Changing the Game Chapter 9: The light enhancer, a hunger games fanfic

A/N: I just want to give a huge thank you to everyone who has read, responded, and given kudos! You guys make my days so much brighter.

I don't usually do this, but if anyone out there is religious/spiritual, my father in law, who is like the most amazing papa to my kids, has been battling prostate cancer for over twelve years. He started his first round of chemo last week. Please keep him in your thoughts/prayers through this pandemic.

On another note…..

So, Wednesday morning as I was getting ready to go to work, I went to load my car up. When I got outside, I noticed the rear passenger window was completely gone. When I looked inside, I saw this huge, boulder size rock lying in the seat. The irony of my story is that the night before (Tuesday night) I cleaned my car out, completely. I was so relieved that I remembered to bring my son's computer in…since it belongs to the school…But any-who, thanks for listening to my rant. Here is another monster of a chapter, and I hope you enjoy!

Changing the Game

Chapter 9 : The light enhancer

~ Prim ~

I open the door to my house and my heart sinks into my stomach when I see mom embraced in dad's arms, while she is crying her heart out. The pessimist in me immediately assumes the worst. "Is it Katniss? Peeta? Did they die?" I blurt out, slamming the door behind me.

I run into my dad's arms, afraid that I've just lost the two people who mean the most to me in this world. "No honey, they are okay." Mom reassures me while wiping her tears away. But something isn't right, I just know it.

"Then why are you so upset?"

"Your grandmother showed up and surprised your mother." Dad informs me.

"My what?" I've never even heard of this 'grandmother' they speak about. I am aware that mom left her life behind to be with dad, and I've overheard references that her parents disowned her once she married dad, but other than that, I've never heard of any grandparents, and I've certainly never met them.

"She saw Katniss on the television—" Dad begins.

At my dad's revelation, the pieces quickly fall into place. "And she wants to apologize for abandoning mom in case Katniss wins? Because then, we'll be rich?"

Dad nods, setting his lips set into a firm line. "Precisely."

I wrap my arms around my mother's waist, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry mom. But oh my god, you guys nearly scared the daylights out of me!" I feel guilty for the relief I feel finding out that my sister and Peeta are safe when I see how much my mom is hurting.

"I'm sorry sweetie, how was school today?" Mom is quick to change the subject.

"It was fine, we saw the train pull in with the The Capitol reporters. Everyone says they'll be conducting interviews soon."

Dad rolls his eyes at the mention of capitol reporters. "I feel bad for Ric; Madge too."

"Why?" I give my dad a befuddled look, wondering what Madge and her dad have to do with the reporters.

"Where do you think the reporters will be staying? I put two and two together, and for the first time in my life, I am not envious of Madge Undersee.

. . . . .

0o0o

. . . . .

~ Madge ~

"Madge honey, did you and Rose set up the extra rooms using the checklist I gave you?"

"Yes, daddy." My stomach churns at the thought of having to share my home with The Capitol freaks for however long it could be. They just arrived today and won't be leaving until either our tributes die, or the end of the games. Knowing what I know, it will be the latter.

"Everything is perfect daddy, I promise. If it's okay with you, I'm going to take a walk to clear my head before they get here." Knowing how superficial the citizens from The Capitol are, Rose and I took extra care to follow the checklist to a tee.

"That's fine dear, just be home before dark. I accidently revealed the incident with Cray when I went to visit Prim the day that Katniss left for the games, and he forbade me to be out past dark any longer. I don't know what I would have done if Gale hadn't been there, so I reassure my dad that I'll be home at dusk.

I bolt out the door, not allowing my dad the opportunity to change his mind. I'm so scared for Katniss and Peeta, and really for all of us. Once they get home is when the games truly begin, and that scares me more than anything else. I wonder how much Katniss and Peeta are aware of, or if they even know anything at all.

Lost in my thoughts, I walk on autopilot, not even realizing it when I slip under the fence to enter the woods. I scale the tree that Katniss taught me to climb in and settle on a branch. I pull out my notebook and let the pen take control.

( Just before the games )

"Madge, I have a favor to ask." I can't recall a time that Haymitch wasn't a part of our family, but he always seems to make an extra effort to avoid me, so I find it uncanny when he comes to me the morning of the reaping.

"Madge, can I rely on you?" I find his question odd.

"Me?" What could he possibly want from me?

"I'll be leaving on the train later today, and I need to stay informed with the goings on in Twelve."

