When our group of 5 exited the capitol woman's shop, no one knew that the war would only carry on for a couple more hours. It was everywhere; the Capitol was winning, but hardly. The rebels and the districts were losing their humanity and minds. Like me. I'm walking, walking, trying to not catch anyone's capitol eyes because it means certain death and destruction to anyone around me.
Gale walks beside me through traps that have been unknown to the Capitol citizens who would walk these streets on a normal day in their pasts. A normal life is something I have never known. Is it even possible? A normal life: sisters playing together with their mom and their dad without any worry weighing them down. If I only I had kept my opinion to myself and not sparked this flame, I wouldn't be here. But instead, I have whole armies threatening to kill me. I started a rebellion. I have all of Panem breathing down my neck because they know the people they loved are gone because of me.
I can't change the past, so I look at my surrounding. There is a lady holding a girl in a yellow dress. She reminds me of how Prim would look when we had enough money to buy Prim a dress. I haven't seen her since I left for District 2.
I pay special attention to my footing on the cobblestone. Left. Right. Left. Right. There is a distant hiss beside me and I realize Gale is pretending to have a Capitol conversation to blend into the large mass of people surrounding us.
Frantically, he is speaking in a Capitol accent. If we were still in the woods like we were on the reaping day that sealed my fate, I would laugh.
"So which house are we staying at tonight my dear? Is it the one on Snow Street or to the right onto Area Boulevard?" Gale knew how to use his resources; he was reading the two street signs in front of him.
My turn. I could just nod, but that could be suspicious. Instead I think to Effie's speech, and try to mimic to the top notch possible. With the multiple propos and two Hunger Games appearances, people catch onto my voice like I am calling them by their first name. I pull my scarf back over my nose and mouth and begin. "Well, it must be to the left, that's the directions we received," and then I whisper for extra measure, "And we don't have to make as much disturbance." President Snow's mansion is to the left.
We slightly moved to the left hand side of the road to head towards the mansion. That little girl in the yellow sundress is now being held by her father with her eyes directly on me and giving me a look. A look that Prim would give me when she knew I was lying, or when she realized something I didn't know about. Oh no. Does she recognize me? I pull my scarf up to my eyes so I only have an inch of vision. The layers of makeup aren't concealing me.
She whispers into her father's ear and he nods his head slowly, turns his head to look over my way and holds onto his daughter tighter and squeezes his wife's hand to brace for impact.
I blink slowly, waiting for a bomb to blow, or Capitol soldiers to drop a net over my head to capture me.
Events are happening in slow motion. The man starts to shout and all eyes are focused to my direction I pull my capitol robe over my covered head and try to blend in. Do they notice me?
Gale is thinking differently. He grabs my arm protectively and is pulling me down an alleyway, full speed.
The gun shots are coming at a steady stream, we duck and cover. One grazes my right arm, and it seems that the sun is out much brighter. The pain radiates. I look over to Gale, who is panting heavily and see he is holding up all right. About 50 yards away, a murky green garbage bin is to the left. Its 2 feet taller than me and about a foot raised off the ground. He pulls me to the ground with trusting eyes. The ground is sticky and wet. We scoot under and see a grated a window right behind us. The screws are slightly loose.
"Katniss, I need you to start to turn the screws with your fingers," Gale says. He pulls out his pocket knife and turns the screws. I nod my head in understanding. The grate comes off with a clang but not noticeable enough the cause any commotion. We push the grate inside the building. I hold my arms close to my body and fit through the cavity.
My legs tingle from the 5 foot drop and I crumble. The smell of lavender hits me. There is music playing in the background and the walls are painted a light lilac. There is a white couch ahead of me and to the left is the kitchen. My mouth starts to water just thinking of Capitol food that most likely was made in this kitchen. The Lamb stew we ate before the Games, hot chocolate that would slide down my throat happily. The squirrels Gale and I caught in the woods bring back the memories of the scent of meat. I breathe in the lavender and it makes me feel calm.
Where is Gale? He was just behind me? Was he not fast enough? No. This could not be hap-
"Hey! Where are you?" Gale whispered loudly.
"Where are you is the question." I say hoping it didn't come out too loud. Wouldn't want to cause a stir in someone else's house. I start to make my way to Gale.
Gale starts to speak, "Catnip," he whispers, "I need you to move out of my way. Please hurry. I can't jump on you." I move out of the way and he jumps in and probably feels that tingle in his legs also.
Tingling. I flash back to the tingling sensation when the tracker jackers would dip their stingers into my skin and as soon at the capitol creations broke through my skin, I felt a vibration all over my body. Then the hallucinations. And Peeta.
Oh Peeta. When we were on the beach at the Quell we were inseparable. It didn't feel pressured to feel what I felt. I felt that fire that no one seemed to bring out in me except for him. Everyone seemed to know he would be the perfect weapon to use against me beside myself.
Peeta said I was pregnant at the interviews. Nothing happened between us for that to be true. But if we did make it out alive of the arena, could I allow that to happen in my life? Both of us raising children? If the games continue, I couldn't let my offspring be possible tributes of our districts. Peeta always wanted children, but he wouldn't force that on me. He was so kind and considerate, and I am so selfish and stubborn.
