Hey guys. Thanks for your reviews. I'm glad I got this much reviews. Anyways, two more chapter after this and then I post the sequel! ENJOY.
Moving On
Katniss' POV:
The last thing I remember is running to Peeta's house. I'm still running. My heart beats fast and this feels like the games all over again. But this time, I'm not running from anything. I keep telling myself that I'm back home, worry free. But it doesn't feel this way exactly. My heart breaks into a million pieces as I think about Peeta. I know the woman was a witch, but that's the only family he had. But then I think to myself. He has me, he has Prim who loves him like a brother, along with Gale. I love him. It doesn't really make a difference. Does it? The autumn air is cool, but the sun heats my skin. I'm only wearing a sweater that my mother gave me when we we're in the train station. The back of the sweater blows backwards as I run. The Seam probably looks no different. Tomorrow we move into the Victors Village. Instead of four, we get three because Prim's living with me. Peeta has one for his own. And Gale has one for his family and himself. Peeta's going to be living on his own, alone. I take a deep breath and I keep running as I enter the Seam.
I run through the Seam to find his house. Outside, there are five Peacekeepers, blocking the door. They take one look at me and move from the door, letting me go inside. When I'm inside, I see the small couch, part of it occupied by the blond, blue-eyed, the only one in the Seam, boy that I fell in love with years ago. He has his hands in his eyes, his elbows on his knees, as he sits on the couch, not making any sounds that indicate that he's crying or anything. There's a dreadful smell in the room…of liquor. Peeta's mother drank a lot, she ate everything Peeta brought in with a lot of work, and sometimes he'd come to my house in the middle of the night with a bloody nose and a bleeding head because the woman punched him or threw a wine bottle at him. Every time he'd come to my house like that, I'd secretly let tears roll down my face, and then wipe them because I realize how weak I was being. That sadness was soon replaced by anger. Right now, my face drops and when he looks up, with red puffy eyes, my heart breaks. Those blue orbs of his are filled with sadness. I knew how Peeta felt about his mother. She'd do many things to him, but he always loved her. He was too good of a son for her. I remember how she used to be before his father died. She'd always smile and she was probably one of the nicest people in Panem. But after Peeta's father died, she was torn.
"Peeta?" I quietly call his name. I walk towards the couch and sit next to him. He's staring straight ahead. In his hand, he holds something that looks like a paper. Something in that paper made him break down, because he usually never does cry a lot. He turns his head to face me. His eyes are puffy and the blue mixes with the red awfully, making my heart break into more pieces.
He holds the paper up high enough for me to see it. "Do you know what she wrote in this?" I wait for him to continue. "This is a letter she wrote before she started drinking. She wrote it because she knew she was going to die. In the note, she wrote something about her drinking meaning something," I look at him in shock. "She drank because she didn't want to live anymore, she thought I didn't need her, and because she thinks I can carry on without her," he hands me the letter.
I open it and start to read it. My eyes widen at every single one of her words. I can't imagine how Peeta feels right now.
Dear Peeta,
When you read this, I know I've passed on. Don't miss me, and I know you won't. You probably hate me right now, because of everything I've done to you. My drinking was for a reason, Peeta. I know you can move on, without me. I don't want you to miss me, in fact, I want you to forget me. And I bet that'd be easy, considering how bad of a mother I've been. Living without me would be easier for you to handle. No more feeding the "witch" and getting her liquor so she can beat you with the bottles after. Remember one thing son…You'll be better without me. Go live your life, and stay out of trouble.
Love,
You're mother, the "Witch"
I can't even process what I just read. How can a mother be so disgraceful? If she was here once more, I would let all my energy go into yelling and screaming at her. I'd tell her how pathetic and brainless she is. I look up from the note, to see Peeta standing near a window, and looking out of it.
"All those years, all those years of her treating me terribly were because she didn't want me to miss her, she wanted me to hate her and forget her. I hope she knows it didn't work," he says, slightly angry.
I walk up to him and hug him. I can't find the words to say. Or maybe I can think them, but they stumble on my tongue and they can't find their way to my lips. Surprisingly, Peeta hugs me tighter and buries his face into my neck. We don't move until I hear the door creak open to reveal Gale. He has a miserable look on his face. We pull away and Peeta and Gale look at each other for a while, until Gale rushes to Peeta and gives him a hug. We both understand how Peeta felt about his mother, and even if it's hard to admit, we both felt a little sorry for the woman. She was dealing with the death of her husband, but didn't she know that she had Peeta? She was being selfish. But it's not right for me to insult her, especially under what used to be her roof.
We sit on Peeta's couch as it gets dark. Gale just finished the letter and he sits there in silence, probably not being able to believe what he read. I can't believe it either. We're quiet for a second. I take a deep breath before I decide to break the silence. "You're not alone, Peeta."
Gale decides to speak up also. "You have us, you have Prim. We're always going to be here for you, and that will never change. You'll never be alone."
Peeta looks at both of us for a while. The corners of his mouth slightly curve as he says, "I know you guys will always be here for me. And I thank you very much for that."
We smile and hug him. Gale leaves after a while, leaving me with Peeta. As we sit on the couch, I cuddle next to him. There's silence between us. We're both afraid of breaking it, because at this moment, we are both lost in our thoughts. Before I left the train station with Madge, Haymitch said something to me that I decided to ignore because he seemed a bit drunk. But now it's starting to irritate me. His words bounce around in my skull, his bothersome words. We know that once you're a Victor, the Capitol will never leave you alone. The Victory Tour is just ahead of us, and facing each and everyone the district dealing with the loss of their tributes makes me feel unease. Why can't Haymitch words leave my mind? I sigh as the words repeat themselves in my head before I doze off on Peeta's couch.
"The Capitol will keep bothering you. They'll demand things that you cannot refuse to give them. And when you do refuse, they'll kill you. I don't know who, or how, but they'll get cha," he says, as he staggers away in the direction of the Victors Village.
Thanks for reading this! Next chapter is on moving to the Victors Village, and then the last is on their lives as Victors! REVIEW PLEASE.