WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS OF CATCHING FIRE AND MOCKINGJAY IN THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS. If you havent read those books and dont want anything spoiled or dont want to be confused then you probably shouldnt read it.
Chapter 19:
3 Years Later:
“Stand in line!” a Peacekeeper yelled shoving me forward. I glared at him and Elroy rolled his eyes. He grabbed my arm and led me off. “Do you really think this was the original plan for this quarter quell?” I asked Elroy as I walked through the crowd of Peacekeepers. “No” he replied keeping his eyes straight ahead. “It sucks that you just turned 19 and now you have to deal with this” he smirked. I rolled my eyes. “Because it was something to celebrate in the first place” I said rolling my eyes. “Hey! You were born that’s worth celebrating. And I made cake! That was worth celebrating too” he said in fake offense. “I’m sorry. Your cake was pretty good” I said as I got through finally. He scoffed. “I know” he mumbled cockily making me roll my eyes.
“So this is probably just a way to falter the things Katniss Everdeen has done?” Elroy asked. I nodded my head. “This plan for the Quarter Quell is too much of a coincidence. He’s just trying to end what that girl has started” I said. “Seems possible” Elroy nodded. “We spilt up here. Let’s hope we get through this. Good luck” Elroy said patting my shoulder. I smiled. “You too” I told him and took a deep breath.
I slowly made my way to the girls side as we waited for them to choose the tributes for this Hunger Games. “Sky!” I heard somebody yell. I turned to see Elroy grinning at me. “Don’t be scared!” he yelled out to me. I rolled my eyes and laughed. He winked at me and turned away. I stood beside Johanna Mason and an older lady. “Hey” I said to her. “What’s up?” she asked me. I shrugged. “You scared?” she asked smirking. I chuckled. “Not anymore” I answered seriously.
She laughed and shook her head. “You may have grown up but you don’t have to act strong” she said. I shrugged. “Who’s acting?” I asked. Truthfully I was a bit worried but not for myself. I glanced at Elroy to see him laughing and making conversation with an older guy. I sighed and Johanna followed my gaze. “That’s what you’re afraid of?” she asked. I nodded. “He’s all I’ve got” I said. She nodded and smiled a little. “I respect that” she said with a slight nod. “We have to stick together or we have nothing” I told her and smiled. “That goes for you too so stop acting like you’re better than me just because you’re in your mid-twenties and older than me” I smirked. She chuckled and rolled her eyes.
The time came for the calling and they picked the female tribute first. I took a deep breath and was suddenly taken back to my hunger games, when my name was being called. I looked ahead at a slightly agitated Railer. When he opened his mouth to speak I almost expected my name to roll off his tongue. “Johanna Mason” he called and I felt slightly relieved but still worried for Johanna. She looked strong and tough but I could tell she was worried and afraid. She walked towards the stage and I saw Elroy looking at me with relief and a grin. “Blight” Railer called for the male tribute and I sighed entirely relieved. Nobody cheered or made a sound. The crowd slowly dispersed and the tributes were taken away. I made my way to Elroy and threw my arms around his neck. “I’m glad you’re ok” I whispered to him. He hugged me tightly and nodded. “You too”
“Elroy Taint, Skylar Cohen” somebody said making us pull apart. “Johanna Mason and Blight have requested your acquaintance to the games as their mentors” a Peacekeeper said. I exchanged a looked with Elroy. “We don’t have to” he told me worried. I turned to the Peacekeeper and nodded. “We’ll be on the train before it leaves” I told him. He nodded and walked away.
“Let’s go pack” I said. Elroy nodded but looked at me worried. We went back to the house and gathered only a few things. I changed into a black thick strapped tank top and black jeans with a brown belt. Scott’s necklace hung over my chest and the tank top. I grabbed my brown leather jacket and pulled it on, not bothering to zip it up. I threw my hair into a messy ponytail and slung my bag over my shoulder. It had a few extra essentials and a couple of knives. I went downstairs and found Elroy in the kitchen. He was of course drinking wine. “Really? Of all times, you choose now to have a drink?” I asked crossing my arms over my chest. He smiled at me. “There’s no time like the present” he said holding his glass up. “Cheers” he said and gulped it down.
