DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. All Rights to Suzanne Collins.

Chapter 1: Meadow of Fire

Black. Everything I see is black. No lines, no definite shapes, just darkness and an echoing thud in the distance.

I feel like this is the games, when they decide for night to fall and all anyone can do is hide and pray for the sun to return. I want the sun to return, I miss its brightness, its simplicity, the way it ignited the meadow behind my house and turned Willow's brown hair light.

Her little curls would bounce, as she jumped into Peeta's arms. She was free, I was so sure it was over. I was wrong.

The darkness returned, the Capitol chose for night to fall once again and this time our sun will not be returned.

I watched as the meadow burned, fire taking away the green leaves and turning them to ash. But that wasn't even the beginning. This was:

Breeze blew in from the crack in the window; the white curtains blew into the bedroom. My leg was hanging limply around the sheets of the bed, Peeta's leg inter winded with my other one as both arms held me closely. My hands covered his, our rings breaking the contact on our ring fingers. The smells that wafted through the room were sweet, it was Peeta's scent, the sugar and cinnamon he used the day before clinging to his hair and shirt even though he dusted them off. Everything was sweet everything seemed perfect.

"KATNISS!" A voice yelled from the window, my eyebrows furrowing at the sudden wake up call. I unclasp Peeta's hands and rise from the bed, the wind wrapping around my bare arms as I walk towards the window.

"Johanna? Why are you up?" I question the woman two stories below me. She and Gale live next door, in the house that once belonged to Haymitch before he passed away.

"Katniss, you and Peeta need to come over here immediately! It's urgent." With that she is off again, her long legs running from my perpetual image. I attempt to pull on a sweatshirt, getting back to the bed to awaken Peeta. He looks at me groggily, his eyes heavy with sleep.

"Peeta, Johanna says we need to go over immediately. It's urgent, come on." I urge him to wake up, he obligates and sits up, running both hands through his blond hair. I head over to his side and grab the prosthetic leg that leans on the nightstand, moving the sheets away from the stump that his thigh ends with.

He easily gets the leg on, covering it with his pajama pants again and giving me a sweet smile.

"Thank you, beautiful." He kisses me, my mind breaking from the running its been doing about what's going on.

I grab his hand and together we head for our door, opening it quietly in case Willow was still asleep.

"We should bring her. You know, in case she wakes up sooner than anticipated." I nod at Peeta's suggestion and release his hand, walking down the hall to the pink room of my daughter. Upon opening the door I hear a knock from downstairs. Peeta gets it and I hear Gale's voice this time, he is just as freaked out as Johanna.

"Katniss, we'd better hurry!" Peeta calls up the stairs, I rush to gather Willow.

"Come on Will, we're heading over to see Auntie Johanna and Uncle Gale." I whisper to my daughter, stroking down her halo of dark hair. She opens her blue eyes and yawns.

"Okay mommy." She whispers, wrapping her dainty arms around my neck and snuggling into the crook of my shoulder. I throw a blanket over her body, remembering the cool breeze and wanting to keep my girl warm. She tucks her legs up and curls into a ball in my arms, it's hard to believe that she is almost 5.

I head for the stairs, tucking the blanket around every hole exposing my daughter.

She clutches the duck to her stomach a little tighter when I exit the house, our dog Juniper following close behind with her ears back and tail low.

I make it to Johanna's and Gale's, Johanna was biting her nails while taping her foot. She catches sight of me and runs towards us.

"Inside, we have big problems." She says, scooping up the brown dog beside me and rushing ahead. I follow quickly and only now realize the fear building in my chest.

"Katniss," Peeta shuts the door behind us, once we entered. "It's the Capitol. Enobaria has gathered a group of angry rebles-"

"An army." Gale interrupts, Peeta nods quickly.

"An army, a very large army that managed to override this Capitol and take over the system. They are attacking, seeking revenge, they are trying to find us Katniss." His voice seems hollow and my stomach feels like stone.

"Why?" I choke out. "Everything has been going well for 20 years, why now?" I demand loudly.

"She was building up her team, putting up defenses and starting a revolution. She's invaded Districts 1 through 10 already; few people are left alive and taken to the Capitol hostage cells. The same ones they kept Peeta, Annie, and I in." Johanna's eyes water with tears but she manages to blink them back. "Gale called an evacuation, everyone has heard the mayor broadcast this morning and are readying themselves to leave for the mountains. Evacuation is at 12pm, we need you two to get ready."

"We can't just all leave, they will come searching for us and then everyone is doomed." Peeta says. "Katniss and I will stay, try to find Enobaria and destroy the main source of the attack. You guys take Willow."

"No Peeta, it won't work. Enobaria is being kept safe, she won't be on the battle field, not until everyone is dead at least, and then she will come and take what she wants." Johanna's eyes are dazed by the different thoughts reeling through her mind.

"What do you suggest we do then?" I ask, rubbing my hand over Willow's back.

"Peeta's right, if we leave they will come find us." Gale says, I finally catch his red eyes. "That's why we need to keep what they want here, we need to remove the extra unwanted targets that can get in their way."

"What do they want?" I ask, his eyes staying with mine.

"They want the Mockingjay and her army."

"Army? What army do I have?" I ask, looking to Peeta this time.

"Apparently we are. Johanna, Gale, and I."

"That's stupid, why would they think I have an army of my own. One composed of three people, nonetheless." I tap my foot in agitation.

"We're not sure, maybe it was because we brought down President Snow. We were all apart of his execution."

"What about Annie and her son? Where is my mother? How do we know that they aren't all dead?" I demand as tears skirt the edges of my eyes.

"We don't. We just have to hope that an escape was planned for those districts as well and that everyone is hiding safely in the woods." Johanna says.

"They're not going back to thirteen are they?" I ask suddenly.

"No, that would be the last resource. Thirteen was unknown of before, now it's out in the open, they will be attacked just like everyone else. My only idea is-" But she never got to finish her idea. Not when a sudden amount of grey smoke clouded the windows.

Gale rose quickly and ran to the entrance, swinging the door open only to shut it quickly after.

"This can't be right! How the hell did they get here so quickly?" Gale paced to his desk, pulling up different images of the war and shaking his head in disapproval.

"They skipped 11, jumped straight for 12 and are doing a loop."

"Wouldn't that be costly, why would they do that?" Johanna asks him, walking to the images and scanning the battlefields.

"This can't be right." She breathed, running a hand through her hair.

"Okay everyone to our house, cover your mouths and try not to open your eyes." I demand, covering Willow's head with the pink blanket. Everyone got up and pulled their shirt over their mouths.

"I've got the dog, Gale get the bags we packed." Johanna says, taking Juniper in her arms.

Gale swung two large backpacks over his shoulder with a grunt and ushered us all out.

We ran for the house, the air suffocating us as Willow sobbed to catch a breath. Our house is 30 yards away, a whole death written 30 yards that I fear could kill someone.

We arrived to the door, my eyes jumping to my surroundings as Peeta fumbles to open the door. It is through those simple glances that I catch the flames. Fire spitting itself up into the sky as it fought with the meadow, its victory being declared as it got closer to town.

This war has just begun.

A new story, a new idea. Hey, maybe this will work!

Comment what you think!

-Valentina