Hazel's footsteps were almost silent as she descended the staircase in near-complete darkness. The only light in the entire home was the flickering of warm candles on the first floor. They beckoned to her from the dining room like sunlight at the end of a train tunnel. She frowned at the cozy illumination; everyone should've been asleep.

The tinkling of fork tongs dancing over ceramic was the only detectable sound. Turning the corner, the source of the disturbance became clear.

Silus sat at the table, eyes downcast as he fixed his attention on eating. His hair curled along the edges, swaying gently when he began to hum. The warm light of candles bathed his face in a way that reminded her of the day they buried him. As Hazel crept closer, his chocolate gaze shifted to her.

"Hey, Haze." His features were just as she wished to remember them, full of life. Her heart rate doubled as she treaded through the wave of nostalgia-tinged grief flooding her senses.

"Little brother." She called as she rounded the table, pulling out the chair across from him and sinking into it.

Resting on his plate was a sight she never thought she would ever live to see. A thick slice of cheesecake rested there, identical to the one from the twin's birthday the year prior. It was a toasted vanilla hue with a crumbling crust and little lemon shavings dusted along the top.

"It would take you dying to realize cheesecake is amazing." Letting out a shaky breath, she murmured, "I don't think Mom will ever make it again."

She jumped as the fridge slammed shut.

"What a shame," Cedar called as he strode out of the kitchen, a large plate in hand, two slices of cheesecake piled on top. The redhead licked his lips as he haphazardly threw himself into the chair beside Silus. "The world will certainly be a less delicious place without Fern's cheesecake."

"Yeah," Hazel mumbled as she watched the two, "The world is much emptier now."

Cedar pointed to the kitchen with his fork, "Grab yourself some, Hazelnut."

Hazel shook her head, "Not hungry."

"Still full from dinner with the Senator?" Cedar asked. Hazel sent him a sharp stare. He licked his lips, unfazed, "Or should I call him President?"

"That's not decided yet." Hazel shivered, "Until the election, at least."

"Election?" Silus asked.

Hazel shrugged and nodded. An election was something she had never experienced. None of them had. But it was the official story from the Capitol. It would be the first in a lifetime, though only Capitol citizens would be allowed to vote. At least, that is what Lucky Flickerman had said after the announcement of Ravinstill's sudden retirement. Though the details were fuzzy from the sheer shock her mind had been wading through after the news broke.

"How democratic," Cedar mumbled through another large bite.

Silus paused his chewing to watch her. "Apparently, the drama didn't end with the Games."

Hazel ran a hand over her face, "That's an understatement."

Cedar smirked as he took another bite, and Silus wiped away crumb remnants from his chin. Hazel sighed deeply, "I wish I could just stay here."

The two looked up at her as Cedar cleared his throat, "You think this is a dream?"

She nodded to the cheesecake, "Either that or I'm dead too."

"That's not what he means," Silus corrected as he pushed away his plate. Turning his deep eyes on her, his voice dropped. "It's a nightmare, Haze."

Hazel felt a cool, fluid sensation like icy fingers caressing her ankle. Frowning, she peered under the table. She sucked in a deep breath at the sight beneath.

There was a rapidly growing pool spreading across the floor. Deep indigo water bubbled up from the floorboards and rugs, saturating every surface. Within seconds, it was lapping against her calves. Not more water.

Stumbling to her feet, her chair tipped over with a muted splash. The two men were seemingly unfazed. Cedar continued to eat his dessert while Silus watched her with a solemn frown.

"Why does this keep happening?" Hazel croaked, the pool reaching her knees as she gripped the table. The flood around her swirled, collecting faster than she could comprehend.

"He's tried to tell you before," Silus said.

The sound of rushing liquid filled her ears. Hazel shrieked, "I'm not sure my grief coping is relevant right now."

"More like the lack of." Cedar corrected.

Hazel spun toward the front doors, wading through the waist-deep water until she reached the handles. But as hard as she pulled, the doors didn't budge. It was as if the seams had been sealed with cement.

