In honor of the Hunger Games movie release….Chapter 8! Finally, the chapter is finished! It took awhile because I lost computer privileges for a week, and then I had an exam to take, but it is done. Thank you for giving all those names for Gale's kids, I really appreciate it. The name I chose is introduced in this chapter so read away : )
Lysmachia's POV
She stands there, not asking any questions, just watching us with a bemused smile on her face. "I knew you would find out sooner or later, you're both smart kids. I just didn't expect it to be now." Gram's quiet voice is both unexpected and light, considering the situation that she caught us in. I would have expected her to scold us. "I'm kind of in a bind with Katniss not doing well, otherwise I'd let them finish explaining. Peeta is not going to like this; he really wanted to tell you when Katniss was well enough to help him fill in the gaps."
At first, I am speechless from the events in the video, and from her attitude towards the situation, but then the words come pouring out in torrents: "What happened exactly, why is Mom not well, and why hasn't anyone explained what's going on here?" I struggle with my brain as I try to accept the connection between my distant images of the Capitol and my parents who are right outside the doorway. In that sentence I asks the questions that both me and Lich have waited too long to ask.
"There is so much that you deserve to know, that neither I nor your parents can fully explain..." Her voice trails off into almost a whisper, then she raises it: "Come with me there's someone you need to meet..."
"Ok, Gram! C'mon Lich." Very rarely does Lich accept my direction, but this time he knows I am too fragile to confront. We follow Gram into the living room where Mom and Dad are sitting on the couch.
"I'm just taking the kids for some fresh air, they look positively pale. When you were young, you always had a nice tan look, and yet you let your children wither without sunlight. Really Katniss, you could use a few tips about parenting." Gram scolds lightheartedly at Mother, as she always does. Usually my Mom has a retort ready, but this time Mom only gives a small smile, she doesn't respond with her usual sharp humor. She must be feeling better though, if she's smiling, and the thought puts me somewhat at ease, even though she is still so obviously distant.
I grab a sweatshirt and clamber up into Gram's wagon. As we rattle down the road I don't speak, even though I am bursting with curiosity about where we are going. However, I know Gram won't say anything until we get to our unknown destination. I dig my nails into the wooden carriage seat and watch the trees shiver in the autumn wind, until Gram turns off the dirt path and pushes straight into the tall grass. The carriage wheels find the hidden grooves of a little-traveled path in the thick grass. Finally, the grass parts to reveal a small clearing amidst the dense woods. In the center of the clearing is a small house, where two young girls are playing. The younger one looks up in surprise and races to the house, her long braid trailing behind her.
"Daddy! Mammy's here!" Her shrill voice summons a middle-aged woman, whose brown hair is streaked with grey. The smiling woman appears from around the back of the house, her pink dress fluttering as she runs to swing her little girl. "Daddy can't hear you out here remember? Mammy will have to go inside."
Gram smiles at the older girl: "Well, don't you look grown up with your braid clipped on your head? You look wonderful! You're looking well as well, Rosemary. How's Corren doing?"
The older woman responds, "Well enough, under the circumstances, he's still having trouble adjusting, but after a few weeks he should be fine."
"Yes, adjusting to a new school is always difficult. How do you like the area?"
I slide down the seat onto the wheel, then jump to the ground. "Um, Gram?"
"Oh, yes, I almost forgot about you, Rosemary, this is Lysimachia, my granddaughter. Lys, this is Mrs. Hawthorne."
I nod my head at Mrs. Hawthorne and dart a glare at Lich. He nods at Mrs. Hawthorne, then he keeps his head down.
"My you look just like Corren! Well, except for your blond hair, how funny." She says to Lich.
"This is Lich, my grandson, their parents live right down the road."
"We'll have to visit them sometime. Excuse my manners, would you like to come inside? I'm sure Gale would love to see you."
"Of course, he said over the phone he wouldn't be busy today."
And with that, we walk through the thick grass that pokes through my sandals. I reach the door first, and cautiously knock on the screen door.
A deep voice sounds from within: "Corren, get the door will you?" Then the boy, Corren opens the door. I gasp as I look at his eyes. Those deep grey eyes, I remember them. The strange boy from school is standing right in front of me, and I am speechless. He, however, seem to have expected my arrival, and nods coolly.
He sticks his hand out and gruffly mutters, "Lysimachia, right? I'm Corren." After I make another furtive glance to his face, he disappears from my view as he runs up the stairs to the upper level of the house.
Something about that boy makes me very uncomfortable. Maybe it's his searching gaze, that seems to read all my thoughts in a second. Or maybe it's the way that he looks unabashed into my eyes every time we meet, filling me with anxiety so I am always the first to look away.
I stand on the bright doormat, very unconcerted at the recent events. Mrs. Hawthorne glides into the room and greets her husband with a breezy "You have visitors dear. Can you show them into the side porch? I have to work with the girls on their homework, two days in and they're already behind." With a light laugh, she motions to the girls who are exchanging knowing glances. When the little one looks up questioningly Rosemary gasps. "Oh, right! I forgot, we have to finish that before -" Her voice breaks off and she looks worriedly upstairs. "Let's hurry before he catches on." The Hawthorne girls troop obediently after their mother into the kitchen.
