3.
Fear spreads across Gale's face as he realises. He jumps up and sets off running through the forest. I'd follow him but I'm too shocked to move. I'm too scared to find out what's actually happened to cause the sirens to go off. They havent blasted the sirens in 4 years and even then it was the mine explosion. So it must be really bad.
What if my family was involved? What if Gale's family was involved? What if the hob has blown up? Most of them people are my friends. Pretty much the rest of the places in the district run through my mind: The School? The Justice Building? The Victors Village?
The last place to run through my mind and the one that scared me the most is the Bakery. With the amount of fires and ovens they have in that place, I'm surprised its still standing.
"KATNISS! COME ON!" I hear Gale shout from far off, breaking me out of my thoughts. I jump up, grab my stuff and set off running towards the district fence.
I crash into Gale halfway there, knocking us both to the ground momentarily until we are once again running through the forest, dodging branches that are in our way and stopping for a couple seconds to catch our breath.
With the speed that me and Gale run, we make it back to the district in 20 minutes. He holds the bottom of the fence up for me whilst I shimmy through and then I hold it up for him whilst he comes through. We carry on running into the Seam and then Gale shouts over the sound of the sirens, "I'll go and check on my family. You go and check on yours and I'll meet you in town in and an hour." He says and runs off.
When I make it to my house, the place looks fine until I reaise how quiet the house looks. I fly through the door and down the hallway. "MUM! PRIM!" I shout through the house but get no answer. Unable to beieve it, I drop my bag onto the table and search throught the rest of the house. Every corner, every room, even under the beds. Neither of them are here.
I quickly run out of my house to ask someone where they went but no on is arouns except one person walking towards town. "HEY!" I shout, trying to get their attention. They dont seem to hear me as they keep waking. I set off running. "EXCUSE ME!" I shout louder but they still dont hear me.
As I get closer, I realise who it is. "GALE!" I shout and he spins around quickly at the mention of his name. "STOP!" I shout even though he has already stopped.
"What happened? What wrong?" He asks, once I'm infront of him and trying to get my breathe back.
"Its Prim ... and... My Mother..." I get out.
"What about them?" He asks, sightly frantic.
"They're gone!" I reply. "What if they are hurt?"
"They probably just went to find out what is going on thats all." He assures me but it doesnt help, I'm still worried. He looks away from me for a second and I follow his gaze when his eyes narrow towards something in the distance. I can see smoke rising from town. "Is that-"
My heart stops as I realise what is there. I can just make out the Justice Building just next to the rising smoke. And whats across the square from The Justice Building? "THE BAKERY!" I feel a couple tears start to fall as I set off running again to the town square.
Gale, who catches up with me, notices the tears and obviously says something about it. "Are you okay? Why are you crying?"
"No I'm not fine! The Bakery is on fire now can we please keep moving!" I shout over the ongoing sirens.
"But why is it important to you? Its just the Bakery?" He asks and I stop suddenly and turn around to him with anger flooding through me.
"Just the Bakery?" I ask and he nods. "Gale its not just the Bakery, its also the Mellarks! Firstly I know that Mr Mellark means alot to my mother, secondly Peeta Mellark saved mine and my Families lives so he means something to me. Thirdly, If my mother is there then she probably went in to find them. Fourthly all the towns people are there. If you cant see why its so important then maybe you should just go home." I shout at him. He doesnt back away this time, he just stands there and looks at me.
"Okay, I'm sorry now go!" He pushes me away from him and towards town, I set off running again and I can hear his heavy feet behind me.
In the town square, All the towns people and half of the Seam people are standing infront of the Bakery, watching. I run forward and start pushing through all the citizens, frantically looking for my sister. "PRIM!" I shout but am only greeted by the strange looks given by the towns people.
Looking around, I recognise 2 people, near the front. "MADGE! MAYOR UNDERSEE!" I shout and they both spin around. I dont normally talk to Madge unless I'm at school but this is important. She knows my sister so if she has seen she will be able to tell me.
"Katniss!" Madge shouts with the same intensity. I stop infront of them and catch my breath. Madge pulls me in for a hug, taking me by surprsie. Luckily it doesnt last too long and she pushes me away again. "Thank god youre alright!" Gale shows up next to me and she hugs him too. I turn to the Mayor.
"Have they got anyone out?" I ask him.
"The Baker and his wife have come out but no-one has found the boys. Aymee has taken a serious injury to the head. Masan seems fine. Your mother is checking them now." He says.
"PRIM! I NEED BANDAGES!" I hear a familiar voice shout.
I turn away from the Mayor and run through the remaining people. At the front of the crowd the is a line of people, miners I think, stopping everyone from getting through. "LET ME THROUGH!" I shout in one of the guys faces. He has a tight hold on me and wont let go.
