18- I dont wanna miss a thing.
The last 2 weeks have been hard, I'm not going to lie. Ever since I left the Mellarks, Peeta has left me alone. I know that everytime he see's me he wants to come over but I still mean what I said. With the reaping tomorrow, I know that Peeta wants to be with me now more than ever and I want to be with him too. With the Victors going in, I know that Peeta will volunteer for Uncle Haymitch. I had talked to Uncle Haymitch about it and he promised that he will try to bring Peeta home. I also talked to Delly and I know its hard for her but as she put it, she just wants to be with Gale and if she has to die to be with him then she will. Its really saddening to see her like this but I can agree, If the only way I could be with Peeta was dying, I wouldnt think again. The only problem is that I broke up with him and eventually he is going to hate me for what I did. Even if I did want to be with him, he wouldnt want me back.
I went to the Town Square 2 days ago with my mother to buy some ingredients for some kind of drink thats meant to help with my sickness with the only money that I have left from the Bakery and I had seen Rye and Gina standing outside the clothes shop. I tried to carry on walking quickly so that I didnt have to talk to Rye but surprisingly I was stopped by Gina.
"Hey, I heard what happened between you and Peeta and I am really sorry." She says to me. What makes he think she even has the right to talk to me after everything. "Look Katniss, I know you dont like me and you have every right to but you know what its like to be in love and I do love Rye and I'm so terribly sorry that you got caught in the middle of it. All I ever wanted was to be your friend."
I'm not even gonna lie, it took me by surprise. I never expected her to say anything to me after what happened, never mind something nice. I'm not saying I'm going to forgive her, because I dont think I can but its nice to think that I have another possible friend because right now I'm at 0. Gale is gone. Madge only talks to me at school. Delly never leaves her house except for work. I'm avoiding the Mellarks. The only people I actually have left are Mum, Prim and Uncle Haymitch. Its alright though, I'm dealing with it.
A week ago, I went to the Hawthornes like I said I was going to and I got Posy's teddy. It now lies on the table in Uncle Haymitch's house, only because I went there just after I got it and forgot to pick it up when I was leaving. I havent yet been able to go to the Lake. Firstly because my mother wont let me hunt when I am pregnant, secondly because the fence is always active. Because I havent been able to hunt and I am no longer working at the Bakery, My Mother has got a job at the apothecary and I am going for a job at Toni's place.
Like Peeta said, Leaven has now officially taken over the Bakery, and has taken on 2 more people to help him out. Brooke is there evening receptionist. Peeta, Rye and Lavender (One of Gina's friends) are working in the morning and Leaven and Brooke work from 2pm to 10pm. After 2pm, its normally just taking orders because the ingredients are gone but that makes Brooke's and Leavens jobs easier.
Masan, Aymee, Holly and Rye now live in one of the bigger houses of the Towns housing area. Peeta helped pay for it and apparently, Masan is happy about that. Why would he not be? Holly and Rye actually get a room each. I havent talked to any of them in what feels forever and tonight all of that is going to change.
I've been invited to a party this afternoon at Peeta's and my mother is forcing me to go because of the reaping tomorrow. Its kind of a good luck party. Something is telling me that he is going to picked tomorrow and tonight, I know that I need to tell him that I love him incase the worst happend. I need to talk to Delly as well because apparently she is going, which surprised me, she is also bringing Harvey. All the Mellarks are going too. Then there us lot and Uncle Haymitch and as of Rye's request, Gina is coming too. I think Lavender is also coming actually. Leaven invited her but she isnt coming for long.
"Katniss, you ready?" Prim asks from the door. I'm looking over myself in the mirror. My mother has forced to me wear a dress that she bought from the clothes shop but my baby bump is very visible now. At 27 weeks, I look like I'm at about 34 weeks, my mum said, well 34 weeks to a Seam girl anyway because of the starvation, we grow slower but mum said this is what she normally sees in people at 34 weeks, which to someone well fed would probably look about 21 weeks. We are both very surprised at how fast I am growing as about 6 weeks ago, there was hardly anything there.
