Luis1113 you are absolutely amazing! I know you don't have any stories so I decided just to give you a little shout out. You have totally re-inspired me to write and for that I am so grateful I have read my other reviewers stories Mockingjay111 yours are absolutely incredible, and I cannot stop reading them. Thank-you for also being a fateful reviewer. Here is the next chapter after a long wait for which I am sorry. Like I said I was feeling uninspired, but now I am back. Please read, enjoy, and of course REVIEW!
-HungerGamesLoverMM
Home Might Not Be So Welcoming
Madge
It was at times like these that I loved Effie's compulsive punctuality. Snow and I were caught in an intense yet awkward stare down when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Time to go, Madge!" Effie trilled politely, "We wouldn't want to miss our train."
I smiled my best smile and curtsied to the President just as Effie had taught me so long ago. "Thank-you for the dance." I say, head still bowed.
"No, the pleasure was mine, Madge." Snow says giving my outstretched hand a kiss. I try to keep from gagging, "Good luck on your... engagement." He finishes sinisterly.
I don't have time to respond before Effie is ushering me back towards the train. We meet up with Haymitch and Gale as we call rushed good-byes to important people who I have long since forgotten the names of. Gale supports a very drunk Haymitch as he clumsily makes his way back to the train. Some Capitol attendants take over the job and deposit Haymitch in his room for the night.
Effie orders tea for us all as she rattles her schedule papers and reminds us of what is to come next, "There is still the Harvest Festival tomorrow, so I suggest we all go to bed!"
No one argues, but I don't really feel tired so I decide to stay up. Gale and Effie head off to their separate quarters as I stay lounging on one of the plush couches. I try to get my thoughts straight. Gale and I were engaged now, but President Snow still believes that there is still unrest in the Districts. However, it has only been one day. Who knows? The Districts might just catch some wedding fever right in the nick of time.
I still couldn't keep my thoughts from planning a rebellion. It was really our only way to truly be free from the Capitol. However the costs might outweigh the benefits if it were not to turn out. Gale was right though, nothing could really be done until the Quarter Quell anyways. Since communication between Districts was banned, and most people didn't have a phone anyways, uniting the victors was the only way to even possibly uniting the districts.
I cannot possibly fall asleep now without nightmares awaking me in only a few minutes. There was really only one way to avoid those nightmares. I walk down the gently rocking hallway to Gale's room. He is sound asleep, snoring softly. I crawl in beside him and close my eyes, within minutes I am rocked to sleep by the gently swaying of the train.
Gale
It is early afternoon when I wake up. I roll over onto my side and almost have a heart attack. Madge is there staring blankly up at the ceiling.
"Ugh hi," I say, trying to get a hold of my startled heartbeat.
"Oh hey," Madge says obviously distracted, "How did you sleep?"
Come to think about it, I slept great for the first time in a long time. "Good, no nightmares."
"Same." Madge answers.
Just like the night before neither one of us had had nightmares. I guess we really did find a remedy. The nightmares would come back again though when we were at home. That's right, we are almost home.
Today Effie has planned a dinner at the Mayor's house, who also happened to be Madge's father. That was probably going to be a little awkward because I am about to become his son-in-law and didn't even ask his permission to take his daughter's hand in marriage. Tomorrow there was to be a pep rally in the square, later followed by the Harvest Festival. At times like this it actually made me sort of happy that I won the games. Tomorrow all of the hungry people in the District would go come with their bellies full of good food thanks to the Capitol.
Most of today's prepping will take place at the mayor's house, which I was thankful of considering the Justice building held to many painful memories for me. It doesn't take long for me to get ready. All I really had to do was get dressed. My prep team never styled my hair or applied make-up like they did for some of the other boys. I guess they wanted to keep me looking natural, and for that I was thankful.
There was still an hour before dinner, so I decided to go and walk around. I wanted to find Madge's father and apologize for my breach in etiquette over the whole proposal thing. Although it might seem kind of stupid in a way, considering Madge and I weren't technically getting married, I still wanted to earn the man's respect. In his eyes, and most of the countries eyes, we were getting married. This would only push the act a little farther.
I walked down the hall and found the door labelled office. Labelling the door seemed kind of pointless considering this was his house, but whatever, it didn't really matter to me. I knocked politely and got no response. I called out his name, still no response. I heard a beeping from inside the room, and against my better judgement I go and check it out.
The noise is coming from the T.V. where a greying, sullen looking, news reporter speaks. The scene bellow her is madness: people in masks running in every which way, fires blazing, guns sounding. I had never seen such a thing before in my life, but then it dawns on me. This is what President Snow calls an uprising.
Madge
Dinner with my father was... awkward. Not really for me, but Gale. My father kept asking him question, most of which Gale had no answers to. He asked Gale what his interest were, but considering Gale's main interest was hunting that question turned out to be a dud. My father asked where he had purchased the fantastic ring that sat on my finger. Gale having not bought the ring or having any interest in jewellery whatsoever could not even come up with a convincing lie. I was glad when dinner was finally over and we could just go to sleep. Gale gave me a polite kiss on the cheek before walking back to his house along. I opted to stay at my father's house tonight. I walked back to my old bedroom, and looked around the room.
Everything in it was pink, soft, and girlish. I laughed at how different I had become. To think this was my bedroom only a few short months ago. I had been such a girl, dreaming of the perfect husband and brushing my hair at my vanity. Killing innocent children really did a number on your soul. I felt out of place now in the room I had once called my own.
Gale
The scene of the uprising still haunted my thoughts, but those weren't the only thoughts. Katniss. She would surely be mad, confused, betrayed, and I understood that. She hadn't even come and seen me after my return from the Victory tour. That however I expected. She had to understand that I didn't really love Madge. I had a special place in my heart for Madge, which Katniss had to understand because we did go through something huge together.
Going though the bloodbath that was the arena couldn't really be forgotten. Especially if you're right-hand man was able to make it through as well. I did still love Katniss. Every time I turned I thought I could see the tip of her black braid, or hear her laugh. I had to talk to her and work this out. We hadn't hunted together in a while, so she probably wouldn't just sit alone at our special spot waiting for me to come. That just wasn't her style.
I laid out a trail of things for her to follow. She was a bright girl and would get the message. I left a brightly coloured scarf attached to a tree. I also left metal containers full of Capitol delicacies so that the animals wouldn't get them. I sat on our little rock prepared to wait. I took sips of scalding tea as I looked out at the valley. I waited for minutes that turned into hours, but Katniss did not show up.
Defeated, I brush the dirt from my pants and head back into town. I decide to go and visit my old house in the Seam. I walk slowly along the side streets, some people recognize me, but most don't under my hood. I walk through town square where I see a crowd of people standing around. I hear the collective intake of breath from the audience before I hear a strange whistling sound that I cannot quite place.
People see me and their eyes go wide in terror.
"Get out of here, boy!" One older woman shouts, "You'll only make it worse."
I am worried now, and my heart is pounding. What could possibly be going on? Our peacekeepers were not violent like they were in other Districts. Annoying? Sure, but not deadly. I break through the final barrier of people, all of which wear the same mask of terror. I am urged to go, to run away and not look back, but my heart is beating so fiercely I can barely hear them.
The sight before me is shocking. Katniss has her arms bound to a post, and her bulky, winter clothes have been removed leaving her only in a white undershirt that has long since provided and protection. Her back is a bloody slab of meat, and a man who I have never seen before stands behind her. The scene before me doesn't make any sense until I see the cruel looking man raise the whip and strike it down hard on Katniss' back.
