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Dodging Business Studies and Health Care coursework, so here's a chapter! :)
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Chapter Ten
Why did I always seem to find myself in such unfortunate situations where I end up getting quite badly hurt? Just as silently as they had appeared behind me, the two Peacekeepers behind me had hoisted me up and were dragging me towards the small building they used as their headquarters. I craned my neck trying to see if I could identify the men, but to no avail. It was still quite bright despite the sun being low in the sky, and its rays were glinting onto the Peacekeepers' visors, causing the advanced technology held within them to darken the lens. I assumed that because I had been swooped upon, I was in no such luck to be in the company of one of the more pleasant, lenient peacekeepers, such as Darius. He was quite young, he couldn't have been any older than Aidyn. He was friendly, the type that would forget his authoritarian position and greet you in the street and often frequented the bakery. He had gotten Kade out of a few sticky situations over the last few years, and so he had formed an acquaintance with my father, who would offer him any stale bread going from the bakery. I liked him, needless to say. Shame he wasn't going to get my out of this particularly sticky situation.
We were nearly at the headquarters, when I caught sight of two small bodies strolling along the street, oblivious to the two menacing figures flanking my either side. Too far from my line of sight, I couldn't identify them. One person was lithe, with flowing blonde hair, a merchant girl; the other a boy, possessing the typical dark Seam features. They walked along at a slow pace, seemingly enjoying each others presence. I looked on fondly, a small part of my mind wishing that the roles where reversed. A Seam girl, with dark hair and a merchant blonde haired boy. The Peacekeepers were muttering between themselves, trying to decide who was going to approach the pair. I felt a pang in my stomach, they were only young and now they were going to suffer the same as I was, just because they weren't at home or in the square watching the Games. The taller man on my right seemed to win the argument, as he let go of my arm and strode over to the children. It seemed that without his buddy, the remaining Peacekeeper was unable to walk any further. So there we stood.
I looked over at the figures only slightly ahead of us now. The Peacekeeper had reached them and the children were now staring up at him, the height difference laughable. They were close enough to let me get a better look. The girl was really familiar but I couldn't quite place her. The blue eyes and the blonde hair indicated she was a merchant, but something about her stance and the way she held her head was making bells ring in my head. Who was she? The boy, he was Seam personified; dark hair, olive skin, almost dirty looking from the coal dust. But again, something about the way he held his head and the tension in his jaw was familiar, yet I still couldn't put a name to either child. Until I heard the soft, tinkling voice that is. "We're looking for my cat, he ran away from the house after the television practically erupted with cheers after Kade's interview. I need to find him, he's really quite important to me, and he's ran off with a batch of my Mother's herbal medicine which she needs.." Kade. Eruption. Cheers. He did well. Prim. Hawthorne boy.
If only for the return of the other Peacekeeper and the firm grip on my arm, I would have collapsed there and then. I managed to stumble into the headquarters and was thrown forcefully into the chair in the middle of the room. My head was spinning, the adrenaline of the last thirty seconds catching up with me. I could hear the men shuffling around the room, rifling papers and muttering, probably considering how many lashings I deserved. At that minute, I couldn't care less. My brother had done it. Somehow, Haymitch had managed to drag every ounce of charm and brilliance out of Kade, and it had worked! He was going to be okay. For the time being anyway. I don't know how much time passed, but when I finally started paying attention to my surroundings it was dusk, the street outside softly illuminated by the light streaming from the windows of surrounding buildings and the sparsely placed street lights. The two men where still in the room, one leaning back on his chair, his feet raised and resting on the table in front of him. He was nearly asleep, his soft breathing sounding a steady rhythm. The other man, the one who had walked over to Prim and Gale's brother, was staring intently at me.
For the first time, I finally managed to catch sight of his face. It was Darius. My heart soared, swelling with pride for my brother and for the good fortune I had been extended. "He did great Peeta, he couldn't have been any more charming, a double of your father in that respect. When you see the highlights you'll see. So off you go, before Cray has slept off the liquor. I hate this month's evening shift rota, stuck with Cray four nights a week. Guess the odds aren't in my favour, eh?" He smiled at me, the light glinting slightly off his teeth. His reddish hair was the most obvious give-away that he wasn't from District Twelve, perhaps District Seven or Eight. But it was obvious that he had spent quite some time in our District, his prominent cheekbones and wrist bones highlighting the lack off food available. It wasn't just the residents in our District that starved, it was everyone, regardless of status. He stood up and walked over, helping me stand and steadying me as I stumbled slightly. My legs still felt like jelly, the shock not quite left my system. "I can't promise you that he'll come home Peeta. But the boy's made of tough dough, he'll rise to the occasion!" This is what I liked about Darius, he could always spin an hard situation into a laugh, usually at the expense of bakers.
"Thank you Darius, really. Come by the bakery tomorrow morning and I'll sort out a few loaves for you, okay?" I smiled at his as I headed towards the door, albeit somewhat shakeably. He nodded, and smiled and waved in response. I made my way out onto the street, turning left to take the long route home, hoping it would give me some time to think. It couldn't be much later than half eight, maybe nine o'clock, and mother and father weren't particularly anxious after us being home too late, considering we knew we had to be up early every morning. It was a pleasant evening, a soft breezing still blowing in the warm air. It was approaching the hottest days of the year. Those were generally insufferable, confining people to stop working for quite a potion of the day. So I tended to enjoy the breeze whilst it lasted. There were still small groups of people loitering around the town, every so often a few walking over to me praising Kade, telling me of their hope that he is crowned Victor. I just smiled in response, unsure what to say considering I hadn't seen his interview.
The closer I got to home, the more anxious I became. It was one of those rare times when my father would want to talk at length, and I would be unable to and so would have to explain to him what had happened. I hated disappointing my father, and tried my hardest most of the time not to. I just hoped my good luck continued, and he would understand, considering the circumstances. Here was to hoping.
I turned the final corner to my street, turning to see the fence that separated us from the wilderness, District Twelve from the others, and puts as much space as possible between us and the Capitol. I would give anything to get to the other side of that grid of metal, anything at all. And Katniss and Gale could do it whenever they pleased. Sometimes, the thought would overcome my unsuspectingly and I wished I was Hawthorne for the day, to get on that side of the fence. To spend time with Katniss. To see her smile.
I walked past the grassy slope leading up to the fence, noticing a small lump in the otherwise smooth landscape. Too dark to identify it, I walked closer. It was moving slightly, as if breathing. I reached out to lift it, feeling the soft fur under my hands, a sharp hiss echoing from its mouth and a strong, herbal smell.
Prim's cat.
In my peripheral vision, I could see another person, somewhat stumbling towards me. I turned my head, my hand automatically reaching around to protect the cat that was now making heavily affected swipes with its paws. Must have been some heavy herbal medicine that it swallowed. The person approaching me suddenly dropped to the ground, shaking violently. I darted over to them, crouching down to see who it was in the darkness. I crouched down in time grey eyes glaze over, sending their owner into a world of darkness.
That owner was Katniss. And she had an arrow in her leg.