"Yeh, how do I look?" I ask, worried about everyone looking at me. Even if they do know that I am pregnant, I know they will look.
"You look fine Katniss, now lets go, we are already late." She says. Great, I'm walking in late, everyone's gonna look at me anyway.
"Coming." I say and grab my jacket before leaving the house, followed by my mother and Prim. I'm wearing my dad's hunting jacket which means it is quite easy to hide my bump. Its still visible but nowhere near as visible as it normally is.
On the way to Peeta's I start to get more nervous. I've done everything in my power to stay away with him and after a moment of weekness and a little bit of begging, I'm being pushed into all the pain and everything again. I'm not going to lie and say I was doing fine without him because I most certainly wasnt but I knew that that would change once I got back to my old self but now that may never happen. But, then again, I did choose a stupid time to leave Peeta because tomorrow is the reaping. However much I have tried to shut it out, I need to talk to him before tomorrow. I need to just let him know that I love him because something tells me that Peeta has his own plan about tomorrow, no matter what I say, Or what his family say or even what Uncle Haymitch says. If he ends up in the games, I doubt that he will let Delly die. As for the two citizens, I have no idea who they are going to be but I think I have a good idea. Snow would most definitely be messing with Peeta and Delly by reaping someone that they love. Harvey is too young and The Hawthornes are gone so that just leaves Rye, Me, Prim, a couple kids from town and maybe a couple from the Seam.
We make it to the Victors Village in about an hour and my legs are killing, I'm almost out of breathe and my heas feels really light. Damn this stupid pregnancy! I'm holding onto my mothers hand at the moment. I was holding onto Prim's but I'm scared that if I fall then I she wont be able to stop me and I might hurt the baby. Thats it, from now on, no more long walks. Luckily tonight I'm sleeping at Uncle Haymitch's so I dont have to walk home until tomorrow.
"Good evening ladies, would you like to come in?" Masan says from the door and I look up with a smile. I havent actually seen him since the day I left. Prim and Mum bounce through the door but I hesitantly find my way to the door, knowing that I could probably pass out at any minute. "Katniss, how have you been?" He asks me.
"Alright. You?" I ask, politely.
"Good. Not working at the Bakery every day does have some perks but can get quite boring." He laughs slightly and pulls my jacket off my shoulders slowly, which I allow him to do, exposing my now large belly which I feel the need to cover up immediately. "Wow, she's grown." He smiles.
"Yeh, her legs definitely have. All I get all day and night is a foot in the ribs." I say stifling a laugh, crossing my arms over my stomach.
"Well atleast she's gonna grow up strong." He says, leading me away from the now closed door and into the kitchen."
"Yeh, I guess youre right." I say with a smile. When I see Peeta standing at the counter with a knife in his hand, I move to turn away quickly so he doesnt see me, I dont know why I think I can avoid him in his own home.
"Katniss?" He says and I turn around slowly. "I cant believe you came." He starts walking over to me, wiping the knife on his apron, reaching out an arm to hug me which I take. Its only a one armed hug, nothing special but it makes me realise how much I've missed it. I just wish he knew how many nights I have fallen asleep crying over him because he wasnt there and I am definitely not the kind of girl to cry over a boy and he knows that. Its these stupid Hormones it has to be.
"Yeh, me neither." Damn it Katniss, that was not the right thing to say. "Thats not what I meant. I just thought I wasnt coming." He laughs quickly, moving away and I carry on into the dining room where it appears that we where the last ones to show up. Around the table is, Mum, Prim, Uncle Haymitch, Masan, Leaven, a 31 week pregnant Brooke, Rye, Gina (I'm not sure why she's here), Delly, Harvey, Holly and then 2 empty places for me and Peeta, which I'm definitely not thrilled about. I smile at them all and the person that takes me back is Gina. Her face lights up in a smile and I cant help but smile back. Whatever she has done to me, I hate her for it but I can finally understand what she said about love. I doomed myself to a life of misery because of love.
