I turn around and look at my footprints in the snow. I've been looking for Katniss for hours with no luck. She's probably in the woods with Gale. Well, of course she is. That's all she every does these days; hunt with Gale.
Eventually I go back inside my house. Nothing to do except wait for Katniss to come home. "You know, Peeta, you're such a stalker," says a little voice inside my head. I will admit, I do follow Katniss around like a little puppy. But, hey, that's what love does to you.
I jump at the sound of someone ringing my doorbell. I still haven't gotten used to the thing. I walk to the door slowly, knowing that it isn't Katniss. Instead I see Prim.
"I was just at the bakery. Your mom wants you to come over for dinner." Prim says that with a blank face and walks off to Katniss' house.
Of course my mom wants me to come home. She's been trying to get on my good side ever since I came home from the Games. I know her motive isn't family love- its greed for my money.
I slowly trudge to the square, trying to drag out the minutes until I have to see my mother with the fake grin of happiness on her face. My ears suddenly perk up when I hear a gunshot. Probably just another law-breaker. Law… Katniss. Woods. Illegal. Death Sentence.
I break out into a run. Maybe I can save her….
But by the time I get there, I know it's too late. I see the body wrapped in a sheet. But wait… There's only one body, and its way bigger than Katniss' tiny frame. Then I hear the whistle of the whip and see Katniss, shirt off, tied to a post with Thread whipping her.
"Stop! No!" I scream and run to the front as fast as I can. I get there after a few more lashes and throw myself in front of Katniss.
"Stop. You can't whip her. She's a victor." I knew I didn't have very good reasons, but I had to try. I had to save her.
"She was an accomplice to this young man. He was already warned once, but she had not been. She could be dead, but I am a nice and forgiving man. Now move out of the way and let me do my job, kid." Thread's menacing tone is meant to intimidate, but after what I have been through in the arena, it has no effect on me.
"Oh really? How do you think the Capital is going to like it when they find out you whipped their favorite victor? I don't think President Snow will be pleased." I know that President Snow could care less, but seeing the fear in Thread's eyes is enough to change his mind.
"Fine. Take her. But if I catch her again….. President Snow will have to deal with it. Now get this body out of here. I don't wanna see it when I come back." Thread nudges the body under the sheet with his boot and strides off to his house.
I turn around to Katniss and see that she is bleeding heavily. I pick her up and run her back to her house, dropping her off in her kitchen and telling Ms. Everdeen the story before I run back to grab the body. I grab the edges of the sheet and hoist it over my shoulder, not even stopping to confirm who it is. I already know.
When I walk into the kitchen I see that Katniss is already awake. She wasn't whipped many times, so she isn't crying out in pain. She knows how to hide it. At least until I drop the body on the floor.
"Where's Gale?" She asks frantically, as if she doesn't already know.
"Katniss…. I'm sorry."
"No. No. No!" She bursts out into tears. Ms. Everdeen runs in.
"Katniss, don't cry, it will make the wounds-"Then she sees the body on the floor.
"Oh, dear. Not- Oh. I better go tell-"But she can't finish the sentence before she starts crying too. She walks out to go get Gale's family, to alert them of his death.
I turn back to Katniss. Her face is cupped in her hands, and tears are dripping onto the floor. "I'm so sorry, Katniss. It's going to be okay, I promise." She starts shaking her head before bursting out into sobs that make her body shake. I want to hold her, to comfort her, but I am afraid to touch her bloodstained body.
I know that she won't cry forever. But I do know that the pain of that bullet pierced her heart as well as Gale's.