Painful Reunion

Haymitch stares at the TV which has flickered on by itself a second earlier. He sighs. Another execution. They aren't quite as common as they were at the beginning of the war, but every now and then the Capitol manages to unmask another rebel. He turns his head and looks at Katniss, who has gone stock-still as the TV lights up. Her brown hair falls in greasy strands over her face. She hasn't slept in days and Haymitch is starting to worry about her. Not that he wasn't worried about her before, but he already has enough problems involving Katniss. Anything more only complicates this rebellion.

"You realize you can go away, don't you, sweetheart?" he remarks, watching her while taking a sip from his mug. God how much he misses his liquor. When Katniss doesn't answer, he adds, "I'm not going to lie to you."

"If they kill him, I want to see it. I have to see it." Her voice is no more than a hoarse whisper. The girl didn't have easy few weeks. He sighs again but nods.

His eyes wander back to the TV. They show the usual room. The Capitol emblem hangs on the white wall. Haymitch feels the tension in Katniss's limbs ease. The Capitol logo means they are not traitors from any of the Districts. In those cases, they use a different emblem. The two of them noticed this essential detail over time and the large number of executions.

As Katniss relaxes, the crushing feeling around his heart intensifies. Haymitch closes his eyes for a moment and recalls the day at the Training Center. It was the last time he saw her alive. It was the last time he felt the warmth of her skin and the steady beating of her heart. He hasn't heard a sign of life from her since leaving the Training Center. He would have expected someone to contact Plutarch in case she was captured, but Effie disappeared from the scene the day he escaped. As if the earth swallowed her up. No one knows where she is or if she's still alive. While they have certainty about the other captured tributes, he's still groping in the dark about her. She could have been dead for weeks without him knowing. It's your own fault. You thought the Capitol was the safest place for her.

Haymitch and Katniss watch in silence as they push two wriggling figures onto the stage. Then their verdict is read. "Today another verdict will be delivered for all of Panem to watch. Kneeling in front of you today are two co-conspirators who covered and hid the crimes of a Capitol traitor and rebellion supporter. Such behavior will no longer be condoned by the Panem Supreme Court." Capitol traitor.

Haymitch can't tell from the physiques of the two characters whether either person could actually be Effie. He feels his heart start beating faster. "Therefore it has decided on the following verdict. The accused Marcus and Lyssandra Trinket have been found guilty and are sentenced to death. The sentence will be carried out immediately."

Now he feels his heart stop for a moment. He tries to breathe, but the air won't oxygenate his lungs. Katniss jumped up. Certainly not because she's ever seen Effie's parents in person, but because of their names. Trinket. Capitol traitor and rebellion supporter. The Peacekeeper is talking about Effie.

Haymitch stares into the two faces of Effie's parents. He recognizes her father, Marcus, immediately. He remembers well how Effie introduced him. He remembers the smile on her face when she spoke of her father. He remembers the pride in her voice. Haymitch also remembers the words Marcus Trinket addressed to him at the time. I hope you treat my daughter with respect, Haymitch, I'll keep an eye on you. And what did he do? He left her in the Capitol, certain to die.

Lyssandra Trinket he only recognizes at second glance. She has little in common with her public persona which he met in the Capitol. She looks completely different, disfigured and aged by years. Haymitch has to think of Effie, who looks a lot prettier without all the layers of makeup. This is not the case with her mother.

"Damn, Haymitch," Katniss whispers from beside him, but doesn't look at him. She stares spellbound at the TV. Haymitch raises an eyebrow, almost in astonishment. Katniss has rarely been kind to Effie. Their first-year relationship was based on Katniss's dependence on Effie, and by the Quarter Quell, the girl was mostly neutral, but occasionally hostile, towards her. She doesn't care for the Capitol, Haymitch shares her views, but Effie had Katniss's best interests in mind at all times.

The Peacekeepers unlock their guns and press them to the heads of the two convicts, who can hardly contain their panic. They probably don't know what's happening to them. They talk at once and try to convince the soldiers of their innocence. But it's no use. The soldiers continue with the procedure.

A few seconds before the execution, her mother's attention suddenly slips away from the Peacekeepers. Straight to the camera as it first appears. No, something behind. The fear softens to surprise. Then the look on Lyssandra's face suddenly softens. A sad smile spreads across her features and for a moment he wonders if the woman is now losing her mind in the face of death. But then he sees it; sees her lips forming words. I love you. The Peacekeepers pull the trigger and Lyssandra and Marcus collapse like puppets.