I take my seat next to mum, finally being able to sit down and my head starts to clear up but Hope wakes up and kicks me straight in the rib. I start to rub my belly as everyone falls into conversation, hoping that it will calm her down but it doesnt seem to be doing the trick. Thats when Peeta walks into the room and Hope starts doing backflips. So much so that I have to leave the room. I grab a glass and fill it with water, finding myself giggling when it feels like she is just tapping on the inside of my stomach giving me what feel like butterflies. Eventually, she is fine and I join the party again, sitting down in my seat between mum and Peeta.
"You alright Katniss?" Brooke asks me from across the table, catching nobodys attention. I nod slightly.
"She wont stop bloody kicking." I hiss and she laughs at me. Thats when Peeta hears us and turns to me. I smile at him and Brooke goes back to her conversation with Rye and Leaven.
"Is she kicking right now?" Peeta asks. HIs face holds the same expression that it held the first time Hope kicked. Nothing but excitement. It hurts my heart actually to see him this way, as if nothing happened and we where still together.
"No, I'll let you know the next time she is." I smile again and he smiles back. Whatever we have been through, he is still Hope's father and deserves to know whats going on.
"Thank you." He replies and I turn back towards my food, digging in silently as conversation unfold around me.
Mum looks over at me a couple of times to make sure that I'm alright which does get kind of annoying after a while but I know she is just trying to look out for me so she is forgiven. I even get a couple smiles out of Rye as I watch him laughing with Gina. They do actually look like they love eachother. He never looked at me like that. Well he did but it was a while ago. I used to miss the days when he looked at me like I was the best thing in the world but now I see that he has found someone else to look at like that and maybe its for the best this way.
An hour later, we are all sitting in the sitting room whilst Peeta, Rye and Leaven all get the place cleared up and get down to the basement to get the drinks out. I dont actually see many people getting drunk tonight to be honest. Obviously I cant and neither can Uncle Haymitch or Brooke. Everyone else is either too on edge to drink or not enough on edge to drink. Either way I doubt more than a couple of people will be drinking anything other than orange juice.
By the time they get back, Prim is already quite tired but I know that she will hardly be able to sleep because of the reaping tomorrow. She is sat close to my side as if I'm gonna leave her or something. Mum is sat on Prim's other side and almost as soon as they get through the door, mum grabs a Cider from the crate. She promises to only drink a few though and not get absolutely drunk. They all place their crates down and each grab a drink. Peeta hands me an orange juice and gives Uncle Haymitch a glass of some weird juice that he likes from Town. Prim turns down all drinks as she is to nervous. Brooke sticks with the milk that she has in her hand and Gina grabs a cider, apparently she is planning on getting drunk which makes Rye laugh. I guess I know who made him start drinking.
The music gets turned on and almost instantly Leaven pulls me up for a dance which I try to turn down but apparently he 'isnt taking no for an answer' so I stand to my feet and allow him to take my hand like a proper gentlemen and begin to spin me around the now open floor. Its quite nice actually. I'm suddenly brought back to the day after Peeta's birthday when I showed up for work and threw up, not knowing then that I was pregnant obviously. I had asked Leaven if he would still like me after he found everything out and he promised. For a couple of weeks I thought that he was lying because how could he possibly like me after what I did to his family but I guess he wasnt lying. He still does like me and I'm still glad about that. I dont think I would be able to go without all of them. Leaving Rye hurt like hell but I had Peeta and when I left Peeta, I had no-one but now I realise that I had Leaven and Brooke all along. They were there when me and Rye broke up. They came over to give my baked goods when I was bed riden. They gave me Hope that everything would be okay and I had completely forgot about them.
"You alright?" Lev asks in my ear. A slow song is on and he has pulled me close as we slow dance through the room, almost everyone's eyes on us. I notice a few tears finding their way down my face.
"Yeh, sorry. Everything is just finally get on top of me." I say, trying to stop the tears but they seem unwilling to stay in my eyes. I bury my face in Leavens shoulder so that no-onw can see me and I feel him rubbing circles on my back.
"I understand. Do you want to go home?" He asks but I just shake my head. I seem to have forgotten one of the main reasons I came here tonight. To talk to Peeta and sort this whole thing out.