"No-one gets through." His voice booms. I dont recognise him. His blonde hair says he's from town but his light grey eyes and his olive skin say Seam.
"Let her through Thorn!" The Mayor says from behind me.
"But Sir-"
"Let her through!" He says again and 'Thorn' allows me entrance.
I run straight over to my sister and hug her. "Katniss get off, I need to get to mum." She says and I move away. I follow her over to where mum is leaning over Mrs Mellark. Mr Mellark sits next to them on the floor with his head in his hands.
"What happened?" I ask him, his head shoots up and he looks at me in surprise, just seeing me for the first time.
He jumps up and runs over to me, embracing me. "Katniss!" He shouts into my shoulder. I hug him back because obviously he needs it. "I just want you to know." He says, now pulling me away. "He loved you. If anything happens today, you should know that Peeta loves you with all of his heart."
I feel my mouth hang open and tears fell from my eyes. "Everything will be okay, I promise." I tell him and he smiles.
"I hope so." He replies with a smile and goes back to his wife.
I watch as a couple more miners come out of the Bakery, coughing. No sign of the Mellarks. I cant stand it anymore, I need to get in there and find them. I quickly share a look with Prim and she starts shaking her head as she realises what I'm going to do. "NO KATNISS DONT!" She shouts, alerting My Mother and Mr Mellark.
"I'm gonna go and find them!" I shout to Mr Mellark and he barely has time to stand up before I run into the burning building.
"KATNISS STOP!" I hear Gale shout as the lintel falls, crushing the door and locking me inside.
"What do we do now?" I hear one of the miners say through the smoke.
"The back door!" I shout and hear them all run off.
"Wait! You have to help me!" I shout but they still run.
"Its useless we'll never find them!" One of them shouts and then they are gone.
I look around, wondering where to start. Firstly I need to get out of this damn smoke. I quickly lie on the ground and look around. The chairs lie all over the floor. Along with big chunks from the brick ceiling and the wood that was once holding everything together. I shuffle around the floor to see a small opening at the bottom of where the door used to be. "KATNISS!" I hear Mr Mellark shout.
"IM FINE!" I shout in reply.
When I turn back around, I see something, a hand underneath the fallen counter. I shuffle forward and grasp the hand. Whoever it is doesnt squeeze back though.
I quickly pull myself up and step over the counter. I sit back down on the floor, out of the smoke and start to push the counter away off the body with my legs. It nudges slightly so I give it a harder push and eventually it moves to uncover a body. Leaven Mellarks body to be precise. I try to shake him awake but its no use.
There is only one way that I can get him out of here and thats by dragging him, but I wont be able to drag him through the kitchen and out the back door because he is too heavy. I dont have a choice, I'm gonna have to bust open the door and hope that nothing else collapses.
I pull myself to my feet and hold my breath as the smoke takes me again. I grab one of the chairs that litter the floor and swing it as hard as I can against the part of the wall where the door used to be. It hits the wall with a great deal of impact and I hear something up above. I throw myself to the ground in just enough time as the wall collapses around me.
When the noise finally stops, I open my eyes. Nothing hit me or Leaven. The good thing is that there is a big hole where the chair hit the wall. Well a big enough hole to get Leaven through anyway.
I stand up and grab Leaven's legs, pulling as hard as I can to get him over the counter. Once he's over, I drag him towards the door. "THERE'S SOMEONE THERE!" I hear someone in the crowd shout as I emerge through the hole. "SHE FOUND SOMEONE!" I hear someone else as I drag Leaven out after me.
"Leaven!" I hear Mr Mellark shout and then I feel hands pull me away as Mr Mellark takes over dragging his son.
When he stops dragging him, I hear a little whine. "Dad?" Leaven says.
I run away from whoever is holding onto me and towards Leaven, collapsing on the ground next to him. "Leaven?"
He turns his head towards me slowly. "Katniss?"
"Leaven? You have to tell me where you saw Peeta and Rye last?" I ask him.
"Under... the... fridge..." He chokes out and I run back into the Bakery. I run through the door into the back and into the kitchen. The ovens are still in place but the side boards are everywhere.
I quickly locate the fridge and walk over to it. Just like with Leaven, I can see a hand. "Katniss!" I hear from behind me. I spin around to see Thom.
"We have to get him out!" I shout to him, pointing towards the fridge.
"Okay, I'll get the fridge, you get him out." He shouts back and grabs the fridge.
He pulls it up and I grab the hand and pull as hard as I can, though he doesn't seem to move. The hand slips from my grasp and I fall back, hitting my head on te corner of something hard. The whole room spins and I feel blood in my hair. "Katniss, are you you alright?" I hear.
"Yeah." I choke out and pull myself up again. "Try it again!"
He pulls harder and I grab the hand, pulling with the same intensity as before. This time when I fall back, it's because a body has slid out. It's Rye.
