A/N: Can you tell I'm a little obsessed with Haymitch? :D
The world was slowly slipping away. Haymitch Abernathy couldn't decide if this was a good thing or not. One day it's all crashing down, the next it's as if it were never there. Of course, it was always there, somewhere.
The last few weeks had truly been a living Hell for him. When he arrived back home in District 12 he was already struggling with a vast array of emotions. He was relieved to be out of the Seam and living in the Victor's Village. However, there was a certain guilt he felt when he attended the funerals of the three fallen tributes. Especially Maysilee Donner. He was just getting by with the support of his family until two months ago.
He could still remember that dreadful day he came home from the market to find his family massacred. Both his mother and his younger brother were gone. He ran to find the only person on the planet who could comfort him. She was gone too. It was all his fault. If he hadn't pulled that stunt with the force field in the arena they would still be here. Granted, he probably wouldn't be here, but three lives are more valuable than one.
Now he had been struggling to keep himself together. He had no one. No one to talk to or to go to for comfort. He was on his own. His grief slowly began to consume his entire being. He had no way to cope. He began losing sleep, up until the point when he would stay awake for a week and a half, just to avoid the the nightmares. He stopped eating, so much so that he was considerably skinnier than he was just a couple of weeks ago.
The people of District 12 began acting weirdly around him. They all could see what the pain was doing to the once strong Haymitch Abernathy. The first Victor they had had in years. Even young children realized something was off with him. He recalled one occasion when a young girl, no older than five, ran off from her mother to wrap him in a small, yet suprisingly strong embrace. Haymitch had been so numb from the pain and so shocked by the sudden warmth, he had not known how to react. The mother quickly retrieved her child and gave Haymitch a concerned look. That was weeks ago.
Today when he stepped out onto his porch he found a small basket which contained five bottles of white liquor. Attatched was a short note: "Hope this helps." It was not signed. He brought the basket inside and placed it on a counter in the kitchen. The house seemed to emit eerie echoes in the silence. He just stared at it for a while, unsure what to do. He had only ever had one drink in his life, when he was in the Capitol. It was alright. He decided to leave the basket on the counter and go take a nap. He was going on day 9 without sleeping much. He passed out on the couch only to be roused awake screaming for his mother. Of course, she couldn't run to comfort her. Neither could his brother. Or his girlfriend. Everything came crumbling down and he sat in the sitting room sobbing. He wanted to end it all.
He ran to th kitchen for a knife but instead grabbed the basket of liquor. He popped the cork out of one and took a sip. The liquid burnt his throat going down, but it felt good. Before he knew it he had downed the first bottle. He was feeling a little dizzy, but reached for the second bottle anyway. When he had finished it he was senseless. He continued to down the bottles until he had downed the last one. He felt the urge to vomit, but as he stumbled his way to the bathroom he passed out in a hallway.
It was the first burndenless sleep he had experienced in months.
A/N: So, this isn't the best and its probably an idea that's been used over and over again. But there you are. Read and Review!