After the victory tour, we would walk hand and hand through our district, just because we liked each other enough to show that no one could defeat us. We would talk about anything to get our minds off of what was troubling us most. I would ask him about his brothers or what breads he made in the bakery that day, or paintings and drawings he completed. But once Peeta's eyes came across a baby, he would slowly walk up to it and play a game of peek-a-boo and without a doubt the baby would laugh. If the baby was crying, Peeta would kindly ask the mother if he could hold the baby. He moved side to side and in an instant the crying would cease. Peeta could be a father, quite easily. But, could I be an adequate mother?
But now, Peeta can hardly tie his shoes without having an episode of complete terror. Finnick, Beetee, and I were saved by the rebels. Peeta and Johanna were taken to the capitol to be tortured for any information they knew about the rebels. They knew nothing. With the effect of the war, and Peeta going crazy, together we seemed to melt into a never ending episode of repeated jacker bites.
I can't stay focused.
Gale is standing right in front of me catching his breath. When I think, it's a more like being spaced out of the world completely for minutes. I must look perturbed for Gale to hug me the way he is. I allow it.
I start to think back to the all embraces I can remember. My Dad's hugs were like a big teddy bear climbing onto you. His scent would be of pine trees and herbs. But no one could hold me better than Peeta. I imagine Peeta in Gale's place and take a deep breath.
After witnessing the murder of the man in 11, I couldn't seem to get my act together. Peeta came into my bed and held me so tight to squeeze the nightmares out of me.
I blink back tears and through my clouded eyes, Gale is looking at me with questioning eyes.
I take a deep breath and try to speak. "I'm okay. I'm okay."
"You are not okay. What about we just rest here for a couple minutes. Maybe they have something in their kitchen we can eat. I saw you looking at the food like you hadn't eaten a full meal in days."
You can hear the smirk in his voice. I let go of him and see that he also is eyeballing the food. He is as hungry as I am. "Alright," I say wiping my nose and pulling out of Gale's embrace. He looks at me with a smile and I smile back. He kisses my forehead to show me that everything is okay. That we both will survive.
He inches away from me as I push away him and his lips. "Katniss?" Nothing good comes when he uses my real first name. "Your arm's bleeding. I think that we should see if there are any bandages we can use to fix you up." He goes looking for the bathroom.
I look down on my arm to see there is a steady flow of blood coming down. The once clean carpet had turned to crimson. I thought the bullet only scraped my arm, but the adrenaline of running through the Capitol must have blocked the pain. "Hey wait Gale. It was a bullet, I think."
"Okay" Gale's voice echoes from down the hall up to where I am standing. Homes in the Capitol are way too big. This is a low grade apartment from the size of it, but it could easily fit the whole population of the seam in this apartment building alone. I bet only 2 people live here. Maybe neither survived.
I go to open up a big metal rectangle. It had two handles on it so I pull out and a burst of cool air blows my face. I shiver. I see more food than I have ever seen at one time in District 12. Fruits and Vegetables of all colors and shapes and smells. I grab an apple, something I actually can identify and take a big bite.
A lot better at room temperature.
I go through the pantries and find some bottled water, twisting the cap off quickly and drinking it down. I grab a bottle for Gale and look for something that Gale could eat. I find some leftover steak in the fridge and put it in the micro something. They had them on the train when Peeta and I had to travel. It quietly beeps and I search for a fork and knife for Gale's food. I hold the hot plate in my hands and suddenly feel the pain rushing through my arm. Quickly transferring the plate to my uninjured arm, I determinedly walk over to where Gale is. Silently, I set the plate down on the bathroom counter and see Gale has found some bottle of "magic capitol medicine" he says. He soaks a bandage with it, and sets it on my arm to hopefully help the pain.
But it doesn't.
I start to shake with pain.
Gale gives me some pills and I take 3. I hope that will help in time. Taking a swig of Gale's water, I down the pills and hand over Gale's food, and his half-filled water bottle.
We both sit down at the dining table and just try to relax, to some degree. He eats his food with a big grin. "This is really good Catnip." I smile to myself.
"Thanks, it took me 10 seconds. Literally." I say under my breath, but Gale's hunting ears catch it. He chuckles to himself.
"Well when we get back to where ever home base is after the war, then I think that you owe me some dinner. I won't mind coming over the Mellark's for dinner." He says that last part with a smile. What? Still in utter shock by what he said, he continues. "Even if Peeta is crazy from all the Hijacking, I know your heart belongs with him. I could never be able to slightly understand what you went through in the arena. It's like when we went to school and the town girls would say something that no one would understand beside them. It was an inside joke. You have your secrets with him. I promise to be a great friend for you." He takes a deep breath in. I don't know what to say. "Well say something."
"I'm not good at saying something." I say, with a bit of hinting to the past. Instead, I walk around the table and give him the best hug I have given in my life. Because even though I don't like Gale the way I like Peeta, Gale is there for me, no matter what.
But then there is a knock on the door.