CHAPTER 3:
Katniss and Peeta were escorted off the stage. Katniss, tries to look where Lauren and and her family were, but the peacekeepers were persistent as they lead her away.
The crowd stirs as peacekeepers push the crowd. They have shields and beater sticks. Kids crying, mother and fathers try comforting their kids. It's chaos. Lauren's father tries to fight against the peacekeeper when the unthinkable happened. One of them pulled out a gun. If it was even possible the screams got louder. Parents shield their children as they cried out in fear.
And they shot him. His wife falls to her knees, tears streaming down her cheek. Lauren just screams and cries.
"No! No! Not again!" she creams, clutching her hair. Poor girl.
Rosaleen took this as her cue to leave. She jumped off the platform. She throws her hood on and blends in with the crowd. People start to run in different directions, wanting to reach the sanctuary of their homes. Little did they know, they wouldn't be safe there either.
Rosaleen walked as quickly as possible with her head down. She eventually lost sight of Lauren and her mother as they ran off, most likely to their house.
Instead of taking the same route she took going there, she decided to take the alley way, Not many people were going this way. She finally let out a breath of relief. She walked as fast as she could to her house, there were a few kids, running down the alley, calling out to their parents. No one seemed to notice her.
A gunshot is heard, then another and another. Rosaleen cringes. Why did it have to come to this? Another gunshot. All Rosaleen could think about was Lauren and her mother. The look on both of their faces. Another gunshot. The last gunshot.
The screams of the people begin to fade as Rosaleen walks further down the Alley way. She was so close. 'Almost home.' she told herself. Rosaleen was glad to go home, but she also dreaded walking into that house all alone, sitting in silence. (a/n: NOW I JUST SIT IN SILENCE love you if you got that reference.) She couldn't take anymore of it.
She walked on until she heard a scream. The scream of a little girl.
"No! Stop! Leave her alone! Please, I'll do anything just let her go!" Rosaleen heard a girl scream.
'Just keep walking. Don't look back Rosaleen.' Rosaleen hesitated. The girl sounded like something was really wrong. Shouldn't she just leave her? What could she do to help the girl?
"Please, someone help!" the girl screamed, this time more urgent than the last.
She decided. She would help the girl, at least she see what's going on. Rosaleen followed the voice and walked as quietly as possible. She walked a few more paces before she spotted the girl. She quickly hid behind a trash bin and observed the scene, something she was good at.
Three peacekeepers were surrounding a girl and her mother. Wait, is that- Rosaleen looked closer. The mother and daughter were in fact Lauren and her mother. Minutes ago they were standing on a platform mourning the lose of a family member only for another to get shot.
Lauren was standing to the side as a peacekeeper was holding her by her arms. Tears run down her face as she tried desperately to get out of his hold, but she was too weak and he was too strong. Her mother lays on the ground beaten. She seems to be slipping in and out of conscious. The other two peacekeepers kick and punch her over and over again.
"Please, I beg you! Stop!" Lauren yells. As if by a miracle, Lauren gets out of the peacekeepers hold. She jumps on top of her mother and shields her. She cries as the peacekeepers laugh while beating her. She calls out for help.
Rosaleen couldn't stand to watch this anymore. She was just a kid. She began to stand, but she heard a voice.
"You know what kid," on the of the peacekeepers chuckled. "You got guts. Just 'case of that, Imma let you live."
The peacekeeper snaps his fingers. The other two instantly stop throwing punches and follow him as he leaves. Those monsters just let the girl. One of them even had the audacity to spit on the girl as he walker away. They put on their helmets, picked up their guns and walked away.
Lauren sobbed as she desperately tried to wipe the blood off her mother's face.
"Well fuck them. Fuck them all! Those bastards can go to Hell for all I care." she mumbled loud enough for Rosaleen to hear. Rosaleen smiles softly. She reminded her of Johanna.
As soon as the peacekeepers were gone, Rosaleen walked toward Lauren slowly, carefully. She didn't want to scare the girl more than she already was. She lightly touched Lauren's arm.
Lauren quickly turn around as she pulled a knife from under her sleeve. She quickly wipes the tears, smoldering the blood from her nose all over her face and replaces it with a fierce look.
"W-What do you want?" she said shakily as first. "I swear to God… I'm not in the mood to deal with this. After those sons of bitches-" Lauren dropped the knife. She look defeated, like she just gave up.
She began to sob on the floor, not caring that Rosaleen was watching her. First her brother, then her father and now her mother. She was truly alone on this world. What she didn't know was that Rosaleen was alone too.
Rosaleen just stares at the girl, silently observing her. She had dirt and grime on her forehead and dress from being thrown on the ground from the peacekeepers. A bloody nose and bruises eye. Her mother was worse. Her whole face looks unrecognizable. Rosaleen knew that her mother wouldn't make it. Lauren would have no one then.
It was at this moment Rosaleen spoke. It was at this moment Rosaleen's life changed forever. Who knew only 3 words could change who you are as a person? Who knew that 3 words couldn't change your perspective on the world?
"Come with me." was what Rosaleen said before she pulled Lauren's mother's arm over her shoulder. Lauren looked up shocked, but she wasn't going to be told twice. She quickly got on the other side of her mother and helped carry her to Rosaleen's house in the Victor Village. Mybe this was a good thing. Maybe Rosaleen wouldn't be so alone.
A/N: heh heh... yeah it's been a while. Like a month. And I still come out with a chapter like this, not even that long. I just hope you guys can forgive me... please review, I wanna know if you still there and follow and favorite my story.. please. Anyways tell me what you think!
