We were all just walking in the woods. Me and Drake were hand in hand. We both had a pocket full of nightlock. There was a noise. "Did you hear that?" Peeta asked. "Yeah" I whispered. It is all over the place. "What is that?" Petta asked. "It's the finale" me and kat said.
I had no idea what they were going to send my way but I did not like it. The cannon blew. Rue's partner. I closed my eyes for a moment. "lets go" Katniss said. We were hearing the noises.
I was ready with my sword. Then they stopped. That was until something jumped out at Peeta. I swung my sword down on them. Katniss shot them with an arrow. We started running. I have no idea what that thing was but I did not want to know.
We ran to the middle. Peeta boasted up Katniss. I tripped. I heard the dogs barking. "MAVIS!" They all yelled. I looked at them on top of the thing. Any second now I know I was going to feel a row of teeth biting into me. So in the last seconds I had I did what I did best. I chose to sing a song.
"You're heading for heaven. The sweet old hereafter. And I've got one foot in the door. But before I can fly up. I've loose ends to tie up. Right here in the old therebefore"
I looked and the things were not coming towards me. I stood up.
"Ill be along when I've finished my song. When I've shut down the band. Played out my hand. Paid all my debts. Have no regrets, Right here in the old therebefore."
I paused the song. They turned around and ran back to me.
"Ill catch you up when I've emptied my cup. When I've worn out my friend's when I've burned out both ends. When I cried all my tears, When I've conquered my fears right here, in the old therebefore. When nothing is left anymore"
I was making my way to everyone else. I was walking slowly and carefully. I looked up and seen they were fighting Cato. "Keep singing!" Katniss yelled.
"Ill bring the news when I've dance off my shoes, when my body's closed down, when my boat's run aground. When I've tallied the score, and I'm flat on the floor. Right here in the old therebefore... When nothing is left anymore"
"Now!" Drake yelled. Cato went to the ground and the dogs ran behind me. They ran to the edge and helped me up. We all did a group hug. The sky went from dark to day. We all shared a look and got down.
"Attention attention tributes! There has been a slight rule change. The previous revision allowing for two victors from the same district has been revoked. Only one victor may be crowned. Good luck .. and may the odds be ever in your favor." They announced.
We all four looked at each other. I dug in my pocket and pulled out the nightlock. "It's been real and its been fun but it hasn't been real fun!" I joked one last time. "This was our plan all along" Drake said with his berries. "No!" Katniss said and took my arm. "One of us 4 have to win. Before they changed the rules we were going to do this for you two. You are my best friend Katniss and I love you. Peeta you are sweet to my friend so thank you" I explained.
"Wait!" Drake said and pulled me aside. "I love you Mavis!" He told me. I smiled. "I love you Drake" We kissed. I looked at Katniss and smiled. She had tears. "You'll never get away from the sound of the women who loves you" I told her and hugged her again.
I was actually talking to snow. President snow. I figured who the man was my grandma was talking about. She wrote a song. "Pure as the driven snow". She also hates winter when it snows. She said he had a lot of power. I am glad I figured it out.
Me and Drake smiled. "One two.. three-" "Well do it too!" Peeta yelled. They walked over. "What are you doing?" I questioned. "If they cannot have one of us they must have all four of us!" Peeta said. I smiled.
"I love you Mavis!" I felt someone hand on my shoulder. I looked at Drake. He was falling over. "What?" I shouted. I was holding him up and he had a blue tint on his lip. "No! No! NO!" I screamed. I started crying.
I was holding him. I was sobbing. "Finish.. Song" He spoke. "Dogs.. song" He said. I nodded my head. I traced his face with my fingers. "When i'm pure like a dove. When I've learned how to love. Right here in the old therebefore. When nothing is left... Anymore" I started sobbing.
I closed his eyes and kissed his head. I stood up. I looked at my berries. We all got together. Peeta wiped his tears. "One.. Two.. three" We lifted the berries. "Stop stop!" Someone yelled. "Ladies and gentlemen may I present the winners of the 74th annual hunger games." Wow.
I looked down at Drake. I heard the aircraft coming. I started moving Drake away. "What are you doing?" Peeta asked me. I moved him to the wood line. I threw a flower on him. I kissed him once more and ran to the aircraft.
We were taken to the penthouse. We got to shower and everything. I felt amazing. I was just lonely. Drake was not here. The whole house had a sad feeling to it. I never felt a pain like this. Locksmith walked in. "You did it!" he said sadly. I looked at him. I nodded my head. I was going to have another interview. I was wearing this pretty purple dress.
"There not every happy with you" "Why?" "Because you showed them up. Never ever has there been more than one winner in the games never!" He shouted. "I am not really happy with them but you don't hear me complaining!" "Mavis! This is very serious and not just for you. They do not take these things lightly." I laughed.
I looked in his eyes. "I had to kill people! I watched people get killed! Every time I close my eyes I see Rue or I see Drake or I see myself about to be tore apart by fucking dogs! I understand they are angry but so am I Locksmith and I am tired!" I yelled at him. He nodded his head and he just gave me a hug. I started crying. "I know honey I know" He told me.
