But Nothing Compares to the Pain
Chapter 1
Summary: Katniss' mom has resulted to drinking after the mine explosion and has taken her anger out on Katniss. But the pain is too much… and the only one who can save her is none other than Peeta Mellark. *Some Characters are OOC*
Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games
Katniss' POV
Pain. Pain is all I ever feel. Every day… there's more pain than the day before.
I stumble across the cold hard pavement as the heavy rain slams dangerously down to the ground around me. I squeeze my eyes tightly closed, trying… just trying to rid the pain for once. I could feel weakness slowly overcoming my body. But that wasn't unusual for those of us from the Seam…. For those of us who usually eat only boiled water and mint leaves most days of the week. My body shook wildly from my never ending hunger but I had to keep running. The excruciating pain increased with every pounding step against the cheap wet asphalt.
-Flashback-
I grinned happily as I felt the weight in my game bag. With a haul of one turkey, two squirrels and a rabbit, I would actually get to have a somewhat decent meal tonight. I even managed to pick a pint of semi-fresh strawberries. Strawberries were are to come by in the Seam ever since the old peacekeeper (who is now dead) told the Capitol about our abundant supply of fresh strawberries. When the Capitol heard about this they bombed all of the strawberry patches. Bombed it just like they do with everything else. Just like District 13. I mean, come on guys! Do you really need to bomb an innocent bush?
I entered the stuffy, smoke filled abandoned warehouse. Better known as the 'Hob' to us traders. Trading is my life. If I don't trade… I don't survive. If I don't trade… Prim doesn't survive. Prim… poor week frail little Prim. Prim, with her bony figure and the two blond braids that fly behind her when she runs around. Prim with her tail shirt that always stick out like a little duck. Her rare smile that I bet guys would fight over once she gets older. Her rare smile that I have grown to love but haven't seen since the mine explosion. The explosion that killed our father. The explosion that killed her smile. When I was younger, Father would take us to the meadow. While he hunted, Prim and I would sit in the grass, picking flowers and singing. Then… and only then would I see her smiling. Once the explosion killed almost half of District 12's miners, my life drastically changed. I know that it sounds extremely cheesy… but it's true. Every day when I came home from school, I had to deal with my mother. My selfish witch of a mother who resulted to alcoholism after my father's death. She drank herself away all the time to the point where she was known as 'the town drunk' along with Haymitch. When Haymitch found out that she loved alcohol just as much as him he somehow fell in love with that piece of trash and now she spends most of her time splitting a bottle of vodka with the dirt bag. One day she drank too much and eventually got alcohol poisoning. It's amazing that she's still living. But then again Haymitch had the Capitol ship in some expensive medications for her. But me… I wished she just would have just shut up and died. No matter how harsh that sounded.
"Hello Miss Everdeen" Greasy Sae cackled, grinning so wide that you could see her crack, yellow stained teeth. I scrunched up my face at the thought and whipped the wild turkey from my dark, ripped game bag. Her eyes went wide and she gave another creepy grin. "Well Everdeen… that is one mighty fine catch…"
I nodded silently and quickly finished the trade before she could creep me out any further.
I walked out of the Hob and swiftly worked my way over to the Mellark's bakery. Maybe Peeta was working. I thought as a small smile crept onto my Seam pale cheeks. I jumped up the stone steps that led to the back door. I rasped on the door twice, stepping back away from the door.
A few seconds later the pounding of steps coming closer could be heard. Please be Peeta. I begged. Please be Peeta.
The bakery door opened, revealing Mrs. Mellark smiling politely. "Oh" she said happily. "You must be Katniss"
A small lump in my throat started to form. At school I always heard stories about her being an evil witch and everything. "Yep…" I said nervously. "T-That's me… um not to be nosy or anything… umm… h-how do y-you know… who I am?"
"Oh" she smiled once again. "Peeta talks about you quite frequently." She lightly chuckled. Oh God… Peeta talks about me. Probably about how poor and weak-
"Good things of course" she said reassuringly.
I gulped. Yeah well that doesn't really help with anything.
"Did you come by to trade?"
"Yes Ma'am" I replied.
"I'm sorry… my husband isn't here he need to run some errands. I don't know how you guys trade or anything but I'm sure Peeta would be more than happy to help you" she gave a cheeky smile.
Immediately my stomach filled with butterflies. No… more like attacked but fluttering insects. "Yeah… uh… that would be great… or I can come back later."
"No no… come right on in. I think a fresh batch of cookies just came out of the oven."
