"You can leave now," I said as quickly as possible. It was always so awkward when they stayed longer than they needed to. The young woman got up and hurriedly put her clothes back on. She hesitated at the doorway and I gestured for her to leave. She wasn't anything special so she didn't get any bonus of food or something. She had her money, and that was all she wanted to begin with. I jumped into the shower and tried to erase the smell of her off of me. I always felt a twinge of guilt, abusing those poor girls. However, it was a dog eat dog world out there. Those girls needed money, and I needed sex. It was a simple exchange, nothing more.
As I got dressed, I looked at the picture of my true love, Marissa. She had died twenty years ago in some accident. We were married for ten years and she was expecting…maybe that's why I had become this monster. Cray, the man who preyed on young girls. I needed to fill the void somehow…
I pulled on my jacket and headed towards the Hob. Everyone trembled with fear as they saw me. I didn't do anything cruel, but no one wanted to be associated with me. I made it to the Hob and was greatly relieved. This was the only place people treated me normally. I walked over and bought some white liquor. I don't know what I'd do without it. It was the only thing that kept me stable at night when the nightmares came. Of how I ran to our house in flames, how I heard her screams come within, and how I smelled her flesh burn. My lovely Marissa was no more after that day. We were living in the Capital when she died, and that was the reason I became a Peacekeeper. To get away from all this pain, but the pain only stayed away for so long.
I practically ran back to my house before I started to cry. I couldn't break down in public. That wasn't good for my image. I ran into my house and dropped to the floor. How dare she! I stood back up and walked over to her picture. I picked it up and chucked it across the room. How dare she leave me! I ran over to the picture and started to tear it to shreds. How could she go die and leave me here all alone! I dropped to the floor and started to sob uncontrollably. Please come back. She knew that I wasn't strong enough to handle this world by myself! If only she had been more careful about what she said. I need you… About what she did…maybe she wouldn't have died. Maybe the Capital wouldn't have killed my wife. Please come back!
She was always a rebel. It took me five years to freaking court her! We finally fell in love, got married and moved into a house. However, she didn't approve of the Capital and told everyone that she saw. She didn't know that they could hurt her. In her mind, she was invincible and I thought so too. That's why they had to show us no one was invincible. She risked her life every day, and never thought about what would happen to our unborn child or me if she was gone! How could she think that I could live without her! My sobs suddenly became harsher and louder. Screams of pure agony began to escape my lips.I suddenly felt terrible for what I was doing to the girls, but I knew I couldn't stop. It was only way to get rid of my pain…
I took a swig of the liquor and felt a fire in my stomach. I kept drinking, and drinking, losing myself in the numbness. All of the sudden, I felt a pressure on the back of my head and I everything went black…
I woke up in the woods, and had no idea why I was there. I realized I was tied to a tree with thick ropes. Then I saw the other Peacekeepers and gave them questioning looks. They were all terrified, but there were two of them I didn't recognize. One was big and strong, and the other wasn't a Peacekeeper at all. Someone from the Capital
The Capital man spoke, "Cray, you have been charged with negligence with the care of District Twelve. The punishment for that is death." The new Peacekeeper raised a torch and I panicked. They were going to light the tree I was tied to on fire. I squirmed and screamed as they all approached me with torches. I saw the sorry looks in their faces and then the pain started. I felt my skin melting and I heard my screams becoming inaudible. I felt like the monster I had become was being released. The monster was fighting its way out through the fire. Then the pain stopped and I saw her…my sweet Marissa…
She gestured for me to join her and we joined hands. I realized we were both young and beautiful again. The monster was dead and I was alive again. We walked off hand in hand into the light, leaving the monster smoldering behind us.