"Do you think you can handle him whilst I look for Peeta?" Thom asks me.
"I think so!" I reply and start to drag him towards the door.
"PEETA!" Thom shouts and I hear a movement from the store cupboard. I share a look with Thom and walk to the door, pulling it open. Peeta is lying in a heap on the floor with his head in his hands.
"Peeta." I say and drop down next to him.
"Katniss... Is that you?" He wheezes out.
"Yeah. Come on, we need to get you out!" I move to help him up stops me.
"Are my family okay?" He asks, looking me in the eye. I notice that one of his eyes is so blood shot that you can barely see the white.
"Yeah, they are waiting for you." I lie. He doesn't need to know what's wrong with his family just yet.
"Thank you so much! Can I just do one more thing before I die?" He asks and doesn't even wait for an answer before pulling me down into a kiss. It tastes of salt from the tears, bread and burning flesh. I kiss him back, regardless of the taste. My first kiss ever and it's with a half dead person, in a store cupboard of a burning building.
I pull away and look at him. "You are not doing to die. We need to get you out of here, your skin is burning off."
"OK!" Agrees and I pull him off the floor. I try to use his arms but he starts screaming in pain so I let go and pull him up by his waist instead.
When we get out of the store cupboard. I can see Thom carrying Rye through the doorway. I link Peeta's arm around my neck and my arm around his waist and drag him to the door. I have to stop a couple of times because my head starts spinning. I've lost too much blood from my head.
Eventually I see light flood my vision as i get outside. "PEETA!" I hear Mr Mellark shout. I try to make it over to them but I can't. I collapse on the floor right outside the Bakery. Peeta collapses with half his body on top of mine. I feel someone pull him off me and then I black out.
The next time I wake up, I'm in my bed. Was it all a dream? This answer is in my head. No seriously. My head hurts like mad. It all must have been real.
"Katniss?" I hear someone say and I look towards the voice. Gale is sitting in the char at the end of my bed.
"The Mellarks?" I ask.
"They're fine. What about you? You've been out for 3 days." He says. His voice is quiet for some reason.
"What do you mean by fine?" I ask, ignoring his question.
"Well, Aymee, Rye and Peeta still haven't woken up. Rye has a cracked skull at the back, a couple of cracked ribs and a broken arm. Leaven has a crushed Pelvis and a slipped disk in his spine, which is pressing on his Sciatic Nerve, making him immobile. Your mum says that if the impact had been any bigger then he wouldn't be able to walk ever again. Peeta has a very serious head injury. He's completely unconscious but keeps vomiting. There was blood coming from his nose and ears. Your mum says he might suffer memory loss. Also he has broken shoulder blades and a neck injury." He says.
"I need to see them." I say and sit up. The room spins and I fall back down. "What's wrong with me?"
"Your skull is cracked, almost in the same place as Ryes." He replies. "You can see them, I'll help you. I know I won't be able to stop you."
As he's helping me sit up, he goes through my condition with me. "It's not as bad as Ryes but it's pretty serious. Your mother said that it could mess with your senses for a while, meaning you won't be able to see or hear properly-"
"I can hear and see properly now?" I tell him, even though when I first woke up, my hearing was off.
"Yeah, your mum said that might happen but she said it will probably get progressively worse. She said that you will have difficulty staying awake or keeping energy, so you will be tired a lot of the time. Your nose could start to bleed randomnly. Reading or writing problems. You might not be able to understand someone. Obviously you will have a headache. Oh and I don't know if you already know this, but you are also talking weird." He says, grabbing my clothes for me as I sit on the side of my bed.
"Weird?" I ask, secretly trying to notice a change in my voice.
"Yeah, you are speaking slower than normal and some of your words are slurred. It's another side effect of your head injury." He smiles slightly, handing me my clothes. "I'll just be outside the door if you need me." Then he leaves.
"SO WHERE ARE THE MELLARKS?" I shout whilst pulling on my pants.
"AT HAYMITCH ABERNATHYS!" He shouts back.
"WHY?" I ask, confused.
"BECAUSE THEY HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO GO! YOUR MOTHER AND PRIM HAVE BEEN STAYING OVER THERE TO WATCH THEM AND I'VE BEEN SLEEPING HERE, LOOKING AFTER YOU!"
"WHAT ABOUT HUNTING?"
"YOUR MOTHER AND PRIM ARE EATING AT HAYMITCH'S AND I HAD RORY WATCH YOU WHILE I WENT HUNTING!"
"GOOD!" I shout and finish getting ready.
We are setting off for the Victor's Village in no time. It's cold this morning but there are still children running around. "GALE! KATNISS!" I turn towards the voice to see Rory, running down my street. "Nice to see you're up!" He says, once he's closer to us. His voice is still really loud and vibrates through my skull, giving me a headache.
