Chapter 3
Peeta was on the train back to twelve. He just sat mindlessly watching the television. They were re-caps of the games, mostly the bloodbath and the first day so far.
Haymitch was sat further back, drinking his troubles away while staring out the window, as usual. They had only been on the train for an hour, and both were very aware the journey home took over a day. This was going to be a very long train ride.
The replays of the games brought memories for Peeta, like when he first joined the careers. They did a close up of Cato's face, and that's when Peeta noticed that only for a moment it dropped for a heavy frown, it looked like he almost took pity on Peeta.
The baker watched closely, he remembered the careers huddling up, talking and laughing while holding their weapons tight. But he never saw how every so often the brute would look up at Peeta.
Some things started to make sense now, and that it wasn't just an outburst that Cato wanted Peeta. It seemed to be going on for the whole games, but never made it obvious. Well, obvious to Peeta at least.
Then, the camera cut to Katniss, running through the woods, with the small girl from eleven following her in the trees. But Katniss seemed unaware of her.
Peeta sat motionless watching the replays for hours. Watching the re-caps for every tribute along with Claudius' commentary on each tribute, even the announcer mocking Peeta for fleeing the bloodbath. He just, sat and listened.
Night soon approached and the baker found his eye lids growing heavy. So he decided to shuffle to bed. He slowly stripped down and climbed into the familiar sheets, they brought him faint haunting memories of the trip to the capitol.
After those images finished dancing through the bakers brain his eyes finally closed and his body drifted into sleep.
He found himself back at the cornucopia, Cato was charging at him and the mutts surrounded the structure.
"Cato no!" Peeta cried as he felt the brute's fingers lock around his neck.
"I'm going to win this, I'm going to bring pride to my district" Cato glared at the shorter blonde and walked over to the edge of the cornucopia while holding Peeta over the mutts.
"Please, I'll do anything you want!" The baker pleaded, he wanted his life to be spared. He didn't want to die. He wanted to go home.
"Goodbye twelve!" Cato laughed as he let go of Peeta. He felt himself falling into the crowd of hungry wolf mutts as he screamed for his life.
"Cato!" The baker screamed as he jolted up. He was covered in sweat and panting heavily. The man groaned, he turned to look out the window. The sun was up.
His bedroom door swung open and Haymitch stood barely sober in the doorway, "Get ready kid, we're almost home" The mentor said with a slur before staggering off.
Peeta quickly got dressed in the blue suit that he wore when he was crowd victor. Next he joined Haymitch in the next car and waited until they finally arrived back in district twelve.
As soon as the train stopped the air was filled with cheers as the blonde stepped out of the train. His eyes drifted through the crowed, and he spotted the few that weren't cheering.
His mother stood with a glare. Katniss' mother was looking sorry for herself, Prim was standing next to her, and the child looked broken beyond repair. But thankfully the two still looked fed. Behind those two stood Gale, who was glaring at Peeta. The hunter boy looked as if he would shoot the baker on the spot right there and then.
Peeta knew they all wanted Katniss to come home instead of him, it was either Katniss come back or neither of them. But of course, that changed.
But then the everyone was cleared and Peeta was escorted to his victor home. The long row filled with giant homes that he's never seen before. They all looked luxurious, as If they were taken right out of the capitol.
Peeta entered his new house. It finally hit him that he had this giant house all to himself. It made his stomach drop. No, all this space and things he didn't need all to himself. He couldn't accept it.
He would give anything to have someone here with him.
The blond decided to explore this manor he had, if he was going to be alone here he may as well know his way around. But, he could still hear his scream for Cato playing in the back of his mind. That cry, almost like a plead for him to be there.
"I need a distraction" He groaned.