Rita's Story: The Uprising

    "NO!" I scream in horror as the Peacekeeper makes his way to Fiona.

    I shoot the Peacekeeper with one of my arrows. He had shot an arrow at her; I no longer care about the idea that we were going to not harm any Peacekeepers on our way to District 13, I just want him dead, I want him to pay with his life for shooting my little sister. My arrow finds home in his eye since he wasn't wearing his head piece. I turn to face Fiona, I hope that I can heal her newest injury, but I'm filled with horror when I look at her. I can't help but stare at my little sister, she's looking at the arrow that's in her stomach. She slowly pulls it out and lets it fall to the ground with a faint thud. She swoons and I catch her before she hits the ground. I lay her on the ground then I pull her head in my lap.

    The harsh feeling of Deja vu comes over me and I remember being in the 70th Hunger Games at the age of 12. I remember little 12 year old Scarlet from District 11. Scarlet who had been my ally, Scarlet who I failed to save. Fiona looks at me, her blue eyes beg me to help her. I know I want to, but how? I remember singing to Scarlet as she died and I want to do the same, but I don't want to use the same song I sang to Scarlet. I think of another one that I heard. It was one that Katniss Everdeen had sang to Rue, her 12 year old ally from District 11 as she died.

    I stroke Fiona's blonde hair from her eyes. Tears come from both of our eyes as we look into each others, we both know that this is the end for Fiona. I'm not going to tell her that she's going to be okay, I know she's no fool. I ignore the harsh pounding on my left temple and the blood coming down the side of my face from the left temple too, I force my choked voice to sing:

Deep in the meadow, under the willow:
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow.
Lay down your head, and close your eyes,
And when they open, the sun will rise.

Here it’s safe, and here it’s warm,
Here the daisies guard you from every harm.
Here your dreams are sweet,
And tomorrow brings them true.
Here is the place where I love you.

Deep in the meadow, hidden far away:
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray.
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay,
And when again it’s morning, they’ll wash away.

Here it’s safe, and here it’s warm,
Here the daisies guard you from every harm.
Here your dreams are sweet,
And tomorrow brings them true.
Here is the place where I love you.

Here is the place where I love you.

    Fiona looks at me her eyes begging me to comfort her. I can hear foot steps and I think it's Ann, Mat, Lizz, my little brothers Klaus and Duncan, and the two teens that are also from District 5 coming around us to see how badly Fiona's hurt. When I hear my brothers scream, I whip my head around to find people in white grabbing my brothers. I go to shoot them with my bow, but then I feel someone grab my arms while someone else yanks my weapons away. I know it's useless to fight back against the Peacekeepers, they're stronger than us.

    They pull me to my feet and I have to squeeze my eyes shut to keep myself from throwing up because the trees are spinning. When I open them, I watch as two men dressed in white grab my little sister and begin to carry her away. Fiona's eyes are staring at me and she reaches a hand out toward me.


    I struggle from the people holding me back and then I begin screaming at the top of my lungs at them. I can't let the Capital get a hold of my little sister. If they do, they'll heal Fiona up, then they'll torture her for answers...they might even kill her even if they do get the answers they want......

"No! NO! LEAVE FIONA ALONE! IT'S ME YOU WANT! I'M THE ONE YOU WANT TO HARM! I'LL DO ANYTHING! JUST DON'T HURT MY SISTER! GIVE HER BACK! GIVE MY SISTER BACK!!!"

    They ignore me as they carry her farther from me. The pain in my head's worse and I'm forced to keep it down. The last thing I see is part of a grown man...and I think he's holding a bottle of whisky in his hand, but I'm not sure. I manage to choke out one last thing:

"Please...don't harm Fiona...don't harm my friends or my family...just kill me and spare them...please..."

"Now why the hell would we do that sweetheart?" The man asks...I think his voice is slurred too.

That's when I black out.