"No, I cant. I need to talk to Peeta before tomorrow." I say and he nods with a smile. Thats when his body moves away, quickly replaced by a very familiar body. I dont have enough time to look up, the switch is that fast but I automatically know who it is. The way he holds my body with his hands on my hips and his face in my hair. My head is on his shoulder and I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. With Peeta is where I'm supposed to be.
"Hey." He says in my ear. "Follow me." He swoops me out of the room and before I know it, I'm standing in the study on the other end of the house. "Why are you crying?" He asks, wiping away the stray tears.
"It just... everything." I say not even trying to stop the tears. Peeta has already seen me cry loads of times. He has definitely seen worse than this. "I need to say something and I need to say it now or I'm afraid I'll never get the chance." He nods for me to carry on so I do. "I know what you plan on doing tomorrow and I know that I may never see you again so I just need you to know that I love you and no matter what I ever did to you or said to you or anything, it was always you. Even when I was with Rye, I just never realised it but when you where in your games, I only started dating Rye because I thought you where gonna die and I needed someone to be there and the first person that I saw was Rye and I didnt actaully realise that until a couple of months ago but I love you and I always have and I always will." I'm crying even more now and Peeta is just standing there and staring at me. "Say something?"
"I-I dont know what to say..." He mumbles and that never happens to Peeta, he always knows what to say.
"Then forget it, dont say anything." I'm about to walk away in anger when a hand on my arm stops me, I turn around to push him off but his mouth is on mine before I even turn fully around. I cant even begin to explain how much I have missed this. His mouth, the feel of his hands. His fingers through my hair and the feeling. The feeling that he brings to me everytime he kisses me. Everything in the world just melts away and I feel as if nothing will ever be the same again, nothing will ever be bad, nothing will ever go wrong as long as he is by my side, I can do anything.
"I love you too." He mumbles against my lips and I smiles, linking my arms around his shoulders and kissing him again.
"Excuse me?" I hear behind us, I jump away from Peeta and turn towards the door finding Leaven standing there. "Sorry but everyone is wondering where you went off too." He smiles before exiting the door and I turn to Peeta a laugh about to burst from my lips but Lev pops his head round. "I'm really glad you made up by the way." Then he is gone and my laugh fills the room.
"What do you say we go and have fun?" Peeta says and leads me off down the hallways towards a night of laughter, hopefully. We have 4 hours until 6 when everyone has to leave as we are all still under curfew and it goes dark around 7 which should give enough time for everyone to get home.
When we get back to the sitting room everyone is laughing about something. I'm too happy to notice anything but Peeta though. In fact I'm that happy that when Gina of all people asks me to dance I don't even say no. I pull myself up and we start shaking our backsides in the direction of the Mellark boys. I have to say it is actually really fun. Brooke gets up not long after, followed by Prim and within 5 minutes all 4 of us are dancing together and singing along to a song that we all know somehow. Peeta, Rye and Leaven are watching us all like we just slapped them in the face and I've got to admit it is probably the last thing you would expect any of us 4 to be doing especially me and Gina.
It's not long before Rye is up and dancing with Gina. I reach out for Peeta and he's there, smiles on both of our faces as he pulls round the sitting room, lifting me off the floor and spinning me on the spot. I catch sight of Leaven and Brooke and Mum and Haymitch which leaves Masan and Prim. She is standing on his feet as he moves. I don't think I've ever seen him dance. Holly is standing in the corner spinning her teddy around until Peeta sweeps her up and starts dancing with us both. I plant a kiss on Holly's head and she smiles, dropping her teddy onto the sofa.
There in the middle of the sitting room floor, everything is forgotten. The games, the deaths, Gales family leaving, the heartbreak, everything. We are a family again and that's all that matter anymore, we stick together no matter what.
