Katniss: The Vampire Slayer
Episode One: Welcome to the Hellmouth
by FanficAllergy & RoseFyre
oOo
Part Three - Cheerleading and Slaying are Unmixy Things
oOo
Katniss slept fitfully, her dreams haunted by mysterious strangers and not-strangers speaking to her cryptically. The visions kept whispering about the Reaping that the blond man had mentioned. The blond man haunted her dreams as well. But in a good way, a sexy John Stamos way, rather than creepy John Waters or John Carpenter ways.
Most disturbingly, Katniss's former watcher, Wiress, appeared in all of them. She kept looking at Katniss sadly and, in that almost childlike voice of hers, kept chanting, "Tick Tock, Tick Tock."
Unable to bear it anymore, Katniss cried out in her dream, "Tick Tock what?"
If anything, Wiress looked even more sad. "Big things are coming, little girl." She reached out and smoothed a wisp of hair away from Katniss's face. "Can't be all prim and proper. Gotta know your place. Gotta know your time." She paused, regarding her sadly. "Flowers can't be trusted. Lead you to places you shouldn't go. Trust your heart. Your heart knows what's true. You've got so much love inside you. If only…" she trailed off.
"If only what?"
Wiress straightened up cocking her head like a dog hearing an unusual sound. Rising to her feet, she chanted, "Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Tick Tock." She backed away from the dreaming Slayer. "Be seeing you. Be seeing you, Katniss. Take care of yourself. Tick Tock!"
Katniss's eyes snapped open, taking in the sloped ceiling of her bedroom and the stack of boxes piled up in the corner. Rolling over, she muttered to herself, "I hate those things!"
oOo
The next day at school was a special kind of hell reserved for socially awkward teenagers and Slayers attempting to avoid uncomfortable explanations. The kind of hell where you feel everyone's eyes watching you, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.
Katniss thought she'd be safe in biology. But apparently she underestimated Madge's ability to speak coherently after a near vamp experience, because Gale kept staring at her intently. Any other time, or any other male, and Katniss would've suspected that the guy had a crush on her. But in Gale's case, that seemed unlikely. Turning towards the front of the class, she resolutely ignored the handsome boy.
As soon as the passing bell rang, Katniss was out of her seat like a shot. She needed to get to Miss Trinket before any uncomfortable questions were raised.
Putting on a miserable face that wasn't entirely faked, Katniss trudged up to the teacher's desk. "Miss Trinket, can I talk to you for a sec?"
The blonde woman with streaks of pink and orange in her hair looked up from her computer. "Katniss! Of course."
"Um, I… I think I'm gonna go down to the school nurse? I've got these, well, you know," she clutched at her stomach dramatically. "And I don't know what it was, maybe something in biology, but I just got this killer headache on top of it. I think I need to go to the nurse's office and lie down."
The teacher eyed her sympathetically. "Oh you poor dear. Yes, absolutely, take care of yourself. Don't worry about a thing." Miss Trinket's voice changed, becoming just a tiny bit harder. "You can always stop in after school sometime and catch up with what you missed. You don't want to get too far behind."
"No, of course not, Miss Trinket," Katniss managed to get out without groaning at the thought of having to muddle through computers after school. "I'll be going now."
Katniss took off, noting that both Madge and Delly had entered the classroom and were waving at her. She waved back at them before darting out the door and down the hall.
Yes, she'd definitely made the right call. No questions were good questions.
But instead of going to the nurse's office like she'd told Miss Trinket, Katniss slipped into the library. A cursory glance told her that no other students were visible and that her father was seated behind the counter, his nose in a book.
"We've got a problem, Dad," she said without any preamble.
Placing a bookmark between the pages and closing the book, her father looked up at her. "What kind of a problem?"
"The truth is out there kind of problem," she replied, referencing the X-Files.
"Are they Mulders or Scullys?" her father asked, concerned.
"Mulders. Definitely Mulders."
"That's a problem."
Katniss sighed. "Tell me about it. And what's worse, I've been having dreams."
"Dreams? You know, like we need to have a talk dreams or," his voice lowered and became more serious, "we need to have a talk dreams?"