Mr. Hawthorne leads us out a side door I had not noticed before, and onto wide porch, which is surrounded by a screen nailed into the wood to keep the bugs out, but I doubt there are any out now. It gives a nice view of the small lawn and the thinning forest beyond it. They must have cleared out quite a lot of trees, because in our woods, once you hit them, you are in the thick of it. Here it tapers off, with straggling trees sprawling across the backyard.
Lich has no patience for this, he just wants to go home and he looks at me imploringly. But when I see that look, I quickly discourage him with a slight shake of my head combined with a violent glare. If he thinks I'm going home without learning the whole story, he is sorely mistaken. I look at Gram expectantly, but she seems to be taking her sweet time as she small talks with Mr. Hawthorne.
"So Gale, is it Corren's birthday already? I can't believe he'll be fifteen next week. Well, they do grow up fast."
"Yes, I'm having a hard time believing it myself. It's been nice living near Annie and the ocean, but I really missed living here, in the woods. I really wanted my kids to have that experience as well."
Suddenly I can't take it, I've waited the whole ride here, plus all the stalling outside and in the entry hall, and then if you want to count all the years I've pondered my mother's nightmares, it really adds up.
So that's why I think I am partially justified when I rudely interrupt their little chat with my own thoughts. "Ok, what's going on? First you sneak us out of the house under Mom and Dad's noses, then you drag us to the house of this strange guy, and now you talk to him like he's your son and leave us both sitting here utterly confused and frustrated." I snap at Gram, she may think this whole thing is amusing, but I sure don't.
"Oh, Lysimachia, I'm sorry, this is Mr. Hawthorne, he was a… friend of your mother's, his family lived right down the road from us when Katniss was growing up. Ah.., I remember those days. My, we have come a long way." Gram sighs happily in remembrance of those long-ago days.
"So?" I prod, hoping someone will start explaining something. The sounds coming from that TV still resound in my head: "I volunteer, I volunteer as tribute!" My mother screamed like that. She still screams like that. But what I want to know is why, and somebody better tell me soon, because I may be the happy-go-lucky child, but I've been through a lot in the past couple of days and I'm not putting up with anymore of it.
"What was my mother like?" I wonder
"She was very…., determined. She had strong likes and dislikes. If she liked you, her loyalty was unswerving." He stops for a minute; overwhelmed by the memories my question has brought to his mind.
"We had wonderful times, your mother and I, we were hunting partners. We met when she was eleven and we still talk sometimes, but once I started moving around, we didn't really talk much. She was much too busy taking care of you two. From the looks of it, she had her hand full." The mischievous smile that lights up his face comes so easily that I begin to feel somewhat at ease.
"So, what about the tape? You were the boy weren't you? The boy that carried away my mother's little sister."
"What tape?"
"The tape of the Hunger Games that my mother and father were in together."
"I caught them watching it and that's why I brought it, so you could explain what happened." Gram interjects.
"What? Not me…, let Katniss do it when they're older and ready to handle it all. They're too young now." He objects.
Anger boils up inside me and I burst out: "Listen, I'm 14, OK! I'm not some little child you can ignore anymore. I have a right to know why my mother has been locked in a cage of emotional trauma for the past few days, and why my father stiffened yesterday at the sight of Mom like he was afraid of her, and …" My voice trails into a whisper now and my throat tightens: "... and why her nightmares engulf her in such pain that she screams in terror in the middle of the night, but during the day lovingly pretends our world is picture-perfect." My words are almost drowned by the sob that bursts through my throat as I utter my last, plaintive cry: "Why?"
I look up now and see their faces, looking painfully at my breakdown. They will never think of me as mature after that outburst, and immediately I regret it. But that's beside the point, Gram needs to understand what it's like for us. I am so frustrated with myself, with Gram, and with this man who isn't so strange after all. I remember him from that day on the playground when he picked up Corren. The frustration builds in my chest, and I am afraid I will yell again. I take one look at Lich, then turn on my heel and run out of the room.
During my tearful flight to find the entry hall, I bump into one of those frustrating Hawthornes. I try to push past the person, wanting nothing to do with any of them ever again. But then, my arms are pinned to my sides, and I struggle for a second until the strong Hawthorne who dared to obstruct my path to the door meets my eyes. The tension seeps out of my arms as I look into those eyes. That gaze, sends shivers through me. It's as if he knows exactly what I'm thinking. The strange feeling would normally unnerve me and make me shift my gaze, except for the fact that no matter how much I want to look away, I can't. And then, I realize I don't want to. And with that realization, I give a shy smile.
Aw….. I just loved writing this chapter, I really got to develop the characters! This is my longest one yet, I'm so proud of myself. Do you think I'm giving too much description in the chapters, especially when I describe the reaping (in Chapter 7)? Please R&R and tell me what you think!
