Always: A Hunger Games Fanfiction

Chapter 13

Katniss

Peeta and I walk out of that cold room, hand in hand. The masked person leads us down several different hallways.

There's a huge door at the end of one of the halls. The man presses a button and it slowly lowers into another, slim hallway. I've always hated elevators. They remind me of the mines in 12. We have to walk down the hall, one by one. I have to go first.

The hall comes to an opening. There are two tubes. They are identical to the ones that I had to go in, twice, to get into the arena. I start shaking, without even realizing it.

I turn and my eyes dart from Peeta's to the masked man. Except, I can't see his eyes. So instead, I looked at his helmet.

"What's going on?" Peeta asks. His voice is shaky and unsure. I don't even know if I can speak.

Is he putting us in the arena again? If not, what are these tubes?

"Get in," The man says, motioning to the two large cylinders. I shake my head and back into a wall. "Now."

"Where do they lead to?" I ask.

"You're not going to the arena again. Just get in," the man says. Peeta gives me a reassuring look and I take a step into the capsule. Peeta walks into the one next to mine.

I didn't know why I'm doing this. What if it's a trap? What if they separate Peeta and I? What if it is the games?

I press my hands to the glass as the door closes slowly. There is no escaping now. I feel as though I did during the first games. Although, it was Cinna standing there, not a stranger with a helmet. Cinna, the one who was killed right before my eyes. I was standing in a capsule just like this one, trapped.

Peeta and I begin to be raised into the air. I look down, but the soldier disappears into the shadows. If he even is a soldier.

Up ahead, light begins to shine in. I start feeling panicked. What's above me?

I can't see Peeta anymore. I think about how I lost him the last time I was in the games. I can't lose him again. He still has trouble knowing what's real or not real. And of course, there are still the flashbacks. I don't think they'll ever go away.

I'm almost completely above ground now. I'm not on a pedestal though. There isn't a golden cornucopia in front of me.

I'm standing in the middle of the city. The Capitol. Looming right before me is the President's house. Memories flood back. This is where Prim died.

I can see it. I see Prim's face, and the children rushing to the parachutes, thinking they contained supplies. They were wrong. . .so wrong. I see the back of my sister's blouse hanging out. My little duck, getting blown to bits, just like all of the other children.

"Katniss!" I hear Peeta yell. I have no idea where it came from.

"Peeta. . ." I whisper. "Peeta!"

I start to panic. Where is he? My mind begins to come up with the worst. What if he has been taken by the Capitol again?

"Peeta!" I scream. I quickly glance around me. Nothing but tall buildings. There aren't even many people. Not on the streets, anyway. Then I remember that my mother works near here. I have to find Peeta first, though.

"Katniss!" I hear Peeta behind me. I spin around and see him standing at the end of the road. I sigh a breath of relief and run towards him.

I embrace him tightly, and he did the same. "What's happening?" I whisper.