"The second. And the first…" she admitted with a light blush. "But mostly the second."
Mr. Everdeen let out a little sigh of relief. "That I can deal with. So lay it on me."
"I saw Wiress, Dad," Katniss started, sadness coloring her tone. "She kept saying Tick Tock, Tick Tock."
"Did she give any indication as to why?" her dad asked gently.
She shrugged. "I'm guessing cause time's running out?"
"Time to what?"
"Don't know. I'm guessing it has something to do with the Reaping."
"Reaping?" Her father asked. "What's the Reaping?"
"I don't know. Aren't you supposed to be all with the books and smart like that?" She twirled the tip of her long braid around her finger.
Her father sighed. "Don't do that, Katniss. You and I both know you're more intelligent than you like to let on."
The Slayer laughed, dropping the Valley Girl act. "But it's always so much more fun to see people's faces when they realize that you know the meaning of defenestrate and that it doesn't mean cutting off a penis."
"Katniss."
"Yes, Daddy?"
"The dream." He rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
"Right." Her tone turned serious. "So the rest of the dream was the typical cryptic crap and I couldn't really make heads or tails of it."
"I suppose I can see what the books say, but really you should be talking to Haymitch about this," he told her.
She shrugged, accepting the admonition. "Yeah, but he has class."
"Yes. Speaking of, why aren't you in class, young lady?"
"Madge," she answered succinctly. "I don't feel like answering questions about, you know. So I figured it was best to duck out for a day or two."
"Right, good plan. If you need an excuse, let me know, I'll be happy to provide."
"Nah, I'm going with the old standby of cramps and a headache."
"Well, I suppose that'll do." He shifted uncomfortably. "Let me know if more avoidance is necessary."
"I think I got it handled," she assured her father. "A few days of giving them the slip and I'm sure they'll get the message that Katniss doesn't want to talk about it."
oOo
"So tell me again, sweetheart, just what did that weird guy say?"
Katniss sighed and looked at her father and Haymitch. "Well, first he complimented me on my aim, which, dude, coming up from behind somebody while clapping? Totally creepy. Then there was typical back and forth, blah blah blah, who are you, blah blah blah, cryptic answers. Then he said that I'm not ready and I asked about what, and he came back with 'the Reaping.' Then he started talking about, I don't know, creepy stuff, and then he continued the whole creepy stalker vibe by complimenting me on the song I'd just sung, which let me tell you, so not doing that again, then he called me Slayer and disappeared."
"Do you mean disappeared disappeared like a spell or melted back into the shadows?" Mr. Everdeen asked with interest.
She pointed at her father. "The second one."
He sighed in disappointment. "So probably not a witch."
"Yeah. No pointy hats or brooms to be seen on Mr. Cryptic."
"Then what happened, sweetheart?"
Katniss shot a look at her Watcher. "Then I had to carry Madge back into the Arena and bypass the whole hey my new friend was almost eaten by a vampire line of questioning from Delly and Gale." She turned back to her father. "Did you know that the owner of the Arena is a morphling?"
"What's a morphling?" a bright female voice asked from behind them.
The three turned to see Gale, Delly, and Madge standing at the door to the library.
"Um, it's a drug. A kind of drug that makes people really… friendly. Like morphine! Morphine, morphling?" Haymitch covered quickly.
"I was almost eaten by a vampire?" Madge followed up, ignoring Haymitch's explanation entirely.
"You weren't supposed to hear that," Katniss said.
"What's a Slayer?" Gale asked next.
Katniss winced. "You weren't supposed to hear that either."
"Yeah, well, too bad, we did. So spill," Gale stated flatly.
"Um, I don't think that's a good idea, children," Mr. Everdeen stepped in.
"Why not?" Gale glared at the librarian. "And how come she can hear it?"
Mr. Everdeen struggled for an answer. "That's… complicated."
"Are you okay, Katniss?" Delly asked, her voice full of concern. "Does this have to do with you skipping class earlier. Is this an intervention?"
"It's not an intervention, Delly," Katniss said with a sigh.
"Well good! And even if it was, we could help, right? We're friends!" Delly's eyes seemed so earnest.