"She's alive," Katniss suddenly says as the television begins to flicker gray. "Effie is alive."

Effie is indeed alive, Haymitch is surer of that now than he has been in all the weeks since he entered District 13. I love you. Lyssandra hardly meant the cameraman or any other Peacekeeper. She was there. They forced her to watch.

An indescribable emptiness spreads in Haymitch's limbs and for a moment even the desire for alcohol is far away. The screen flickers again. The Capitol's emblem appears once more, and then the image of a stage lights up the room. It's the stage where the tributes do their interviews year after year. The camera catches Caesar Flickerman sitting on a white sofa, waving and smiling exuberantly in triumph. Then the camera pans out, the image of the stage gets bigger.

Katniss falters again. Peeta is seated to Caesar's left. He's wearing a white suit, his hair is neatly combed, and he looks thinner than Haymitch would like. Katniss takes several steps toward the screen, stops directly below, and stares at Peeta with huge eyes. Haymitch isn't sure if she's still breathing.

A gasp sounds from the speakers of the TV. Haymitch lifts his head and feels his heart start racing again. Two Peacekeepers enter the stage, a woman in a black dress in tow. She stumbles after the Peacekeepers as if she doesn't care where they take her. Her eyes look absent, tears run down her cheeks. Her bloody hands are shaking and her face is expressionless. Haymitch knows that look all too well. He knows what it means. Does she know she's live on national TV? Likely not.

The Peacekeepers roughly shove Effie towards the sofa and then quickly disappear from the stage. Effie doesn't seem to notice, she's still in a trance. An uncontrollable anger boils up in Haymitch and for a second a red haze covers his eyes. The blood is pounding in his ears, blocking out Katniss's loud breathing.

He hardly recognizes her. She still has the same pretty face, the same deep blue eyes, but they don't shine like they used to. They are faint and witness to all the things she has gone through. The way she moves, how she reacts to her surroundings are enough starting points for him to know that he will never forgive himself for his decision. He will never forgive himself for her torments.

"They're so skinny," Katniss croaks. "They're both so skinny." She's right. Effie is skinnier than ever. His hands begin to tremble. His entire body is electrified. He knows he has to do something. He knows he has to get her out of there. He should have done it much sooner. After everything that happened. He should have protected her.

"We have to get them both out of there. As quickly as possible."

oOo

Their bodies collapse like a house of cards. Their muscles go limp, you can clearly see it, and for a moment they seem to fly in the air, light as a feather. But then they hit the hard ground.

My screaming has turned into a hysterical shriek. I can't stop. Their image blurs before my eyes, tears run down my face and I can't hold them back. All the emotions I've been pent up in me for what feels like an eternity burst out of me without being able to stop it. The world around me spins fast like a carousel and it feels like it's just picking up speed. From a distance I can feel my fists banging against the glass until the cracked skin on my knuckles bursts open. But I don't care. I keep banging on the window, watching them stuff my parents' bodies into black garbage bags. Without caution, without respect. As if they were animals.

I'm still screaming long after they took them away. My legs are shaking like crazy and I know they're about to give out under me. The window in front of my face is smeared with blood, you can hardly see through it. The pain in my chest doesn't stop, it only gets worse and seems to want to tear me from the inside out. My lungs try to gasp for air, but there's barely any oxygen left to breathe.

The Peacekeepers are dragging me away from the window, out of the room, and back onto the studio floor. I try to fight back, but the pain has already drained me so much that I can only stumble after them. My cheeks are burning, my eyes are watery and I know my makeup must be ruined.

Nothing I've been through, nothing they've put me through, has hurt like this moment. Every breath I take makes me gasp , my body feels like it's on fire and my heart no longer exists, the past few minutes have shredded it into a thousand pieces. I thought Effie Trinket died in prison a long time ago, but now I realize I actually just died. The person I once was, and sort of was until moments ago, no longer exists. I want nothing more than to switch places with my parents because this life is worse than death. I'd rather be dead than live this life a second longer.

