Life After the Games

Chapter 9

"Willow!" I call from the front room.

"Yes mom." Willow says as she enters the room.

"I want to take you to a place my dad took me in the woods."

"Okay! That sounds fun!"

***

We walk side by side and I'm listing to the birds and the leaves crunching beneath our feet.

I look up in the trees and spot a mockingjay.

"Willow. Look up there." I say pointing to the tree.

"What is it?"

"It's a Mockingjay. You can sing or hum a song to them and if they like your voice they will sing it back to you. Watch this.

I do the four note tune Rue showed me. And just like I said the Mockingjay repeated it back to me.

"Wow." Willow says I'm awe. "Can you sing a song?"

"Sure." I start signing "The Hanging Tree." the song I know by heart.

By the end of the song I'm at the verge of breaking down, but I hold it together because I don't want Willow to see.

"Mom? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can."

"Why do you have the nightmares?"

The question shocks me.

We sit down by a tree and I realize this was the spot where I sang "The Hanging Tree" to Pollux.

I tell her everything that happened and what I experienced and by the time I finish tears are threatening to spill from my eyes.

"Wow that's harsh." Willow says her voice filled with sorrow. She moves over and we both embrace. "I'm sorry that all happened to you." she says into my shoulder.

She's the first one to break away and stand up. "We should go back to the house." I say standing up. "It's getting late."

By the time we get back to the house it's dusk. We step inside and smell food cooking. Willow immediately goes to her room. I assume Cinna is taking a nap like he always does. I take off my boots and coat and put them in the hall. I notice Peeta has his back turned watching the food on the stove.

I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist and kiss him on the cheek.

"Oh hi Katniss I didn't hear you come in." Peeta says with a smile.

"Oh it's fine." I say kissing him again.

He turns off the stove and faces me.

He starts to kiss me on the lips and I kiss him back. We start to kiss passionately his hands in the small of my back and mine around his neck. We kiss for what it seems like a while. We break away and Peeta just holds me in his arms rocking side to side my face buried in his shoulder. It's comforting to be in Peeta's arms. I have sense of being safe and nothing bad will happen.

Since its late we have dinner and get ready for bed.

I walk in the room after getting Cinna ready for bed and see Peeta already there. I grab my pajamas and walk into the bathroom. I change and brush my teeth and wash my face. I walk out and climb in bed and face the opposite way of Peeta.

"What's wrong?" He asks his voice full of concern.

"Nothing."

"There's always something. You don't have to hide it from me."

"I know." I say closing my eyes to sleep. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay." he says moving next to me encasing me in his warmth and comfort and my source of safety. I close my eyes in hope there will be no nightmares to haunt my dreams, but I can never be sure.

I know it's short I'm sorry. I haven't updated in so long!! I hope you like this chapter! And thank you so much for over 600 reads! I really appreciate it. I didn't think it would get to even 50 or 30 for that matter. And thanks to anyone who stuck with me. I'll be updating a little more often when school is out. And check out my Joshifer fanfic called "Change". Thanks again.