Katniss hated having to crush her, but she knew her duty. Slayers worked alone, family and friends were to be kept in the dark. It was safer that way. "Uh yeah, no, I don't think so."
"You know I heard you talking yesterday. About vampires, and they called you the Slayer? And I'm pretty sure that doesn't mean you're a member of the band," Gale said.
"Yeah, not enough tattoos or facial hair for the band," Delly put in.
The three shared a look, trying desperately to come up with an explanation.
"You know, we could try telling them the truth," Haymitch said, rubbing at his face.
"The Council recommends against it," Mr. Everdeen pointed out.
"And you're going to do everything the Council tells you to?" Haymitch asked pointedly.
Mr. Everdeen flinched and didn't respond.
"Go on, sweetheart. Tell your friends the truth." He turned to the three teens. "But fair warning, you break my girl's heart and what happens next will make lap day look like a pleasant memory."
"Can you do the intro?" Katniss asked her father. "It sounds so much better coming from you. It's the voice."
Mr. Everdeen sighed, cleared his throat, and his speech took on a more narrator tone. "Into every generation, a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world; a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer." He rubbed the bridge of his nose again. "Happy?"
Katniss nodded. "Thanks, Dad. It's a little inaccurate, but it hits the high points."
The three teens stared at her blankly.
"So! Questions?" Haymitch asked with a belch.
Madge slowly raised her hand. "Yeah. Is this for real?"
oOo
The mansion on the outskirts of town didn't look haunted, but everyone in Panem knew that it was. Many kids would dare their friends to sneak up the weathered concrete path and knock at the door. Most of the time, no one answered.
But rumor had it that one time, someone had.
The mansion was owned by the Snow family, a well-known and well-regarded name in Panem. But there hadn't been any Snows in town since before the turn of the century, around the same time that the current mayor's great-great-grandmother, Eleanor Coin, first took office. If the Snows were the first family and founders of Panem, then the Coins were its most prestigious. Naturally, history had it, they hated each other.
But history was the furthest thing in mind for a young couple standing at the walkway leading to the mansion.
"I don't want to go up there," the girl said, her lightly freckled nose wrinkling. "Let's go someplace… lighter. Like the Arena!"
"The Arena's for babies," a young man wearing a varsity jacket from Panem High scoffed.
"Well, I hear this place is haunted," the girl pouted. "I don't like ghosts. They're scary."
The teenager slipped his arm around the girl. "Don't worry, Clove. I'll keep you safe."
"I just don't know why you brought up this place when I suggested we go someplace romantic," Clove grumbled against his chest.
"You said you wanted to see the place that has the best roses in Panem. This place is it. Just look at those rose bushes." He motioned to the poorly maintained mansion's facade. "The house may be falling apart, but someone's been taking care of these roses. Come on, let's go inside. Let's see if old Mr. Snow's feathered bed is in as good condition as his rose garden."
"Okay…"
The two carefully tiptoed up the walkway, alert for any problems. The boy reached out and picked a large white rose, handing it with flair to Clove. "For you, my lady."
"Why thank you, good sir." She tucked the rose behind one ear. "Should we knock?" she asked.
The boy shook his head. "No one lives here. Unless you're afraid of disturbing the dead."
"It's not the dead I'm worried about."
"Then you have nothing to worry about." He grinned at her. He opened the door and stepped inside. He looked around, noting the dust and cobweb filled interior. "Come on." He motioned to his date.
Clove followed him inside, her eyes no longer playful, but instead predatory. When her date reached the center of the room, she carefully shut the door behind her.
From out of the shadows cast by the grand staircase a husky mountain of a man with broad shoulders appeared. "I see you've brought dinner."
"I thought Master Snow could use a snack," she replied.
The boy whirled, his eyes widening when he saw his date. The vampire's human mask had slid away, revealing the demon underneath.
"What did you expect, Ford?" Clove asked mockingly. "I expect better manners from my dates. Barging into someone's house uninvited. I guess you'll just have to pay the penalty."
"But no one has lived here in over a century!"
"Well, you're half right. There's nobody alive here." Her yellow eyes gleamed. "Except you."
