I run through the streets of the Capitol, tears running down my cheeks as I try to orientate myself.
The street names don't help me, but I recognize the shop where Johanna, Finnick and I laughed and put on the ridiculous outfits and a sob escapes me. I lost him. I had pushed the person I love away. I am so stupid. But at the same time the things I said were true, they were all true, so maybe it is for the best. Best for him. Because my heart is shattered. And I did that myself this time.
I find my way back to the victor's building, where I pack the few clothes that I wore and actually liked as well as the necklace, at which I burst out crying again. It says on the tablet, that my train will arrive shortly and that the victory tour starts in five days, which means I will meet the star crossed lovers in 8.
The 30 minutes until my car picks me up I spend detangling my hair and making it into a single long braid.
I don't run into Finnick or Johanna on the way down.
During the train ride I change between staring at the wall and crying. I refresh before stepping off the train and immediately feel the different atmosphere in the air. The cold air is buzzing with something that I can't quite place. Excitement, anger maybe.
I keep my head down and hurry through the streets, but stop when I see smoke coming from one of the factories. There must have been an accident or people were actually stupid enough to try and rebel by burning down a factory. The main income here during the colder times and winter. I couldn't be seen here, especially not now, after what happened, but I pick up my skirt and hurry over the frozen earth of the fields, past the mills, towards the screaming, towards the smoke.
And then I see them, the people. They are rebelling. Throwing the stored grain to the ground, setting it on fire, fighting against the peacekeepers, whose name is the biggest joke in history. And then I see faces I know, two girls, Trinity and Macie and one boy, Colin, from my school. We weren't friends, but in the same classes and did most of the group work together because we actually cared about our grades, because we had dreams. My dream was taken from me and seemingly theirs as well.
The people yell and scream and fight. The symbol of Katniss pin drawn boldly on the factory wall. Small papers with a Mockingjay drawing on it. It is everywhere.
I, for now, stay hidden, having Snows warning in mind. And even though I don't fear death, he wouldn't give me a pleasant one or a short one for that matter. But then shots ring out and a scream tears through the air. I look around the corner of the smaller warehouse I am hiding behind and see that Trinity was laying on the ground, Macie kneeling in the dirt next to her, calling out her name while Colin just stares at them, but the blood is seeping through the blouse and there is no chance of her surviving this wound. Colin seems to be able to think again and urges Macie to leave but she just screams and runs towards the peacekeeper. More shots fill the cold air with noise and Macie screams as a bullet tears into her upper arm.
"Shit", I mumble and before my mind can comprehend what I am doing I race towards them, more precisely towards the peacekeeper that gets closer to them and tackle him to the ground. I have the element of surprise on my side and I am strong, so I pin his arms down with my knees, controlling him with my arm to his throat. With the other I tear off the helmet and deliver a punch to the side of his head, effectively knocking him out cold. I take his small gun, emptying the bigger one's magazine and take his baton as well while carefully looking around. There is chaos and everybody is fighting somebody, which of course is bad but gives me an advantage because they are all focused on each other.
I turn to Colin and Macie who clutches her arm.
"Follow me. Quickly and quietly", I order and hand Colin the baton while I load the gun.
"How do you know how to do that?", Colin asks.
"I won the Games, I can do a whole lot more than that. But come on now. We don't have much time or do you want to end up like Trinity? And no, we cannot take her. Now move your asses and keep pressure on your wound."
So we run away, over the field I came from into the general direction of the victors' village but two peacekeepers see us as we hurry over one of the main roads.
Just as they raise their guns I raise mine. I don't want to kill more people, but they don't wear their helmets and are probably ordered to catch and kill the fleeing rebels.
And because they don't wear helmets I see the look of realization as they recognize me. I aim and pull the trigger. Two shots to the head. A fast death. My ears ring from the shot, disorienting me and my shoulder hurts. I stumble.
Macie's scream cuts through the ringing and I pull them along until we finally reach my home.