"Can't you just call dad?" Haymitch shakes his head, frowning at me.

"Oh." I understand the message he's trying to convey; the phones in our home are bugged. "What can I do?" He pulls a pen out from his shirt pocket and hands it to me. I take it willingly, holding it up to my face to inspect it.

"Did you want me to write you daily summaries or something?" He chuckles, suspecting that I'm joking.

"I am entrusting this with you Madge, you can not under any circumstances lose this pen. Katniss and Peeta's lives could depend on it."

It looks just like any of your run of the mill ball point pens, so I'm unsure as to what makes it is so special.

"I don't understand."

"In your dad's office, there is a small notebook in a cubby behind the door, do you know where I'm talking about?" I nod, following him so far. "This pen can only be used with that notebook."

"What do I do with it?"

"Once you open the book, you'll find out. But whatever you do, don't lose it. Someone will be in touch with you, okay?" I nod, pretending that I understand his instructions. The truth is, I've never been more confused.

Shortly after I said good-bye to my friends, I went to my dad's office to retrieve the book. It was exactly where Haymitch said it would be. Afraid of the possibility of hidden cameras in my room, I go into the woods before I am brave enough to open the notebook. Because once I open it, there is no turning back.

I wonder if Haymitch was drunk when he told me about the book because when I open it, it is blank. There is not a single word is written inside. I pull out the pen and click the top to see if I can figure out what makes it so special on my own. Instead of the tip of the pen protruding out, it emanates this bluish-green light, and once I shine the light onto that first page, I see the instructions.

I jump when I hear the crunching of branches, followed by the sound of Gale's voice calling my name.

"Madge? Is that you?"

I smile and wave at him. "Join me?"

He climbs the tree, and I notice how sexy the muscles in his arms are as he pulls his body up. 'Stop it Madge' I scold myself.

He perches next to me, and my body quivers in excitement at how close he is to me. He is so close to me that I can feel the heat radiating off his body.

"What are you doing up here?" He inquires.

"Hiding."

"Hiding? From who?"

"The aliens." I state.

"What the hell are aliens?" He asks, confused.

"The Capitol reporters, they just arrived earlier today." He looks at me, still confused.

"But there is still one more to go before it's the top eight, why are they already here?" He asks me. I raise an eyebrow as I look into his eyes. God, he can be so dense sometimes.

"Gale, really? Even if we lose—" He seems to understand before I utter the words, which I'm thankful for because it hurts too much even speaking hypothetically about the possibility one or both of my friends dying.

"Oh, right. So, why are you hiding from them?"

"Because we will be co-habitating until the end of the games, and I just want some peace and quiet while I can still get it."

"Oh, that sucks." He looks genuinely sorry for me.

"Tell me about it." We sit in comfortable silence for a minute before he speaks again.

I'm not sure when it happened, maybe it was the day Gale was teasing me when he kept my pen from me, and I broke down. Because not only does he no longer despise me, but we've actually become friends. And we're not 'just' friends, but more like…really good friends. Is it too much to hope for that we could eventually grow into something more?

. . . . .

0o0o

. . . . .

~ Katniss ~

'Peeta? Peeta, where are you, are you okay?' I'm surrounded in complete darkness as I squint my eyes and call out to Peeta.

'Peeta?' I try again, but louder this time. What is going on? What happened? The last thing I can remember was the career's approaching us, and then…and then…and then what? 'Think Katniss' I tell myself. And then something fell. Yes, but what was it? Bees, I remember bees, no they weren't bees. Tracker jackers.

'Katniss? Is that you?' I can't see him when he calls out to me.

'It's me Peeta, where are you? Where are we? I can't see anything! What's going on? I'm starting to get really scared.'

'I…I think we're in your head.' Peeta tells me.

'My what? What happened? Where are Thresh and Rue?'

'You don't remember?' Peeta asks me.

'I remember the career's approaching us and then we were fighting them when something crashed to the ground, and then…nothing.'

'I remember you telling Rue to climb the tree just before the career's came. My memories are fuzzy, but I think you and Glimmer fought each other while I was fighting Cato. He slashed at my neck with his sword, and then Thresh was battling Marvel…then…did we get stung by a swarm of bees?"

'I think they were tracker jackers, Peeta. What about Thresh and Rue? Are they okay?'

There is a pregnant pause before Peeta speaks again. 'I can't remember.' His words are strained.

