When The Canary Sings

I Become Crowned Victor of Panem

First Person: Becca Blue 

I woke up with a huge white light blinding me, I squinted and bunched my face up. Instinctively, I pushed myself up, and immediately I remembered the stab wound. I remembered the snakes and the venom. I was still dressed in my arena uniform, small tubes attached to my nose and my arms.

I looked around, and it clicked in my head.

This must be the place where people go when they die.

Wait, no. That's not right. I won!

"Oohhhhh," I hummed to myself, pulling the tubes out of me. My hearing just started to come back, my voice sounded foreign. That's when I heard it. In my hazy state, I heard a voice that sounded somewhat like Haymitch's yelling at someone. I couldn't pick up the conversation, but I did catch bits and pieces.

"Mr. Abernathy, she's–"

"She's a child! So no. I'm the mentor, I say no. She's a child."

Whoever it was gave up, because what followed was a sigh, and another conversation.

I swung my legs off of the bed and walked to the door. I pushed, then I pulled, and then I pulled to the side, and the door still wouldn't open.

"Will you just–" I muttered to myself, and then I saw a button. So I pressed it, and the door slid open with a hissing sound.

Upon opening it, I saw men in bright white coats, and Haymitch. Everyone turned to look at me, but I ignored their stares and made my way to Haymitch. I limped my way across the room, something in my leg stinging with each step. Once I was next to Haymitch, I enveloped him in a hug. He hesitated before hugging me back.

"Ms. Blue, you shouldn't be out of bed yet." A doctor said, but I felt Haymitch raise an arm and wave them off.

"Hey, sunshine," he said, gently patting me on the back.

"Thank you," I choked out, it was all I could say to him. The man who had kept me alive, the man who sent me the medicine in the beginning, the one who sent me the coat, the one who taught me everything.

"No, kid, don't thank me." He said, pulling away and crouching down to get on my level. "Thank yourself. You were the one in the arena. You were the one who pulled yourself outta there." He told me, and I could feel my eyes burning, salty tears pooling in my already bloodshot eyes.

"I didn't mean to kill them," I said, letting the first sob escape my throat. Gently, he placed his hand on my back and turned me around. He guided me back to my little room as I cried, my tears blurring my vision.

"I know you didn't, kid," He said.

"Are they mad at me? For killing Camilla and Valor and Chip?" I sobbed, my stomach flipping and my whole body wracked with tremors. "I killed them, they had mommas and dads and brothers and sisters who–"

It was funny how fast someone can revert back into being a baby. One minute, I was killing a fully grown man, and the next, I was sobbing to someone I knew for maybe a week.

"C'mere," he said, and I pushed myself into his arms. He patted my back as I sobbed. "No ones mad at you, I promise." Haymitch whispered, "I was with all of them when you won. They were so happy. We made a toast, and Finnick Odair himself is excited to meet you." He comforted me, trying to make me feel better. And honestly, it sort of did, although the guilt was still there. My brain was a rollercoaster of emotions, and every few minutes they were flip flopping. "Everyone wants to hear you sing. Everyone wants a song."

"Really?" I asked, pulling away and rubbing my eyes. Haymitch laughed at this.

"Yeah," he said, "and I still have things to teach you. You survived the games, but now you gotta survive the Capitol."