Around 5:30, me and Peeta are saying goodbye to my family. Well Mum and Prim. Uncle Haymitch left about half an hour ago. Masan, Leaven, Brooke and Holly left just now. Holly is staying at the Bakery tonight with Leaven and Brooke as Masan is already quite drunk and would rather Holly stay at the Bakery for the night. Rye left an hour ago pretty much carrying Gina out the door as she was way to drunk and she could hardly even walk. Rye only had the one drink so he was sober. He said that he was taking her home, getting her in bed then walking back to his house further into town. Lavender did come but only for an hour as she said it was 'boring and meaningless' which Gina shouted at her for because she was actually having fun and Lavender was just being heartless or something. Me on the other hand have decided to stay here for the night. Me and Peeta had a really good talk earlier whilst everyone was drinking and we agreed that we will start taking things slow this time. So tonight I'm staying here but only because of the reaping tomorrow, I dont want Peeta to sleep alone. I'll go and see Prim early tomorrow morning.
"You sure you're not coming home?" Prim asks me.
"No, sorry little duck but Mum will look after you and I'll be by in the morning to walk you there, I promise." I smile and pull her in for a hug, followed by a hug from my mum and then they are on their way and I shut the door letting out a sigh. Its been a long afternoon and now we get to just sit and do nothing. Hopefully even go to bed. Firstly though Peeta wants to strip all the beds upstairs so that they arent getting all horrible whilst he is away. I said I would do it for him but he wont let me so he is taking them off now and putting them back on when and if he gets back. Sadly, he is going to lock the nursery and give the key to Masan so I'm still not allowed to see it. The sheets on his bed are being changed to clean ones because he knows that I will probably come here whilst he is away.
Soon enough, the beds are sorted and we are sitting in a room full of empty glass' that we will clean away tomorrow morning. Peeta has his back against the arm chair and I have my back against his chest, our legs slung limply across the remainder of the large sofa. I can feel myself nodding off to sleep and Peeta stroking my stomach really isnt helping at all. At this rate I'll be asleep in the next 5 minutes. "I've missed this so much." Peeta whispers in my ear.
"Me too. I'm sorry for the time we lost." I say in reply.
"I dont care about that anymore, I'm just glad to have you back." I can hear the smile on his lips as he kisses my neck. I'm actually quite surprised he can reach as he is has to lean down to rest his head on top of mine. "Are you tired?"
"Yeh. Knackered. I havent slept properly for about 2 weeks now. Maybe now I'll actually sleep without nightmares." I say and he starts to pull himself up, taking me with him.
"Come on then Miss Everdeen, lets get you to bed." Nobody has called me Miss Everdeen since we where married so I kind of expected him to call me Mrs Mellark just like he used to but I'm not anymore so it wouldnt even be right.
"Okay Mr Mellark. Lets go." I reply, a fake laugh playing on my lips. Truthfully, I'm trying to stop myself from crying. I'm only 17 and I'm pregnant and technically divorced. What kind of person can say that. What does that say about me? Plus, I've been in jail.
Peeta kicks his shoes to one side as we walk out the door and up the stairs. I get changed in the bathroom whilst he gets changed in the bedroom. Some of my clothes are still here from when I left here but I still rob one of Peeta's shirts just like I used too because I have so missed sleeping in them. They made me feel like I belonged to someone dor the first time ever.
Climbing into Peeta's bed is probably the weirdest thing ever. I've got used to lying in my uncomfortable bed and Peeta's feels really strange. None the less, I climb in and allow him to wrap his arms around me just like he used too. As if everything that happen, didnt happen and we where fine all along. Its nice. But Hope will not go to sleep even though I know she must be tired after being up all day. She keeps moving around and I keep feeling bile in my throat but it doesnt come up. I cant stop moving around though and everytime I do, Peeta's arms loosen so that I can move.
"Stop moving around." Peeta says from behind me, in a sleepy voice, clearly I've just caught him when he was drifting off. Great, I've only been here one night and I'm already annoying him.
"I can't, I feel like I'm gonna throw up." I reply truthfully.
"Don't throw up in my bed I just changed the sheets." He says and I have to hold in my laugh.
"Oh haha." I say sarcastically. Sometimes he really irritates me. "Seriously though I don't know what your daughter Is playing at but she won't settle down." I turn towards him and he still has his eyes closed, my face is inches from his.
