~All characters belong to Suzanne Collins~

The sun goes down, and I begin my daily battle to keep my eyes open.

I can't risk turning my mind off. Nightmares are now a permanent fixture in my mind, just waiting for the extended darkness of sleep to pounce and make my life a living hell. Sometimes they slowly seep into my consciousness when I'm awake, mixing up my already muddled thoughts with agonized screams and painful heartbreak.

I've learned to keep myself busy at night, even resorted to trying coffee again, as I try to prolong the almost blissful period between horrors. I do laundry. Clean my bow. Tie knots until my fingers are raw and bleeding. Anything. But there's only one true remedy. More than once I've woken up from a nightmare and found myself in front of my door, hand on the doorknob, feet geared to go two houses away from mine. To the only place I'm sure I can manage the darkness.

But he's not there.

I honestly don't know if he's still here. I haven't seen him at all since he planted the evening primroses outside my house. Even if he's living here, in District 12, he's not here. Not my Peeta. He was captured by President Snow, and I'm almost positive he's never going to see the light again.

Now, as I sit here at my table, watching the disappearing rays of orange and red in the sky, all I can think about is the hatred in his eyes when he screamed at Delly Cartwright in 13.

A mutt! She's a stinking mutt!

The cold defiance of his hands as they tightened around my neck, choking my feeling of elation from the moment of seeing him there, healthy. Forcing all of my hopes and dreams into the darkest part of my soul.

My eyes are beginning to get heavy, my mind beginning to wander. No! I scream in my mind. The nightmares would be some of the worst yet tonight if I give in. I stand up and pace around on the kitchen floor, repeatedly splashing water on my face. I can't even remember the last time I slept. I wonder if Peeta does. I wonder if he's even here. I wonder if he remembers me. The old me. The girl on fire.

I'm finding it hard to remember her myself.

My thoughts are wandering again. I force myself to focus on something, anything. I go into the living room and pick up the broom, sweeping up the dust-laden floors. My eyes drift to the couch. You could just sit down for a little while, I tell myself. Maybe then you won't be so sleepy. I drift toward the couch. The broom drops to the floor. I land on my back and go out like a light.

I enter a dream-state. I'm surrounded my primroses and rues, blood coating their beautiful colors. Fire burns in the distance. In front of me, there's a heavy concrete door. I tug on it, and it opens without a sound. I step in, and am assaulted by the smell of human misery. The door slams shut behind me. I squint, trying to make sense of the scene in front of me in the dim light. Soon I see two figures, sitting on what appears to be damp ground. Shapes become more distinct. Colors swim into focus. I see two familiar people. Johanna and Peeta. They seem to be discussing something.

"Naw, she loves you," says Johanna in a hoarse, weak voice. "I saw it in her eyes on the elevator after the chariot rides, in your interviews, after the jabberjays in the arena. Compared to you, Gale is a schoolgirl crush."

Peeta seems conflicted. He takes a deep breath, preparing to say something. Just then, bright light floods the room. Peeta's eyes widen in fear. Two large, bulky figures march into the cell. They harshly pull Peeta to his feet, making him cry out in pain.

"We got something special for you." The larger one growls. They both laugh, and lead him out of the cell. Strangely, they leave the door open. I rush through it, wanting to reach Peeta, but instead I enter a small meadow. Then I'm running, away from something. No matter how long I run, no matter how much my lungs burn, I stay in the same place. Soon the thing I was running from catches up to me, knocking me to the ground and pinning me by my shoulders. I look up in the face of my assailant. It is Peeta. Gale is standing behind him, knife in hand, laughing maniacally. Peeta morphs into bear with the same honey-colored hair, same blue eyes. His teeth elongate into 5-inch switchblades, slowly going in and out of his mouth His weight crushes me, my spine, and he brings his paw down with a force that cracks my head open.

I wake up. Curled into a ball on the floor, hands clutching my face. My throat is raw from screaming. I stand up, and black spots dance in my vision.

I need him.

Making a split-second decision, I walk over to my door on wobbly legs and only hesitate for a moment at my doorknob before thrusting it open to the warm summer night. I run to his house, felling paranoid, feeling chased by the Peeta mutt. I see a small, flickering light in one of the upstairs windows. It's wide open. I take a deep breath, gathering my courage, and knock on the door.

Me writing more depends on if I get any reviews! Please, tell me your opinions!