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Waking up in a white room was a given after the Hunger Games.
But waking up in a white room with President Snow sitting in the corner with a furious look is not something I commonly enjoy.
"Ahh Ms. Bennett. Finally awake, you've missed so much." He smiled widely you can almost make out the blisters from the poison on his lips.
I looked around the room unable to speak. "Your in the capital," his voice got low almost trying to be sympathetic. "You and Peeta were the only ones able to survive the games. Johanna is also here but she is in critical condition."
My heart sank and tears brimmed my eyes. No Finnick, no Roland. I knew I shouldn't have loved them. I knew I should have kept my feelings about Finnick to myself!
I'm so selfish! Saying I love him was basically putting a bounty on his head.
Why did I do that! I should have known to never I mean NEVER let your feelings get in the way of the games.
It's easier to lose someone if you don't have an attachment to them.
"I'll let you rest now Ms Bennett." He got up and touched my hand, which was covered in bandages. "Wonderful games." I wanted to move my hand away but I couldn't.
I just stared at his snake like eyes, wishing looks could kill cause I want him dead right now!
He put a needle in my arm. Again I didn't move. I watched as a black liquid went threw my arm, I tensed up at the harsh sting.
Until finally. It all went dark.
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"Katniss get away from that tree!" Finnick yelled this time running towards Katniss. "No! Finnick! Don't! FINNICK!" I took two steps forward as her arrow flew through the air right as the lightning struck.
I slowly moved at the noise from the outside.
Opening my eyes was a big mistake.
"Katniss get away from that tree!" Finnick yelled this time running towards Katniss. "No! Finnick! Don't! FINNICK!" I took two steps forward as her arrow flew through the air right as the lightning struck.
I watched in horror as Finnick's body burned.
"CYPRESS!" He screamed as flames consumed his body, the arena fell around him... crushing him.
Tears streamed down my face as another video played.
Roland was fighting Brutus. The swords screeched together. Brutus got above him his sword sliced into Roland's stomach.
"No!" I tried to screamed I jumped back at the sound of my voice, or lack of voice.
I put my finger in my mouth, I still have my tongue. I sighed in relief, I'm not an Avox.
"No!" I tried again. My voice was soft and scratchy each word I said hurt my throat.
There was a cup next to me that had steam rolling off, I smelt it hoping poison wasn't in it but I wouldn't care if it was, if I died I would be with Finnick Roland my mother... and Leo.
The warm liquid went down my throat. I leaned my head back with pleasure.
"CYPRESS! CYPRESS HELP ME!" Leo's voice came through. I looked at the video fully expecting to see me and Maverick.
But instead it's Leo and Zayne with Malik's lifeless body laying next to him.
"You can't run, we have a deal." "Do you want her attention? Then let me scream."
The screen went black. Peacekeepers rushing into the white room, one of them had a syringe with black liquid. I shook my head. "No, no, no, not again please no." I pleated.
This time it went into my neck.
——
"Cypress. Cypress wake up." "Emerald?" I opened my eyes tiredly and saw her blonde hair. "Oh, my." She breathed out before tackling me in a hug.
"Sweetie are you alright?" She said quickly. I nodded my head. "I can't feel anything, is that bad?"
"I have no clue, I've been in the dark. You're about to go live with Caesar." She shoved a dress in my hands.
"What happened in those games?" I looked to the side hoping memory's would come back but... nothing. "I don't know."
"Okay, go get ready." She put her hands on my face. "Just remember who the enemy is." My head tilted to the side.
What does she mean by that? I rushed to the curtain to change before she could say more confusing things.
It was a white dress the same I wore for the chariots this time no blood. I had a serge of confidence out of no where. I smiled at the way I looked and ran out.
"I look lovely." I twirled around the room the dress spun around me. "Cypress listen to me!" Emerald grabbed me. "The Capital is bad. You were supposed to help Katniss in district thirteen. But the capital took you! You aren't safe here!"
"The capital is a wonderful place." I smiled. Emerald shook her head, she then plastered on a fake smile. "Let's get you to the interview."
I'm so confused, my mind is spinning. But it stopped once I saw him.
"Peeta." He turned and smiled at me. "Cypress!" I rushed to him and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"I'm so happy you're here." "I am too, sorry about Finnick and Roland." "And I'm sorry about Katniss." He looked down at his shoes as we let go.
I sat in my seat and grabbed Peeta's hand. "We can do this." I said seeing his doubtful look. "Promise?" "Promise."
Caesar sat in front of us no smile anywhere on him.
The camera started rolling.
"Hello. Good evening. And a big welcome to all in Panem. I'm Caesar Flickerman. And whoever you are, whatever it is you're doing, if you're working, put down your work. If you having dinner, stop having dinner."
Peeta gripped my hand tighter. Why is he nervous? The capital and the districts adore us.
