SIXTY
HOLLOW SOUL
Jamie Kilen walked unnoticed through the crowd of Capitol people that were making their way towards Snow's mansion. His blonde hair was covered over by a burgundy hood, the coat was long, knee length in fact. Bobby was forced to stay behind with Cressida, who had said goodbye and good luck to Jamie with a kiss on the cheek. Jamie, Gale and Katniss were moving in on the mansion. One step closer to killing Snow and avenging Talia.
Talia Riverthorn. Well, it was Odair now, but he would always remember her as Riverthorn. He had loved her since they were children. Apparently bakers sons often had a thing for rebellious, Hunger Games winners. Speaking of which, he took a moment to check for Katniss. She was wearing a bright turquoise coat, she was beside Gale, both of their hoods up too. They blended in well, as did he.
Underneath his coat he had his gun in hand, ready to kill if need be. In his other hand, his knife, in case he had to stab and run quickly. He looked up, there were apartment blocks lining the roads at the moment, but in a few yards they would end and give way to the mansion. Jamie felt weird, being so close to victory, and yet so far.
His shoulder bumps a Capitol woman's.
"Sorry," He mutters, turning his head away as she shot a glare toward him. He shuffles forwards, moving between the people.
Everyone was heading for the mansion after an announcement this morning asking Capitol citizens to come to the mansion for shelter, food and medicine. It was the perfect opportunity to strike.
Jamie's about to cross the threshold when suddenly a hand reaches out to him and grabs his shoulder. He turns and Gale is beckoning him back the way they came. Peacekeepers are everywhere, ahead of them, behind them- they're pulling hoods down and checking faces. Katniss was the number one most wanted person in all of Panem, if they saw her, they'd kill her immediately. Then they'd kill Gale and Jamie too.
They have no where to go, the Peacekeepers are closing in on them. Jamie looks behind him just as a Peacekeeper places hand on Katniss's shoulder. Then he's being flung forwards, onto his hands and knees. An explosion behind them.
"REBELS! ITS THE REBELS!" Someone is screaming. The Capitol people begin stampeding towards the mansion. Jamie pulls himself up, blood on his chin from the impact with the floor, and begins running too. He has no time to check for Katniss and Gale as Peackeepers and Rebels begin to exchange fire. Capitol children scream for their dead parents as he runs. The sound of their pain is agonising as he runs, he has to get to the mansion before the opportunity is missed.
Chaos surrounds him as he rushes forwards, he shoots a Peacekeeper in the chest as one runs at him. No time for second guessing. He dares a glance over his shoulder and see's Gale being pulled into the back of Peacekeeper van. Katniss has her arrow aimed, but she doesn't shoot, she can't, no matter how Gale begs her to. She keeps running, moving towards the mansion. Jamie tails her as she shoves through the crowds and climbs onto a Peacekeeper truck, looking towards the mansion. Jamie, tall enough to see over the crowd, see's Peacekeepers taking children from desperate Capitol people. These people were the same as the parents of the District people, except they had never faced the possibility of losing their child in an act of war, unlike the Districts, who had 24 children stolen from them each year, where only one could survive. Until Katniss. Until Peeta.
"Bring the children forwards," An automated voice rings out.
Parents shove their children into the arms of Peacekeepers. The children scream and wriggle in protest, begging to stay with their mothers or fathers.
"We will accept the children first," The voice says.
A beeping noise sounds from behind and silence falls as a hovercraft wearing the Capitol sigil flies overhead. Parachutes holding metal containers fall from the passing hovercraft. Food? Medicine?
Jamie watched as the parachutes glide downwards. Something feels off.
"Stop! Move! Everyone move!" The voice from behind.
"Get away from them! Don't touch the pods!"
Jamie looks up and around. His eyes widen and his mouth parts with a rushed breath. She was alive. Talia Riverthorn was running towards the crowd, shouting at them to move. Katniss was still staring ahead, her eyes focused on the falling parachutes.
"NO-"
Then it happens. The pods explode. Smoke billows. Children and parents that survive the blast scream in agony. Jamie is sent falling on his back by the blast. He sits up, winded but okay. He looks for Talia behind him, he sees her, she's fine, pushing through the screaming, panicking crowds. Jamie stands and begins moving forwards, looking for Katniss. Then he sees her, she's moving forwards, sluggish.