I rolled my eyes. “Did you gather your things?” I asked him. He held up the bag and finished his drink. “I’m not a child” he said putting the glass down and licking his lips. “Could have fooled me” I mumbled and headed for the door. “What was that?” he asked following behind me. He threw the door closed and caught up. He threw his arm over my shoulder and put me in a headlock. I laughed and bit his hand. “OW!” he yelled. “That’s what you get for putting a girl in a headlock” I said sticking my tongue out at him. He chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Whatever” he mumbled and we made it to the train on time.
I prepared myself for another bloody and ruthless Hunger Games but it didn’t matter as long as I had Elroy and Scott beside me. I looked down at the necklace and smiled. I needed to support Johanna and I planned to no matter what.
Later I stood with Johanna in the backroom right before the chariot race. “Yes I can see that it sucks” I laughed helping adjust her tree costume. “That old bastard. You’d think he could make it look a bit better” she mumbled. “You’re year you had a good stylist and now I have that idiot” she cursed and mumbled under her breath. “Just hold still” I laughed helping move the leaves from her face.
Katniss’s POV-
I glared at Finnick as he chuckled and walked away. I saw him head towards a girl wearing a tree costume, probably from District 7. She had another girl beside her that looked about my age or maybe a couple of years older. Finnick walked up to the other girl and threw his arm over her shoulder. She turned to him and raised an eyebrow. He leaned towards her until his mouth was an inch from her ear. She chuckled suddenly and he did too.
Another man, about Finnick’s age walked towards them in what seemed like annoyance. He pulled Fnnick off of the girl and hugged her. She rolled her eyes and said something.
“What are you looking at?” Peeta asked walking over to me. I gestured towards the group. “Who is that girl? She’s not a tribute” he said. “Nice observation” Haymitch said walking over with a glass of alcohol. “Her name is Skylar Cohen. She won her games about 3 years ago when you were about 14, 15 years old then. Didn’t you see it?” he asked taking a sip. I shook my head.
“That must have been the year everybody was getting sick around the district. We didn’t see those games, at least not all of them” Peeta said. Haymitch nodded. “You’re lucky she isn’t in the games again this year. She can be more dangerous than Cato” he chuckled. “Why do you sound so casual about that?” I asked him. Haymitch shrugged and nodded towards the other male that was beside Skylar, or whatever her name was, when they made eye contact. The man suddenly said something to Skylar. She looked towards me and nodded. He grinned and made his way towards us.
“You’d have to see her games to fully understand” Haymitch told me. “Haymitch!” the young man said walking up to Haymitch and hugging him suddenly. “Still drinking?” he asked. “I will be as long as you’re drinking wine” Haymitch chuckled. The man laughed. He was good looking, as good looking as Finnick. He had light brown hair and ice blue eyes. He was as tall as Finnick and with the white t-shirt he wore it was also clear that he was as muscular as Finnick. Unlike Finnick though he seemed more genuine but like Finnick he gave off a cocky and arrogant vibe that bothered me extremely. “So these are your tributes. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark” the man said smirking. “This is them” Haymitch said taking another sip of his alcohol.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Elroy Taint” he said offering his hand. Peeta shook it and smiled. I just looked at his hand. “What’s the matter, sweetheart? Never shaken a hand before?” he asked. I looked up at him and glared. He chuckled and shrugged. “I don’t like you” I told him making my judgment already. He laughed. “Nobody ever does. But it’s ok because I can tell you one thing. I don’t think what you did in the arena was smart or courageous. It was actually pretty foolish because from here on you’ll only lose the things you love” he told me in seriousness. I glared at him. “Elroy! You’re girlfriend is getting violent!” Finnick yelled from a distance. We turned and looked at him as Skylar brought a knife to his neck. “Don’t call me that” she told him calmly.
He backed away and Skylar laughed. “Sky! Stop trying to kill people!” Elroy yelled. She laughed and put the knife at her belt. “Don’t tempt me Elroy or I’m coming for you. Hey old man!” she suddenly yelled and waved to Haymitch. “I’d better go. Good Luck Ms. Everdeen and you too Mellark” he smirked and walked off.