"Just like her mother." He says and I watch his face light up in a smile. Even though his eyes are closed, I notice how beautiful he looks. The light of the moon is streaming in through the open window and all it catches is his mouth, making his teeth shine.
"Hey, its all her fault anyway." I reply and he laughs. Thats when his eyes open and I smile at him.
"She hasnt even been born yet and you're already blaming her." He laughs again but this time I laugh too. I feel his arms snake around my waist and pull me closer to him, my head on his chest, just like we used too.
"I would stop blaming her if she went to sleep." I growl. I can still feel her moving and normally when I'm close to Peeta she calms down but she doesnt seem to want to. Something tells me she can sense all the tension about tomorrow. Maybe she's just excited to finally be near her father again, I know I am. Even if there is a chance its not going to last at all. Peeta reaches down to my stomach and strokes one line down the middle of my belly, giving me shivers and Hope stops moving. "Of course she likes you better than me, Can tell she's gonna be a Daddy's girl." I say with a small laugh.
"Like I said before, Just like her Mother." Then I find myself smiling for my father. Is he looking down on me right now? Is he proud of me? I doubt it after everything that has happened recently, I dont think he would approve of this pregnancy.
"Shut up you, unless you want to sleep on the floor." I say laughing. His chest rumbles underneath me as he laughs.
"I have a great number of spare beds in this house Katniss, there is no way that I am sleeping on the floor." I laugh at him again and he buries his face in my hair.
"If you failed to notice, all the other beds are stripped." I point out.
"Its my house, I do what I want." He says and something inside of me is telling me that that isnt true and I dont know why but I feel the need to say something about it.
I look up at him and raise one of my eyebrows. "Your house?" I ask and he smiles at me. I just told him that I was taking him back and moving back in with him without even realising.
"Our house." He agrees and I smile back, leaning up and kissing him. After he pulls away, he reaches down and kisses my neck and I know that its his 'goodnight', he did it everynight when we where together before. "Now go to sleep." He mumbles, falling back into sleep.
"I love you and no matter what happens tomorrow, I need you to know that." I say seriously.
It feels like a long pause before he finally answers and there is so much happiness in his voice that I dont even know how to deal with it. "I love you too Katniss." Luckily before I can even start to think about an answer, he begins to snore and I know that he is asleep. I follow not long after.
I'm woken about 3 hours later by a nightmare. Luckil I didnt wake Peeta so I can escape easily. I pull myself out of his arms and take a deep breathe, I had dreamt that Peeta had died in the games and I know that it might happen but I dont want to believe it. He cant die. Not now, not when I need him the most. Then my dream switched to Prim being in the arena with him and I watched them both die side by side. Now that I know Peeta is safe and asleep in bed, I need to go home to be with my little sister. Something about the dream seemed real. Like I was looking into the future or something, I know it sounds crazy but for some reason, It felt right, like it was going to happen and I couldnt do anything about it.
I pull myself out of Peeta's high bed and slide my shoes onto my feet. Its only a few minutes before I'm wrapped up and out in the morning air. Its only 10:30pm so its really dark outside and I'm just hoping that I dont come across any peackeepers because security has always been heavier the night before the reaping, I dread to think what it would be like now. They might think that I'm trying to run off into the woods or something to get away from the reaping and I cant go into the cells again. But Peeta told me that after the whipping, they said that if I am ever found breaking the law again, they will have the firing squad sort it out. I can feel myself cringe at the thought, but I wonder why they didnt arrange the firing squad when I was locked up.
I'm not quite sure why I'm thinking about this, my mind should be on the reaping but I cant help it. Is the president trying to keep me alive for something. My best guess is that it has something to do with Peeta and him being a prostitute for the Capitol. He said that he was doing it to help me, maybe Snow wont let me die because of what Peeta is doing. I'm thankful but I'm glad that he isnt doing it now, even if it is because of the reaping.
I walk into my house about an hour and a half later, tired from walking for so long. I had to take all the back streets and dark alleys to get back here. I almost bumped into a peacekeeper but luckily I'm small enough to hide in the shadows. Prim is snuggled up in the bed next to my mother when I walk upstairs and I smile. I dont think there is anyway that I am going to be able to get to sleep now. Not after my nightmare about tomorrow. Besides it wont be long until Prim wakes up from a nightmare and I would like to be here when she does. I decide to quickly go upstairs and put on some warm clothes.