"Katniss!" He calls. Then Talia is rushing past him, running towards the Mockingjay.
"Katniss! Move!" Talia screams from the distance, then the Pearl of Panem stops dead.
There, in the thick of it, trying to aid the children, Primrose Everdeen. Not just her...Fredrick Riverthorn. They're leaning over the same child, Fredrick handing her bandages as she tries to stop the bleeding.
"FREDDY!" She screams as Katniss calls for Prim.
"PRIMROSE!" Katniss yells, her feet starting to move faster.
"BOTH OF YOU MOVE!" Jamie shouts over the screams of panic.
Primrose looks at Katniss, and Freddy looks at Talia. They both begin to stand up, both begin to move towards their older siblings. And then they're gone, their bodies swept away by a secondary explosion. Katniss is hit by the flames, and flung through the air onto her back. Talia is far enough back that she's blown back, but catches herself on the Peacekeeper truck, shielded by fallen debris.
As the thick black smoke plumes, Jamie's feet pound against the ground. He reaches Talia, who is slumped against the truck with tears on her cheeks. Her eyes stare straight ahead, she's not even taking in what she sees. Her mind is blank, distraught.
"Talia?!" Jamie asks, shaking her shoulders, "Talia, Katniss needs us!"
No response. "Talia please,"
She was hollow. Completely gone. Nothing was left in her eyes. Finally she looks at him. His heart shatters at the blank look on her face, the light in her eyes is dimmed. The girl he loves is gone.
"Talia," He says, "Please, I'm begging you, please stand up,"
"I promised," She mutters, lips barely moving, "I promised him...Promised Mickey...Promised my parents...That I would always look after him...I promised..."
Jamie cups her face in his hands and forces her to look at him.
"It is not your fault, Talia, now we have to move!" He says. He lets go of her and grabs her arms. He drags her into a stand and she follows slowly behind him. Her gun is left on the floor, her hands are shaking violently as he leads the way to Katniss.
He pulls Katniss's burning coat from her body and then calls for help, she's unconscious. Talia keeps walking, into the smoke. Jamie stand and follows her.
"Talia! Your baby, the smoke isn't good for the baby!" He calls out, covering his own mouth and nose with his dusty shirt.
She keeps moving, looking at the dust and rubble and smoke. She's looking for Freddy.
"Talia, I'm so sorry!" Jamie says, catching up to her. She meets his eye and a tear falls down her cheek. She reaches into her pocket.
"No!" He yells, grabbing her hand and forcing it away from her mouth, "You're not killing yourself,"
She's completely blank, withdrawn, trying to pull her fisted hand to her mouth to swallow the nightlock pill. He pries her hand open and snatches the pill. He drops it on the floor and crushes it beneath her boot. She drops down to her knees, staring at the floor.
"You have so much to live for. Your baby...Finnick," He says, crouching down in front of her, "Talia, I have loved you since we were kids...I have never told anyone that, but I have watched you blossom, watched you start a fire from a spark. You have so much to live for. You are the light in the darkness. You are Talia Odair. Tribute. Victor. Rebel leader,"
He takes her hand in his, she looks up at him with tear-filled eyes. She squeezes his hand and nods her head.
"Its not over yet," She says, "There are people who will pay for this,"
"President Snow will die for this," Jamie says and Talia shakes her head. Something changes then, her eyes grow darker, sharper, as if she sees something he does not.
"No. President Coin will die for this. She will die for Primrose, Hanson, Rover, Henry, Jada, Alana, Jim. She will die for Rossan, for my parents...For Freddy," She says, her voice is cold and steely, "I am Talia Odair, Pearl of Panem and I want to make them all burn, for you, for Bobby, for Katniss, for Gale, for Finnick...For...For me,"
She stands up, her hand falling away from Jamie's, "Its my turn, to set the world ablaze,"
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Talia is so ✨dramatic✨
but like...oops...Freddy done wound up dead...
Also two chapters in one day? sheesh!!!
~cupidlies
❤️