansion had abruptly cut out. But it wasn't the whole conversation she had with her that Phoenix was thinking about. It was eight words in particular. These specific words replayed inside Phoenix's mind.
" Tell her what you need her to hear. " The woman had said to Phoenix, with this statement from the woman originally being directed towards Phoenix's own sister, Canary Flack. In hopes that Phoenix would denounce the rebellion yet again. But now this statement had an entirely different meaning.
This being because it was Canary who was in District 13, with Maeve right by her side. With the two women being so ignorant about what was to come for not only the two of them but for the entirety of District 13. Aside from them, Phoenix's mind raced to the other people Phoenix knew or thought might be inside District 13. It was Katniss, Haymitch, Beetee, and Katniss's sister who were also inside the District. Each of them having to take asylum inside District 13. Now each of them would be dead by morning, without even a chance to save themselves.
Canary would be dead by morning.
And that was when something changed inside of Phoenix's mind. And it was like for a moment she was back to her old self. Her mind felt clear for a moment, just like it had before her time in the Capitol. Phoenix then decided she was going to be the one to tell Canary what she really needed to hear. Just as the woman told her to
Phoenix weighed her options but she knew there would only be one way to let everyone know what was to come. This being the interview she was set to do with Peeta. A part of her knowing the Capitol a bit too well, with her already predicting the interview would most likely be that day. With them wanting both Peeta and Phoenix to distract the Districts from the crimes the Capitol was planning on committing.
Phoenix knew without a doubt they had planned this out for weeks now. But it was the bombing of District 5 that sealed District 13's fate. Having not only herself but Peeta too, this time together, in front of the entire country to beg for the fighting to stop. With them being a distraction to what was to come for the rebels. Not only that but to make the Capital seem like the good guys during all of this. Like they were the ones who reduced Phoenix and Peeta from death and saved them from a life in the rubble of District 13. While in all reality they were just planning on bombing District 13 without any warning. With full intent to kill everyone inside the District.
A part of Phoenix knew that there was an almost certain chance that death would follow her in this action. But as she laid in the bed, tears still streaming freely down her face, she realized this might be the only chance she got at saving her sister. Phoenix knew from the moment her name was called at the reaping of her own Hunger Games, that she would do everything in her power to make sure Canary was always protected. And she always made sure to keep that promise. From her time inside the Capitol to her getting the first word of the plan revolving around District 13. All she ever wanted to do was keep Canary safe.
The door to her room opened swiftly, and the sound of high heels filled her room. " Good, you're awake. " The high pitched voice of the Capitol Socialite raved, ignoring the tears of Phoenix. But Phoenix wiped the tears from under her eyes and began letting them get her ready. The last thing Phoenix wanted was to be drugged with Tracker Jacker venom moments before her interview. Phoenix knew she needed to be as sound-minded as possible be, no matter how hard that would be.
The hours passed and Phoenix hadn't said a word the entire time, not that it surprised the people who were doing her makeup. And while they put mascara on her eyelashes, Phoenix looked straight ahead at the mirror in front of her. She had ignored her reflection for as long as she could. Simply just not wanting to look at her reflection until she was almost done getting ready. And as she looked at the floor-length grey dress that clung to her body, this time the dress was long-sleeved, with them not wanting the country to see the bruises they had given Phoenix. Unlike her last interview.
A part of Phoenix knowing a dress of this size would be too small for her only weeks ago. She didn't know it was possible to look worst from the last time she saw herself. But as she looked in the mirror she now knew it was more than possible. With her eyes still fixated on the mirror, she watches through the reflection as the door to her room was opened.
Her body tenses up when the infamous woman walks inside. There was no small talk when she walked in, with her getting one look at Phoenix and immediately shooing the others out of the room. With her believing that Phoenix looked just fine for her interview. But in reality, the dark bags under Phoenix's eyes, matched with the dark bruises riddles along her body, and her prominent cheekbone, made Phoenix look anything but fine.
Phoenix turned around to fully face the woman, the bottom of her grey dress flowing with every move. " I need to tell you about what happened yesterday. " The woman said and Phoenix could already feel her hands beginning to shake. Phoenix placed her hands behind her back, making sure to intertwine both of them. In an attempt to try and make herself look calmer, or maybe less guilty.
Nonetheless, Phoenix nodded her head, ready to hear the information she already knew well enough. " Yesterday District 5 was in a targeted bomb attack set up by the rebels. " Although Phoenix had already known this, hearing it again made her feel sick all over again. Her face was blank as her hands continued to shake from behind her. " Well. " The woman said, tilting her head a bit at the lack of reaction from Phoenix. She knew Phoenix didn't talk much while inside the Capitol, but she usually talked to her. Her words made Phoenix let out a shaky breath, before shrugging her shoulders a bit.
" I don't know what to say. " Phoenix said, really meaning what she had said, her head felt so hazy that she could barely put any words together. " Well, I'll tell you what to say. I want you to talk about the attack, and how heinous the attack was on your home District. Do you really believe your sister would stand by and let that happen to your home? " The words began getting blended, Phoenix just felt too overwhelmed with what she knew.
" You need to tell your Canary what she needs to hear. "
The words once again replayed inside Phoenix's head, and this was the one thing she was sure of. She would be sure to tell Canary what she needed to hear. Something that would ultimately save her life and countless others. Even if it killed her.