"Only you can stop this," Cedar called from the dining room as her chest submerged, and she began to float; her feet became weightless, having lost all contact with the floor. Logs from the fireplace rose to the surface, along with a pair of boots and utensils from the kitchen.

"I swear, Cedar if you tell me to let go one more time," Hazel yelled over the roar.

Water was all around, sloshing against the wood-paneled walls. Pieces of furniture floated through what was once the living room, along with a familiar picture frame.

Suddenly, the candles extinguished, and the room plunged into an inky darkness. Hazel treaded in desperate strokes, peering back toward the dining room, but Cedar and Silus were gone. Instead, a slithering sensation slid across her spine, and she lurched away.

"Wait!" Hazel gurgled just as the fluid rushed over her head. She pounded her palms against the waterlogged ceiling when a thick, warm hand gripped her shoulder, shaking her.

"Marlowe, wake up."

Her eyes burst open as she took in a large gulping breath. Clutching at the soft sheets of her bed, she curled in on herself.

Her breaths were ragged, and she sucked in the sweet, dry air of her bedroom. Frantically, she searched the space, but it was quiet, dark, and lacking any hint of flooding.

Who knew Cedar and Silus would have made such a traumatic team in the afterlife.

"I guess everyone needs a friend," she breathed.

"Glad you think so highly of me." A masculine voice centered her. Looming over her was Leo, holding her arm with his wide hand.

She gazed up at him as she sat up, shivering from the fading sensation of the chilled liquid over her limbs, dragging her into their depths.

"Drayton?" She breathed out between sharp exhales. It was early and still very dark. But there was something odd: Sable was on duty when she went to sleep. The bulky figure of her most senior peacekeeper was absent from his post. "Did the old man call off?"

Leo shrugged, "I let him have a little extra shut-eye before we leave for the tour."

Hazel turned back to the peacekeeper, "Why?"

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A small smile spread over his lips, and his grey eyes sparkled with a hint of rebelliousness. "I have a surprise. Come with me."

"Leo, I don't know..."

But Leo was not easily dissuaded, "You've got other plans?"

She paused, studying him but not agreeing. On one hand, Bellona's words from the day before echoed through her mind. On the other, it wasn't like she would actually be able to go back to sleep now.

"What about Sable...and your sister?"

"I won't tell if you won't." Leo tilted his head at her when she continued to hesitate, "Unless you want to return to that lovely dream you were clearly having?"

Hazel shook her head as she relented to his insistence. "Ok, fine." She did her best to calm her shivering as she peeled herself out of her sweat-drenched sheets.

Leo moved to her closet with a small triumphant smirk, pulling out her heavy lumberjack pants and the thick navy winter coat. "Put these on."

He strode to the door and turned his back, arms crossed, waiting. Once she was dressed, she followed him out of her room and down the stairs. As they reached the first floor, she cast a glance at the dark dining room. It was bathed in a blinding dimness. There were no candles, no cheesecake, no Silus, no Cedar, and, most importantly, no floodwaters.

"Come on," Leo whispered, appearing to notice her hesitation. She shook off the remnants of her dream as Leo paused at the front doors, nodding to the axes, "Grab Oliver; you are going to need him."

Hazel paused, quirking a brow at the man. "What?"

Leo didn't respond. Instead, he pulled open the doors and gestured for her to follow. Hazel grabbed her axe, reveling in its familiarity for a moment. Without another word of encouragement, Hazel finally followed Leo out into the cold. He strode away from the house to the front gate, pulling it open.

"I heard you found what you've been looking for," Leo said as the two meandered down the snow-covered street.

"I did. Now I just need the privacy to use it," she replied. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Is that what we are doing?"

Leo paused, and she realized they were standing before the gait of a neighboring, empty Victor mansion.

"Not the time or the place. Ensure when you do, you are absolutely certain of both." Leo turned his head up to the sky, "Besides, that's not what the axe is for."

"Then what is it?" she asked, shifting Oliver in her palms.

