The whipping of Gale Hawthorne.

Gale was still fuming after his fight just earlier with Katniss. Though, he had wished he had kept those Capitol gloves, Cinnas, she had said? His hands were freezing as he clutched the neck of the dead turkey.

As Gale headed to Old Cray's house, he thought about the fight he had just had. "I know"? Really? He couldn't believe she had said that! If only she had known before she went to those stupid games…

As he scuffed his boots on the worn mat outside, Gale rapped on the door to Old Cays house. Gale despised him, but he knew Cray would give him a good price for the turkey.

Gale rocked on his heels to keep warm, when the door sprang open with a restrained creak, Gale drew in his breath sharply.

"Don't you know poaching illegal, boy?" said a very large man that towered over Gale. His hair was buzz cut to nearly invisible. A peacekeeper, obviously. The uniformed said so, but he didn't know who it was.

"I-I..." Gale stammered.

"Thought that old Cray would be here, eh?" He spat down at Gale's shoe, then grabbed his collar and dragged him to the withered post that stood in the town square for Public Punishment. People around stopped and looked at the familiar face being punished.

"This young man here has been caught illegally poaching, and must be punished for his actions!" The peacekeeper, Thread was his name, or so said the name tag.

"B-but I wasn't even in the woods!" Gale tried to reason. "I found the turkey near the fence down in the Seam, and stabbed it with a stick!"

"It is illegal to kill any animal outside the district, boy! That animal was Capitol property!"

Gale didn't reply, stuck.

"Thus, this boy will be immediately punished with whipping at the post!" Thread called out.

"What!" Gale cried.

Thread didn't reply, but instead forced Gale into a kneeling position by the post, tying his hands out so he was immobile.

Gale couldn't think, what about-

Thread tore Gale's shirt and Jacket of in swift motion, leaving him bare-chested.

Damn, is he gonna freeze me to death? Gale thought, as he saw Thread step away. But he turned back with a menacing looking whip. Gale gulped.

He heard the final steps, and the raising of the whip, the crack and-

"Holyshitthatfuckinghurt" Gale thought as he screamed. More people were gathering around the post.

Again, the whip contacted gale's back and he could feel the blood bursting from the new welts. Gale cried out again as the chilled wind froze the out-pouring blood.

As Gale was whipped viciously, he became woozy, less aware of what was happening. He cried out another time, but by now his vocal cords were strained, and the sound that came out seemed distant.

"Thread!" He heard, barely. Darius.

The whip was late with its impact, Gale cowered, but nothing came. Thread had replied, "What do you want? Can't see I'm carrying out punishment?"

"Exactly, you don't wanna kill him. You've done enough," Darius snapped, Gale slurred something in agreement.

"Excuse me?" Thread bellowed. Again, Gale heard the crack of the whip, but no impact. He heard a slump, of Darius's unconscious body hitting the frozen cobblestones.

Another whip. Gale flinched barely, moaned "Katniss";he thought he heard her calling voice in answer, then and all went black.