can't seem to fathom why Mrs Mellark would even consider physically and mentally hurting her sons, Peeta especially. I'm still waiting for Peeta to tell me why she is the way she is. Especially now as we all sit around the table, a deadly silence rising over us all; save for the scraping of knives and forks on the China plates. I feel Peeta's hand glide over my leg, searching for my own. I tangle my fingers with his, desperate for his comfort as I try and ignore Mrs Mellark's constant stare.
"So Katniss do you have any siblings?" She asks me, her voice leaking with fake interest.
I clear my throat, "um yes...I have a sister, Prim, she's sixteen now."
Mrs Mellark smiles, although I can tell its forced. "Oh how nice; and your parents? What do they do?"
I feel Peeta's hand tighten around my own and I glance sideways as his face flushes an angry red.
"My parents died when I was eight" I choke out, Peeta's thumb strokes over the back of my hand, soothing me.
"An orphan?" Mrs Mellark sneers.
"Mother!" Peeta warns.
"So you grew up in that slimy seam orphanage? No wonder you turned out like this." Her lips turn up in a smirk as she speaks and I feel my breath get caught in the back of my throat.
"Mother please, stop" Peeta pleads and I watch as pain flashes across his face. I glance around the table and see that everyone has gone silent and shrunk back in their seats, even little Audrey is clinging to Delly.
"Dawn that is enough" Mr Mellark says sternly.
Mrs Mellark's face turns to one of pure fury. "Graham please, I can handle this one." She stands up from the table swiftly; the chair legs screeching against the wooden floors.
Before I can comprehend what is happening, Mrs Mellark's hand is clamped tightly around my upper arm and she is dragging me out of my seat with alarming strength for a woman of her age. My hand is ripped from Peeta's as she pulls me roughly along. I hear Peeta shout out in fury right as I feel the muscle in my arm pull too far. I cry out in pain and stumble along behind her as she stalks down a corridor.
I can hear Peeta storming after us, shouting angrily as he calls out my name. Mrs Mellark comes to an abrupt stop, spinning on her heel as the palm of her hand lands across my face in a sharp slap. I howl out as the sting radiates across my neck and into my head, giving me an automatic headache.
"Katniss" I hear Peeta yell out, he is just around the corner. Just as he comes into view Mrs Mellark gives me a strong push and I go tumbling backwards on the floor in a cupboard. The door slams and I hear the sound of a lock clicking. And then I am surrounded by darkness.
"Peeta" I sob as I bang on the door. I can hear Peeta furiously screaming at his mother.
"Give me the damn key now before I do something you regret" his voice is menacing.
"You served many times locked in that small cupboard, now it's your girlfriend's turn to have a taste of what you went through," Mrs Mellark snarls and I sob as I realise Peeta must have been constantly locked in here when he was younger.
"Don't your dare bring that up, unlock the door now or I swear you will regret it!"
"What you think I don't know who she is?" She screams "you think I don't know she's just a filthy seam rat who tried to steal from us when she was younger?" I feel my chest clench tightly. She knows.
I don't hear any more talking, just sounds of Peeta's brothers walking in on the commotion, trying to break it up.
"Where's Katniss?" I hear Rye ask, I hear a sob I know only too well to be Peeta's.
"In there? In the confinement cupboard?" I hear Rye whisper, as though even speaking of it was taboo.
I start to feel myself getting dizzy. Partly from the slap and also from the lack of oxygen in this small confined space. My head lolls as my eyes roll. I fall against the wall for support.
"Katniss?" I hear Peeta call out to me. I try to talk back, but my head starts to spin as I slowly use up all the Oxygen. I can still breath, although it's extremely stuffy and the air is thick, painful almost.
My voice croaks and I don't think he hears me since he starts to bang loudly on the door.
"Mother please, give me the key" he please desperately. There is a moment of silence until I hear a loud bang as someone gets thrown into a wall. I can tell they are fighting.
Not thirty seconds later I hear the key slide into the lock and the door flys open.
"Oh Katniss" I hear Peeta sigh as he pulls me from where I am slumped against the corner wall, about to pass out. He bundles me up in his arms tightly, murmuring sweet things in my ear about how sorry he is and how thankful he is i'm safe. I wrap my arms around his waist tightly as I bury my face in his shoulder. My tears staining his shirt. "I am so sorry" he whispers as he pulls back and places a soft kiss on my lips, his thumbs wipe away my tears from my cheeks.
"I want to go home" I whisper, sounding exactly like a young child, but right now I just want to get away from here. Peeta nods as he wraps his arm around my waist and we walk back out to the main room. Delly and Lisa are sitting on the couch, huddled together with Audrey between them. Rye and Simon are standing with Graham, explaining to him what Mrs Mellark did. I watch as his eyes glaze over with fury. I can hear Mrs Mellark in the kitchen, banging pots and plates as she takes her obvious anger out on the dishes.
Peeta takes my face in his hands as he looks closely at my cheek where she hit me, I see his eyes fill with pain. "Did she hurt you anywhere else?" He asks softly and I nod pointing to my upper arm.
"I think the muscle is pulled" I say. "I'll be right back" I tell him and he looks at me with confusion as I turn on my heel and stalk into the kitchen.
"How dare you do that to your son!" I yell out and Mrs Mellark jumps, turning around to face me. She snarls but I keep a straight face. "All three of your sons are so amazing, they don't deserve to have you as a mother, nobody does nor ever will" I growl.
"Excuse me?" She says, her voice is low and angry. I want to back away but I stand my ground.
"Never come near me or Peeta again" I say angrily "or anyone else in this family, they are all too good for you."
"You know nothing about family" she snarls and this makes my heart shatter. Because it's true. I have grown up without a family. I fuel my anger up and I step forward and slap her hard across the cheek. She hollers out in anger as a smug smile forms across my face.
"That's for all the years of torture you inflicted on your sons lives" I huff as I storm out of the kitchen and back into the main room. Everyone is silent and staring at me, mouths open and eyes wide. I feel my face blush and I look down at the ground swiftly and then back up at Peeta. "Um...sorry" I mumble "can we go home now please?" I ask and he nods. I wave uselessly to everyone as we walk out the door, the house still deadly silent after my sudden outburst.
Once we get outside, Peeta takes my face in his hands, inspecting the damage his mother's slap had done.
"Please don't be angry" I whisper as his eyes fill with tears.
"I'm not angry with you" he murmurs as he leans forward and places tender kisses over my cheek where i'm sure there is still a hand print.
"Don't be angry, just forget about it" I sigh, leaning into him as his scent brings me comfort.
"She hurt you" his voice is full of pain.
"Yes but she hurt you too, for many years. Neither of us knew that was going to happen. And i'm ok now, i'm safe" I assure him as I reach up and press a kiss to his lips. He draws me in close, sighing into the kiss as he kisses me back fiercely.
Once we break away we don't let go of each other. I hold him tightly against me, our body's completely flush. His arms are wrapped securely around my waist as I tighten my arms around him, burying my face in his neck. We stand there on the side of the road, completely in our own little world of comfort, not even realising that the worst in our lives was yet to come.