The boy panicked, trying to run, but the front door was blocked by Clove and the hallway on the other side was unreachable because of the hulking blond man. The obvious escape route was the stairs, which any 90s kid with a smidgen of horror movie knowledge knew was a no-go. That only left the large French double doors leading out to a walled garden.
He dashed to the doors, pulling them open, moderately surprised that they were unlocked, and fled into the garden. There he paused for a quick moment to get a feel for his surroundings. The brick walls were over seven feet tall and topped with sharp wrought iron stakes, too high and too dangerous to attempt to scale. There wasn't a gate or door in view. But the garden continued past the side of the house and around back. He followed the path.
Rounding the edge of the house, he noticed an immaculately dressed, if a tad old-fashioned looking, elderly man kneeling by one of the rose bushes. "Help," he cried. "You gotta help me!"
The old man flowed to his feet. "What seems to be the matter, dear boy?" The old man's reptilian green eyes glittered in the darkness.
Ford motioned frantically to the mansion. "There are these freaks inside! Some weird-ass demon chick and a freaky blond dude!"
"I don't believe it's polite to refer to your betters as freaks."
"What?" The teenager gaped at the old man.
"Is he disturbing you, Master?" Clove asked from behind her date.
"No, my dear child. We were just having a pleasant conversation."
Stumbling away from the man, Ford cried, "You guys are freaks!"
The old man's eyes became hard and his voice deadly. "I believe I asked you to not refer to us by that term."
"What the hell is wrong with you freaks?" Ford continued, clearly not hearing the warning. "What are you?"
"Out of patience." The old man's face morphed as he lunged forward, ripping the teen's throat out, splattering blood all over the garden. The old man drank the spurting red liquid down greedily. When he'd had his fill, he took a step back, letting the body fall to the ground with a thump. Pulling out a handkerchief, he dabbed at his mouth and chin. "Thank you for the snack, my dear. Apparently, I was feeling quite peckish."
Clove curtseyed gracefully. "My pleasure, Master." She toed the dead boy's body with disgust. "What should we do with the trash?"
"Bury him out front, underneath the pink tea rose," her master instructed. "You know the one. It's been drooping lately. I'm sure it will feel better after it has some fertilizer."
"Of course, Master."
"Oh, and send Cato to me."
The hulking vampire materialized out of the darkness. "I am here, Grandfather."
"Cato, my beloved childe," Snow greeted, motioning for the younger vampire to come over. Cato quickly obeyed, dropping to his knees in obeisance. "How go our plans for the Reaping?"
Bowing his head, Cato replied, "On the night of the seventh moon, you shall once again walk free."
"Yes, yes, yes," Snow said, waving a hand. "I've heard that before. I like particulars. Specifics."
"Clove and I have chosen a location which would suit our needs perfectly. There's one minor obstacle, but I'm working on it."
"Good. And my army?"
"Ready to move when you give the word."
"Excellent," he praised his grandson. "Although I'm still a bit concerned about numbers. You know what Sun Tzu always said: he will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces. But I've always preferred to have superior forces."
Cato banged his fist against his chest in an ancient salute. "By your command, Grandfather."
oOo
Katniss walked home from cheerleading tryouts, completely unaware of her surroundings, her attention focused on the events of that afternoon. She'd known that Cressida and her cronies disliked Delly and were jealous of the girl, but she hadn't realized the depth of their disdain. The poor girl was humiliated repeatedly by the clique and they forced her to do things no teenage cheerleader had any business attempting.
Delly, being Delly, tried her best, but no one can do a roundoff back handspring combo without practice.
Katniss was just glad Haymitch put a stop to the bullying before Delly got seriously injured. The girl had a sprained wrist from when she fell attempting an impossible stunt, but it would heal.
Unfortunately for the blond girl, the bullies used her injury as an excuse to keep her off the team. Katniss almost rejected their offer in solidarity, but Delly stopped her. "I'm glad at least one of us got on the team," she said, smiling brightly.
Katniss looked at her and then at Cressida's group. "Are you sure?"
"Sure I'm sure! It's not like I don't have other things I can do. Besides, it'll be a nice break from…" she looked around furtively, then whispered, "you know what."