'But Peeta, where are we now?' Iwait for Peeta to respond, but there is only silence.

'Peeta? Peeta, please don't leave me alone in here!'

Once I accept the fact that Peeta isn't coming back, I welcome the silence, accompanied by the darkness, and then something happens. It is almost like a movie of my own memories are playing in my head. Realizing that I am powerless, I sit back and succumb to the visions.

xXxX

Just like every other day after school, Peeta insists on walking Madge and I home before his shift at the bakery. I air kiss Madge and then Peeta and I watch her walk toward the mayor's giant white house that her and her family occupies. It's just Peeta and I now, and I feel that familiar sensation churning in my stomach again, that feeling that is akin to hunger.

"I hate Mrs. Dumb Ass." I blurt out to Peeta, hoping the distraction will be sufficient enough to push the feeling away.

"Why?" I feel Peeta inching closer to me with each stride he takes. "And it's 'Mrs. Dumas', pronounced 'Doo-moss'." He says with his signature crooked grin. It is in this moment that I decide that this particular crooked grin is my most favorite of all of his grins. Has he always had those dimples in his cheeks when he smiles? I berate myself for daydreaming.

"She treats me like crap! I mean seriously! She makes me feel like I'm stupid all of the time, and I'm pretty sure she hates me, or at the very least, has something against me." Peeta stops us in our tracks as he bores his piercing blue eyes into my soul.

"Kat, no one can 'make' you feel any way. Your feelings are yours, and yours alone. Just don't let her get to you. When she starts treating you badly, I want you to ignore her. Don't give her the time of day because she isn't worth it. As long as you keep allowing her to upset you, she's just going to keep at it."

"Okay Dr. Mellark. And just how do you suggest I go about ignoring her? It's not that simple Peeta." My words come out more defensively than I mean them to.

He tucks a stray piece of my hair behind my ear, and I feel this sensation of electricity surge throughout my body when his fingers graze my skin.

"When you feel the blood begin to simmer in your body; you nod, smile, and agree with her. Once she walks away, you can do your little scowl thing and then I want you to tell yourself that you are beautiful, amazing, and smart. You are skilled with a bow, I mean you are the best shot in the entire district, and you have such a compassionate soul even if you won't admit it." I feel the heat creep up my cheeks at his words.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Of all the qualities he just mentioned, this is the only one I hear.

"You are the most beautiful creature on this entire….whatever it is we live in." He doesn't falter, still gazing into my eyes, and then gives me a quick peck on my cheek

The darkness returns for just a moment before the next 'movie memory' begins to play.

I'm staring at my reflection while sitting in front of Madge's vanity while she curls my hair with her fancy curling iron. She releases the clamp and my hair falls loosely to my shoulders as a ringlet of my chestnut locks spring back into place.

"Wow, that's a pretty nifty contraption." I croon, amazed with the tiny curl. I pull the ringlet straight, and immediately, it springs back into its original curl-shape. Fascinated, I repeat this a few times.

Madge swats my hand away. "Stop it."

"Wow, how does this thing even work?" Madge ignores my question.

"So now that I've got your hair hostage, it's time for our girl talk." Madge winks at me through the mirror.

Peeta stopped by earlier tonight to return Madge's history notes. Unbeknownst to me, Madge was spying on us as I walked Peeta to the door. She witnessed the intense stares shared between Peeta and I, followed by the flirtatious way he tugged at the end of my braid. She tried to weasel any information that she could out of me after Peeta left, but so far, I've managed to avert her attention elsewhere. I look into the mirror, unable to hide the massive shit eating grin on my face and the noticeable sparkle in my eye. In that instant, I know that I can't keep lying to myself.

"I can see it in your eyes…you already know." I say. She giggles and scrunches her shoulders up in her very 'Madge like way'.

Her smile is way too big for her face. "Say it." She demands in a squeal.

"No. You already know."

"Come on, say it. It's not real till you say it." Madge doesn't believe something can be real until it's stated.

Too embarrassed to meet her eyes, I look down to my feet. "I like him. So what?"

"Like?" She gives me a bemused look. The look that says I'm full of shit.

"Okay, so maybe...I…I might...love him. Maybe I always have?" It comes out more of a question than a statement. 'I love Peeta. I love the way he looks at me, like I'm the only person in the world who matters, and how he wants to protect me by always seeing that I make it home safely.

