Chapter 6: Worsening Conditions.
It was like deja vu with all the camera's and the welcomings and the mixed emotions.
I push it all back though, plastering on a wide fake smile and waving to the capitals T.V. crewmen with the hand not clutching Peeta's. Together, we step off the train steps and onto the platform.
Interviewers swarm us immediately. Begging us to tell them how we felt our Victory Tour went, what district was our favorite to visit, and what our future plans were. Some even mentioned the engagement which were questions I tried to avoid as much as possible.
Yes, it was exactly like deja vu.
Except, this time, Gale wasn't there.
And in that moment the full force of President Snow 's threat hit me square in the chest.
For the rest of the evening I was constantly on edge.
The train station felt suffocating.
The greetings were stiff and formal.
The written speeches overused and a waste of time.
The crowds of district 12 seemed bored (as were we) and hungry (as always).
The dresses and make up were silly and petty.
The dinner agonizingly slow...or so it seems so far.
Currently, the mayor, Peeta, Madge, and my mother are the only ones leading the conversation, allowing Prim to inspect all things high-class and fancy, and leaving Haymitch and I to sulk about two entirely different things which we've been deprived of for weeks.
He wanted his liquor, and I wanted my Gale.
We're both only slightly miserable.
At the beginning of the Victory Tour Effie had banned all alcohol use, for everyone, in an attempt to stop Haymitch from drinking. She's had a close eye on him from the minute she escorted us to the second she left to go back to the capitol. She, to our surprised, succeeded much to our mentors dismay.
Effie was pretty proud of her accomplishment but she failed to remember that after the Victory Tour Haymitch can simply go home and drink his heart out since she won't be there to pester him. And that's exactly what he plans on doing. I can just see it.
Somehow the conversation moved onto work in district 12.
"Yes, I've heard conditions have been getting worse down there ever since that mine exploded months back and that other one collapsed with it," the mayor informs.
"Really?" Peeta sets down his utensils, leaning forward in interest. "What kind of worse?"
"It's only a rumor but I've heard of a potential deadly virus spreading down there. Plus, people seem to have been getting more injured lately from a few freak accidents."
"Oh, I can account for that one," my mother interjects. "There have been numerous wounds I've had to patch up ever since the Victory Tour started."
Mr. Undersee nods along, before continuing to answer Peeta's question, "And of course there's always the risk of the air becoming to filled with soot and dust causing the workers to suffocate before getting out. It's a horrible thing really. In most cases the workers don't really realize what's happening until the very last second because the air down there is already hard to breathe in so they assume it's the normal when they're having a rough time.
"I heard about one young man who had no idea until he started seriously choking and wheezing. He tried to get help but no one knew what was wrong and by that time it was too late. He dropped dead right at his statio-"
I abruptly stand, my chair knocking backwards.
I can't handle it any further.
With a clinched jaw I excuse myself, "I think I'm just going to take a quick walk. I'll be back soon."
Without waiting for a reply I rush out of the room and down twisting hallways, only slowing once I reach a new floor.
With a shaky breath I wrap my arms around myself and begin trudging off aimlessly with my head lowered.
I thought about myself.
I thought about Gale.
I thought about us.
You'd imagine I would be picturing the first time he gave me a gift (which I later found out took him weeks to save up for) just because he wanted to. Or the time we had planned a grand picnic in the woods and that's when I finally showed him the lake my father taught me to swim in.
You'd think that those memories are what bring me to the brick of tears.
But that's not it at all.
It's the little things that get to me. Not the big gestures and confessions of love. No. It's how every time he glances at myself as if to ask before holding my hand.
It's the way his eyes wrinkle at the sides when he truly smiles.
And the time he accidentally called me 'baby', then tried to play it off like he never said it because he was afraid of how I'd react.
It's these types of things that make me want to burst out and cry just because I love Gale so much.
Pathetic? Maybe. But when you get to this point you stop caring. Even more pathetic? Depends on who you ask.
A sudden static admitting from the other room pulls me from my thoughts.
Curiosity getting the best of me I stick my head in, only to come face to face with one of the mayor's television.
A buzzing red alarm begins going off on the screen. I knew instantly that this wasn't for my eyes.
I kept watching anyway.
It cut to a female reporter. Other than the number of casualties and the date she gave out almost useless information about district 8. I wasn't really listening to her though. I was more focused on the background behind her.
It looked similar to what happened on the Victory Tour.
Except this was much bigger and so so much worse.
My eyes zoom in on the small television screen, hypnotized by the people appearing on camera.
I stood there in shock and watched a full scale uprising in district 8.
*nervously laughs* So I know I said there would be Galeniss in this chapter but l lied. I swear to you though (I'm literally writing the next chapter right now so I know) there will be Galeniss freakishly soon. :)
Anyway...
