The Webs We Weave

Both Gale and Katniss had left for District Two, leaving me to hunt alone. I had managed to rack up a decent amount of game since they had left. I carried the small gaggle of geese that I had managed to hit through the gates of Thirteen and into the elevator that took us below ground. I punched in my code, and the elevator began to hurtle downward. The door opened to a busy, bustling kitchen. Greasy Sae approached me with a smile, “Got me some geese?”

“I only managed to catch about half of the ones I saw unfortunately,” I sighed, handing over the geese. Greasy Sae practically threw the white geese onto the chopping block and started to pluck the feathers from their bodies.

“You’ll catch the rest of them next time,” She smiled; the feathers already off of three geese. “Katniss came back last night.”

“She did,” I gasped, bouncing on my heel, reeling to talk to her about how amazing District Two must have been.

“Got shot I heard. She’s in the infirmary,” Sae said haphazardly, chopping the heads off of the geese with a thwack of a knife. I rushed back into the elevator and pressed the floor that the day care was on. “Coin wants to see you!” I pout cancelling the command for the day care, and pressing the button for the floor that command was on. I shuffled out of the elevator, making my way down the long hall toward command. Inside stood Gale, Haymitch, Boggs, Beetee, and Coin, all seated around the large table.

“By now you have probably heard of the incident involving Soldier Everdeen,” Coin said through pursed lips. I shrugged, standing behind the empty seat. “Everdeen was shot while giving a speech on her assignment. She is under observation and will be ready for duty in the coming week. Until then, we have planned to proceed with Soldier Odair’s request for a wedding. You will continue to work with Mellark toward further improvement. You may go.”

I nodded uneasily before turning on my heel and leaving through the open doors. I took a step to the left and crashed against the wall. I always felt to unsteady around Coin. Like she was hiding something that I would not want to see. I quickly composed myself enough to walk down to the elevator and pick up Argon. Once I stepped out into the large day care, I was swarmed by the children. They called my name happily, wanting me to stay and play with them. “Just one game, OK?” I smiled, letting a girl from District Eight lead my over to the chair on the other side of the room.

“Wead me a stowie?” She asked, looking up at me on her tip toes.

“Which one do you want here?” I asked the group. Argon pulled out a book featuring a swan on the cover. Thankfully I had learnt how to read this book before so I would not be stumbling over the words.

I opened the book, “One summer afternoon, a Mother duck sat on her nest. In the nest were five eggs. She sat waiting patiently for the eggs to hatch to produce five little ducklings. The Father duck walked all around the nest, waiting for the eggs to hatch. He wondered why they were taking so long to hatch into ducklings. The eggs began to rock, and they watched one by one as each began to open. The largest egg had yet to hatch. It’s big white fuzzy head popped out instead of a small yellow one. He said ‘HONK HONK HONK’. ‘He’s not like us, he’s ugly’, his brothers and sisters said. The ducklings went down to the pond with their Mother, but the biggest, white duckling was left behind. He couldn’t understand why nobody liked him. Tears filled his eyes, rolled down his beak, and into the water. He looked down into the water, and saw a ugly face staring back, ‘no wonder they don’t like me if I look like that’. He started to walk into the forest and found a nest of marsh birds. He hopped in the nest and began honking. ‘HONK HONK.’ ‘You’re out of tune,’ a little marsh bird said, ‘didn’t your Mother teach you?’ ‘My Mother doesn’t like me,’ the ugly duckling said. The Mother marsh bird came back with a long worm. The ugly duckling took the worm, and angered the mother marsh bird. ‘Stay out of my nest you ugly duckling,’ the Mother marsh bird yelled. ‘Everyone hates me cause I’m ugly,’ he cried. He hopped onto a log and drifted away until he heard honks. They sounded just like him. He looked up and saw birds that look just like him. He jumped off the log and joined the others. ‘Mother!’ his new friends called. The ugly duckling looked up and saw the most beautiful white bird he had ever seen. ‘Can he stay with us for ever?’ ‘Of course he can,’ she folded her wing around him and told him, ‘you’re not an ugly duckling at all. You’re a swan. And one day, you will be king of the pond’. The end.” I put the book down with a smile.

“Now then, why don’t we let Argon and Clara continue with their day,” Mrs. Barker smiled, taking the book off my lap. The children whined. I picked up Argon and waved to the others as we left in the elevator. Today we were going to try and see if Peeta remembered Argon, or if those memories had been altered. So far it seemed that only those involving Katniss had been tampered with. The excited on the floor which housed research experiments, mainly for new aids to health or agriculture. Two guards stood at the entrance to the research lab where Peeta was being monitored. He had finally gotten the Tracker Jacker venom out of his system – making his mind clearer. Beetee and Haymitch had made it down before me since they were deep in conversation, looking through the two way mirror.

“Are you OK with this,” Haymitch asked, touching Argon on the nose, making him giggle.

I nodded, “If it’ll help him remember her, I’ll do anything.” He raised his eyebrow before turning back to the window. Peeta was sitting on the bed with a thick book. The guard at the door which led to him opened enough for me to walk in, bouncing Argon slightly. Peeta seemed to light up when he saw us.

“Havn’t seen you in a while,” he cooed, sliding off of the bed and placing his book, open on the bed. “How have you been?” Argon clapped his hands together. “Where’s Lucy? I haven’t seen her in a long time too.”

“She’s in school,” I said quickly. He frowned. “I’ll try to get her here next time.” He perked up. Argon grabbed a strand of my hair and started to tug on it. I winched. Peeta chuckled, gently grabbing his hands until he let go.

Argon smiled, “Papa!”

“No,” Peeta smiled, patting him on the head, “You’re Dad’s at work. I’m a friend.” Argon frowned.

“Papa’s gone.” Peeta cocked his head. I quickly turned around to give Argon to the guard at the door.

“What does he mean?” Peeta asked, touching me on the shoulder. The guard hastily took Argon, unsure.

“He’s two. He thinks anyone’s his Dad. He calls me Mom too.” I shrugged as the door closed behind me. I started to feel unsafe. I could hear Haymitch’s voice yelling at me to get out if I felt like this. I had to try.

“Before the reaping he never said anything like that.” Peeta frowned. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” I shook my head, looking at the spine of the book he had been reading. There was nothing written. “Clara. What’s going on?” My breath hitched in my throat. “Katniss killed them. Didn’t she?” He voice raised, anger prevalent.

“No. It wasn’t her fault.” I rebutted.

“Don’t protect her!” He said, grabbing my arms. I heard the door open.

“Do not come in,” I said sternly. “I can handle this.”

“Handle what?” Peeta asked, a tinge of softness returning to his voice.

“Because of what we did to President Snow, he bombed District Twelve. Gale got as many as he could out.” I stared into his eyes, not blinking.

“Did the rest of our,” His voice dropped.

“No. Argon was the only one out of the two of our families to be saved.” He was about to speak but I cut him off, “Because of what we did before and during the games, Snow did this to get back at us. You and Katniss made them think twice about the purpose of the games. It’s not just her fault. It’s all of us. You. Me. Katniss. Finnick. Wires. Everyone.” Tears began to roll down his face. His grip had loosened on my upper arms until he brought me into a hug. Crying into my shoulder. I just held him like I did to Lucy when she would have a bad dream, rocking him back and forth.