"Because you are going to want to witness this tonight. There have been rampant speculation about what really happened in the Quarter Quell. And here to shed a little light on the subject for are very special guests. Please welcome Mr. Peeta Mellark and Ms. Cypress Bennett."
The camera pan to us. I tried to smile but something held me back from doing so.
"Peeta, Cypress, a lot of people feel as though they are in the dark." "Yeah, I know I can speak for the both of us, I know how they feel." I nodded at what Peeta said.
"Now, so set the stage for us. Talk us through what really happened. On that final and controversial night." "Well, first off, you have to understand that when you're in the Games you only get one wish. It's very costly."
I looked slightly around the room. Peacekeepers where at the ready if anything where to happen.
"It costs your life?" "I think it costs more than your life." "How do you mean? What's more? What's more than your life."
Peeta looked at me to answer.
"He means, to murder innocent people, that costs everything you are." "Yes." "So you hold on to that one wish." "That night, my wish was to save Katniss. I should've just run off with her earlier in that day like she'd wanted."
"But you didn't. Why? We're you caught up in Beetee's plan?" "No, I was caught up in trying to make allies." He lifted up our hands.
Did Peeta not want to be my friend?
"Then they separated us that's when I lost her." "I told Peeta I would protect her. I hid her in a ditch. And ran to find Johanna since I thought Katniss would be okay." As I spoke it was like I left my body, I don't know what I was saying. I barely remember any of that. I looked up at the celling trying to hold back tears I don't know why they formed.
I wish someone would explain.
"I made it back to the lightning tree. That's where I saw her, she had her arrow pointed at Finnick. I wanted to save him. It's taken me two games to realize you can't keep your promises in that arena. In that split second before the lightning I didn't try to save Katniss. I tried to save Finnick."
I looked at Peeta pleading for him to go since tears threaten to escape my eyes. I'm saying all these names but no face appears in my head.
Why can I say all these things but not remember.
How is that possible?
"And then the lightning hit and the whole force field around the arena just blew out." "Yea but, Peeta. Katniss is the one who blew it out." Peeta shook his head.
"No." "You saw the footage." "No, she didn't know what she was doing. Neither of us knew there was a bigger plan going on. We had no idea."
Bigger plan?
"You had no idea. Cypress did you?" "No, I knew nothing." "All right. Well, there are many who find this suspicious to say the least. It seems as though she was part of a rebel plan, with Finnick included and Roland."
Roland. My best friend. I started to breath heavy. I remember him but not his face.
My hand went up to my necklace, the cold metal that once laid on my neck was gone.
I tried to remember when I wore it last but I never take it off!
"To be almost killed by Johanna? Or part of a plan to be paralyzed by lightning? No, we were not part of any rebel plan. We had no idea what was going on." Peeta's voice started to raise, I gripped his hand tighter and rubbed my thumb back and fourth on the back of his palm.
"All right. I believe you, Peeta Mellark. Thank you." "Yeah." "Cypress do you agree with what he said?" I looked between Peeta and the camera.
"I had no idea this rebellion was happening. And I do believe if Katniss knew about it she would have told Peeta. And, seeing she wanted to leave that night, if she knew about it, she definitely didn't act like she did."
I'm not in control of myself. My mouth moves because of me but the words that are being formed are from another person.
"And what about Finnick and Roland? Do you think they knew?" I stared at Caesar, my face twisted as he said their names. He said it as if he said a curse word. Like you aren't supposed to talk about them.
"Are they the face of the rebellion?" I asked. Caesar's mouth opened and closed. "Exactly. That's my answer." I smiled fondly at the camera.
"Well, I was going to ask you to speak about the unrest, but I think you two might be too upset." Caesar asked. I'm getting really tired of him putting words in my mouth.
"No, I can." "Are you sure?" "Yeah absolutely." "Yes." "Thank you." We both sat up and stared into the camera but slightly passed it to read off the teleprompter.
"I want everyone who's watching to stop and to think about what a civil war could mean." "We all almost went extinct once before. And now our numbers are even fewer."
What the heck am I saying? Why am I doing this?
"Is this really what we want to do? Kill ourselves off? Killing is not the answer." I looked at Peeta.
"Then why do we have the hunger games?" I mumbled. I looked over to some Peacekeepers who held a syringe tightly.
"Everyone needs to lay down their weapons immediately." I read off. "Peeta, Cypress. Are you calling for a ceasefire?" "Yeah. We are." I looked at Peeta. Then back at Caesar.
"Cypress do you agree?" "I... Uhh..." as I stumbled over my words Peeta gripped my hand tight my fingers where pushed together making me squirm.
"Yes. I agree." "We want everyone to stop this senseless violence. This is not the path to change. It's not the path to justice." "Thank you, both of you. Cypress Bennett and Peeta Mellark."
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