Ooh, look I finished it quickly. Quicker that I expected to be honest, but oh well. Hope you like this chapter I really like it!
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DFTBA
MadcapScribbler x
I don't remember much of what happened that day. I remember waiting. I remember readying myself for death. It felt weird. All the other times I've been scared of gale, I've pleaded in my head that I would live; it was as if I couldn't think of anything worse than death. But that one time it was different. I was ready to die. Ready to leave my family, my friends… Peeta. No, I don't think I could have readied myself for leaving him behind. Not yet.
But I didn't die. I don't know how, I don't know why and I don't remember anything after a certain point. Which also makes me curious as to wear I am. I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. It's not my bed, and I'm pretty sure it isn't Peeta's. It's definitely not Gale's. The room I'm in is small, and rather empty. The only things here are the bed and a chair. There is an open doorway into another room with no door in it. I debate whether or not to go and look around, seeing as I have no idea where I am.
After a while, I decide it's probably best, so I get up and slowly make my way to the door. I feel surprisingly light, as if I'm walking on air, but my brain quickly adjusts to the feeling and eventually everything is back to normal.
When I get to the doorway, I stand in silence as I take in the room. It is only seconds before I realise where I am and who I'm with.
"Peeta…" I whisper, approaching him slowly, as he seems a bit uneasy. He turns to face me, and some sort of relief paints his face colourful again.
"You're up"
"Yeah. How did I get here."
"Your mother saw Gale making his way to my house and got there just in time. She made something up about his mother looking for him and he had to leave before he could get to you. Then she gave me a box of tablets, a key and this…" he says, holding up a small brown envelope "…The tablets made you sleep. She knew you wouldn't want to come here so told me to get you to take them and to bring you here"
"You drugged me?" I snap, completely lost for words at his thoughtlessness.
"I had to. Gale doesn't know about here, does he?"
"No. I didn't think anyone did… apart from…"
"I think I should leave you to read this" he says, handing me the envelope "he explains everything. I'll be in the other room if you need me." and with that, he gets up and leaves.
I clutch the envelope for a while, not daring to open it; but eventually the tension gets to me and I have to see what's inside. Just as I had guessed, a perfectly handwritten letter is inside it.
My dearest Katniss,
If you are reading this, it means that I am no more. I'm sorry I can't be there to help you through whatever horrible experience has made your mother hand you this letter, but I want you to know that I am still here, cheering you on.
As I write this letter, you have just gone to bed. You are currently 10 years old and mad as a box of frogs. Today we went hunting and I helped you with your swimming. We also visited "the forest house" as you like to call it, and as I was watching you poke and prod the fire, I realised something. I am not going to be there with you forever. I will not be there to protect you through everything, which breaks my heart. This is why, I will hand your mother this letter and the only spare key to "the forest house" and instruct her to only ever give them to you in times of desperate need. I really hope you never have to read this letter.
I don't know how old you are, if you are reading this letter, and therefore do not know how long ago this day was. If you do remember, I made you promise not to tell anyone about the whereabouts of "the forest house" and you told me you crossed your heart and hoped to die. I trust that you kept that promise. You always were good with promises.
I hope you know I'm proud of you. If you're reading this, you must have suffered a great deal and the fact that you're still going makes me the proudest man ever to have walked that sad excuse for a planet. Keep going sweetheart. I know that you will or have already grown up to be a beautiful, strong, courageous woman and I love you.
Love always,
Dad.
I sit in tears as I remember the exact day that he mentioned. Just as he had written it, I had been swimming and then he brought be here, to this secluded house in the forest; that no one but us knew about. Over time, it got forgotten with his life, but not his memory. I sniff and try to wipe away the tears, I've cried too much already.
I wait and drown in my memories, trying to make sense of it all. I've spent my entire life looking after Prim and my mother but not myself, and all along I've had my father and Peeta looking out for my; watching my back.
Peeta joins me after a while. He says nothing but holds me as I sob and we stay like that until it's dark.
"I'm sorry"
"Shhh" Peeta rubs circles on my back. "Don't be."
"I shouldn't have snapped at you about the sleeping pills. You did the right thing."
"I should've asked you"
"Never mind, it's happened now. What we need to do is think about what happens next."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean we have to decide what to do. I want to be able to live my life, Peeta. And I want to live it with you. But to have a chance at doing that, we need to figure out how to end this thing with gale. He's become sadistic and verging on unwell. But I can't go back to the district. There's no way that I'll go back to that place. Not for a while anyway. So my question to you is, what do we do?"
Peeta considers everything I've said in hopeful silence. I watch his expression change with his ideas, and can only imagine what is going through his head.
"I agree with you, we can't go back to the district, not properly, not for a while, so here's what we do. We stay here. At night, we will go to your house in the district, gale won't be there I promise, and we get your stuff and some normal household items that might be handy, this is when you can explain to your mother and Prim what is happening and gives you a chance to say goodbye for a while. Then we go to mine; I will get some money, some clothes and other things that might be handy. I can get my Adrian to cover for me. Then we come back here and by morning we are safe. We are free."
"Peeta… we're free…" I repeat, astonished. Peeta confirms it with a nod.
"We're free"
