Hello people! This chapter will reveal if another death has come around! The big question: Is-Gale-Alive? Well I know the answer to that, but there's only one way for you to find out isn't there? So my goal is to try and reach 10,000 hits for the month of January. So far, the count is about 9,400 hits. So I'm hoping that this update or the next will push it to the goal! As usual, I love your reviews! Please keep them coming. So now that I've talked you up, it's time to get reading!
Chapter 21:
Katniss's POV
Peeta's shoulder seems to have become my hiding place when the world gets ugly. With the way our government affects us, that's a lot of the time. Suddenly, Peeta is shaking me.
"Katniss, Katniss look!" Says Peeta
I manage a quick glance at the mines, expecting to see the mine captain telling us that there are no more survivors, that everyone else is dead. And that's what I hear. The captain says that it was the last load of survivors. Gale's dead, buried under the mines. That is, if a body still exists to be buried. But Peeta's still shaking me and I don't know why he would want me to look at such a sad scene.
"Hey Catnip." The voice is ragged and tired…but it's there. My head snaps up and my arms are around him.
"Gale! You're alive!" I yell into his shoulder "We thought you were dead!" Gale laughs and pats my hair.
"Well sorry," he says "You're still stuck with me."
Now I laugh. I release him and take a step back so that I'm next to Peeta again. As Peeta's arm goes around my waist, I get a look at Gale's injuries. The entire right side of his body is bruised and even bleeding in some spots. I gasp at his mangled state.
"Gale!" I get out "How are you even standing?"
He smiles. "Hey, I'm tougher than that." He says. I want to help Gale to my mother, but I've never been good with human injuries. And Gale's is no exception. But he is my best friend, so I grit my teeth and put an arm around his waist. Peeta's arm goes around him from the other side and we help him walk to the victor's village. My mother bursts out of the door when she sees us out the window.
"What happened! We heard the sirens!" she gasps out.
"Got knocked into a wall by the explosion." replies Gale "Lost consciousness for a while, but I woke up on the lift." he says it like it's no big deal, but you can tell he's fighting to stay conscious.
Peeta and I pull Gale into the house and lay him on the couch. By now he's passed out from the pain. My mother has us leave the room as Prim comes running into the room, already wearing that serious look on her face. Peeta and I cross the street to our house, and I spend that whole night hoping that Gale will be Ok.
Oak's POV (takes place the morning of the mine explosion)
I get out of bed with stiff robotic movements. it's been this way since the games; every day I wake up, eat breakfast, do as I'm told, wander the district, go home, eat dinner, go to bed. My mother doesn't talk anymore. She lost everything but me. At least today we move into the victor's village.
I walk out the door to find the capitol car already there picking up our things. I tell my mother that I'll be at the new house by dinner. She tells me that we are next door to Peeta and Katniss so that I know which house to go to, and I walk into the streets.
I've been somewhat desensitized to everything around me since the games. I wander the district, not really paying attention to what's going on. Then, around sunset, I begin heading toward the victor's village. As I round a corner, the mine sirens begin to sound. I stop in my tracks and start running towards the mine.
I round the street into the mine area, I run right into someone.
"I'm so sorry." the voice is above me, whoever it was already standing. I stand and brush off my legs.
"No it was my fault." I say. That's when I recognize the girl. She is about my height, and her hair is the color of a ravens feathers, but what has always stuck out to me about her, is her eye color. They are the same raven black as her hair, but with flecks of gold shining in them.
"Blair!" I exclaim. We've been best friends since we were put in the same kindergarten class. We were the only children from the seam, even Elliot was in a different class. Needless to say, we instantly made a connection.
"Oak!" realization shows on her face as she pulls me up. "It's been so long since I've talked to you!" she embraces me. "I've missed you." I can feel the odd looks from people around us, but we always had a close relationship. I hug her back.
"Me to." I say with a smile. It's probably the first time I've smiled since I got back to Twelve. My voice takes on a grimmer tone as I pull her out so she's at arms length. "Blair, how many have been brought up so far?" her eyes drop.
"Nobody yet." she says "But it was recent, we are some of the only people to arrive so far." I walk with her over to the group of waiting people. That's when I realize that Blair is alone. She was an only child, but her mother should be here waiting to see if her father is Ok.
"Where's your mother Blair?" this statement brings tears to her eyes, and I don't need her to answer.
More people begin arriving. Groups of people are hauled from the mines. I see Gale walk over to Katniss and Peeta. Then the mine captain is there, that sad look on his face that means that there are no more survivors; Blair's Father has yet to join us. Her face is hidden in my shoulder as she cries. She's been orphaned without any relatives to take her in. the peacekeepers will take her to the community home.
As if on cue, Cray is up in front of everyone with a list of children now left orphaned. Several of the names called don't matter because an aunt or uncle will take them in when they're called. But when they get to Blair's name and nobody comes forward, a peacekeeper comes up to us to take her.
My arm goes in front of her body and the peacekeeper seems to recognize that I'm the newest victor.
"She isn't going with you!" I shout. The peacekeeper puts on a sad look. The peacekeepers here aren't cruel, in fact, they show most of us from the seam some sympathy. But they are peacekeepers.
"I'm sorry." he says "But unless she has a place to stay…"
"She'll stay with us." I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up and see my mother staring at the peacekeeper. She doesn't know Blair, but it's obvious that we're good friends. "We have a large house now, and we have about three extra rooms. It won't be much trouble to move her into one. In fact, would you go tell the capitol people at our house to get her things as well?" the peacekeeper nods and runs off in the direction of the victor's village.
Blair looks at my mother, speechless. "Th-thank you ma'am." she gets out. My mother smiles and pats our shoulders. She gives us a wave as she heads back to our new home. Blair and I spend the rest of the evening catching up at the bakery. I don't have any money with me, but the baker knows who I am and that I can pay him back tomorrow.
"Just give Peeta the money." he tells me as he hands me the two bagels I asked for. I hand Blair hers and we sit down at a table.
While I was in the games, nothing much has changed apparently. There was one of the rare hangings though. A man had tried to kill someone over a bill. The victim had suffered fatal injuries, but Katniss's mother had healed him. The attacker was hung.
Blair and I head to our new home. My mother shows Blair to her room. The only personal belongings she owned at her old home consisted of a dusty snow globe, a few old fantasy books, her clothing, and they brought her a photo of her mother and father, along with her father's journal. She also has a stuffed rabbit, and she blushes when I see it and puts it behind her back. I laugh and try to get her to show me it.
She tries to keep it behind her back, but I manage to wrestle her for it. Well she dropped the rabbit, but we still ended up falling on top of her on her bed. We both blush and I immediately get off. I go to bed that night, happy that I finally have someone in this world that I can actually call friend.
So? How'd you like it? Gale's alive, Oak's returning to sanity, and everyone's happy! Remember that my goal is to get 10,000 hits by the end of the month! So tell people about this story! Get people reading it. Oh and Flickchick96, you know who I am, so if you tell your friends about this story, don't tell them my name…please? So review review review!