The Very First Hunger Games

BONUS CHAPTER

To celebrate a year since I uploaded the last chapter of this story and the release of Mockingjay Part 2, here is a bonus chapter of Willow's Victory tour. Thank you to everyone who read, liked and commented. I never thought I'd make it to 2k reads!

Heart racing, palms sweating, dizzying sensations jolt the body awake. These are the normal symptoms of fear, and for someone who has only felt emptiness for the past couple of months, it's almost a relief. A reminder you're still human. That you haven't turned into one of those monsters. Not now. Not ever.

Fear makes you feel more alive. It replaces the numbness, for a moment or so. It does not take away the ache lodged deep in your heart. The constant blackness that shadows your soul.

There is no light left in my world. Not anymore. But still I have to pretend. For the cameras. For the crowd. For Panem. I have to keep up the charade of acting like I'm a humble girl from District 12 that is so happy she won the first Hunger Games.

No one is buying the act. No one but the Capitol. With good reason. I mean these are the people who are poorer than them are animals and deserve to be slaughtered. Ironically, only when a victor emerges from the merciless battle that is The Hunger Games may they earn human status.

Actually they're seen as more humans. Heroes even. I am a victor, but I am nothing to look up to. I won the games because of a mix of serendipity and help from others. I don't desire praise. I certainly don't deserve it.

I imagined such a different life for myself than this. To be adored by a bunch of Capitol freaks and their spoiled brats was never one of my dreams. I just wanted a simple life. A quiet one even. The Capitol won't let that happen. From the moment I was crowned victor, I knew the Capitol would never leave me alone. The victory tour is just the start. There will be plenty to keep me preoccupied, to reopen old wounds.

This is my life now. Even though I all I ever wanted was to crawl into a black and pretend none of this ever happened - that it was all a hellish nightmare.

I know I must keep it together in front of my prep team but all I want to do is kick the door until it swings off its hinges. Probably best not to. The whole building looks as if it might collapse at any moment.

With its squeaky doors creaky floorboards, dilapidated ceiling tiles, and not forgetting the almost imperceptible stench of rotting wood, I think it's safe to say that this justice building is worse than the one in District 12.

It's funny even the Capitol logo looks modest when it's faded away to barely a scratch. I guess it looks like every other justice building in Pamen. The only distinction this building has about it is the faint whiff of sea water. District 4.

The District I had been dreading most of all. Coral's district. And not forgetting her lovely brother, Eric. No, of course not. No one forgets their first kill.

"You'll be fine sweetie" Sapphire smiles reassuringly.

"Yes we'll be right here, supporting you as always" Indigo says, putting his hand on my shoulder.

Because I cannot express my gratitude in words, I give them a half-hearted smile.

Just as we are about to head out the doors, Theta shows up looking deranged in one of her scary wigs. At least I think it's a wig – I can't imagine real hair having so much volume. Maybe it's stylish in the Capitol, but to me she looks like she has been electrocuted.

"Your timing is impeccable, Theta" I say.

"Now is not the time to be sarcastic, Willow" Theta retorts. "And for your information, I had to change my outfit because the suit I was supposed to wear had a horrifying stain on it!"

No wonder Theta looks horror-stricken. I would be too if I were forced to wear a peat bog green dress adorned with feathers.

"Is that all they had?" Indigo snickers "You look worse than Willow did when she first arrived on the train."

I could high-five and slap Indigo for that comment. Theta's expression is hilarious; completely and utterly flabbergasted.

"Gracious" is all Sapphire has to say before we finally mount the stage.

To say that the crowd looked unhappy to see us would be an understatement. The eyes look back at me with such hatred that I can feel the hair on my skin start to prickle.

I start my speech and pretend as if I don't notice how much everyone loathes me. Pretend to be everything I'm not. Strong. Brave. Unbroken. The Willow Lockheart everyone knows and hates.

I try to speak with more confidence that I feel. My speech is the same drivel I've been feeding the other districts. I feel as though I should mention Coral. She wasn't exactly an innocent bystander but she was just a child. She didn't really understand what she was doing.

"I would like to take a moment to talk about Coral" I say shakily into microphone. "Coral was definitely a feisty go-getter. I loved that about her. I admired her strength and her courage. I think I looked up to her so much so that I forgot the fact she was the youngest in the games. That's why I was so angry at her for what she did. I didn't comprehend that she was confused and scared. Even though Coral may have acted fearless, she was actually more vulnerable than the rest of us. She was a good person at heart and in the end she didn't deserve what she got. Now she's up on heaven's boulevard."

The crowd look astonished, some are even teary-eyed. Everyone but one middle-aged women, who pushes her way through the crowd, hurtles herself at the stage and precariously throws a rock. The rock just misses Theta, hitting the wall behind her. Nevertheless Theta still lets out a little shriek.

The peacekeepers manage to restrain the women as she screams at me:

"STOP TALKING ABOUT CORAL LIKE YOU KNEW HER! YOU DON'T THE FIRST THING ABOUT HER"

We all hurry into the justice building all the while Theta mutters about how she could have been killed.

"What is it with your people?" Theta exclaims. "Are you all maniacs?"

Just before I close the door, someone taps me on the leg. I look down and find bright innocent eyes starting back at me. She couldn't be anymore than five.

"My brother and sister aren't coming back are they?" the little girl asks in small voice.

This tugs at my heart. She's too young to know such loss.

"I'm afraid not" I mange to croak out.

An elderly woman comes up behind the little girl and tows her away.

"Come along Mags" she says firmly.