Chapter 18 Chapter 18 The United Rebellion

The clothes were still warm from the burn, so Caesar tentatively reached out to touch my tiara.Gone was the white veil, and now a smooth one hung over my head and fell to the nape of my neck. "Feather," said Caesar, "you are like a bird." "Mockingjay, I think," I said, flapping my wings a little. "It's my brooch. It's my mascot." A strange expression flashed across Caesar's face, and he had already recognized it.It can be seen that he already knows that the bird has more symbolic meanings.The brooch, considered a magnificent ornament in the Capitol, has a completely different meaning in other regions.But he still tried his best to smooth things over.

"Oh, hats off to your designer. I don't think anyone can deny that this is the most exciting show ever on TV. Cinna, I think you're going to give everybody a bow!" Caesar motioned Cinna stand up.Cinna stood up and bowed slightly gracefully.Suddenly, my heart clenched for him.What did he do?Very scary and dangerous.It's an act of rebellion.And he did it for me.I remembered what he once said... "Don't worry, I often channel my emotions through work so that I hurt only myself and no one else." ...I'm afraid he has hurt himself to a degree beyond recovery.And President Snow will definitely not turn a blind eye to my transformation in the fire.

The audience who were stunned by the change just now burst into applause.I can barely hear the buzzer.Caesar thanked me, and I made my way to my seat, feeling that my clothes were lighter than air. Peeta is about to give an interview, and I pass him by, but he doesn't look at me.I sit carefully on the seat.Other than the smell of smoke, I didn't seem to be hurt, so I started turning my attention to Peeta. Caesar and Peeta were a natural and harmonious pair when they first met a year ago.Their conversations are lighthearted and witty.Peeta takes no time to get the audience emotional, like last year when Peeta confessed his love to me and the hearts were broken.They had great success with audiences.This time they opened with some jokes about fire, feathers, and burnt chicken feathers.But everyone can tell that Peeta has other things on his mind.So Caesar directly introduced the topic to the issues that everyone cares about.

"So, Peeta, after all of this, what's your take on XXX?" Caesar asked. "I'm surprised, I mean, a minute ago I saw Katniss in a beautiful wedding dress, and then..." Peeta cut off. Peeta paused for a long time, as if making a decision.He scanned the bewitched audience, then the floor, and finally looked up at Caesar. "Caesar, do you think all the friends here can keep secrets for me?" The audience let out some unnatural laughter.what does he mean?Confidential?From whom?People all over the world are watching. "I promise it will be all right," Caesar said.

"We're married," Peeta said quietly.The audience was very surprised.And I quickly buried my face in my clothes so that no one could see the confusion on my face.What is he going to say? "But...how is this possible?" Caesar asked. "Oh, it's not a formal wedding. We didn't go to the courthouse to register or anything. But that's the custom in the 12th district. I don't know what's the custom in the other boroughs, but that's how we are in the 12th district," Peeta said , and then briefly described the custom of baking bread. "Is your family here?" Caesar asked.

"No, we didn't tell anyone, not even Haymitch. Katniss' mother would never have given us permission to do this. But you know, if we had our wedding on the Capitol, we couldn't have had a toast The ceremony, but neither of us wanted to wait any longer. So, one day, we did it," Peeta said. "It was more real to us than any paper certificate or wedding banquet." "So, this happened before the announcement of the Ultimate Race of the Century?" Caesar asked. "Of course. I bet we'd never do it after this," Peeta said, starting to feel uneasy, "but who'd have thought of that? Nobody. We've been through the Hunger Games, We were victors and everyone was thrilled to see us together. But all of a sudden—I mean, who expected this to happen?"

"You couldn't have foreseen it, Peeta." Caesar put his arm around his shoulders, "Like you said, no one can foresee. But, I have to admit, I'm glad to see you two at least happy lived together for several months." Big applause.As if encouraged, I raised my head so the audience could see the sad smile on my face.The smoke from the burning just now made my eyes red, which just added a touch of sadness to it. "I'm not happy about it," Peeta said. "I wish we had done all this after the official wedding." Hearing this, even Caesar was taken aback and said, "Of course, although your time together is short, it's better than nothing, right?"

