We all fall silent as Gale jumps to his feet and answers the door.
"Madge?" He steps back, confused. "What's going on?"
Madge's eyes are wild and fearful as she stumbles in the door, gripping Gale's hand tightly.
"Gale I had to come, I just… You have to- No, I need to-" she falters when she spots all of us sitting quietly on the couch.
Her face melts into a sad smile.
"Mrs. Hawthorne. Rory, Vick Posy," she nods. "Hello Prim, Mrs. Everdeen."
The silence that follows is awkward and uncomfortable, but I can't help but break it.
"Hi Madge…. Uh, what's going on?" I ask cautiously.
Madge's teeth grind together and she forces a smile at me. "Oh you know… " she searches for a word, "Stuff."
I nod, silently returning to my plate of food.
I think I have an idea of this stuff.
Madge stands there awkwardly with Gale for a moment, and all of us stare down at our plates confused, and a bit nervous.
"Gale, could I talk to you outside please?" Madge urges, practically hissing at him.
Gale nods without a word and follows her out the door.
"I have to go to the bathroom." I squeak and I jump to my feet before anyone can stop me.
I thrust my plate onto Rory's lap and rush off to the Hawthorne's bathroom. Once in, I lock the door, climb up onto the toilet and wiggle the small window open just enough so I can squeeze out. I land on my knees in the soft dirt.
Damn. I'm wearing a white skirt.
I don't really care all too much though, and I jump to my feet, following the walls of the house towards the front door until I can hear voices.
"Gale. You need to do something for me." Madge says.
She sounds scared.
I don't like this already.
"Sure, anything." Gale sounds scared as well.
I drop to the ground and peer my head around the corner, just enough so I can see them standing, facing each other down the road.
"Gale. You need to run." Madge's voice breaks.
Her fists are clenched as she stares up into Gale's face. "Please Gale. Please just take your family, the Everdeen's and run off into the forest."
"Madge? What are you talking about? Why?" Gale's voice drops and his face pales. "Did something happen to Katniss?"
"NO. No. Nothing like that. Don't worry." She places her hands on his chest. "Nothing like that."
Gale gives out a loud sigh. "Okay. I believe you. But why do we have to run?"
"Gale. Would you believe me if I said that you're not the only one trying to fight for freedom? Trying to rebel against the Capitol? Trying to save Katniss?"
"No."
"Well listen up. There's something that's going to happen soon. Something in that arena that the Capitol won't like." Madge's lip trembles as she speaks. "You have to get your family and the Everdeen's out before it happens, because it's going to come back to the District, and you won't be safe."
Her composure breaks as she says the last part and a tear rolls down her cheek.
Gale reaches for her hand.
"Okay." He says softly. "What are you going to do?"
"Don't you know Hawthorne?" Madge jokes, wiping at her eyes. "I'm a tough girl. I can handle myself."
"Trust me, I know."
"Just promise me you'll get out?"
"I promise. When?"
"You'll know when it's right. Just prepare. Get everything together and be ready to leave at a moments notice."
"Will you come with us?"
"Gale I can't."
"Please?" He pleads.
Madge shakes her head, avoiding his glance. "Not with my mother. I'll be fine. I promise." Gale clearly isn't convinced, as Madge urges, "I will be safe. I promise."
"Okay. I believe you. And I guess being the Mayor's daughter has its perks then doesn't it." He winks at her.
Madge blushes a deep red, but doesn't miss a beat. "Oh yes, no coal under my fingernails, no sir."
Gale laughs, but he drops her hand and looks nervous.
"Gale calm down. I was joking. I'm not afraid of coal. Tough girl remember?" Madge says, her voice firm.
He smiles tightly at her, and they stand there for a few moments in silence.
"Madge."
"Yes?"
"Where will we go? We can't live in the forest for the rest of our lives. What'll we do after? Who'll-" Madge stops him with a hand across his mouth.
What she says next, she says with an intensity that scares me, but the emotion in her voice is such that I feel like I'm drowning.
