LEGENDS ▹ the hunger games au

xxvi

WILLOW SNOW

"TODAY IS OUR NEW BEGINNING.

TODAY: WE HAVE FREED THE VICTORS.

TOMORROW: PANEM!"

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

KATNISS returned to the land of the living.

She panicked the moment she felt something cold around her throat, and she jolted hard against it, bringing another bout of fresh pain along with it. A plastic collar chafed her neck, making her feel like she was trapped and suffocating. She fought wildly against it.

"No, Katniss." Prim appeared above her, fingers stroking her hair in a calming manner, "You're okay, you're just swollen. Don't touch the brace."

Katniss struggled to remain calm, trying to convince herself she could still breathe. Her red—tinged eyes swung around the room. A hospital room. Haymitch was by the wall and Peeta sat beside her, blue eyes on the ground as he clung tightly to her hand. His other hand was balled into a fist and was pressed so hard against his lips that they had turned a pale milky white.

"Will—," she wheezed out, trying and failing to get her voice to make sound.

"Don't try to talk, Katniss." Peeta assured her, voice soft but raspy, eyes still on the ground, "Will is... okay. They just... had to get her off you before..."

Before she killed her.

Katniss was going to be sick.

Will was strong, even in her starved and wounded state, and somehow, she had managed to choke the life out of Katniss before anyone could stop her.

It was Boggs and Gale who had finally restrained Will before any permanent damage could be done. Peeta and Haymitch would have come to her defense if they hadn't been utterly unprepared. To catch all three victors off guard could be considered a rare — even impressive — thing, if this weren't all so terrible. They had been so consumed with saving Willow, so tortured by having her in the Snows' hands, that the thrill of having her back blinded them.