“Ah,” Caesar says as I walk to my seat. “Welcome to the stage, aqua queen.” I try to put on the best smile I can. I bet the audience can tell all the way from here that it’s fake as h3ll. “Tell me, Zaryiah,” Caesar says. “What’s your ‘motto’ for winning these games?” I think for a moment. I’ve never really planned on winning or losing. Not really. I mean, if I win, it’ll be at a cost. If I lose, at least I won’t kill millions of people. “I think it’s a mix of… ‘This too shall pass’ and.. ‘What’s meant to be will always find a way.’ and ‘Do what you can, with what you have, where you are’” I respond, almost forgetting that there’s a crowd of millions of people watching me. “Ooh, yes,” Caesar says with enthusiasm. “I love that mix.” I smile. “Thank you. I also think it’s a very good mix,” “Now, Zaryiah,” Caesar says carefully. “You’re from the… ‘water’ district. I assume you love to swim.” I hesitate before responding. Yes, I love to swim, in the secret lake I always go to. What if I was secretly caught and this is Snow’s way of showing me? I decide to just stay calm and respond calmly. “Yes,” I say, trying to fake my cheerfulness. “I’m pretty sure everyone in District 4 does.” “Yes, I’m sure they do, too.” Caesar says. There’s silence for a few seconds before I suddenly break it. “I love to sing, too,” I quickly say. “Would you like to hear?” I turn my head to the audience and I start to hear cheering, as if they’re saying yes. “Yes, I’d love to,” Caesar smiles. I slowly stand up from my chair and open the locket. Inside, is a picture of a tree, and on the 2nd side of the locket, it says ‘The Hanging Tree’ in cursive font. “Are you, are you, comin to the tree?” I start to sing, my voice the sound of an angel. “Where they strung up a man, they say who murdered three.” I hear gasps from the crowd. Pictures behind me start playing. It’s like the pictures are illustrating the lyrics. “Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be.” I continue. “If we met at midnight, in the hanging tree.” Suddenly, holograms of mockingjays form behind me, flying around me and singing along with me. “Are you, are you, comin to the tree? Where a dead man called out, for his love to flee.” the mockingjays and I sing in unison. “Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be. If we met at midnight, in the hanging tree.” Everything sounds so beautiful with the mockingjays in the background. I can tell Caesar looks shocked, angry, and impressed at the same time. “Are you, are you, comin to the tree? Where I told you to run, so we’d both be free. Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be. If we met at midnight in the hanging tree.” I sing. I pause for 2 seconds before singing the last bit. “Are you, are you, comin to the tree?” I continue to sing, the mockingjays singing with me. Suddenly, I begin to ascend and a rope wraps around my neck, and that rope is hanging from a tree. I don’t feel the rope on my neck though, as if it’s fake. What if this is their way of showing me im gonna die if I continue? But then, I think of it differently. This is the dress Hark designed working its magic. It’s mocking the way the Capital used to lynch people. The pictures rise with me. “Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me. Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be. If we met, at midnight, in the hanging tree.” I finally finish. The mockingjays stop too, but they still continue to fly around me. I’m still floating, but the rope around my neck disappears and behind me is a hologram of President Snow, a rope around his neck. The mockingjays suddenly merge together into one big mockingjay and they float above me. After about 5 seconds of this image shown, it all disappears and I carefully return to the ground. I bow and walk out.