"Yeah, yeah it will be," Katniss agreed. It's why she'd wanted to go out for cheerleading in the first place, to get away from slaying. She just hoped there wasn't a repeat of Hemery High's championship basketball game. That would be awkward.
"You don't have time for this," a male voice said, startling Katniss out of her thoughts.
"Who said that?" Katniss demanded, instantly on the defensive.
The same blond man from the Arena two nights ago stepped into the light. "I said, you don't have time for this. You're the Slayer, not some cheerleader."
"I can do both," she snapped.
"No. You can't," the man said, shaking his head. "It's a distraction, and if this little bit of teenage drama can distract you so much that you don't even notice when somebody's following you and you pass your house, it's too much of a distraction."
Katniss's eyes widened. "How do you know where I live?"
As she half expected, the cryptic man sidestepped her question. "It's not me you have to worry about. I won't do anything to hurt you, Katniss. But it won't be me who you'll face at the Reaping."
"There's that term again," she sighed, exasperated with the whole mysterious helpful stranger act. "What's the Reaping?"
"You'll find out on Friday."
"What happens Friday?"
"You'll see." He melted back into the shadows.
"Great. I'm getting more cryptic advice from creepy hot dudes," she muttered under her breath.
"Katniss? That you?" her sister Primrose's voice asked from the front door.
Looking away from where her mysterious fan had disappeared, Katniss turned to see her sister. "Yeah, it's me, Little Duck."
Prim frowned, taking a step out onto the front porch, heedless of the fact that she was wearing her Kermit pajamas. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. Go back inside. You know how Mom and Dad feel when you're out after dark."
"I'm fourteen, I'm not a baby anymore! I'm only a year younger than you!"
"You're still my little sister," Katniss said, coming up beside her and placing a protective arm around the younger girl. "Come on, you can help me practice my cheers."
oOo
The following day during lunch, Katniss entered the library with Haymitch. "So what's the word, Daddy-o?"
Mr. Everdeen rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Please don't call me that."
"Fine. Dad," she said, stressing the word, "what have you found out?"
"Unfortunately, very little." He sighed. "There seem to be several events that go by that moniker. And depending on the translation, the Reaping could mean anything from a harvest to mass slaughter."
"Pretty sure you can bet on the last one there, Rick."
Mr. Everdeen glared at the blond Watcher. "Yes, but the ancients were known for their unique descriptors and one really can't rule out one definition because it doesn't fit one's preconception."
The two men locked eyes for a moment, clearly having a minor battle of wills.
Haymitch, ultimately, was the one who looked away. "Multiple meanings it is. So anything look promising based on the date?"
Mr. Everdeen shook his head. "No, there's the usual gloom and doom associated with autumn. There's the feast of St. Titus coming up, but I doubt that's the Reaping, since I haven't heard any word of the Sisterhood of the Jhe making an appearance in Panem."
"Would we?" Katniss asked.
"Oh yes," her father told her, warming to the subject. "They don't conceal their presence. They celebrate their kills openly by consuming the flesh of their defeated foes, and the feast of St. Titus is one of their most sacred holidays."
"Right. So no cannibal women. Got it."
"Hey Katniss!" Delly said, sticking her head in. "You doing anything for lunch?"
"No, not really," Katniss answered, looking at the stack of books spread out on the various tables and counters. "I've got stuff to do here."
"Can we help?" Delly asked, stepping into the room along with Gale and Madge. "I'm really good with the books, you know. So's Madge."
"I'm not," Gale said.
Delly whirled on her boyfriend. "Yes you are! You're just saying that!"
The tall boy sighed. "Fine. I'll help too."
"Can you read Ancient Sumerian?" Mr. Everdeen asked.
Gale gave him a look. "No…"
"Hieroglyphics?"
"No."
"Cuneiform?"
"Try asking us a language that hasn't been dead for thousands of years," Gale snapped, clearly fed up with the whole process.
Mr. Everdeen rubbed the bridge of his nose again. "I don't suppose any of you know Hebrew."
"Ooh, me!" Madge exclaimed, holding up a hand. "My dad sent me to Hebrew School for nine years."
"Then you can go check out that stack." He pointed to one table.
"I can read Latin," Delly offered.
