The New Games: A Hunger Games Story

Chapter 40: New Beginings

Chapter 40:

I feel a hand on my shoulder as I wake up.

"Hey." Talon says. "Sleep okay?"

"Yeah," I tell him, stretching as much as I can in this seat. "Just a little sore."

"We can move around if you'd like." he offers.

"Yeah, that'd be good." I answer.

We get up and start walking around. There are still some people in their seats, but most of us have gotten up to look around the hovercraft.

As we're walking, I see a man in a peacekeeper uniform. I do a double-take, realizing I've seen him before somewhere. He looks up as we're passing him and he must recognize me too. I stop and so does he.

"Kamela, right?" he guesses.

"Yeah," I say. "You look..."

"Levi." he points to his forehead. "I stitched you up before the arena."

My hands instinctively touch my healing stitches.

"Who are you?" Talon asks.

"Despite my outfit," Levi motions to his Capitol peacekeeper uniform. "I don't actually work for the Capitol."

He pauses for a second, looking around, then back at us. "Why don't you follow me, maybe I can answer some questions you might have."

He leads us into a room with a long table and chairs around it. Two of the spots are already taken by more recognizable faces, one man, one woman.

"Cronin?" I recognize him almost immediately.

"Glad to see you're safe." he says.

I don't remember the women until she speaks.

"Oh, Kamela!" She exclaims, rushing over to great me.

"Ariel?" I say, just before she hugs me. It's hard to recognize her without any Capitol costumes or makeup.

I look over at Talon. "This is Talon."

Ariel goes over and hugs Talon as if she's known him her whole life.

"I am so sorry about what happened." she tells me. "I'm so happy you both are here."

"Please," Cronin speaks up. "Take a seat."

We both choose a seat next to each other and Cronin begins speaking.

"You two are very lucky." he begins. "Being able to survive like this. You both are very brave."

Cronin continues on telling us about the whole mission. Saving people from the arena, faking their deaths. I've heard most of it already, but I let him tell us.

"So what happens to us now?" Talon asks.

"Safety." Cronin replies. "At least for now."

"We're going somewhere no one in Panem has heard of in decades." Levi begins. "What used to be called Europe, long ago."

I've never heard of this place. In school we don't learn about places other than Panem.

"What's in Europe?" I ask.

"Hope. Safety. A new life." he replies.

"We bring all of the saved tributes there. It's our own growing community now." Cronin tells us. "Our ultimate goal is to bring as many people there as we can."

"Why?" I ask.

"Panem is corrupt. It always has been." he says.

"But we got better." Talon states.

"For only a few years." he reminds us. "It was bound to happen again, the Games will never really stop."

"To some, another rebellion is too costly." Levi explains. "So instead of rebelling, we thought that starting over would be the best option."

"Taking these kids out of the Arena was our best option." Cronin says.

"Obviously some people thought the cost of rebellion was worth it." Levi tells us. "We lost a lot of people, and even a district for a time."

I remember being told about the rebellion after the 75th Hunger Games and how they had to rebuild district 12 from scratch, with only a few buildings still standing from the bombing.
I can imagine the fear that comes from a rebellion, and can understand why they're escaping Panem instead of rebelling again.

"We were in this all along." Ariel says. "I apologize if we were ever being secretive around you during the days before the Games."

"It's okay, I understand." I tell her.

"This is all a work in progress, it may take some adjustments and more planning as we go along, but as far as I'm concerned, if it's saving lives, it's working well enough for now." Ariel admits.

"For now, at least, we'll get all you kids to Europe and figure it out from there." Cronin informs us. "You'll see some familiar faces and many new ones. Some of you may not even stay there for long."

"Why wouldn't we stay?" I ask.

"There are a select few that come back with us to save more people." Cronin looks at me and Talon. "Something tells me that you two will be going back a few times."

"It's true, you both have a lot of skill and potential." Levi agrees.

The door to the room opens and a man in a uniform walks in.

"We'll be landing shortly." he says. "Please, come back to your seats."

We all get up and go over to the seats we sat down in when we first arrived on the hovercraft. Luke and Hunter are sitting down already next to the girl. I still don't know her name, and I've never thought to ask.

We buckle up and an announcement is made.

"Please fasten your seat belts as we are making our descent."

It's a bit of a bumpy landing, but we're all eagerly getting out of our seats minutes later. At first everyone crowds around the exit, then they put us into more orderly lines. Talon and I are close to the door with Luke, Hunter, Levi, and the girl.

The door opens and I instantly feel a cool and refreshing breeze.

As my eyes adjust to the brightness I see the world where I will live my new life.

I grab Talon's hand and take my first step down the platform.

Today, my life will change forever.