Chapter Nine
Falling asleep this night was as difficult as trying to sleep the night before the Games. The nightmares are so vivid that the only way I can calm myself is to see her next to me. Couldn't even image how I would be doing if I was sleeping over in my house. More than likely would have grabbed a sleeping bag and slept in front of her door.
During the night when I find that both of us are asleep, I ask her if she wanted to go upstairs and rest in the bed. She said no, that she is comfortable where she is.
She places her head on my chest, saying that although she cannot sleep, that hearing my heart beat gives her some sort of peace. This is the first time I have felt her fear. She may act like a fearless person but truth be known she is still just a girl, with her life in the balance.
I had always wished that they would just forget about us and let us live our lives in peace here in District Twelve. It seems that the rigidness of this new government will not let any so call crime go without punishment. Knowing Doctor Aurellis, he must have tried every little trick in the book to get more time, to have them forget about this.
I cannot be mad at anyone actually. They are just closing a pending case of assassination of their President. Thinking about how far we have come, since the Reaping three years ago. Things have never been truly going right for either of us. We have just been trying to survive, only wishing to be left alone.
Getting up in the early morning, walking over to the kitchen, I don't think that Sae will be coming this morning or we just might miss her. I crack open some eggs on a pan and start the stove. Look through the cupboards and find some flour to do some bread. Shredding some cheddar cheese I place it on a bowl.
Rubbing my eyes trying to focus on the task, as everything is blurry. Hearing the crackling sound of the eggs, I start to move them around. Placing the food on the table with covers, I place a note on the table.
'Going to go get some clothes among other things, be right back,'
Walking over to my house, I go upstairs and pack some shirts and some pants. Still weak from the injury but somehow I make it both upstairs and downstairs without passing out. Grabbing some pencils, and reminding myself to get the sketch book upstairs from Katniss's room, I walk back.
She is there in the distance standing outside in her t-shirt and pajamas.
"Go back inside, it is cold outside," I say.
"You weren't there," she says.
"I left a note, needed clothes to change." I say.
"You sure you want to come? What if…" she starts to say.
"Let's not talk about that, today we are going to enjoy just being together. Okay?" I say.
She nods and I place my arm around her.
"Come on, let's eat some breakfast." I say.
We eat breakfast and she asks me now to tell her about myself.
"Well let's see, I saw you when I was five like you know. Immediately fell in love," I say.
She blushes and tells me that she thought it was only a crush.
"Couldn't exactly say that I was in love on national television," I say.
"But you can say that you had a crush on me? That we are going to get married and that I was pregnant?" She says laughing.
"Well when you say it like that," I say.
I told her about how I learned to the tools of the trade at the age of five and was already baking bread when I was six. She was surprised when I told her about the story of the race where she won in a sprint against all the older girls.
Once done eating, I asked her if she needed any help upstairs.
"No," she says. "Be right back going to through some things in a bag."
Sitting downstairs, I remember about the sketch book. Walking up the steps still take some effort and finally at the top of the steps I call out to her.
"Katniss?" I say.
She peek her head out of the door.
"Can you grab the sketch book?" I ask.
She says that she will, and I begin to walk downstairs. That is when I see that he is already downstairs waiting for us.
"You look sober," I say.
"Have to; remember it is all about appearance" he says.
Walking down the steps we walk out heading for the train station. Walking in front of Haymitch, we pretend that we are taking a walk down to the Square.
"When we get back, will you teach me how to shoot?" I ask.
"Of course, teach me how to bake?" she says.
"Sae said that we would need to have someone teach us how to clean to be completely functional." I say laughing.
She laughs along with me. People see walking with our bags and each one of them stop us and wish us luck.
"You bring her home, you hear," some little old lady tells me poking me in the chest.
"You hear that, now you have to bring me home." She says.
I nod at the little old lady. She smiles and walks to the well with her buckets. Many of us do not have the luxury of having running water. At the bakery because our store was providing pastries and breads to the Capitol we had running water. Many of the other people did not, and would have to take baths. The one thing we never had was hot running water. That was only reserved for the Mayor, or that is what I heard.
By the bakery I see the same group of guys working with heavy machinery to get the remaining parts of the Square cleared away.
Thom currently working the bulldozer sees me and waves me down.
"Hey I see you guys have continued working. Sorry I haven't been back out here." I say.
"No worries man, you had your mishap out in the forest, but wanted to thank you." He says.
