Second chapter is here! Hope you guys like it. The first chapter was just to explain the setting, so it wasn't meant to be much. This chapter is the actual start of the story. It was also inspired by a review! They really help!
There he is. My sweet little nine-year-old boy Daniel smiling sweetly from behind an old evergreen. But wait – he isn't supposed to be here. This was a woods. But not my woods, a foreign one. An artificial one. This is a Hunger Games arena.
I hear the trackerjackers before I see them. Fear ripples through me as I realize how quickly they are approaching. I have to get him away as quickly as possible. What was that? I look down to see a red droplet appear on my arm. I suddenly feel buckets of blood pour down on me. I frantically search for my son but my vision is blurred and I can't find him. My heart doubles its speed as I call his name several times, without answer.
A warm hand grips my elbow, and another wipes the combination of blood and tears from my eyes. It's as I expected – Peeta. But what's in his hand makes my heart fall to my stomach. He is holding a spear, with my son's abdomen at it's tip. He sets it down only to pull out a knife.
I wake up gasping for air, my entire body feeling as though I've ran a ten miles. My heart is racing, my skin is greased with sweat, and my knuckles are gripped to the bedpost as white as snow. I calm down some I when smell the overpowering sent of baking bread. I slowly open my eyes to find Peeta hovering over me, my hand in his. His eyebrows are knit in concern, no matter how much I tell him I'm alright. But he knows me better than that. He knows that I am miles and miles away from alright.
I try to prove it to him by attempting to get out of bed, but I fail to do so without his assistance. He leads me to the kitchen where my family awaits.
"Mom, what's wrong?" asked my concerned daughter.
"Nothing," I reply, sitting down at the table. "Just a bad dream, that's all."
My son looks at me from across the table skeptically, but then retreats to eating his pancakes. Like Peeta, my children are smart and aren't deceived easily by false claims. Either that, or I'm a terrible lair.
That afternoon results in us going to a beautiful park quite a ways from home. Dan makes friends with a little boy who is also there, and Blossom swings while listening to her Capitol made music player that she got on her birthday. Peeta and I sit on the park bench, watching or two children play.
"What was that this morning?" he asks timidly.
I know I can't tell him that it was nothing, he'll know better. I look deeply into his eyes for a second and say, "They're coming back. I don't know why, but there definitely coming back."
I don't have to explain to him what "they" are. He knows that "they" are the nightmares. He returns my gaze with equal passion, puts his arm around me, and pulls me closer. "Well, what's changed?"
"Nothing that I know of."
"Is something upsetting you?"
"No. I have perfect children, a perfect husband, and friends that love me. What could be upsetting?"
His eyes look away from mine and out onto the playground. I see the ponder in them, and I know that he's deeply thinking. His eyebrows squint, and he asks me a question without meeting my eyes.
"Something bugging you?"
Leave it to Peeta to know me better then I do myself. He can diagnose me with a problem before I even know there's one. "Yeah. I think that's it. But I can't exactly put my finger on it."
It's been about an hour since we arrived at the park, and Dan comes running up to us. Seeing that his friend has left, I know what he wants.
"Yes, we can go. Go get your sister," I tell him, before his mouth can form the words. He scurries off to go get Blossom, who's by the swings.
"I'll give you updates," I say to Peeta. "Maybe my dreams will bring an explanation."
"I hope so," he says as he gets up.
When night arrives, I fear sleep. I sit up in bed, staring out into space. Peeta notices my hesitance and reassures me.
"It'll be fine, Katniss," he says, rubbing my arm. "I'll wake you up if I notice anything. Go to sleep."
I know Peeta will, now that he's on the look-out. That makes me finally give in. I slip down underneath the covers, and rest my head on the pillow. I reluctantly close my eyes.
I'm in a small closet in that smells strongly of cleaner, half dozing. Through the fogginess, I hear someone knock loudly on the door, begging me to open it. This jars me awake and I unlock the door, opening it up. There stands girl with jet black hair and dark eyes, looking at me sternly.
"You are suppose to be at Training," she says to me. Her voice is very familiar, but her looks aren't.
It takes me awhile before I realize where I am. I am at District Thirteen, hiding in small spaces again.
"Who are you?" I ask the girl.
"I am Prim," she replies, "you don't remember me! I'm your loving sister that you knew so well! I die and you can't even remember my face?" Anger is present in these words. As she says them, she morphs in to a blond-haired blue-eyed girl, her features muffled and unclear. "Katniss," she asks gently, "why don't you remember me?"
"Prim, I do. Prim, please believe me. You've got to believe me. . ."
I'm awakened shaking and the call of my name. I look over to see Peeta looking at me with concern.
"You were calling to Prim. . . something about her?"
"Yes. Well, no," I reply. "Prim was in it, but not really her."
"What do you mean by that?" he inquires.
I tell him my dream as he squints his eyebrows.
"Tell me about the next one you have," says Peeta, lying back down. I can tell that he's really worried about me, and that my dream confused him even more.
I look at the dimly lit clock and see that it's about one o'clock in the morning. I don't want another nightmare, so I stay awake the rest of the night instead.