"Maybe I should think so, Caesar," Peeta said bitterly, "if it wasn't for the kids." God, here he is again.He dropped a bombshell that made everything the other "tributes" say seem less important.Oh, maybe not.Maybe someone else built the bomb this year and he just lit the fuse. Thought I was the one who lit the fuse—with Cinna's strength; but he did it all by his wits. The bomb caused an uproar, accusations of injustice, barbarism, and cruelty poured in from all directions in the auditorium.It's impossible for even the most Capitol-loving, Hunger Games-obsessed, bloodthirsty people not to be moved, if only at this moment, by how terrifying it all is.

I am pregnant. The audience can't accept that.When they first heard the news, they were first shocked, then hesitant, and then convinced.After that, they were like a group of wounded animals, moaning, screaming, and some even shouted for help.and I?Knowing that a close-up of me appeared on TV, but I didn't want to hide my face.For a moment, even I wondered about the meaning of what Peeta said.Isn't that why I fear marriage?I worry about the future, about losing a child in the Hunger Games?Wouldn't all of this be possible now if I hadn't set up defenses against marriage and family?

Caesar could no longer control the emotions of the audience, the buzzer beeped, but no one paid any attention.Peeta nods his goodbyes to the audience, then returns silently to his seat.I saw Caesar's lips moving, but the scene was so chaotic that there was no sound at all.Finally the national anthem was played, it was so loud that I felt every muscle in my body trembling.This voice tells us where the show is going.I stood up involuntarily, and Peeta held out his hand to me, and I took his hand, watching him tear up.How many of his tears are real?Does that mean he has the same fears as I do?Isn't that what every winner has?Does every family in every district have it?

