Always

Whispers

As my feet carry me back onto the hovercraft, I say a final goodbye to the place I called home. The district was never a place filled with bright colors and happy vibes, but the ashen, gray earth it is now, is not the place I remember. When I turn around, I'm met with a sweet yet familiar smile. It comforts me but also beaks my heart.

"Hey Rosie Posy," Rye tells me. He embraces me in a tight hug and if I close my eyes, I can trick myself into thinking that he is Peeta.

I love you

But as soon as the thought comes into my mind, it brings tears to my eyes and I have to break away from Rye. Still I look into his blue eyes that look so much like Peeta's and manage a ghost of a smile. "Morning, Rye," I tell him softly and wipe my eyes quickly.

"How are my little nieces or nephews?" He asks and places his hand on my stomach. Rye is one of my main supporters during my appointments. Prim is generally working in the hospital, my mother has yet to accept the fact that I'm having a baby, and it's to awkward for Gale.

"Good." I tell him smiling slightly. But my smile drops when I see Gale frowning at our position. Rye's hand on my stomach and mine next to his. I'm not an idiot, I've heard the rumors. People think that since I can't have Peeta, I've moved on to another Mellark. It bothers me and makes me sick, but maybe I deserve it. I've become so attached to the man they call Rye Mellark. His build that is so similar to Peeta's and his smile that is almost identical, makes it hard not to be close. So yes, maybe I've become attached but I haven't moved on to another Mellark. I would never abandon my husband.

I guess you're wondering how all these people are in district thirteen when practically the entire district of twelve was killed in the bombing. And the answer rests solely on Gale's shoulders. When the bombs began to fall from the sky, Gale ran into the burning streets of the seam and gathered as many people as possible. He led them to the safest place he knew of. . .the woods. With the help of a group of men, they tore the fence down and fled for cover in my safe haven.

The merchant crowd were not as lucky as the seam. Only a handful of the blonde haired people escaped the fire, Rye being one of them. He won't tell me his full story of how he escaped, but I thinks it's because he tries to protect me. Just like Peeta. His family was sitting around the T.V. when the power cut out. When they heard the bombs falling, they all started running towards the seam.

And that's where Mrs. Mellark stopped.

She refused to step foot into the seam, afraid that a seam brat might brush up against her. Mr. Mellark being the honorable man he was, stayed by his wife's side. But Rye and Wheat refused to stay behind, so they ran as fast as they could. But when an explosion went off right beside them, it blew them off their feet. And Rye never saw Wheat again. But he managed to run the rest of the way, and he was lucky enough to only acquire a few scratches.

Thirteen rescued them the following day, and here we all are. Except that Peeta isn't here. And that's the one person I do need with me.

I stare down at my wrist and twist the bracelet wrapped around it. It declares me as mentally unstable. And I find it funny, considering that I wear it because I hear voices. Maybe if it was someone else's voice I was hearing, I wouldn't laugh. But it's not. After all it's only one voice that I'm hearing.

"I'm ready," I tell the audience in the hovercraft. "I want to be the mockingjay."

Plutarch smiles proudly and Haymitch glances at me worriedly. "State your conditions," Haymitch tells me. "It's a small power play, but it shows that you won't roll over and be her puppet. Your main issue is that you can't let Coin think you're trying to take her power. Play up the grieving, pregnant widow act."