Leo dug a hand into a cargo pocket, pulling out a key. Without a word, he unlocked the gate and marched inside the front garden. With a small smile, Hazel followed behind. They weaved around the home until they were in the backyard. Despite the moon still guarding the sky, the lamp lights gave just enough illumination to see that something was waiting up ahead of them.

A square slab of particle board rested upright in the snow. It was painted with three red circles around a center matching one. Leo paused, allowing her to catch up as it became clear why he had brought her there.

Hazel stared at the target, her feet heavy, her fingers sliding over Oliver's handle in anticipation. The last game of axe throwing she had played felt like decades ago. Warm tears pricked at her frigid lids. She wiped her sleeve over her eyes as she sucked in another deep breath of winter air.

Leo watched her in the dimness, his brow suddenly furrowed in concern, his jaw rigid. He swiveled his stare from her to the target and then back, "Maybe this was a bad idea."

Hazel trudged through the dense layers of snow at their feet until she reached him. Tucking Oliver in her belt, she wrapped her shivering hand over his forearm. A light smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Though she feared it looked more like a melting grimace. Leo stiffened, seemingly surprised, as he stared down at her. After a moment, his muscles relaxed, and he patted her hand with his. "Ok, so not bad."

His face was carefully masked, and his eyes lowered as she pulled Oliver back into her hands.

"Do they cover axe throwing in peacekeeper school?" She questioned, swallowing down her tears.

"It's called military training." Leo shook his head, biting down on a smile. "And no, it's not a subject they covered."

Hazel aligned herself with the target, "Ok then, Drayton, get ready to be schooled, my friend."

A pearlescent cloud of air escaped his lips as he moved to stand behind her, "I have to warn you, Marlowe..." Leo's breath puffed out around him, tangling in her hair. "I'm a fast learner."

"Then it's only fair that I warn you, Drayton." Hazel chuckled as she stepped forward, pulling the axe over her head and squaring her shoulders. "I'm a lousy teacher," she murmured as she let the axe fly from her grip. Her hands were outstretched, fingers pointing at the target.

A stinging swoosh filled the air as the blade sliced through the frozen atmosphere like a knife through a softened slice of dessert, swift and satisfying. Oliver's axehead connected with the target just to the right of the center with a deeply satiating thwack.

The reverberation was faint, but it might as well have been a birdsong ringing through her soul. Gone were the sounds of death, screams, and blood. All that met her senses was the whistling frozen breeze and the rhythm of her heated breath.

Leo let out a whistle at her ear. "Nice shot."

Hazel's face stretched in an uncontainable smile. "Yeah, yeah." She laughed before crunching her way toward her axe. With a firm grip on the particleboard, she pulled her weapon free. With a dramatic twirl, she extended it toward Leo, "Your turn."

Time passed without notice as they took turns heaving Oliver at the target, Hazel advising him of the proper footing and hand positions. Leo, for his part, held the axe less awkwardly with each turn. Only a handful of times did they have to dig the axe out of a snowdrift when he completely missed.

Her muscles burned, and her hand ached, but the enjoyment of exertion drowned any pain she felt. The tendrils of her nightmare still lingered like ripples following a stone's descent into a pond. Its presence was slowly fading from her senses, not quite gone but lessening with each passing minute and each throw of her axe. She nearly scoffed. They'd be leaving District Seven in just a few hours, and yet, with the crisp mountain air in her lungs and Oliver in her grip, she felt at home.

Eventually, the morning sun bathed them in its greeting. Leo landed another throw dead center while Hazel let out an impressed sound. Their hands met in a high five as he seemed more than pleased with himself.

"You were right about being a fast learner." She commented as he strode toward the target to remove the axe.

"Well, you were wrong," Leo replied as he placed a hand on the target and pulled Oliver's blade free with the other. "You aren't a half-bad teacher,"

Hazel let a calming laugh fall from her lips, and her shoulders relaxed.

"Glad you trusted me?" He asked.