Skylar’s POV-
“Why are you trying to kill Finnick?” Elroy asked taking the knife out of my hand. “I’m not! I love Finnick!” I cheered and was about to hug Finnick but remembered he was only wearing a fish net. “I’ll hug you later” I told him. “Aw why? You know you want to” he teased. I rolled my eyes. “Get ready! You’re up soon, stupid” I told Finnick. He stuck his tongue out at me and Mags walked over. “Hello dear” she smiled at me kindly. “Hi Mags” I said and gave her a light hug.
“Wish us luck” Finnick smirked. “We hope you fail” Johanna and I said in unison. “That wasn’t very nice” Elroy said. Johanna and I glared at him and rolled our eyes.
A couple of nights later Elroy and I were sitting in the main room of our floor. “Want some?” he asked offering me wine. I gave him a look and he laughed. “Nevermind” he said. “Haymitch and the others should be here soon for the meeting” I said. “Are you sure you want to get involved in this rebellion?” Elroy asked me. I sighed and laid across the couch. “Yes” I replied. “As much as I want peace I want this to end and we’ll never get peace until the Hunger Games are done” I said.
He nodded his head as the elevator door opened and Haymitch walked in with Finnick, Mags, Beetee, Wiress and a couple of others. They all sat down. Johanna and Blight walked in and sat down as well. “So what’s the plan, sweetheart?” Haymitch asked me as he grabbed a wine bottle and poured himself a glass. “You’re the one with the plan. You tell it” I said. “You’re prettier and a better speaker. Take care of it for me while I drink my wine” he said putting his feet up. I rolled my eyes and sighed.
“Fine. Put simply this entire assembly is being put together to take care of and protect Katniss Everdeen. All of you have already been made aware of the plan. At all costs protect her” I said plainly. “What about the boy?” Johanna asked. “If possible take care of him too, if only to gain Katniss’s trust. Otherwise he is only an asset” Elroy said. I looked at him in anger. “What the hell do you mean by that?!” I yelled in anger. “What?” he asked confused. “You’re just going to use him and let him die?!” I yelled.
“Skylar, relax, I’ll protect him” Finnick said jumping in. I glanced at him. “I wont let him die if there is a chance he’ll survive” he promised me with a smile. I nodded. “Can somebody please explain why this girl is so important” Johanna said annoyed. “We can just go on with the rebellion without her so why are you all making it a point to protect and care for her?” she asked.
“Katniss is the face of the rebellion. She’s started it and she’ll end it. People look towards her actions for guidance. We need her alive” Haymitch explained. “That’s why you’ll give it your all to protect her” Elroy said. After a bit more discussion of the plan everybody headed to bed. The games were tomorrow and everyone needed their rest.
And like every other time the games came. Like the previous games, I was left with a hallow feeling. No matter how you looked at these games they were just cruel and torturous. I hated them. When Blight died I feared Johanna would be next and I grew anxious with fear. I sat on the edge of my seat watching the games and when they ended the way they did I was both shocked and a little scared even though I’d expected something like that from the beginning.
When Peeta was left behind part of my heart tore again, remembering Scott. I just hoped Johanna had gone with them. We’d gone back to District 7 but knew a rebellion would start here too soon enough. “We’re leaving” Elroy said tossing me my bag. “What do you mean?” I asked him. “We’re going to District 13” he told me as he gathered a few of our more precious things. “What?” I asked. “The rest of the plan and rebellion will be carried out there. It’s the only safe place now. We have to go” he said. “But I-” I chimed. “No buts! Let’s go. The Capitol knows we had something to do with it. Peacekeepers will be on us soon enough. Go!” he said. I ran through the house gathering precious things my parents owned and a few extra clothes. I grabbed Scott’s axe and my favorite dagger as Elroy grabbed a couple of wine bottles. “Are you kidding me?!” I yelled throwing the bags over my shoulder. “District 13 doesn’t have wine” he defended and put more bottles of wine into a bag. I rolled my eyes and grabbed a nearby knife. I tossed it in his direction.
