Chapter II
Madge Undersee.
I thought she was dead. She was dead. Carbonized in the Mayor's house. Unrecognizable...
Gale saw Ferinse eyebrow rise on the mirror's reflection. He pulled himself together and said, "She's the daughter of Mayor Undersee. We thought she was dead."
"Apparently she's more alive than you thought," said Ferinse, leading his hand to his chin.
the other side of the glass, Madge turned her look at the glass of water. McDermott got up and went into the adjoining room, where they were.
"What's new?" He asked, looking for Gale.
"Mayor's daughter," Ferinse said, before Gale could open his mouth.
"Yes. She still seems to have privileged modes." McDermott looked at the glass. "I didn't tell her all that happened since she left her District. I think she is still trying to digest the fall of the Capitol."
"Did she said how she managed to survive this long in the forest?" asked Gale.
He was amazed. Madge wasn't exactly the kind of person he would have imagined surviving in the woods. In fact, she was the last person he thought could survive alone in the middle of nowhere. But she was there, much thinner than before, but alive.
"No," answered McDermott. "Maybe she feels more comfortable talking about it with you. Can you go in and talk to her?"
"Okay, I can try" Gale instinctively passed his hand through his hair, and went for the door.
The moment she heard the doorknob sound, she looked directly at the door. Gale felt embarrassed, it had been a long time since someone looked so directly at him.
"Hi, I don't know if you remember me-" he began, only to be interrupted by her.
"Gale. Gale Hawthorne." Madge seemed genuinely surprised. Certainly she wasn't expected to see him there.
Gale pulled a chair and sat in front of her. Her dirty hands continued to hold the glass firmly, although he doubted they had enough strength to break it.
"I wasn't expecting to see anyone from back home here," she said, looking at her hands again.
"And I wasn't expecting to see you at all. Everyone thought you were dead." Gale was unable to avoid the accusation tone.
It was no secret in District 12 that Gale wasn't fond of Madge. She lived a life without worries as the Mayor's daughter, never having to ask for tessera to feed her family, never having to dig the ground in search of coal, never having to work for others for money.
Yes, Madge was lucky for a long time. And Gale hated her for it. Hated her because she had the life he wanted for himself. Because she always had food on her table as he would frequently sing his brothers to sleep with empty stomachs.
Gale felt his nails stick onto his palms flesh, and realized he was being carried away by memories of another life. He couldn't let her know he still had so many resentments towards her.
"I think I was supposed to die. They wouldn't spare the Mayor's daughter." Madge seemed to read his mind, and her blue eyes stared at his grey ones. "I was going to see Mrs. Everdeen when the lights went off, because my mother was very upset and needed tranquilizers. When the attack began, I managed to get into one of the Victor's Village houses. And I stayed there for hours, waiting for someone to come looking, but nobody came. And the next day, everyone was gone. I gathered all the food I could find in the Victor's houses and fled into the forest. I thought everyone died."
"But the food couldn't have lasted for a whole year, what you do when it finished?"
Madge shrugged. "I ate some plants. Found some freshly dead animals. I learned that I have good aim with a sharp stick."
After a moment of silence, Gale spoke. "I'm so sorry."
"Why?" Madge's voice was sweet, as ever, although Gale have never realized it until he heard her speak again.
"I was the one led all survivors to the Meadow. If I knew you were alive-"
"Gale," For the first time, Madge took her hand from the cup and grabbed his from across the table. "You had no way of knowing I was there."
Gale looked at her hand on his, and quickly pulled his away. Madge looked a little stunned by his attitude, but how could she know that he hated her? And she had no fault.
He stood up and looked at her for a moment. "I think there's nothing more to say for now. But it's better if you stay in the District during the next few weeks since we need to warn the Capitol that you are alive."
He turned around and tried to get to the door quickly, but the moment he touched the doorknob, he heard the sound of Madge's chair dragging on the ground as she got up.
"But where will I stay? I have nowhere to go, I don't know anybody here-"
Gale looked at her over his shoulder. "I guess you can stay with me while you can't return home."