"For what?" I say.
"For giving us a purpose about our District. Everyone has been volunteering to help in rebuilding the District and we have been sharing our food with people who need it most. We are all in this together," he says.
I smile and he pats me on the shoulder.
Walking towards the train station, they stand there waiting for us. As we approach the train, they ask for our bags. We hand it to them, and they actually open the bags and check to see if we have any weapons. They don't realize that as Victor of the Hunger Games, we can use just about anything as a weapon.
We walk inside, and directed into the sitting room where we have someone waiting for us.
"Thank you for being prompt." The person says.
"Transportation is being provided for Soldier Katniss Everdeen, Soldier Peeta Mellark, and Haymitch Abernathy. The purpose behind this is a request has been made for Soldier Katniss Everdeen to appear before the Council for the charge of Treason against the New Capitol." The person says.
New Capitol. I am guessing that is the name of the new government. What is the new name of the Panem, New Panem?
"You are restricted to this train, we will be making one schedule stop to refuel in which you will be permitted a break that will be supervised by two arm guards," he continues. "Meals will be scheduled as well. Do you have any questions?" He finally finishes.
"No," I say.
A group of soldiers come in the waiting room and line up in front of us. One speaks up.
"Permission to speak freely," he asks.
"Permission granted," Haymitch says.
"We are bound by law to follow the orders that have been given to us. We however would like to shake your hands and tell you thank you for your service. Because of you, we are free." He says.
We are all shocked by this, but we graciously accept and each one of them shakes our hands and then salutes us with the District Twelve symbol of thanks.
They all walk out of the waiting room and the train begins to move. Haymitch gives out a laugh and walks out to his room. Katniss just sits down on the chair guessing she is stunned by what just happened.
"Peeta, what just happened?" She says.
"They were just saying thank you, Katniss," I say. "Come on, let's get settled in."
I stick out my hand for hers, and she just looks up and places it in mines. I grab her bag and mine with my other hand and walk to the room assigned to her. Reaching her door unsure whether or not she wants me there, I let her go in first and as I am letting go of her hand, she grabs onto it even tighter and pulls me in.
I let out a big sigh of relief and all she does is smile.
I place the bag on the ground next to the closet, and she just lies down on the bed. She pats the area next to her and I just lie down there next to her.
"So," she says. "Where were we? That is right you were eleven."
I half chuckle amazed on how nothing fazes her.
"Well during those times, after school I would come home and help with the bakery. My father was getting older and wasn't sleeping much." I say.
"How come?" she says.
"My brothers were still eligible for the Reaping, so some days I would find him pacing back and forth in the mornings." I say.
"My sister would wake up screaming, thinking that I would be called." She says. She starts to yawn, and slowly close her eyes for a second.
"Sleep Katniss, you must be tired." I say.
"Well I am a little bit tired. But don't want to close my eyes." She says.
"Sleep for a little, it is okay. I will be here when you wake up." I say.
She closes her eyes, and finally goes to sleep. I stroke her hair and just watch her innocently sleep. The New Capitol thinks that this is a face of a killer, but all I see is the little girl who lost her family.
Although I started this little game, it has brought up many memories of my family. They are happy ones, but still I miss them every day.
Sliding out from the bed, I just sit there at the edge of bed. Looking at my hands, I still remember what he told me that day while waiting in Justice Building. I had just been selected for the Hunger Games and back then Capitol allowed each of the tributes family to say goodbye.
My father was just leaving when he saw that I was having doubts. It was hard to hear my mother actually say that I had no chance of winning. He always knew what to say, even when I didn't know what to do.
'We are the same, you and me. We have the same hands and the same heart.' He told me.
Looking at my hands, it is difficult to come to terms that although I miss him, I would never see him again. The thought is enough to allow my emotions to rise to the surface and I start to cry quietly.
Probably in this small moment when she is asleep I can finally let myself absorb the grief. Quietly the tears flow a little bit more freely. It is the first time that I have allowed myself to break without it building to it. Haven't been able to take it all in, to experience all that I have lost. The darkness never felt as lonely as it does right now.
I feel her hand on my back. Looking back she sees that I have been crying.
"You miss them don't you?" she says.
"I am sorry" I say.
"What for?" She says.
"Here you are fighting for your life, and I am supposed to be strong for you." I say.
She moves her hand up to my face wiping off the tears.