Wearing one of Peeta's shirts that he left here, a pair of thick blue jeans, a blue wolly jumper from Uncle Haymitch and my fathers hunting jacket, I go to sit on the doorstep outside to think. Hardly any peacekeepers ever come this far into the Seam and I've always had pretty good night vision so I will be able to see them coming, I can just slide back into my house quickly. I take a seat and stare down at my hunting boots. The night quickly goes by as my mind reals on just about everything.
At about 1am, I look up from the floor to check on peacekeepers coming but there is nothing. I cant hear anything and I cant really see anything. Fog is coming from all around me. But its not just fog, its smoke. I oull myself to my feet and look up further. The ground rumbles underneath me but its not like the mine exploding, its different. That explosion was above ground. My Mother shows up behind me a couple seconds later, followed by Prim. I'm still trying to look through the smoke when my mother grabs my arm. Thats when I see it. The fire, coming from the town square. A hovercraft is overhead. We're being bombed. I spin around quickly to my mother, a plan already forming in my mind.
"Mum, get some warm clothes and get to woods, grab anyone you see on the way and get as far away as you can, I'll find you, I promise." I say to her and she just stares at me as Prim sprints back into the house.
"What are you going to do?" She asks.
"That was the Town Square. I need to go and find Peeta. I promise that I will find you." I shout, now clouded by noise from all around. She nods after a couple seconds and runs back into the house to find Prim. I spin on my heal and set off back for the Victors Village. Deep down inside of me, I can sense that something is wrong. Not just with Peeta but everyone. Masan, Aymee, Rye, Holly, Leaven, Brooke. I need to get to The Victors Village and fast.
I fly past a group of really scared looking blonde people, almots knocking one of them over, shouting to get to the woods. I know that hardly any of them will know how to get in there but I guess if they want it so much, they will find a way in. On the way past what used to be the Hob, I bump into a very familiar person. Rye. "Katniss! thank god!" He pulls me into his arms and I notice Gina stood behind him with Eric. "I havent found Lev or Brooke yet, Or Holly." He has tears in his eyes.
I turn my head towards Gina and Eric because I know that if I told Rye to leave, he would refuse. "You two. Get to the woods. Someone will meet you there. Go to the meadow, there is an opening at the back of it." Eric nods and starts to pull his sister away but she starts to refuse, saying that she wants to stay with Rye. "Just go, I'll keep an eye on him, I promise."
"Thank you Katniss." Then she's gone. Running into the Seam with her brother. I focus my eyes on Rye, he's watching her run off and I can see concern written in his face.
"She'll be alright." I say, stroking his arm.
"I know." He smiles back at me and begins to pull me in the direction of the Victors Village. "Come on."
20 minutes later, we make it there. At this point, the Town houses have mostly gone up in flames and I cant help but hope that Masan and Aymee made it out alright. I guess Rye had stayed at Gina's considering he doesnt have any clue where any of his family are. The whole district is in madness, everywhere you go you can hear screams. Hundreds of people are probably already dead.
I'm about to step through the date when Rye pulls me back and behind the wall next to the gate. I peer over the wall to see a hovercraft in the middle of the Victors Village, its destroyed to fountain that was there and the place is crawling with Peacekeepers. I'm about to get up to go in to find Peeta when I see him. 2 Peacekeepers are dragging him out of his house. He's still wearing the clothes he wore for pyjamas last night and fear spreads through me while he tries to fight them off. He screams and I pull my face up more to see him properly. He catches my eye and calms slightly. He didnt even know I left, he probably thought they already had me.
Rye pulls me back down and I watch everything unfold infront of me. Delly is brought out of her house looking confused. She doesnt even know what is going on. Her and Peeta dissapear onto the hovercraft and thats when Uncle Haymitch is brought out kicking and screaming. I've always know that he puts up one hell of a fight. A couple more Peacekeepers come running over to help and after a lot of fighting, they get him on the Hovercraft and they are up in the air. I'm about to run after them but the bottom of the Hovercraft opens and a bomb drops just outisde the Victors Village, blasting me and Rye off our feet. My hands go round my stomach as I feel myself hit the floor.