"You can?" Gale asked, looking at his girlfriend.
"Yeah, I kinda taught myself," she answered, blushing a little. "I wanted to read Ovid's poetry in the original."
"That's my brainy girl," Gale said, kissing Delly's forehead. "I guess that leaves me to go pick up pizza. Unless you need someone to figure out the azimuth or angle of approach for something, I'm pretty much gonna be snack guy."
"A very important role," Madge said encouragingly.
"Any requests?" Gale asked the room.
"Nah, I'm good," Haymitch said. "Havin' a liquid lunch." He held up his flask.
"Anyone else?"
"Anything's fine," Katniss said. "Food's food."
"Olives and anchovies it is," Gale decided, a teasing tone in his voice.
She shrugged. "Okay."
Gale pouted for a bit. "You're no fun."
Katniss just shrugged again.
With Gale getting lunch, the rest of the group sat down to work. Katniss started looking at town maps with a ley line guide next to her while the rest of the group delved into the books.
"Knock knock!"
Everyone looked up to see the computer teacher, Effie Trinket, standing in the library foyer.
She glanced around at the research chaos with wide eyes. "Um, am I interrupting anything?"
"Kinda, princess," Haymitch told her, leaning back on the legs of his chair. "What d'you want?"
"I was looking for Katniss here," she answered, turning to meet the Slayer's eyes. "I need to steal you for a bit."
"To do what?" Katniss asked.
"Oh, nothing bad," Miss Trinket answered quickly. "Just want to make sure that you're all caught up. You are quite behind, you know. And we wouldn't want your grades to suffer."
Knowing that she couldn't escape this time, Katniss got up out of her seat. "No, we wouldn't want that. How long do you think this will take?"
"What are you doing after school?" the woman asked seriously.
Katniss groaned.
oOo
The sun was setting when Katniss reentered the library. "You guys are still here?" she asked, noting that the research chaos had morphed into a research disaster.
"Yeah," Madge answered, morosely. "And we're out of pizza."
"Did you find anything?" the Slayer asked, hoping that the search was over.
"Define anything," Gale picked up the conversation. "There's a ton of crap on various random events with titles like the Reaping and the Gathering and the Harvest and the Culling. It's a little surprising how many farm metaphors there are in magic."
Her heart sinking, Katniss asked, "But we're making progress, right?"
"There's a few promising options," her father said. "It would help if we knew just when this Reaping was going to occur."
"Um, I'm guessing soon?" Katniss asked. "Oh yeah, that mysterious hot guy! He said Friday. Try Friday."
"That would've helped if you'd told us earlier," Haymitch grumbled.
"Sorry," Katniss apologized. "I get forgetful when I'm hungry."
"Oh, that's right! You didn't eat lunch! What happened to that pizza you got her?" Delly asked Gale.
"Coach Abernathy ate it," Gale stated.
Katniss glared at her Watcher. "Haymitch…"
"What?" He looked over at her innocently. "I was hungry and it was getting cold."
Katniss sighed. "Anybody have a granola bar?"
"Ooh, I've got an idea!" Delly exclaimed, clapping her hands happily. "Mellark's should be open now. I'll run there and pick up something." Madge and Gale straightened up, looking more alive. But Katniss was just confused. It must have showed on her face, because Delly continued, "They've got cheese buns to die for, and they've got these special kinds of bread that are stuffed with all sorts of interesting things, like curry or chocolate or even lamb stew!"
The thought of lamb stew decided Katniss. "Sounds delicious. I'll take twelve."
"Really?" Delly asked, her eyes wide.
Katniss shook her head. "No, no, more like three of the lamb stew."
The cheerful girl turned to the rest of the group. "Anyone else want anything?"
"You know what I like, babe," Gale answered.
"One slice of cheesecake it is."
"Um, can you see if they have those funny shaped donuts?" Madge asked.
"Crullers?"
"Yeah. One of those."
"Anyone else?" Delly looked at Mr. Everdeen and Haymitch.
Haymitch smirked at Katniss. "I'll eat whatever frownyface here doesn't."
Katniss glared back. "Make that four," she told the girl. "Dad?"
"Um, add two more." He held out a twenty. "That should cover me and Katniss."