Yeah they're probably poisoned.
"Katniss… why are you glaring at the ground?"
I pulled myself out of my thoughts and blinked a few times. "Oh sorry… I was thinking."
"Well come on in!" she grinned, opened the door wide enough for me to slip through. Knowing how skinny I am, the door didn't have to be opened very much. I was at the point where I could count each of my bony ribs. Slowly, I followed Mrs. Mellark into the warm and heavenly smelling bakery. "Peeta!" she called. I heard some rustling and movement in the kitchen but looked over to the door when the small bell rang as Mr. Undersee walked in. "I'll see you later Katniss" she said sweetly before hurrying off to help the customer.
A few seconds later, Peeta emerged from the kitchen and walked over to the counter. "Yes mom?"
"Oh there you are Peeta!" she grinned. "We have someone here that needs your service." She said, pointing over her shoulder and into the direction I was standing. Peeta turned to face me for the first time since I walked into the bakery.
His eyes immediately lit up when he saw me standing there. His mother smirked and went back to helping the customer.
"Here come into the kitchen" he smiled, leading me into the crowded but organized kitchen. He leaned against the flour covered counter, taking in my body by trailing his eyes slowly up and down my small figure. I blushed under his gaze and turned away, trying to hid it. "It's great to see you Katniss. It's been a while."
I giggled. "Peeta… you saw me at school two days ago."
He sighed. "I know… but that's a long time."
I rolled my eyes and took in his appearance. He was wearing white pants and a white shirt that hugged his body and was tight on his arms, his biceps straining underneath. He had a white apron that went around his waist. His grinning face was covered in flour. I tried to contain my small fit of laughter but failed miserably.
"What?" he questioned innocently.
"Do you by any chance have a cloth?"
He nodded and walked over to the sink, grabbing one and tossed it to me. Swiftly, I caught it and walked over to the sink where he was standing. "Sit" I muttered, gesturing to the counter. He rose an eyebrow and jumped up onto the counter. I ran the cloth under the water and cautiously brought it to his left cheek. Slowly I wiped away all of the flour away from his face.
"What was it?"
I smirked. "Your face was covered in flour."
"Hmm… well maybe I should cover my face with flour more often." he grinned.
I rolled my eyes and smacked him across the face with the wet cloth. Even though it was barely even a 'slap' he still complained. "Ow!" he whined, with a hint of flirt in his voice.
"Deal with it" I grinned.
X.x.X.x.X
I jumped up the stairs to my house and pushed to squeaky old door opened. "Mom!" I yelled into the house. "I'm home!"
"Hey sweetie" she said in a sickening sweet voice.
Oh God... when she talks like that usually it leads to something bad...
"I'm glad you're finally home"
I nodded into the air and set my game bag down on the kitchen table. She walked into the kitchen with an evil smirk plastered to her face. My eyes widened in horror as I saw what was in her hand. She was tightly gripping a red hot frying pan in her hands and started on making her way towards me. "Mom… please don't" I whispered. I could already feel the tears forming. I turned to run but she grabbed my wrist and dragged me upstairs. The bathroom door banged open and she threw me into the bath tub. I tripped over the side and my jaw slammed into the wall, blood flying everywhere. "Get up you filthy piece of trash" she hissed. Reluctantly, I followed her orders and shakily stood up. She swung her arm back and slammed the frying pan into the side of my face. Searing pain erupted my cheeks and warm, sticky blood pooled around my ankles. The pain increased immensely as she continuously banged my head with the burning metal.
"Please!" I cried. "Stop!"
"Shut up!" she screamed, pulling out a roll of duct tape. Before I knew it she slapped the tape over my mouth and slammed be into the wall, blood covering my vision once again.
-End of flashback-
The pain in my skull brought me back to reality as I stumbled over to the Mellark's bakery. Another wave of excruciating pain washed over me. "Ahh!" I cried and fell over, hitting my head on the wet asphalt which only reopened my wound. I was only a few yards away from the door but the pain was too much. The door opened and a moving figure started making its way towards my useless body. I tried to look up at the person but all I saw was blood. I was scooped up into someone's arms and the person rubbed the wet blood from my eyes. I was in the arms of Peeta Mellark, I was looking into his soft dark comforting eyes… but nothing compared to the pain.
AN: Well I hope you guys liked chapter one. Feel free to give me feedback. Sorry for spelling or grammar errors, I don't have time right now to fix anything I just quickly skimmed through. REVIEW please! :) CHAPTER SUMMARY IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