"We protect each other, that is what we do," she says. "We can be strong together."
"This is a dream," I say. "Real or not real?"
"Not real," She says. She grabs my hand and places it on her chest. "Feel this?"
I feel her heartbeat.
"Your heart?" I say.
"That is how you know that this is not a dream," she says.
A knock on the door lets us know that it is time for lunch. I raise my hand to her cheek draw her in, and kiss her. Her lips so soft and warm. I place my arms around her waist and can feel her give into the kiss. Time seems to have slowed down, her lips, her warm body; I can feel almost everything around me. Even the slight shutter we both give.
We finally allow ourselves the time to continue without us, and just stare at each other lovingly.
"You hungry?" I ask.
"Just a little," she says.
"Well let's see what they are serving." I say.
Walking to the door, finally opening there stands before us our old escort shaking her head.
"What did I tell you both about showing up late for meals? It is a sign of bad manners," Effie Trinket says.
I hug Effie, seeing how Katniss was the one who told me that Effie had somehow survived the entire war. In her usual pink wig that of course matches her outfit, she at first lifts up her hands as she is unsure of what to do.
Katniss of course lets out a laugh and finally I feel the quick pat on the back from Effie.
"No one told us that you would be here," I say.
"We who else would escort you to the New Capitol," she says. "Which if you ask me, looks a lot like the old Capitol, but with some minor changes."
"Tell us all about it, please," Katniss says.
That certainly got us off the hook and on Effie's good side. She walks us to the dining car where Haymitch has already been there waiting. Instead of Capitol attendant like we are use to, now the dining car has Capitol Soldiers, after all this is not a social visit.
"Be a dear, and tell them that we are ready," Effie tells the Soldiers as she would tell an attendant. Same old Effie, as proper as ever, even with her now obsolete Capitol accent.
I pull out Katniss's seat, which Effie praises me on. She says that all the training that she has done, has certainly stuck with us.
"Unlike Haymitch's training," I say.
"You mean drinking and falling?" Katniss says.
Katniss and myself laughs, while Haymitch who you can tell is fighting withdrawals just look at us. He is drink from what we can tell is coffee, and is in one of his moods.
We all look around waiting for the strategy session to begin. If Effie and Haymitch are here there are some things that we both have to do in order to come off the way they want us to. Lunch is being served which is some sort of wild salmon from District Four, with chilled vegetables. It is a very delicious fish although neither of us have the stomach to eat it, what with nerves and all.
Once we finish eating, Effie starts to tell us what is going to happen.
"Well Katniss, today is going to be a big big big day." She says. "Once we arrive in the New Capitol, we will be brought to the Justice Building which was completed a couple of weeks ago. There you will stand before the Tribunal."
"Tribunal?" I ask.
"Well after the war, there was the council that consisted of twelve representatives from each of the District minus the one which you are from." She says. "Now the Tribunal will consist of the same number but the President will be the Thirteenth person sitting on the Tribunal."
Judge by thirteen people, who know nothing of the situation. These people who would play God with her life, have never been in combat, and in fact are the new positions sought after, and not Gamemakers but now they are called Councilman.
"Councilmen, Gamemakers, what are the difference, they are still playing with our lives." I say.
"Well Peeta, the difference is that these Councilmen, where actually selected by the people of each of the District." She says. "District Twelve doesn't have one yet, because the crime happened by one of its citizen. They felt that it would be like having a mentor there to sway things, so it was considered an unjust advantage."
"What are their qualifications?" I say. "Who gives them the right?"
"Well the people voted, and not just military personnel but regular people of the District who were selected. They want this New Capitol, to be a free republic, or that is what they are calling it." She says.
A free republic. I have heard of it, my father would tell me tales of the old world, where they had a balance of power. No one had absolute power, but was shared among the people.
"So they will hear the case, weigh the evidence, and finally adjourn to decide the outcome. The President however has the power to overrule the judgment and select a different one, if so chooses." She says.
"So at the end there is only one person who to convince? The President of Panem." She says.
"No easy task, but you have been through worst," Haymitch says.
The train begins to slow down and we are alert of the schedule stop to refuel.
"You have a shot sweetheart, remember that," he says.
"Yes, Katniss, it is about poise and how you conduct yourself." Effie says.
"So it is about how to play the Game, how to play to what they want to hear me say," Katniss says. She pauses and looks down. I reach and grab her hand. "Sounds like the Hunger Games to me."
