Things would never be the same.
After what happened in that ring, we would never be the same people. Me, the lowly coal miner's daughter with a frigid disposition for anyone that tried to fake a smile around me, and Peeta, the boy who turned into a man quicker than he was supposed to for his family's sake. And mine.
As the forest enveloped the windows of our train car, you could feel the train speeding up. Taking us farther away from the horrors of the arena. Yes, we would try and forget. But how could we?
The image of Rue burns into my brain, brighter than the morning sun. The spear, protruding from her stomach, and the wood tip still shaking from the force used to throw it.
The fear in her eyes. A gleam of almost peace, but not quite. Regret? As I held her in my arms, I could see what my mother saw, time and time again. The fleeting moment in someone's eyes as they are swallowed by death. The stillness that their skin holds, the chill that overcomes them as the light in their eyes blackens.
She was scared, this was obvious. I held her, and with as much strength as I could muster, I sang for her. The tears burned like acid against my eyes as I watched her fade, my voice seizing as I felt her chest shake… and shudder… into silence. Peace.
"Katniss…"
I'm torn away by the touch of Peeta's fingers against my shoulder, his ice blue eyes looking into mine, searching.
"What do we do now?" he asks.
"We go home," I say. "and we try to forget."
"About us?" I can see the fragileness behind his question. Was it all an act? Had we developed a relationship through all of the death, and blood, and pain simply for an eager crowd and a television lens glued to our faces? I can feel the fear that washes off of Peeta as he waits for an answer.
"I don't know," I say honestly, "but at least we have time now. To figure it out."
I reach for his fingers, entwining them with mine. I feel the warmth as he squeezes them with that same firmness that I felt with him in the cave. It can't have all been an act. This feels too good. Too right.
But one thought floated in the haze in my head as I felt my eyes wander into the blurring distance.
Gale.
A/N: Hey everyone! So I'm back, after years of not being able to write anything. Last time I published here, I was in high school, and now I'm about to graduate college. Be gentle, but please leave feedback and let me know what you think! Obviously, this is just the beginning, but any criticism is welcome.