"Quieter please, Rory." I say, holding my head.
"Oh yeah, sorry." He says and lets out a laugh.
"What you laughing at?" Gale asks him.
"I see what Evelyn meant about her voice." Rory replies. I let out a sigh and try and walk away from them both, forgetting about my balance and strength problems. Luckily, Gale catches me before I hit the ground.
"Wow! Careful Catnip, don't want another injury!" He pulls me back towards him.
"Can we go?" I ask.
"Yeah, Rory, let mother know she's okay, i'll see you later." Rory nods and runs off. Me and Gale carry on up the street.
"So what's gonna happen to the Bakery?" I ask as we turn off my street and onto the dirt road that leads to the Victor's Village.
"That Mayor is having it rebuilt, he's looking for volunteers to help." he replies.
"So, who is there so far?" I ask.
"Thom, Bristel, a couple of guys from the mines, Haymitch and Me." He says.
"I didn't think Haymitch would want to help."
"Yeah, the Mayor threatened to take his alcohol away if he didn't help." He says and I start laughing.
"Could I help?" I ask, once I've calmed down.
"Not in your condition."
"Please, I could help with the planning or something?"
"Well, we put Rory in charge of planning but i'm sure he wouldn't mind your help." We turn off the dirt road and onto another Seam street.
"Rory?" I ask.
"Yeah, he's doing good actually. He hasn't started planning the floor plan yet but he's counted all the wood and brick we have to rebuild it and what places of the building are still standing. Plus, the Mayor ordered more from the capitol. It should be here in a couple of days. We don't start building until next week."
"So what's happening at the moment?" I ask. They can't be all sat around doing nothing.
"It's all being cleared away. I go to help after hunting and Rory comes too."
"And how's that going?" I ask.
"It's good. Most of it has already gone actually."
"Good."
We make it to Haymitch's house 25 minutes later. "KATNISS!" My mum gasps. "You're awake." She hugs me tightly and pulls me over to a chair.
"How's everything here?" I ask.
"Not good. Leaven is the only one that woke up and he can't move-" I put my hand up to stop her.
"Yeah, Gale already told me everything. Can I see them?" I ask.
"Of course, they're in the sitting room." She helps me to my feet and keeps a good grip on my hand as we stand there.
"I'm gonna go." Gale says. "I got to get hunting done." I smile to him and he leaves.
"They've all been waiting to see you." My mother says as she leads me to the sitting room.
When we get there, I'm surprised. All the furniture has been moved out of the way and the room has been taken over by 3 tables. On the 3 tables are Rye (on the left), Peeta (in the middle), and Aymee (on the right). "Katniss!" Masan exclaims from the sofa at the back of the room. "Thank god you're alright!" He embraces me again and this time doesn't hold on for too long.
"Leaven, how are you feeling?" I ask him. He's sitting across the room on the sofa, unmoving.
"Like I've been pushed off a cliff!" He says with a small laugh. "What about you?"
"Well, I'm knackered for some reason. I can't walk straight or stand up without help. I can't walk or hear properly and I feel like i've been hit over the head a hundred times but other than that, I'm brilliant." I let out a small laugh and he smiles.
I walk over to Rye first and his shirt has been deposited on the floor. There are big, dark bruises travelling from his chest all down his left arm, which is in a sling and a couple of bandages. His head has been placed on a really fluffy pillow to protect it. Plus there are bruises all over his face and his nose is swollen.
Next I go to Mrs Mellark. She looks normal, other than a couple of bruises around around her ears. Her injury was all inside though so she wouldn't show any injuries.
I don't think I can look at Peeta yet. I won't be able to take it. I know I need to though to see how bad it is. "Katniss!" I hear from the doorway. Thank god! I turn my attention away from the bodies and towards the doorway. Prim stands there in her pyjamas.
"Hey Little Duck!" I smile and she walks over and hugs me.
"I'm glad your awake."
"Me too."
5 minutes later, I brave it and walk to Peeta's table. I have to stop myself from crying. His hair is still full of blood. His eyes and nose are swollen. His ears have turned blue. His chest is covered in big, black bruises, spreading up his neck and behind his ears. You can tell by looking at him that he hasn't been breathing properly.
"Katniss?" I hear my mother say. I don't bother wiping the tears away before looking at her. "I'm sorry, I know Peeta means a lot to you but there is something you should know."
"What?" I ask her. She sits me down on a stool between Peeta and Rye.
"You should know that we are doing all we can. But when his shoulder blade snapped, a little bit of his bone got lodged in his lung. We pulled it out but there was a lot of bleeding. We have to have someone watching him all the time in case he stops breathing."
"What are you saying?" I ask, more tears falling from my eyes.
"There is a 95% chance that he won't survive this."
OOOHHHH don't you just love cliffhangers!