The knife shattered the bottle making the wine spill all over the floor. “You done?” I asked him. He dropped the top half of the bottle. “What a waste of wine!” he yelled. “ELROY!” I yelled. “I’m done! I’m done!” he yelled throwing his hands up and he walked towards me. “Give it to me” he said grabbing my bag. I shrugged and let him have it.
Soon enough we were waving goodbye to District 7 as the hover craft carried us to District 13.
Katniss’s POV-
I stood in the meeting room with Haymitch, Gale, Finnick, Plutarch and the others I didn’t really like. I watched the screens and listened to the beeping and the chatter. None of it made sense to me but apparently Gale understood perfectly well. He leaned over Haymitch discussing a figure on the screen. Finnick smiled at me and handed me a cup of water. “Thanks” I mumbled. He nodded and sat beside me. Plutarch turned to Haymitch. “Are our guests here yet?” he asked. “They should be arriving soon” Haymitch said. “Hopefully that guy brought me some alcohol” he mumbled under his breath.
I ignored his comment and closed my eyes thinking of Peeta. I hoped he was ok. “I told you not to bring it!” I suddenly heard an unfamiliar female’s voice say. “But I need it!” a more familiar masculine voice said. “Took you two long enough to get here” Haymitch said. I snapped my eyes open to see Skylar and that bastard Elroy standing in the doorway. “I blame Elroy for wasting time sneaking in bottles of wine” Skylar glared at him annoyed. “They’re not just for me but for Haymitch too” Elroy defended. I got to my feet.
“Oh and Haymitch I have something for you too” Skylar smiled. Haymitch looked at her confused. “What is it?” he asked. She walked up to him and smiled then suddenly threw a punch at him. Haymitch fell to the ground holding his jaw. Elroy quickly wrapped his arms around Skylar’s waist and pulled her back. I stepped forward ready to attack her but Finnick and Gale both stopped me. “Still as strong as ever” Haymitch laughed getting up. “Can I ask what that was for princess?” he said smirking.
“For leaving the boy! I warned you not to. I told you that if anybody suffered for this I’d make you regret it! Now not only do they have Peeta but they have Johanna and Annie too! You’re a f****** cold heartless bastard!” she yelled at him. “Skylar! Enough!” Elroy yelled at her. She cursed under her breath and he let her go. “Whatever. Its not my problem anyway right? I should stay off to the side with my mouth shut and watch everyone suffer” she said with an angry scoff.
She turned and suddenly looked at me. “You’re an idiot” she said. I jerked forward on impulse to attack her. She didn’t even flinch just kind of waited as if she was confident she could take me. Gale grabbed me and held me tightly to him. “Don’t do anything rash, Katniss” he warned me. “You don’t know me! You have no right coming in and insulting anybody” I told her. “If it weren’t for you Peeta wouldn’t be in such a rough spot in the first place and neither would Johanna or Annie. Everyone’s suffering is your fault” she said calmly. “Skylar!” Elroy yelled grabbing her arm. “She knows I’m right” she said pulling her arm away from Elroy. “I’m going to go visit Beetee, see if he has any knives for me to test out” Skylar said walking out.
Elroy raised his right hand to his face. He pinched the bridge of his nose then rubbed his eyes. “You ok, Haymitch?” he asked. Haymitch nodded. “She’s still like that huh?” he asked. Elroy nodded his head. “It’s actually gotten better. She hasn’t had nightmares in a while and doesn’t bring him up. She’s not as easily hurt but this was a big deal to her” Elroy said. “She actually handled it better than I thought” Finnick added. “Has she really been better?” he asked Elroy, who nodded his head. “Aside from that necklace she’s pretty much let it go” Elroy said.
He turned to me suddenly. “I’m sorry. She’s taking things personally. What she just said to you she mostly directed at herself” Elroy said. I looked at him confused. “What?” I asked. “She’s never seen Skylar’s games” Haymitch told Elroy. “It was depressing” Finnick said sadly. “Why?” I asked still confused as if everybody knew something I didn’t. “She lost her everything. I’ll put it on so you can understand” Plutarch said. “Her games were by far one of the more emotional ones and one of the more tragic of all” Finnick said. “Sit” Haymitch told me and I did in front of a large screen.
