One Week Ago

"Damn it." I muttered while eating my creamed bagel and black coffee and reading the morning paper. The headlines read "REBELS CAPTURE SNOW!"

That means if the rebels captured the President then the war is over! Oh god! If they captured Snow then what about me? Will they spare my life? I'm sure they wouldn't put an announcer on trial. I then hear commotion coming from out on the streets. I look and see a horrific sight. Complete anarchy. A sudden protesting mob of people have come from their houses!

Have they come for me?! Is all I can say before I grab my small hand gun from my room. I put the gun to my head and puts my finger on the trigger but puts down the gun when I hear silence, I then see the protesting mob turn past my house and continue east.

Thank I hear a knock at the door. I cautiously go to the door with my gun and I open the door. Right there in the doorway are rebel soldiers pointing their guns at my chest.

"Don't you move a bit you son of a bitch!" a large rebel soldier says. "Your under arrest by President Coin for treason." He explains.

"T-treason?" I sputter out. "Why the hell is an announcer arrested for treason?"

"You know full well why you sick child killing bastard." the rebel says. "You and I know the only punishment for treason is...death."

I now realize that time is up. I surrender and then I'm taken to the Presidential Mansion to await trial. While there I think about my family. I had a wonderful wife until 7 years into our marriage, she died. But, I had two kids from that wife. They were my everything and my life. Until one daughter moved off to the districts and the other one died from sickness. After that I was angry and pissed at the world. I blink as I'm called into the courtroom. I'm taken into a small court room where they call me up.

"Caesar Flickerman, Age 60, please approach the President." A rebel says.

I cringe as I hear my age being called. I look up and see "President" Coin standing looking down at me.

"You know your doing the wrong thing." I say.

"SILENCE!" screams Coin, her voice echoing across the grand walls of the room.

"I'm not guilty! The Capitol born people were brainwashed! Simply brainwashing us all to watch and enjoy the games!" is all I can say before a burly guard hits me across the face.

"You will not talk unless spoken to. Understand?" Coin says in a softer voice.

I nod my head.

"Good." She says. "Know continue with your whole 'brainwashing' story."

"Well at a young age propaganda would be on in our homes, President Snow would remind us everyday that the Districts were evil and murderers and the Games were just. That's when I grew angry with the Districts so I decided to enter the world of television. Snow graciously selected me with open arms. So to my credit, to the Capitals credit, it was all Snow and his propaganda teams who brainwashed us to make it seem like the Games were fair." I say finishing up my statement.

"Sound like a bunch or horse shit to me." Coin says laughing.

"You can ask any Capital defector about it." I say. Then I get a good idea! "Ask my daughter! She's in District 10! Her name is Penelope Flickerman, though I doubt she uses her real name." I say.

"You have a daughter that defected? That's in District 10? From your bio you have a deceased wife and daughter. Not two daughters." Coin says.

"Ha, you never expect you to outlive you kid." I say remember the sickness that caused my first daughters death at age 27. "But, you never heard about Penelope because Snow was angry to find out the 'Hunger Games' announcer's daughter was a defector! Would look bad, maybe even a sign for rebellion. So we just erased her from the people's memories by calling her a defector and traitor." I add.

"So, you want us to go find Penelope in District 10, bring her here and then listen to her side to see if you are guilty?" Coin asks

"I told her to get out before I reported her. She came to me and said 'Father I'm tired of the Games and having you for a father!' You don't know what that feels like!" I say getting louder. "But yes, find her and let her testify for me, her old Father."

Coin sighs. "Roberts, your company will go and find Penelope and bring her back. No harm shall be done!" Coin says looking at me. "This is because Katniss told me to take pity on you, that's why I'm listening." Coin adds.

Katniss? What did she have to do with this? I had heard rumors of pardons being given out but I thought those were just rumors. So, the "Girl on Fire" wanted Coin to pardon me, but Coin didn't want to.

"Well thank you for giving me a chance and not turning this into a kangaroo court!" I say truthfully.

"We don't do kangaroo courts." Coin puts simply. "Case dismissed." Coin says while hitting the gavel against the sounding block. "Caesar Flickerman will stand trial at a later date, but as of now he will be held in prison." Coin says as Caesar is escorted out.

"Do you know the quote Ms. Coin? The one about history? I believe it goes like this 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' it was said by an old man when North America existed." I say with Coin staring at me with death daggers. "What about this 'democracy' that you rebels want to establish? Will it turn bad and then we will have another Dark Days? I'm asking you a question Ms. Coin." I say.

"Right now I'm worried about the present, not the future. If that time comes then we will do everything to stop it Mr. Flickerman." Coin says. "Take him away now, see you soon Mr. Flickerman." Coin says.

I wake up in my cell. "What the..?" I mutter as I fully realize everything that happened yesterday. The capture, the confession of a daughter and Coin. I see a guard come forth.

"We found her, she saw us walking around and asked us what we were looking for. We told her and she seemed surprised, then she confessed to us that she was your daughter. At first we didn't believe her, but we weren't going to make a chance like this slip away." The guard says.

"May I see her?" I ask.

"Yes." The guard says while I put my arms out to be handcuffed. The guard and I go into an interrogation room and wait.

"Oh my god." I say as a middle aged woman comes in and sits down. "My..my baby." I say before breaking down crying.