Haymitch fished out another twenty. "And that should cover me for lunch too."
"I'll be back in a jiff," Delly said, taking the money. "Well, maybe not a jiff. It depends on if there's a line."
"Come back soon," Gale said. "You know I'm no good without you."
oOo
Mellark's was a cheerful business located on Panem's main street. When the shop opened every day at five, there was often a line of people queueing down the street to get first dibs at the bakery's offerings.
It was an unusual shop, with only a few tables for patrons. Most of the store was taken up by a huge counter and several shelves stocked with baked goods.
Another unique thing about Mellark's was the exquisite artwork which decorated the bakery's walls. It spanned the generations, ranging from baroque to impressionism to art nouveau and even modern. All of the paintings were unsigned, which was a bit unusual. That didn't stop some people from trying to acquire them, but when asked the owner would state that they weren't for sale.
Also, unlike most bakeries, it wasn't open during the day. The shop opened at five in the evening and closed at seven in the morning. The cops loved it, as did UC Panem's student population. The rest of the town scratched their heads in confusion, but didn't ask too many questions because no one wanted to lose the tasty cheese bun goodness.
The shop's regular staff was small. An old woman and her adult granddaughter with Down syndrome made up the core of the regular staff. The owner was rarely seen by most customers. But he made an appearance sometimes when they were especially short staffed. Many regulars, especially young women, thought that was a bit of a shame since he was considered by many to be quite good-looking, if young to own such a profitable business. There was also a rotating group of part-time workers, mostly made up of college and high school students, who rounded out the rest of the staff.
By the time Delly got there, the first run was mostly over, although there was still a bit of a wait to get to the counter. For once, the owner of the shop, Peeta Mellark, was manning the counter. He was wearing a tight white t-shirt which clung to his arms and chest, showing off his muscles. His dark blond hair was brushed a bit haphazardly, falling into his eyes, but not totally obscuring them or the scar that crossed his left eyebrow.
"Hey, Mr. Mellark!" the girl greeted when it was her turn in line.
The man smiled warmly at her. "Hi, Delly."
She beamed at him for remembering her name. "How's business going?"
"Busy," he answered. "Had to hire another person to help out. A classmate of yours, Thresh Osbourne."
"Oh Thresh! I know Thresh. He's nice." She handed Peeta the list of what everybody wanted.
He eyed it, whistling at the contents. "So what's going on tonight? Why the big order?"
"Oh, me and a bunch of friends are hanging out at the school library, studying," she answered brightly.
"Studying what?" The man's eyes narrowed slightly, although his smile never faded.
"More like what aren't we studying?" Delly deflected. "But anyways, we were just hungry, and your cheese buns are the best."
"Thanks. It's an old family recipe." Peeta finished the order by slipping a painted iced cookie into the bag when Delly wasn't looking. The blond haired girl waved cheerfully as she left the shop.
Peeta waved back, but as soon as she left, the man removed his apron and headed for the back room, a determined expression on his face.
The sun had fully set as Delly approached the high school. Delly walked quickly, the previously safe streets of Panem suddenly seeming a lot more ominous now that she knew about the unseen dangers that lurked there. The front doors of the school were a welcome sight.
But they were quickly blocked by a hulking blond man with a cruel face. "Hello, little girl. Isn't it past good girls like you's bedtime?"
"My friends are waiting for me," she said to the mountain of a man, trying to sidestep him.
"They're going to have to keep waiting," he replied, grabbing her forcefully and pulling her to him, covering her mouth with one big hand.
The bag of baked goods she held fell to the ground, spilling its contents all over the sidewalk.
oOo
AN:
Written: 6/5/15
Revised: 6/8/15
As a note: Katniss in this universe is not exactly the same as Katniss in canon. She hasn't gone through her father's death or her mother's abandonment, she's never starved, and she hasn't had the Hunger Games hanging over her head… until now. Being a Slayer is the Hunger Games for her. Yes, she's lost her Watcher, but it doesn't have the same impact. So she's going to get a bit more of Buffy due to the differing circumstances.
We hope you enjoyed.
Up Next: Part Four - Revelations
Let us know what you think!
Thanks for reading!