The others sat round me. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I watched her entire games from start to finish, from the reaping to the victor crowning. “Scott was Skylar’s only family. She was an orphan, sneaking through the justice building stealing food to survive. Peacekeepers had murdered her parents for helping another family. Scott was an orphan too and just sought a family when he saved her life after a Peacekeeper discovered her. He took her to his home. They became a family and cared for one another” Elroy explained. Part of me admired her. She showed how strong and skilled she was. She wasn’t a pushover and she didn’t let them push her around or change her.
She was clearly capable of taking care of herself and her actions in her games were amazing. I was actually jealous I hadn’t thought of them myself. But I thought she was the idiot for not saving him. She was stupid for losing him. I could clearly see though that Scott’s intention from the beginning was to save her. And after all I’d just lost Peeta when he had set out to protect me the whole time. In a way Skylar and I were similar and I actually kind of respected her.
“Skylar is smart, fast and very stealthy. She can throw a knife better and more accurately than anybody I’ve ever seen before but she’s also weak in many ways” Elroy said when the camera focused on her face after the crowning and the people cheered. “She’s a pacifist. She sees no reason in fighting and believes its unnecessary. She doesn’t want to kill and believes there is hardly ever a reason to take another life. That’s what put her at a disadvantage in the games and made her a target for the Careers” Elroy said.
“I didn’t know that respecting a human life was considered a weakness” I turned my head around to see Skylar standing in the doorway. She was leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest. “Sky” Elroy whispered. She cut him off though. “It’s ok. Scott thought so too. He saw fighting as unnecessary and stupid until we got into the games. Then he didn’t seem to care anymore. He was ready to kill anybody and everybody. While we were in the games I thought that he was just being changed by the games like everybody else. I thought I was losing him” she whispered looking at the screen as Scott’s face came on.
“But the truth is that he was ready to fight at any time to protect what he loved. He believed it was a last resort but he had the strength and nerve to do it and do it well. Despite that he didn’t enjoy killing anybody. He didn’t let the games change who he was” she said. Then she reached to her chest and grabbed a little wooden bird that hung around her neck. She looked down at it sadly. “I am weak. It was my fault, all of it and in the end I couldn’t do much anyway” she whispered. Now I understood. She had lost her closest friend and possibly more. She loved him and lost him to the games. All she had left was Elroy, her mentor. “Sky” he whispered walking up to her.
She smiled up at him. “I moved on remember?” she asked him grinning happily. He didn’t seem to believe it and upon closer inspection I could tell she was hiding her true feelings. “Hey Finnick, want to come practice a bit? Nothing better to clear your head” she said suddenly. Finnick stood up and said “Fine but I’m not going easy on you” he said smiling. “I’ll try not to kill you this time” she said laughing. He rolled his eyes. “Last time I checked I won that fight” he said pointing at her. “No you think you won because I knocked you out and you didn’t remember” she chuckled. “That didn’t happen!” Finnick argued. She laughed and shook her head. “Whatever you say pretty boy” she said, grabbed his hand and dragged him off.
She paused again at the door and turned to me. She smiled and looked down at her necklace. I followed her gaze and upon closer inspection I realized the carved bird was a Mockingjay. “The Mockingjay was Scott’s favorite bird. He believed it was a sign of rebellion against the Capitol, that it outsmarted them. He also loved its songs and could listen to it all day and sing with it. To him the Mockingjay was the most beautiful creature in the world and he believed in it” she said looking up at me suddenly.
We made eye contact and she stood straight and tall. She looked serious and dedicated. “Just as he believed in the Mockingjay I will too” she said. I was slightly surprised. She smiled suddenly and put her hand out. I looked at it and hesitated a moment. I could feel everyone watching me. I looked back up at her. I smiled and took her hand. She grinned. “From here on out I will protect the Mockingjay,” she said, “No matter what.”