I was waiting for Katniss and Peeta to get off the stage. I was hardly even here. Everything feels fuzzy and fake. I do not even feel real. I feel like I have nothing left of me.
"Mavis. Mavis!" Locksmith called. I looked at him. "You have to go out there and say it was love alright. Love is what made you win" He instructed. I nodded my head. "Mavis Barid!" He called. I took a breath and walked out. Everyone cheered. He went to touch my hand but I pulled it back.
"Congratulations on winning the game!" He told me and everyone cheered. "You were amazing out there I mean every strategy and the way you did everything. I never thought you would be the type to build something out of nothing!". "My dad taught me" I said plain.
"So this might be a sensitive topic. Can you describe how you felt when you found Drake Vince wrapped around the vines?" He questioned. I laughed at the memory. He was covered in vines and then little splinters.
"It was scary because I had no idea what was going on but then It was funny because how does someone even end up in that situation? I was just happy to have found him and see his face" I explained. He smiled. "You guys made a pact I assume?" "Yeah before the games started I had a plan. Then I seen him at the top of the cliff" My voice cracked. I wiped the tears before they fell. " I just knew he had the same plan I did. Then we found out about the nightlock berries. We shared a look. That's how I knew" I explained.
"Well lets hear it for one of the victors of the 74th hunger games!" He cheered. People were yelling and clapping. I bowed as I stood. I went to the back.
"You did amazing!" Katniss ran to me. "Thanks so did both of you" I told them back. "Are you okay?" Peeta questioned. "Yeah fine" I said. We went to president snow's place. We all got crowned.
"Congratulations" he told me as he sat the crown on my head. He looked in my eyes for a while. It took a lot for me not to punch him in the face, but I did not. I would say that is improvement. "Thank you" I spat. He looked down a little above my chest. "fancy badge" He said. "Yeah it was stitched by someone special in the family." I explained. "Everyone back home must be very proud of you" He said. "Some more than others" I answered.
We were loaded on the train. I was sitting on the sofa with my knees in my chest. "What happens when we get back?" Peeta wondered. "I guess we just try to forget" kat answered. "I do not want to forget" Peeta answered.
I peaked my head up. "I want to forget it all. I wish I could find something to make me forget" I mentioned. They looked to me. "You know you can always talk to someone to make it easier" Peeta suggested. "It wont do me any good they already seen it all. Every single person has tuned in and watched." I explained. They looked at me in sorrow. "Ill be okay once I put a end to this. Then everything will be fine" I added.
Katniss and Peeta were the first to get off. "You know where I will be any time you need me Maeve" Katniss said as she walked to me and hugged me. "same for you" I told her. I went to Peeta. "Thank you" I told him. He curved his eye brow. "For what?" I smiled.
"You stayed with Drake. You helped me at the river. I am forever grateful" I told him. He smiled. "He stayed with me. Also that was the least I could do". I smiled and threw my arms around me.
I watched the pair as they walked off the train. People were chanting. They both turned around and smiled at me. I stuck two fingers up as my good bye signal. They did the same thing back.
The train started and soon I was at district 14. I walked off and to the guards. I was pulled back to the same stage I was when I first met him. People were cheering. I looked around and smiled at everyone. "Mavis! Mavis! Songbird! Songbird!" They cheered. I smiled and waved.
I seen a man and a girl. My father and sister. They had the biggest smile on their faces as they cheered. I smiled harder when I seen a smaller lady in a hood next to them. "That's my girl!" She yelled.
I looked beside me and seen the brown headed boy smiling at me. "You did it!" He told me. "We did it!" I told him. Once I spoke he went away.
I got to go back home. It was refreshing. "SISSY!" I heard someone yell. Annabella was running towards me. I smiled as she jumped into my arms. "Oh How I missed you!" I told her. "You were so brave!" She told me. I smiled.
"Mavis!" My father yelled as he grabbed me. I jumped into his arms. "I am so proud of you!" He told me as he started crying. I started to sob. "It was so bad dad!" I told him. "I know sweetie I know" He told me.
"Where is my girl?" I heard my grandma. I let my dad go and I looked at her. "You are incredible!" She told me as she hugged me. She kissed my head. "You were giving me flashbacks to myself in the games" She told me. I smiled. "You were so strong and smart!" She told me. "If I was really smart I would have did so much stuff differently" I mentioned. "What you did under pressure was beyond great. You have a great skill and that's besides singing" She explained. I smiled.
"Come on you need rest" My dad mentioned. He walked me to my bed. I laid down and tried to sleep. All I could see was flashbacks. Rue was heavy on my mind. She should have got to go home. Drake should have. We all should have got to go home. Everyone of us. We were all kids fighting in a game where we barely had a fighting chance anyways. Somehow I got to make it home.
I am laying in my bed.
I am thinking.
I am breathing.
I am alive.
I won.
"Grandma can you sing me a song before you go?" I heard Annabella asked grandma Lucy. "Of course" She cleared her throat.
"Are you, Are you coming to the tree? Where they strung up a man, they say who murdered three. Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be. If we met at midnight in the hanging tree."
THE END OF THE HUNGER GAMES.
MAY THE GAMES JUST BEGAN.
AND MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR MAVIS BAIRD.