𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 ☘︎ 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞

𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 ☘︎ 5

President Snow steps up to the microphone as I stare at him with hatred. No, with absolute and utter detest. I realise suddenly how much I hate this man, and all the blood and roses that come with him.

"Tonight," begins Snow, "on this, the last day of their Victory tour, I want to welcome our two victors. Two young people who embody our ideas of of strength, and valour. And I personally, want to congratulate them on the announcement of their engagement."

So fake, I think, as the crowd goes wild. He knows we're not happy about this. He knows everything. Or he's guessed by now. And he's just stood up there, rubbing it in.

"Your love has inspired us," Snow goes on. "And I know it will go on inspiring us every day, for as long as you may live."

Which isn't very long if you have something to say about it.

Snow raises his glass in a toast to us and takes a sip. I watch as the crowd jumps up, screaming and clapping. Then the fireworks start and everyone turns round to see those. I, however, keep my eyes planted on my enemy, this time begging for news.

Did I do it? Was it enough? Did promising to marry Austin work and cover up my mistake in Eleven? Are the uprisings stopping?

Then I see him looking at me. He's scrutinising me like prey for a predator. Food for a snake. Then, slowly, in answer to all of my unsaid yet very much thought of questions, he gives a small and inexplicable shake of his head.

☘︎☘︎☘︎

That night, on the train back to Twelve, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't even close my eyes, for fear that if I did, the nightmares would come.

So, I decide (rashly) to get out of bed and go and have some of the luscious Capitol food on board the train.

However, when going to the food carriage, I look into the same control room again, only this time, nobody's inside. However, one of the screens is on.

For a second, it's just the news, then UPDATE ON DISTRICT EIGHT is on the screen. Suddenly, I remember Snow's words.

"You should imagine thousands upon thousands of your people dead. This town of yours reduced to ashes, imagine it gone, made radioactive, buried under dirt as if it had never existed like District Thirteen."

And that is exactly what I see now. The street is on fire, with the flames licking up everything that you can see. But there were people there, and Peacekeepers. But the latter wasn't forcing the former back, it was...

My heart drops. Fighting. That's what they were doing. The people were fighting back. District Eight's a district that's bigger than most, and surely a bit more rich, so this must've been relatively easy to organise.

I know exactly what's going on. And if it's happened in Eight, why not in the other Districts? This is the way to get everybody killed.

And it all leads back to me.

President Snow was right.

I am the spark.

The spark that was left unattended. The spark that has grown into a flame and then a fire and then has burned through Panem without mercy.

I have started an uprising.

☘︎☘︎☘︎

I get back to Twelve late at night, and wake early in the morning. I go into Gale's room, hoping to rouse him and take him to the woods, but it doesn't happen. He's not there.

I sigh and head downstairs, where I see my mother, and Vick and Posy at the table. "When did you get back?" My mother asks me.

"Late last night," I answer. "But I slept on the train."