note: hi, fist of all, sorry to anyone who is in hurricane sandy, in London there is never any hurricanes so i cant say i know how you feel, but i imagine it can be very stressful :(
we are on 77 reviews twenty three till 100! remember that thing i said about the 70th reviewer a few chapters back? well i'm moving it too 100th reviewer :O if you want to know what the prize is, look through my notes a few chapters back, i cant be bothered to write it again
annnyyhoo
in chapter three i said " that will be the last time he hears her voice for a long time coming" or something like that, but in fact, he speaks to her later that day soo... just ignore that ok? cool
also check out my friends fan fiction accounts one is called THE GIRL ON FIRE 127 and the other is called izzthewolf, she hasn't got any stories, but we are planning to co-write a parody :) we recently had a sleepover with two other friends watching harry potter and the goblet of fire, i just sat there sulking for the day when cedric diggory died ( even though i already watched it :/ )
i'm rambling, just read and review!
Smoke filled Peetas lungs, its distinctive purple colour curling around him, luring him to the flames. Katniss gasped audibly. Peetas first instinct was to run, run and never come back, but he couldn't, it was times like these that truly treated how good of a person he was, would he try to help, or would he run like a coward. This was his common sense against his will to do good.
He spent what felt like hours contemplating the pros and cons of going to help the people at the hob. While coughing and worrying about Katniss, whose eyes were watering, from sadness or from smoke stinging her eyes he would never know. You could almost say it was multitasking.
A scream interrupted his train of thoughts, it sounded like a young child, this was all it took to break Peeta, despite his injured leg he sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him towards the flames. Every step he took caused pain to shoot up his leg, every step he took, Katniss would take a light but speedy step towards the hob too; she kept running until she caught up with him.
Peeta now began to wheeze and cough, he was tired and the smoke wasn't helping either, he was well aware that Katniss had followed him, but his main priority, and only wish, was to help the person who made that terrible scream.
The scene in front of Peeta could only be described as chaotic, although Peeta had expected more people to be at the hob, he thought that most of the people wouldn't risk going to the hob, while there was a new peacekeeper it could be very dangerous.
On the edge of the hob, there was a small child, huddled into himself and crying softly, he had seam looks, dark hair and olive skin, and he looked like he had not yet even lived through seven summers. Bending down he gently took the boys hands away from his face, the boy gasped and looked up at him with large glazed eyes.
"It's okay," Peeta began "you're safe now, well get you home, cuddled up in bed with your family. You just think of home okay? Just think of home, and we'll be there before you know it." The boy looked at him, confused, probably wondering why a merchant was helping him, more specifically the infamous Mrs Mellark's son.
"But you don't know where I live." The boy rasped, the smoke had clearly got to him, as he had finished his sentence with a loud, chesty cough, come to think of it, Peeta hadn't thought of the fact that he didn't know where the boy lived, but he wasn't going to let that stop him.
"Don't worry, we'll find it." Peeta said, for the first time noticing the boys aura, it was strange but beautiful, shinier than other auras he had seen, but he shook it off.
Peeta picked up the boy, and put him on his back, he kept coughing loudly then quietly apologising, which almost made Peeta chuckle. Peeta realised that he hadn't thought about Katniss all this time, he started to worry, then realised that she was smart, she was strong too. She would be perfectly safe.
He headed in the direction of the seam, where he assumed the boy lived. He asked the boy to direct him to the place where he lived. When he and Peeta ended up at the community home, a stab of sadness hit Peeta, nut like the thing about the boys shiny aura, he brushed it off.
Peeta had to talk to a lot of people who worked at the community home to get the child some medical attention, when he finally found the medical room, where a healer would help the boy, he put him down on the dirty sheets. He could see fatigue pulling the boy under, his eyes kept drooping closed, until he noticed and snapped his eyes quickly open.
"Shhh… sleep." Peeta said to him in a quiet whisper.
The boy opened his mouth to reply, he was so tiered that Peeta barely heard what he said, the spongy cakey taste of the boys voice whispered to him.
"You have a pretty aura."
….
That night, Peeta went to the Everdeen's house, troubled by what he had been told. Thankfully Katniss was sitting there, watching television, he cocked his eyebrow questioning he, she never watched TV. He was barely listening to Mrs Everdeen telling him that his doctor couldn't make it to take the scan of his brain.
Peeta sat next to Katniss, a little hurt when she shuffled a bit away from him, widening the gap between them.
"You smell of smoke." She said sadly.
Peeta simply nodded.
"What are you watching?" he asked.
"The new head peacekeeper is going to make a speech, its mandatory viewing." She replied, Peeta expected her to sound bitter, but she just sounded hollow, and that was worse.
The seal of Panem flashed on the screen and the anthem blared out, before fading away and leaving the not so appealing face of the new head peacekeeper standing on a podium.
"Law abiding citizens of district twelve, more commonly known as the merchant class. I am your new head peacekeeper, Romulus Thread. Recently, on my long anticipated tour of the district, I discovered a terrible thing."
Pause for effect.
"Did you know that the seam people have built a black market? Right under our noses! It disgusts me, and I'm sure it disgusts you as well! I am pleased to say, that we have burnt it to the ground! Every last trace of it! Eleven seam people passed in the flames, although I cannot say the will be missed…"
As Thread continued to blab on, Peeta, Katniss, Prim and Mrs Everdeen shared a look, although they said nothing, their silence spoke volumes. That was, until Peeta stood up suddenly.
"Thank you, Mrs Everdeen, Primrose, Katniss. Thank you for you hospitality. You are truly good people and I wish you the best for the future, but I think I should leave now, my leg has healed quite a lot, and my family might need me. Katniss, Prim, thank you for being very good friends, and Mrs Everdeen, I will send my father your greetings, goodbye." He said, turning to leave.
Nobody tried to stop him.
…
When Peeta was fourteen, Thread declared that seam were not allowed to marry merchants, Peetas mother was significantly happier, saying that they deserved it, Peeta had never hated her more.
When Peeta turned fifteen, Thread declared that seam people could not shop in merchant shops. They could not sit in merchant seats, they could not use merchant hospitals and seam children could not go to school. That didn't stop Peeta from visiting Katniss though.
When Peeta was sixteen, he visited the Everdeen's, he was always very careful, making sure no one saw him go in or come out. But this time, at least seven peacekeepers stormed in armed with knives and bullets and dragged Katniss and Primrose away from him.
There was nothing he could do.
Their screams haunted his dreams that night.