"Katniss!" Somone shouts, I open my eyes quickly to see another explosion. The noise hits me all at once and I shoot up into a sitting position. My whole body hurts but I know that I need to get back to my mother. "We need to go!" Rye says from my side, helping me up. "Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" He asks and I nod slightly even though I'm not entirely sure if either of us are okay. He grabs hold of my hand and I squeeze it tightly as he pulls away from the Victors Village and back towards the Seam to get into the woods. "Katniss, you need to run." I look up ahead to see more Hovercrafts approaching. This is it, District 12 is going to be destroyed and there is nothing I can do about it but run. If I make it that is.
I feel my legs give up underneath me and Rye stops to help me. "No, you go ... g-get out of here." Pain is rippling through my entire body and Rye is looking at me, shaking his head.
"I'm not gonna leave you." He shouts over the noise and pulls me up, hoisting me over his shoulder. I let my eyes close as Rye runs on through the Seam. I dont let myself go to sleep though.
Peeta's gone. The Capitol have taken him and I dont doubt that they will kill him. At this rate it looks like Rye is the only Mellark left. And then there is Uncle Haymitch, after everything he has done to them, it wouldnt surprise me if he was already dead.
The sound of explosions is all around us and I can still feel more pain everytime one hits and blasts through the floor. I feel the mines go up... again. My thought go out to ever man doing the graveyard shift. All those workers underground when the bomb went off. More deaths.
"We where caught up in a blast." Rye says to someone and I look up to see my fathers lake. Has he really been carrying me for this long. Its now light which means he must have benn carrying me for about 4 hours. Its about 5 in the morning. He places me on the floor and I look up to see my Mother, Prim, Leaven and Brooke. I sigh in happiness when I see them. Atleast someone made it here. "Where's Holly?" Rye asks.
"She's just over there." Leaven says, pointing off somewhere. "She's fine dont worry. Where's Peeta?"
"The Capitol took him. Haymitch and Delly too. I dont know why." Rye says and I can hear the pain in his voice. I pull myself up, now feeling a lot better for some odd reason and pulling Rye into a hug.
"Rye... Mum and Dad didnt make it." Leaven says and I look towards him to see tears streaming down his eyes. Rye stumbles past me a second late and falls into his brothers arms. I try to hold it all in but everything I have been hiding since Peeta was taken, comes out and I fall to the floor. Strangely, Brooke is the one to comfort me, both of us sat on the floor hugging eachother.
Over Brooke's shoulder I catch sight of everyone around, clinging onto eachother for dear life. Everyone has lost someone today. Parents, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbours, Uncles, Husbands. "Who else did we loose?" I ask everyone.
Brooke pulls away from me and looks into my eyes, tears streaming down her face. "Too many people, you will find out soon enough but right now you need to rest. We all do."
Within the next hour, everyone has fallen asleep, other than me. I'm just looking around at them. To my left, Rye is lying on top of a bed that was made from him, using a lot of leaves. Underneath a balnket that he was meant to share with Gina but she went to be with her brother tonight so instead I took the place. Its not like I've never slept in a bed with him before and strangely, it brings me comfort. To my right is Leaven and Brooke curled up together on the floor, dried up tears on their faces. Bailie is not far from them asleep next to Holly. Mum and Prim are just behind me. I'm surrounded by people that I love and I've never felt more alone. My eyes find the District. Well part of it anyway. Most of it is still covered in smoke and I cant see it anymore but I keep watching it burn. The only home I've known and its gone. All of it.
Sometime during the day, I find sleep climbing in next to Rye. And sometime during my sleep I vaguely remember waking up but then something hit me over the head and I passed out again. I'm not sure if it was a dream or not but my suspiscions are confirmed when I wake up properly and I hear the one sentence that I've been scared of for the past couple of months.
"Ladies and Gentlem, welcome to the 75th Hunger Games."