"I promise you'll be safe. I promise that someone will come find you. I promise…." She removes her hand and cocks her head, smiling. "Don't you trust me Hawthorne?"
Gale nods and places his hands at her waist.
"Unfortunately, Undersee, I do."
Gale places his hand on the back of Madge's head and kisses her fiercely, and she returns it.
But it's not like the kisses they shared behind the house.
There's fear.
There's worry.
I realize that this is Gale's way of saying goodbye.
They break apart and stay in each other's arms for a while, and I can see Gale's eyes shut tight, Madge's as well.
Gale loosens his grip and gently moves Madge's face to be right in front of his own. The tips of their noses are touching as he whispers the next words so quietly I have to strain my ears to hear.
"Stay safe Madge. Please."
Madge nods, a single tear coming from her eye.
"I promise Gale." She places a gentle hand upon his jaw and uses the other to cover Gale's hand that rests on her cheek. "Just promise you'll run."
Gale nods tightly and they gaze into each other's eyes.
I'm bending around the corner so far to hear their whispers that I find myself wobbling on a small plank of wood. They whisper a few more words to each other, and I continue to lean so far that I become unsteady.
Uh Oh.
"Ooof!" I exclaim as I fall over into the bushes dirt, face first.
I peek up from the bushes where I am –thankfully- hidden, and see that I've startled Gale and Madge, who have broken apart and now stand a foot away from each other.
Madge looks afraid but Gale calms down fairly quickly.
"Probably just a raccoon." He says, though I swear he locks eyes with me in the bush.
Madge nods and turns back to Gale.
"Goodbye Gale." She says, although her expression speaks more than her words.
"Bye Madge." Gale deadpans, although from his expression I know he's leaving words unspoken as well.
Madge turns up the road heading back to town, and I lay silent in the bush for a moment longer, trying to devise a way to get back into the house and clean off my dress.
Damn.
My white dress has turned brown in my endeavor.
This won't be easy to explain.
I'm so concerned with the state of my outfit that I don't hear footsteps approaching, and all I feel is two strong hands grab at my back and yank me up.
"Creep." Gale mutters as he drags around the house.
"Sorry. I thought being stealthy was genetic." I mumble.
He stops and gentle backs me up against the wall of the house, bending forward so we're eye to eye.
"Prim, how much of that did you hear."
I pause for a moment. "So when are we leaving?"
Gale nods and stands up straight.
"We'll sort all that out tonight after dinner, in the meantime we better get in so we don't miss your sister's daily television special… come on."
My heart sinks at the thought but I follow nonetheless. Before the door I stop Gale and stare intently into his eyes.
"Gale?"
"Yeah Prim?"
"What are we running from?"
"It's not so much what we're running from Prim, as what we're running for."
"Which is?"
"Safety… Freedom." He pauses for a moment. "We're running for Katniss, and Posy. We're running for your Mom and mine; and ourselves. We're running for our lives." his eyes stare at mine intently. "We're running to survive. Because surviving is all we know how to do."
With that, he opens the door and we enter the house silently. No one notices my dirtied exterior or extended absence, and Gale and I find our places on the couch as the music plays from the television.
My fingers intertwine with Rory's, and my heart beats faster than I've ever felt.
Let the Games Begin.
THE MOVIE IS TOMORROW. I am so thoroughly excited. I'm going to the midnight show myself, and that's all I'll be thinking about tomorrow. It's like they're bringing the world of Panem to life, and I can't wait to see it. It's going to be fantastic.
Because of this JOYOUS occasion, I will not be posting tomorrow. I'll be too busy squealing with my friends in line at a movie theatre and crying. (I'm pumped, can you tell?). As such, I will be posting again later tonight, just to satisfy you guys. We're getting close to the end, and I've been writing ahead some; I'm really excited to finish this.
Also, if you like this and you like my stuff, I'm seriously considering starting another story to start off where this one ends that continues through Mockingjay. But I'm not entirely sure. If you guys have any comments, suggestions or maybe some encouragement for that, I would love to hear it! Thanks guys!