I don't care where the Peacekeepers are taking me, I'm too lost in my trance that threatens to suck me in. My own body feels so far away that I can hardly reach it. As if I left it. My heart is still beating like crazy when suddenly Aurelia comes to my mind. What is the probability that she is still alive? Why didn't they execute her together with my parents? My stomach clenches at the thought of my sister's dead body. I can hardly imagine seeing her cold and still in front of me. However, I never dreamed of seeing my parents die before my eyes, let alone seeing their dead bodies.

I'm trying to tell myself that maybe her marriage saved Aurelia. Her husband Caius is a very influential man in the Capitol, the Capitol wouldn't just execute his wife. Or they just executed them both. My father was also a very influential man and now he is dead.

The first shock wave slowly subsides. I can feel my senses becoming sharper. The feelings in my chest go numb, like a distant pounding in my chest. Somehow it's even worse that way because I get the delusional feeling that nothing happened. I know so much better than that. Or maybe my body just decided that I've been through too much pain over the past few months and it's enough now.

The Peacekeepers drag me up a flight of stairs and I nearly fall to my knees trying to keep up with them. They still hold me in their center, their fingers pressed deep into my upper arms. I wonder if it would do me any good to pounce on them. Or at least try. But I can't consider this path. I'm not as strong as Katniss. While I've been well fed my whole life, that doesn't change the fact that I have to be a featherweight against one of them. And I'm a lot shorter than them. And I don't know how to adequately defend myself. I hardly know how to harm others. You've killed one of them before.

In that moment I suddenly realize that I would do it again. If I could, if I had the opportunity, I would do it again. I would kill again. This thought frightens me so much that I forget my parents for a split second. What has this place done to me?

Before I can finish my thought, the Peacekeepers suddenly let go of me and shove me forward. I stumble forward and sway briefly in the air. Then I raise my head and have to stifle an agonized gasp. I'm standing on the edge of a familiar stage. Bright studio lights blind me and I have to raise my hand to shield my eyes. It's the stage of the Hunger Games. The stage where the annual tribute interviews take place, where I've often sat between Games and philosophized about possible opportunities for District 12.

A figure from the center stage takes a step towards me and stretches out his arm. My eyes are swollen from all the tears that have suddenly disappeared and it takes me a moment to fix my eyes on the person. Then I recognize him. It's none other than Caesar Flickerman.

And as if the day couldn't have been terrifying enough, the Capitol found a way to make it even more memorable. Caesar wears a light gray suit and matching wig. His face looks way too lively for the current situation. Happy. Tense. Wrong.

"And there she is, our lovely Miss Trinket," he finally says in a blissful voice and takes a step towards me. "Come closer, sit with us." As he speaks, he points to the long, round sofa in the middle of which he is standing.

I can feel the cameras turning on me, greedy and unyielding. They want to catch a glimpse of the long-lost Effie Trinket. Who knows what rumors were being spread about me in the Capitol. My eyes wander through the large hall, which is usually occupied to the last seat. But today there is no audience. For a moment I feel the conflict rising up inside me. A fragment of my old self, trying to remind me to put the mask on. I actually consider it for a moment, but then turn it down. I don't think hiding my feelings serves any purpose anymore. It just makes me seem untouchable and arrogant.

Caesar notices my hesitation and repeats his last words. All of this overwhelms me. The image of my parents doesn't want to disappear from my head and now I'm supposed to sit down next to Caesar to let the whole of Panem share in my suffering. And what is all this for? I'm hardly of any interest to the rebels or to the Districts. Or is this supposed to be found food for the people in the Capitol to distract them from the war and the real problems?

Finally, my feet slowly start to move and, as if in a trance, I take a few small steps towards him. The image of the stage shifts. Caesar is no longer the center of my view, he is now further to the right but still in the center of the sofa. Another person appears behind Caesar, who was previously hidden by the moderator's figure.

It's a young man. He's wearing a white suit, but it can't hide his starved body underneath. Blonde-brown hair. Blue eyes that appear friendly on the surface but hide a deep emptiness. It takes my brain several moments to recognize him. He hasn't changed much, and yet he hardly resembles the warm-hearted young man I once knew. Peeta is sitting a few meters in front of me. A slight smile graces his lips and yet I see the hint of pity and shock in his eyes.

Oddly enough, Johanna's words are the first that come to mind. Things shouldn't have turned out this way. I don't get why you're here.

-

Did you like it? It's so hot in my town at the moment. Usually, I like summer but I can't sleep at night argh. xD

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