Don't Go

awake again.

I'm awake again.

It's early in the morning. It's been months since the war has ended; since I've come home to the quiet house in Victor's Village. There's no one for me to share anything with anymore; my parents, my brothers, my friends-they're all dead. Most of them, anyway. They either didn't listen to Gale or didn't have enough time.

I loved my family. My mom was...rough, but she was still my mother. She could be tender at times. My brothers were goofs. They were older than me; Finn was eighteen when I first got into the games. When I came home, he told me he should've volunteered for me, just like what Katniss did for Prim. I'm glad he didn't, because then I wouldn't have gotten to be with Katniss. I couldn't have made sure she lived. My dad was the closest to me; he understood how I felt about Katniss. I guess it was almost like him reliving his dream through me. I knew he loved Mrs. Everdeen. Perhaps all along he was encouraging me to talk to Katniss.

But they're gone. Just like the bakery, they're all dead.

I have no one to share this house with. I have no family. Former inhabitants of the district are coming back to start thinks over; Haymitch is helping lead the new initiative. They're taking the ashes and piling them over, trying to make fields and recreate our sad world. It's working.

I've hardly seen Katniss leave her house. Greasy Sae is trying to help her out, but even she says she hardly talks. Katniss hasn't spoken to me since I planted those primroses in her garden. I figured she wanted something to remember Prim.

I even forgot; I'm eighteen now.

I remember the birthday charts at school. I'm three months older than Katniss. She never really celebrated her birthday, but I always remembered bringing cookies to class. She'd eat it slowly, relishing it.

I remember everything about her. I want to help her. I wish I knew-

hey, look at that. She left her house. I saw her go out the front door. Her hair is in a messy braid. She's wearing her hunting boots. She's got a bow and arrow; Katniss is heading to the woods.

Maybe she's made some progress. Maybe I can make progress now too. But I've got to remember what Haymitch told me-Katniss isn't my life. I need to start moving along, moving forward, even if she isn't ready. I need to live.

But he doesn't seem to understand that after everything we've been through, I need her too.

♠ ♠ ♠

I've been so inspired by the Hunger Games. I love that (and I'm not hating on Jo Rowling) Suzanne left the ending of the Hunger Games open. We know she and Peeta have children, but are they married? What happened in those fifteen years? The children don't have ages, names, etc. The outside characters like Gale, Effie, Haymitch, etc. don't have definite endings.

She left it up for us to write. So here goes.

Thanks Suzanne Collins, for the inspiration to write again.