Hazel sucked in another lungful of the crystalline air, "It sure beats nightmares."

As he got closer, he asked, "What were they about this time?"

Hazel's scrutiny dropped to her boots, "The usual."

"Hmm," Leo murmured, "Silus?"

"And Cedar," Hazel breathed, "And drowning. I think the tour is making them worse."

Leo watched her carefully, Oliver resting in his outstretched hands, "And now? Any hallucinations or flashbacks?"

Hazel paused, "No, actually." She pulled her weapon from him, "Is that why you did this?"

He shrugged, his gray eyes sparkling with almost a gold-like sheen in the warm morning light, "Sometimes you have to replace a negative association with a positive one. I was hoping that I could at least..." He glanced at the target, "Give something back to you."

Hazel considered the man before her more closely. She met his eyes once again, "You're killing me."

A bewildered look crossed his features, his face growing serious.

"I'm never going to work off this tab."

He appeared to fight an eye roll as he ran a hand over his brow, "Marlowe."

Hazel spun the axe between her hands, "Maybe we can take Oliver on the tour." Leo raised an eyebrow as she responded, "So you can practice, of course."

"Careful, more practice and your student might become the master." Leo stared at the axe with a soft expression.

Hazel shot him a falsely sharp look, "A couple of bullseyes, and you are practically a lumberjack, huh?"

A genuine smile spread over his lips. "I wouldn't dream of taking your job. But, I doubt Indira would approve of such an accessory."

A familiar yet weirdly shrill sound broke through the morning air. "What in the gem of Panem are you doing out here!" Indira's sharp voice shattered the relaxation in Hazel's bloodstream.

"Speak of the devil..." Hazel breathed.

Indira was holding up a long, daffodil yellow dress as she trudged in the snow toward them, an angry grimace on her face.

She was followed by Festus, who also looked less than enthused, as well as a host of peacekeepers. Flanking the group were Bellona and Sable. Bellona's lips were pressed into an unwavering line, and there was a disapproving glint in her eye.

Leo glanced down at his watch, "Oh shit." He cursed, sending Hazel an apologetic grimace.

Hazel whispered, "Your half-bad teacher's got this one."

She pushed herself between him and Indira, "Sorry, Indira. I asked Leo if I could do something fun and not speech-related before I am tortured for the next few weeks."

"This is considered fun?" Festus looked disgusted at her sweaty hair, Oliver, and the torn-up target.

"Her sense of a good time is lacking at best, Mr. Creed," Sable muttered. "And it seems she has found a way around the doctor's orders." Sable met Leo's eyes, "And somehow convinced Leo to enable her."

Leo swallowed, and his gaze dropped to the snow. "Sable.." Leo started, but Hazel didn't allow him to finish

"Don't be jealous, Pytash; you are still my favorite." Hazel jabbed as she held out the axe, "You wanna have a go?"

Sable scoffed but didn't have a chance to answer fully.

"We don't have time for this." Indira's tone was sizzling. Her heated stare seemed like it could practically melt the snow around them. "You still have to get ready and packed. The train is leaving this morning, and we are already behind schedule."

Hazel glanced at Leo, "Time just got away from me."

"Ms. Lovegood is correct. No more standing around," Sable commanded, and the gathering embarked, moving away from the makeshift target. "Let's get a move on before she convinces someone else to pick up another lame exercise."

"How do you feel about tree climbing?" Hazel replied.

Sable muttered under his breath as the group headed back toward her house. Indira complained to Festus about everything she had to do and all the items she needed to prepare for the entire walk back. Hazel sent her several apologetic grimaces, which seemed to cool her anger, though her escort's annoyance remained.

Hazel walked quietly next to Leo, casting a few glances his way. He intermittently did the same, though when their eyes met, his always dropped back to the path ahead.

Once they were just outside her home, Hazel whispered, "Leo?"

"Hmm?" He murmured, staring forward.

Hazel pulled Oliver closer to her chest as her green eyes met his grey ones, "Thank you."