As I looked at the audience, the faces of Lulu's mother and father emerged in front of my eyes, and I thought of their pain and loss.Involuntarily, I reached out to Chave, grabbed his severed arm, and held on tightly. Then came a startling scene.All the victors held hands—some immediately, like the morphine junkie, Willis, and Beetle; hands, such as Pluto and Inobeli.By the end of the national anthem, all twenty-four victors stood in a line holding hands.It was the first public display of the combined power of the districts since the "Dark Times".The TV screen suddenly went dark, further confirming the greatness of this power.However, it was too late.In the confusion, they failed to cut the TV signal in time.Everyone saw what happened. There was also chaos on stage, the lights went out, and we stumbled to the training center.I fail to grab Chav's hand, and Peeta leads me up the elevator.Finnick and Johanna tried to come up after us, but the vicious vigilantes blocked them.Our elevator goes up quickly. As we got off the elevator, Peeta grabbed my shoulder and said, "No time, so tell me, is there anything I did wrong that I need to apologize for?" "No." I said.Peeta is doing a great job, and he doesn't need my permission to do anything.I'm glad I didn't know beforehand, so I wouldn't have time to speculate about his motives, and my guilt about Gale wouldn't cloud my judgment of Peeta's actions.He has the right to do whatever he wants. Far away in District 12, mom, sister and all their friends are dealing with the fallout from what happened today.Not far from here, just a short helicopter flight away, is the arena.Tomorrow, Peeta, me, and the rest of the "tributes" face their impending punishment.Even if misfortune happens to each of us, what happened on stage last night was worth it.We victors put on a great show against the mighty, and maybe, just maybe, the Capitol can't handle it. We waited for the others to arrive, but the elevator doors opened and only Haymitch came out. "It's all chaos outside, everyone else has been sent home, and the live recording of the TV interview has been cancelled." Peeta and I ran to the window and saw the commotion on the street below, wondering how things would turn out. "What are they talking about?" Peeta asked. "Ask President Snow to stop this match?" "I don't think they themselves know what to say. Something unprecedented has happened, and for them even the thought of going against the Capitol could lead to chaos," Haymitch said. "But Snow isn't going to call it off. .You know that, don't you?" I know.Of course, it is absolutely impossible for him to make concessions now.His only option is to suppress, recklessly suppress. "Anyone else going home?" I asked. "They were ordered to go back. I don't know if they were lucky enough to make it through the rioting crowd," Haymitch said. "Then, there's no way we'll ever see Effie again," Peeta said.I didn't see her on the morning of the game last year, "You can thank her for us." "That's not all. She made it all special. Anyway, Effie gave us a chance." I said, "Tell her how much we appreciate her, she's the best team leader we've ever met, tell She... told her we loved her." For a moment, we stood there, speechless, trying to delay the moment of parting.Afterwards, Haymitch said, "I guess we're going to say goodbye here too." "Any final suggestions?" Peeta asked. "Alive," said Haymitch gruffly.It's just a mockery of us.He hugged us quickly, and I could tell he couldn't take it anymore. "Go to bed, you need to rest." I know I have a lot to say to Haymitch, but I can't think of what to say for a while, my throat is so congested that I can't say anything.So, let Peeta do the talking for the two of us. "Take care of yourself, Haymitch," he said. Afterwards, we walked across the room, to the door, and Haymitch called to us. "Katniss, in the arena," he said, and paused.When he spoke with a straight face, it seemed that I must have let him down. "What?" I asked defensively. "You've got to remember who your enemy is," Haymitch said to me. "Well, go, go." We walked down the corridor to our room.Peeta wants to go back to his room and take a shower, get his make-up off, and be in my room in a few minutes, but I won't let him go.I'm sure the gate will be locked once it's closed between us, and I'm going to spend the night alone.Besides, my room can also take a shower.I grabbed his hand and didn't let go. can we sleepI have no idea.We cuddled all night, wandering between dreaming and waking.We didn't speak, and each other hoped that the other could sleep for a while and keep this precious sleep time. Cinna and Portia came early in the morning.I knew Peeta was leaving. "Tribute" needs to enter the arena alone.He kissed me lightly. "See you later," he said. "See you later." I replied. Cinna helped me get dressed for the game and came with me to the roof.I was about to go up the ladder of the helicopter when I suddenly remembered and said, "I haven't said goodbye to Portia yet." "I'll pass it on to her," Cinna said. The electric current immobilized me on the ladder of the helicopter, and later doctors injected the tracker into my left forearm.Now they can find me no matter where I am in the arena.Then Cinna boarded the helicopter as well.The helicopter took off and I stared out the window until everything blurred into little black dots.Cinna kept asking me to eat more, but when I couldn't eat more, he asked me to drink more.I've been sipping water, thinking about how I was dehydrated and nearly dying of thirst last year, and wondering how I can keep Peeta alive. When we got to the arena departure room, I took a shower.Cinna braided my hair and helped me put on simple undergarments.This year's outfit is a form-fitting blue jumpsuit made of sheer fabric with a full-length zipper through the front, a six-inch belt with shiny purple plastic leather, and rubber-soled nylon shoes . "What do you think?" I held up my arm for him to take a closer look at the material. He pinched the very thin fabric, frowned and said, "I can't say, this fabric is not very waterproof, and it is not very warm." "Where's the sun?" I asked, conjuring up images of a great sun in an arid desert. "Maybe, if it's taken care of," he said. "Oh, I almost forgot." He pulled a gold Mockingjay brooch out of his pocket and pinned it to my jumpsuit. "My dress was amazing last night," I said.Great and dangerous.Cinna knows this. "I thought you might like it," he said, with a forced smile. We sat there, holding hands, just like last year.A voice came, telling me to get ready.Cinna walked me over to the metal disc and zipped up my collar. "Remember, Burning Girl," he said, "I'll bet on you." He kissed me on the forehead, stepped back, and the glass dome fell over me. "Thank you," I said, even though he probably couldn't hear me.I lifted my chest, held my head high, and waited for the metal disc to rise, as he always taught me to do.But Yuanpan didn't move, still didn't move. I looked at Cinna, raising my eyebrows in confusion.He just shook his head slightly, as confused as I was.Why did they extend the time? Suddenly, the door behind Cinna opened and three vigilantes rushed into the house.Two of them clipped Cinna's arms behind him and handcuffed him, while a third punched him on the temple, sending Cinna to his knees.But they also beat him with gloves full of metal studs, and cut gashs on his face and body.I screamed miserably, banging my hands on the solid glass, trying to catch him.The security police ignored me, they dragged Cinna's frail body out of the room.There were only patches of blood left in the house. I was terrified and sad.At this moment the metal disc began to rise.I was still leaning against the glass, the wind ruffled my hair and I forced myself to stand up.Just right, the glass cover opened, and I was already standing in the arena.However, I can't see everything in front of me.The ground is extremely bright, golden, and seems to have rippling ripples.Squinting to look at the ground beneath my feet, I saw the metal disc surrounded by blue waves that lapped against my shoes.I slowly raised my head and saw a world of endless water. Only one concept clearly emerged in my mind: this is not the world of Burning Girls.