Disclaimer: The Hunger Games and all the characters belong to Suzanne Collins. Not me, sadly…
MAJOR SPOILER FOR MOCKINGJAY. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, STOP RIGHT HERE.
Hi ppl!
IM BACK! I WASN'T DEAD! Though I haven't been posting for 2 years… :P
I've only recently picked up The Hunger Games, and I LOVED it! All three books, though I found the ending to Mockingjay rather disappointing, because it seemed rather abrupt. I was really sad to see Gale and Katniss' relationship left hanging in the air, so I suppose this story is something to fill the space.
He just came, one day out of the blue.
It was a stiflingly hot afternoon, and I was clearing out the China cupboard when I noticed the disturbance outside the window.
I stepped outside to join the crowd of excited children running to the meadow, staring up into the sky. Just above was a little dot blocking the sun- a black hovercraft slowly descending. I waited, curious, as the grass flattened and the air filled with the scent of wildflowers. Was it an official visit, like the last time?
Then he stepped out, in his smart suit and shiny shoes, dispersing the crowd.
I couldn't think- my feet carried me back to the house, where I sat in a corner, hoping, praying, that he wouldn't come.
What a coward I was.
But of course, I heard the sharp knocks outside my door before long.
Rap, tap tap tap, Rap. Just like he used to.
I opened the door, and there he was-broad-shouldered and almost a head taller than me.
"Hello, Katniss."
He looked just like he did on TV, completely official and foreign.
"Hello, Gale."
He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Just here on official business, you understand. See how the district's been getting along." I nodded, and a long silence lapsed between us. Then I stood and showed him around the house- the fireplace, the kitchens' shiny countertop, the worn out sofas. Meaningless pleasantries were exchanged. Suddenly, the words stewing in my stomach finally burst out of my mouth.
"Are you happy, Gale?"
He looked rather surprised, and then a familiar look in his eyes suddenly returned. He smiled. We both knew what had been unspoken. He met my gaze, the silent apologies hanging in the air between us.
"Yeah, Catnip."
I saw the fire, the contentment in his eyes- and understood. He had fulfilled what he had always wanted to do. He wasn't ever like me, a person content to just step aside and let others do the work. He needed to contribute, to be part of the fight.
And besides, I wasn't the only thing in his life that mattered. Rather selfish thinking on my part, really.
The troubling emotions I had forced deep in my chest finally broke free, and our bright voices filled the house. Immersed in the little tales of each other's lives, I suddenly felt like a little girl, reconciling with a long lost friend.
When the sky streaked with strokes of red, we strolled down the trodden path to the meadow, where his hovercraft waited. Walking up the metal steps, he suddenly turned, eyes warm.
"You'll be a good mother, Catnip. Stay happy."
Then the hovercraft rose up into the sky, growing smaller and smaller till it was gone. But the feeling of contentment stayed.
I rested my hand on my round stomach, and smiled.