Chapter 14

"Sorry. Couldn't help myself, I hate that guy." Gale tells me with a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

I just nod, eyes still wide. I'm still unable to make words come out of my mouth. I force myself to focus instead on my dinner, eating straight from the takeout tray this time instead of bothering to get us plates.

"You don't have to sit out here and eat on the ground with me. I can handle watching the fire by myself. You probably want to eat at the table or on a plate." Gale says quietly. I can tell he feels a little awkward about his actions and I don't think my silence is helping matters.

"No, I'm fine out here. It is lonely in that house when everyone's gone. And I don't need a plate, takeout containers are just fine with me."

"So when is your dad coming home anyway? Seems like he wouldn't want to leave you here by yourself for too long." Gale asks through a mouthful of chicken.

"I think he comes home on Wednesday. He honestly never really tells me why he's going to the Capitol so I don't always know exactly when he'll return." I shrug.

Gale nods and his forehead wrinkles a bit. I can tell something is on his mind, something concerning I think. I am debating internally on asking him what's on his mind but before I have the chance I hear him mumble under his breath about the viewing.

"What about the viewing?" I ask, hoping he'll repeat whatever he just mumbled.

"There's a mandatory viewing tomorrow night. For the posting of the tribute scores." He says, staring blankly into the fire.

"Yes, but what about it?" I ask, still not understanding.

"It's mandatory. If someone doesn't check in for the viewing, they'll be punished by the peacekeepers, maybe even sent to the Capitol for punishment."

"Isn't that the way it always is? Are you not going to be at the viewing?"

"No, I will be there. It's my brother who won't make it but it's all my fault."

I notice the tears in his eyes and his hands are literally shaking. He is terrified for his brother but I have to keep pressing him because he still isn't making sense to me.

"Why wouldn't your brother go to the viewing? If he's sick I'm sure we can get the peacekeepers to excuse him or bring him a portable device for viewing from home."

"But he's not sick. And he's not here in the district. "

"What? Where is he?"

"He got stuck on the other side of the fence. He's out in the woods until the fence turns off again." Gale whispers.

Gale proceeds to explain how Rory had gone to track him down and bring him back for the job but that since my father had left town, the fence had been activated and how he'd been trapped out there, alone since last night. I know that if Rory is caught on the other side of the fence that he'll be turned into an avox and forced to spend the rest of his life as mute, Capitol servant. The Capitol does not overlook those who challenge the barriers of the districts. He will be severely punished. It's this knowledge that gives me the courage I need to say what I say next.

"Gale, I can help you. I know how to turn the fence off and on." I whisper as I lean in and touch his arm ever so gently.

"You do? And you would help me?" He says, eyes wide in shock but also full of hope.

"Yes. I've seen my father flip the power on and off numerous times. The switch is in his study upstairs. And of course I'll help you, why wouldn't I?"

"Why would you is more the question. Doesn't seem like the mayors daughter would normally go around breaking laws, helping people sneak through the fence."

"Well, I normally wouldn't go around breaking laws and helping people sneak through the fence but I'm not helping people, I'm helping you. It's different." I say, blushing at my last part of the statement and directing my eyes to the ground.

Gale sits quietly for a moment and then leans in towards me and speaks softly. "But you'll get in trouble. I can't let you do that, not for me, not for anybody."

"I won't get caught. I know exactly how to do it. It has to be during the daytime. The power boxes spark when you flip them on but no one will notice in the daytime. At night though it would be seen clear across the square. Tomorrow morning, as soon as it's daylight I will flip the power and you cross the fence. I'll flip it back on and then just before you're back with Rory, I will flip it back off and you can both sneak back across before I flip it back on again. No one will be the wiser, I promise."

"It'll take me about 6 hours. He's hiding out in a cabin about 3 hours from here. I can get to him in 2 if I hurry but coming back he'll move slower than me. He isn't used to the woods and it'll slow us down."

"I'll stay home from school tomorrow. Mabel will be here but I can ask her to go into town and get me cold medicine or something. She won't be suspicious at all. And she'll go home early tomorrow evening since there's a mandatory viewing so she won't be here when you have to cross back over. Then we can all go to the viewing together as if nothing has happened."

"I don't know Madge, if you get caught you'll be in so much trouble." Hesitance ringing out in his whisper.

"We don't have any other option. If Rory isn't at that viewing tomorrow night he's done for. No question about it. We have to do this, Gale. And you can't help him without my help too."

We're sitting face to face, leaning in close since we've been whispering back and forth, not wanting our conversation to be overheard by anyone. Our foreheads are almost touching and I'm staring Gale right in those mysterious eyes of his. And he is staring right back. Realizing this makes me suddenly pull back just a touch and look away. I can't help it, he makes me nervous; in a good way.

"I don't think I can cross the fence by your house though. Up here on this hill, every Peacekeeper in town would see me. It would be too risky."

I think on this for a moment. He's right. Unless he crosses exactly behind the garden shed which conveniently practically touches the edge of the fence. And if anyone noticed his presence at the edge of the fence near the shed it would be easily explained in that he was hired to build me a garden and was simply doing his job.

"The garden shed. You can cross directly behind it and no one will see you. The hill dips down that way so that will conceal most of the view and if anyone does spot you it will seem like you're just working on my garden. It's perfect."

"Okay. But only if you are sure you want to do this."

"I am doing this Gale. We are doing this." I insist.

He doesn't verbally respond, simply nods and returns to eating his food and watching the fire. We sit here silently eating, watching the flames dance in front of us for the next hour. I try to get Gale to sleep, to rest up before tomorrow and he tries to get me to do the same but neither of us budges. It's just before daybreak when the burn pile finally fizzles out, leaving only a lot of ashes and a haze of smoke in the air. We've barely spoken all night but the silence hasn't been awkward. In fact it was kind of the opposite of that. Soothing or calming if you will.

"Okay, I have to go inside and make it look as if I've been up sick all night. You need to go down to the shed and hide. Stay in there until the sun is fully up. You will be able to hear the buzz of the fence from inside. Once I flip the power, get across as quickly as possible. I'll wait one minute and then flip it back on."

He nods and I continue. "I'll wait exactly 6 hours. Then I'll flip the power and wait one minute before flipping it back on."

"Thank you Madge. I will never be able to repay this favor." Gale tells me as he turns and goes to the shed.

I watch him disappear into the old shed and then head into my house to begin working on what will be my biggest illusion act yet. Fooling Mabel into thinking that I'm ill.