Life After the Games

Chapter 1

I'm at the square for the reaping and see Effie walk across the stage and reaches deep down in the girls reaping bowl and after a moment she pulls out a name. As she's walking back to the center I'm praying it won't be Willow, my daughter, who had turned just twelve only a week ago. She opens up the piece of paper. I close my eyes as she says the name.
"Willow Mellark."

I wake up screaming and realize it was just a nightmare. I sit up and look around the room by then Peeta is awake because he heard me scream. He sees me with terror across my face and looks worried. He asks what's wrong and I answer that it was just a nightmare. After that I curl up next to him and he puts his comforting strong arms around me. He's always there to comfort me and I'm very grateful for that.

After a while laying in bed for a bit Willow and Cinna come in and and sit on the bed.
"Mom, I heard you scream. What's wrong?" Willow questions in her soft voice.
"Oh it was just a nightmare. I'm fine." When really I'm not. I'm terrified of losing both of them. Willow reminds me so much like Prim, so kind and gentle and most of all, loving. Cinna reminds me of my best friend caring and thoughtful, but died because of me, the Mockingjay. After I hug her and Cinna and ask what they want for breakfast. Cinna and Willow both want pancakes. They give me their answer and run out of the room and downstairs.

I turn to Peeta and look at him in a way to tell him that I'm okay. I start to get out of bed, but he grabs my arm before I can leave to make breakfast. He knows something wrong or bothering me because he knows me too well. I look at him.

"What." I give a slight laugh and small smile.

"I know something's wrong, Katniss, you don't have to hide it from me."

I tell him about the nightmare and that I'm afraid of loosing Willow and Cinna because I can loose them so easily like the way I lost Prim in an instant. At the thought of loosing them and the way I lost my sister I start to tear up and eventually cry.

As I'm crying I feel Peeta's arms wrap around me so I curl up next to him.

"Oh Katniss, that will never happen, you won't loose Willow and Cinna. Nothing will happen to them." Peeta says as he's trying to comfort me.

"I know, but I'm so worried." I say between sobs.

By then Willow comes in and sees me sobbing and looks at me worriedly. I guess Peeta looks at her in a way to say it will be fine and just to go.

Not long after I start to calm down and sit up.

"Are you okay?" Peeta asks.

I shake my head slightly. I can see Peeta looks worried from my peripheral view. I stare at the sheets for a second before I get up. Peeta also gets up and gets dressed as I go to the bathroom.

I look in the mirror and see my face is all red and tear stained and my eyes are all puffy and red. I turn on the water to wash away the tear stains on my cheeks. But it doesn't erase my puffy red eyes. I come out of the bathroom and Peeta's dressed and ready to go downstairs. I let him go downstairs without me because I want to be alone for a bit.

I finally come down and see that Peeta has prepared breakfast. The smell of pancakes fills my nose and I start to feel hungry.

"Thank you for cooking." I say to Peeta with a small smile.

"Your welcome. No problem at all." Peeta says with a smile.

After pancakes are done Peeta the kids and I sit at the table and eat. While I'm eating I'm thinking about how I have to explain to Willow and Cinna why I have the nightmares without scaring them. Because my screaming and sobbing has gone on way to long without them know why. Peeta also needs to tell them why he clutches the back of chair every so often because of his flash backs, from the Capitols torture I feel so terrible I can't do anything about it like the way he can comfort me when I have my nightmares which is almost every night. I have to just watch him and it always brings me to tears everytime that happens. But I try not to cry in front of the kids.

When Willow and Cinna were little and when Peeta was going through his flash backs they would be scared and I would have to calm them down. I hated seeing them upset and crying.

After breakfast I clean the dishes and pull Peeta aside.

"Peeta, we have to tell Willow and Cinna about my nightmares and your flashbacks without scaring them." I say in a whisper.

"I know we do. We have to tell them eventually. But not right now."

"Okay." I say "we'll talk later. I'm going to go out for while can u keep an eye on the kids?" Peeta knows why I want to go and where.

"Sure no problem." Peeta says with a smile.

"Thanks" I say "I'll be back soon."

Thanks for reading!  I hope you liked it! I'll try to update soon!