Chapter 1
I could feel my heart pounding so hard, it felt like it was gonna burst right out of my chest!
And my lungs were hammering against my ribs so I was now finding it hard to breathe, i
could feel my pace starting to slow in complete exhaustion….
but I got there, to her, Prim.
"KATNISS!" I finally heard her shout, not sure if it was in delight or in terror though, I full-on
hugged her anyway, arms embraced,
"Prim, what are you doing here? I was so worried about you when the first bombs went off
and I found you and then I thought another one was coming and that you were gonna-" I
blurted out, but Prim lay a steady hand on my shoulder as if to stop me,
"Don't worry, im one of the medics coming to help the injured in the battle field, yes the
bombs were going to hit me….but they have failed, look?" she pointed up to the sky, where
The pilot seemed to be groaning and shouting inappropriate words at the screen. I seemed
to recognise the pilot, he was maybe one of the rebels, but that didn't matter now that Prim
was not hit by the bombs and was fine!
"Well im so glad that they didn't hit because I would've blown myself up if you'd been
affected," I said, meaning it, "by the way, how was life in District 13 without me?"
"pretty rubbish," Prim laughed, "well first of all, there was my, well everyones, big fear of
you getting killed, and then when it was announced that you were missing, then dead! Well…"
"You mustve known that this Mockingjay doesn't go down without a fight, "I reassured her,
then I gave her a wink, "because Fire is catching little duck!"
Prim smiled, and I was glad that I had managed to cheer her up a bit. After that, I tried to
help her tend to the injured children and put bandages on them before Prim had to check
their injuries, we could still hear distant gun fire and the slight sound of bombing, but we
had relocated to inside the mansion and that was safe from any goings on outside at least!
I could see Gale not that far off, talking to someone who looked quite important, and
frowning….i was wondering what was wrong with him when Prim tapped me on the
shoulder to get my attention,
"so how is Peeta? Has he been as violent?" she asked,
"not really," I replied, "he is actually a lot better than he was before he came out with us,
seems to remember more,"
I shifted my gaze back to Gale because he seemed to look quite shocked now, his face had
went all pale and as white as a sheet.
"I still don't understand why President Coin brought him out to the battle though," said
Prim, shrugging, "if he didn't seem very fit and well to start with, but I suppose it doesn't
really matter now as it seems to have done him some good,"
I nodded, still staring intensively at Gale, who looked even worse now…..
I stood up about to make my way over to him when Prim tapped me on the shoulder again,
"Katniss? What's wrong?" she asked looking worried,
"its…Gale…" I managed to get out, getting worried too, "he's over there talking to one of the important people and he doesn't…"
"look well," Prim finished, now looking at him too, "maybe you should go over and see whats up."
"Yeah that's what I thought that I should do too," I said, I walked over to his direction
slowly, after convincing Prim to stay right where she was and not to move because under
these circumstances at the moment….anything could go wrong!
As I walked closer to him, he spotted me, he seemed to be trying to say something to me
because his lips were moving and it was like the Reaping all over again because I couldn't
yet again make out a word he was saying. He shook his head as I shouted for him and then
he ran off.
"GALE!" I shouted as I ran after him up the grand stairs in the mansion, he was still running
away….
I had no idea where he was headed, or where I was for that matter but I still tumbled after
him, making sure I didn't knock over anything while also trying to keep my disguises on
which were slowly coming loose, my makeup was all smudged and the clothes were ripping
into shreds getting more rapid every step I took.
When I finally taught up with him in some sort of fancy sitting room, nearly as out of breath
as I was trying to save Prim, he didn't make a great deal of sense or try to corporate!
"Katniss, get away from here do you hear me? And take Prim with you…and get away from
me too!" he shouted,
"What? What do you mean?" I asked him, confused, he just got more flustered and angry,
"PLEASE KATNISS! I'VE DONE A TERRIBLE THING! ITS…ITS ALL MY FAULT, JUST GET AS FAR
AWAY FROM THIS STUPID MANSION AS POSSIBLE!" he shouted even louder, his hands in fists,
"Gale! Please try and explain," I tried to reason with him, I got hold of one of his hands and
Held it gently, "please calm down, I know it's hard but please try!"
He yanked it away almost breaking my hand in the process, "your in great danger, might
even DIE…BECAUSE OF ME! WHAT I SO STUPIDLY DONE! You shouldn't be holding my hand,
you should be hating me…"
I stared long and hard at him, his beetroot red angry face, his eyes in true pain and I still
couldn't understand! Im in great danger…because of him…what?
I pondered long and hard over my answer and ended up saying "Gale, if your not going to
explain what you mean then im wasting my time," I stared at a nearby clock, "Prim is down
there all on her own and theres a chance this place might blow up so if your not going to
explain yourself then-"
"FINE KATNISS! BE THAT WAY!" he snapped suddenly, but then again looked terrified, as he
was before he ran away, "terrible things are going to happen to you if you stay in here, get
out. And it is my fault because I caused all of it…for my own selfishness, and remember that
I am truly sorry,and that I didn't think…it would come to this…to your death,"
and then he ran off again, crying this time.