𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 ☘︎ 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞

𝐌𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐉𝐀𝐘 ☘︎ 2

At about midday, I get informed that I'll be taking a trip. A trip to District Twelve. A trip to home. Or where home once was.

I get informed by Rory (who is the only person in my compartment when I'm there) that they saved the Victor's Village, which is just another cruel move.

Nevertheless I'm still going. Because I have to see it for myself, no matter what the costs.

Boggs and I head down to the launch room where our hovercraft will fly from, and see Gale standing at the mouth of it. I run to him, hugging him. "I can't believe you're going through with this," he tells me.

"I can't believe you're helping me go through with this," I answer honestly.

"You can say no, Willow-"

"No! I need to see it for myself," I insist.

"This way," Boggs points us, and the two of us board the craft.

Gale and I sit in silence as the hovercraft minouvers through the sky. I'm not prepared for this, and by the look on my brother's face, he isn't either.

When we finally get there, a guard warns us. "Thirteen swept everything top to bottom so you'd be safe!"

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Gale asks me.

I look at him. "Yeah. I'm sure."

I'm not his feeble little sister anymore. I never was. But maybe that's just how he viewed me. However, looking at his eyes right now, I can see that view changing. I can see him start to view me as an equal. Not an inferior.

He hugs me and whispers in my ear. "We'll have our eyes on you from above. If you need help, we'll be there, you understand?"

I nod and walk slowly down, turning just in time to see the hovercraft flying higher.

I am in no way ready for what it has been hiding.

There's rubble everywhere, much like the surface of Thirteen. The Justice Building stands a ruin, nothing recognisable. The square, where I once watched Gale getting whipped, is buried under stones and ash.

I walk to where the merchant's section of town was, and kick over a few stones. They reveal a skeleton.

I gasp, a hand slowly reaching up to cover my mouth. Slowly, I walk backwards away from it as I start to cry. I am broken. The district is broken. There's nothing I can do.

And it's all because of me.

I arrive at the Victor's Village fifteen minutes later, seeing my house immediately and entering it. It's just the same as it always was.

Or so I thought.

Heading into the kitchen, I see my father's old hunting jacket on a coat hanger. Instantly, I put it on. I'm cold and it feels like home.

I collect a few vials of herbs for Mrs Everdeen, who, with Prim, has been working at the hospital in Thirteen.

A sound of glass breaking makes me jump and I turn to see Buttercup, Prim's cat. He and I (no matter what house I live at) have never really got along.

But I have to do it for Prim.

I pick up the manky, mangy animal and put it into my bag. It objects, flailing around and wailing like anything. "Don't you wanna see Prim?" I coax it into being quiet. Animals aren't allowed in Thirteen. I'll have to figure that part out later.

Walking into the drawing room where I once had a chat with President Snow, a wave of nostalgia hits me. But I continue on. I see a picture of my father on the mantle and don't hesitate to pick it up and put it in.