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Chapter 3

I spend most of my waking hours in the woods or at the Hob over the next few days, readying myself for our escape to the woods…to freedom. My extra snares I placed throughout the woods caught enough game for me to afford the tent and building supplies. My mother uses some scraps to patch the holes at night while my brothers and sister are sleeping. I use that time to pack the things we will need to take with us.

Earlier that evening during dinner I played a little game with my siblings…or at least that's what they thought it was. I asked them "If you could only keep three of your belongings, which would you keep?" After carefully thinking, each one of them took turns tell me their lists. I took note of each object so I could locate it and pack it away.

I still haven't told the children we are leaving yet. I don't like the fact that I need to keep secrets from them but it's for their own good. I can't have one of them blabbing about our plan. If that happens, I'll be hung for sure. I've already planned out the night of our escape. After dinner, I will sit down and talk to my siblings with my mother. I've even figured out the words I would say to them. I only hope they won't hate me from dragging them away from the only world they've ever known to live in the unfamiliar woods. After answering their questions, they will lie down until midnight, which is when we will run.

One of my biggest fears about fleeing the district is the possibility of being caught. This led me to expand my plan. After hours of thinking, I finally came up with a solution I am quite proud of. It's an ambition plan, but doable and it will erase any chance of being tracked. I plan on blowing up our house. The idea came to me two days ago when I was required to go to orientation at the mines. I knew I needed a way to wipe us off the grid…what better way then to fake our deaths? While in the mines, I managed to swipe a few sticks of dynamite and fuse wire from a supply box and shoved it down my pants. I know the explosive power behind this device and know it will turn the contents of our house to ash.

For once, I discover some positives about living in the Seam…something I wouldn't otherwise find. For starters, our house is littered with coal dust, embedded deep between the floorboards from my father and the miners that lived there before. As soon as the fiery spark reaches the dynamite, my house will be blown to smithereens.

It also helps that Seam residents are regarded as the lowest of the low in our district. There will be no investigations about the explosion. The government will sort it out as bad luck and be on their way. Why spend money to investigate people that don't matter, in their eyes at least.

When I finished packing, I crawl into bed. As I lay under the covers, I can't help but think about how this is the last time I will fall asleep in this district. I find myself getting sentimental, something I have only felt when thinking of my father. I think about how I will miss the Hob and the tenants I have come to known. Without them, I wouldn't be here today, especially Greasy Sae. She was the first person that traded with me, when none of the other vendors would. They were wary of a 13-year-old boy wanting to trade, thinking I was some type of informant for the Peacekeepers. Luckily, Sae took a chance on me and finally convinced the others I was harmless.

I'll also miss hunting in the woods with Katniss and all the secret places that only the two of us know about. I'll miss her in general really. She's why I have to leave though. I can't stay here and watch her love another guy. It would be too much to take. I wouldn't be able to handle her blowing me off to spend time with him, because I know that's what will happen. It's what always happens when someone starts a new relationship.

I push the thought of her out of my head because I need a good rest. Tomorrow night we leave this district for a new life.


"But why do we have to leave?" Posy asks as she sits between my brothers on the couch.

"Because it's not safe for to be here anymore." I tell her, sitting on a chair across for them.

"So we're never coming back?" Vick asks.

"No, Vick, we can't."

"But what about my friends? Can't I at least tell them why they won't see me around anymore." he rebukes.

"Vick, no one can know we are leaving. If someone finds out that we're out there, we will be in a lot of trouble." Vick's face drops, clearly upset about having to leave them behind.

"Vick it will be ok. You'll have me." Rory said standing up then sitting next to him. "And Gale can teach us how to do cool things in the woods. Remember how we always said we want to go out there with him. Now's our chance." he said slinging his arm around his brother's shoulder.

I am touched by Rory's actions, helping to make feel Vick feel better and it seems to work. I mouth the words 'thank you' to Rory to express my gratitude. When the questions are over, I tell them to sleep for a little so they won't be tired later. Luckily, none of them put of a fight. I sit at the table, and my mother joins me handing me a mug of tea.

"That went well." she says.

"What if they end up hating me for this?" I ask her.

"They're not going to hate you, Gale. It's natural for them to be feeling this. It's a big change for them. Once they realize why you are doing this for them, they will love you for it."

"What if my plan doesn't work." I ask nervously. My mother reaches out her hands and takes one of mine in both of hers.

"Whatever happens, we will manage to make it through. We always do. There may be some struggles along the way but I know that we can do this." she says with optimism.

"Thanks Mom." I say.

"You sure you don't want Katniss to know?" my mother says out of the blue.

"Mom, no one can know." a say with a long exhale.

"It will break her heart when she arrives home tomorrow and hears the news."

"She'll be fine." I say with finality. My mother stands from her chair and leaves the room. I remain in my spot and wonder about how Katniss will handle the news. To be honest, I hadn't thought about it until now. She'll be sad when she discovers I'm no longer here but she will get over it. She's overcome a lot of tragedy in her life. What's one more thing to add to the list?

I spend the next few hours going through the bags, making sure I have included everything we will need. At 11:40, I wake my family and assemble them in the living room. I tell them to walk to the opening in the fence. My mother knows where it is after showing her the location yesterday. My mother takes a large bag and hoists it on her shoulders. Rory and Vick take their schoolbags, which are stuffed with extra clothes. I hug each member of my family and tell them I will see them soon.

Once they leave, I set up the explosives, one in my bedroom, another in the living room, and a third in the kitchen. I then twist the fuse wires from each stick of dynamite together to create one central line that I will ignite at the entrance of our house. I inspect my work, making sure everything looks perfect. I can't afford for this to go wrong. When I am confident that it is correct, I take my bag and the tent bag and carrying it a hundred feet away from the house, resting them by a tree. I'll need a good running start so I'm not caught in the explosion. I return to our house one last time with a book of matches in my hand. I strike a match along the strip and hold the flame to the coil until it catches fire. I then run to my supplies and stare at my house, waiting for a reaction. It only takes a minute before my house ignites in a fiery explosion, creating a loud boom in the process. Planks of wood litter the ground and flames engulf what is left. I take my things and run to meet my family. It's difficult with the added weight but my adrenaline keeps me going.

I find my family on the other side, having already crawled under the space. I carefully hoist the bags over the fence before climbing under myself. Rory comments how he could see the light from the explosion all the way from here and as I look back, I can see a billow of smoke rise above the tree line from where our house used to be. I lead the way, taking the path Katniss and I used to travel. I take them by the lake showing them where I would get the fish I'd bring home.

We keep moving, knowing that it's important to make as much ground as possible. After 3 hours, I can see my younger brothers slowing their pace, undoubtedly exhausted. Posy expired an hour after passing the lake and I have been carrying her since. I transfer her into my mother's arms and then set up the tent. As soon as the structure is raised my family climbs into it and I close the opening. All the kids complain about the close quarters but they stop after I tell them to quit it. I'm tired and the last thing I want is to hear their whining. I close my eyes and let the sounds of the forest lull me to sleep.


The Hawthornes have made it out of District 12! What do you think will happen next?

*not my best chapter...next one will be better :) Let me know what you thought.