My heart does this little dance every time I see how patient he is when he helps Prim with her homework and my stomach…it does these flip-flops when I catch him deep in conversation with my dad. And when he paints—" My body shudders just thinking about Peeta and his paintbrush.

"— My insides literally turn into jell-o just thinking about the way his tongue protrudes ever so slightly out of his mouth when he's is focused on his sketching or working on a painting. But mostly, I love it and I hate it when he calls me out on my bull shit.

I don't know how he does it, but he makes me feel like I'm the most important and special person in the world. I love the dimples that appear in his cheeks when he smiles." If it weren't for Madge's cackling laughter, I probably would have kept on going. I'm certain I could spend an entire day listing all the things that I love about Peeta Mellark.

"What's so funny?" I ask her.

"You've got it bad, girlfriend." She says much too seriously.

"Okay, I admit it, I'm bat shit crazy about him. I'm one of those stupid foolish head over heels giggly girls. I'm everything that I've always claimed to despise….I'm a freaking hypocrite!"

Madge is unaffected by my confession as she continues to curl my hair. "So, when are you going to tell him?" She spits out nonchalantly.

My eyes get huge. "No, I can't."

"And why is that?"

"What if he laughs at me? What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if it ruins our friendship? What if it ruins 'OUR' friendship? I make a circle with my hand, indicating the three of us.

"You are the stupidest smart person that I have ever met, Katniss Alexis Everdeen."

"It's Alexandria, and how did you know that?"

"Whatever, same thing. My point is; is that Peeta Mellark has been in love with you for like…well…forever, and he's just been waiting for you to get on the same page." My face is as red as a tomato, but something in the back of my head says that maybe I already knew this bit of information.

"Okay, I'll tell him."

"When?"

"Tomorrow after the reaping."

"YAAYY!" Madge shrieks out in excitement.

"Katniss…Wake up" I'm so confused when Peeta's voice comes out of Madge's mouth

. . . . .

0o0o

. . . . .

~ Peeta ~

'But Peeta, where are we now?' Just as I am about to respond to Katniss, something happens, and she's gone. I don't know what is happening, I am so confused right now. Where is Katniss? She was just here a minute ago. Granted, I couldn't see her, but I was just talking to her. And where are Thresh and Rue?

I welcome the darkness, because when the darkness comes, the pain in my neck begins to dissipate.

Today is the first Thursday of the month, which means that our supplies will be arriving on the train in just a few hours. From the time that we were able, it has been mine and Rye's responsibility to retrieve our supplies from the train and bring them to the bakery in one piece.

I walked Katniss and Madge home after school today which resulted in my tardiness, but Rye always covers for me on these days if mom happens to notice my absence. I was thankful that today was not one of those days; that is, until I see the evidence of the damage.

When Rye was pushing the cart that carried our monthly supplies to keep the bakery running, a small tear which was already there ripped open in one of the bags, resulting in the loss of a little less than a quarter of the bag. It really wasn't that much in the grand scheme of things considering it was a one-hundred-pound bag of flour. But knowing our mother, she will turn this into a much bigger deal. She will be anything but pleased, and it will be completely my fault. It always is.

I sneak in through the back door before mom saw me, so that was good. With just enough time to slip inside and play it off as if I'd been here the entire time, mom walks into the back room wearing her 'Mellark Bakery' apron. She has a wooden stirring spoon clutched in her hand, freshly dripping with the hot candied mixture from the stove. Her eyes grow wide in dismay as she takes in the sight of the splattered flour coating the floor. She glares at me accusatorily because no matter what, I am always at fault, even when I am nowhere in sight.

"You stupid, lazy, irresponsible, foolish boy. You are so useless! Why can't you do anything right! This—" she points to the mess, "—AGRHH...you will work weekends to compensate for this loss!" She screams at me. I scuttle around on the floor trying to clean the mess up before she gets really angry.

"Ma, it was my fault. The bag already had a tear when we picked it up and the bumpy ride from the train must have—"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear your lies; you're always covering for this pathetic waste of space!" Mom stomps over to me and I get up from my position on the floor to face her. Using the spoon in her hand, she whacks my chest, causing the contents on the spoon to splatter onto my shirt. The hot, sticky substance of whatever was on the spoon seeps through the thin cotton material of the shirt, and I instantly feel it spreading onto my skin. Mom turns around, going back to the front of the bakery. I try to remove my shirt just as Rye rushes to my side. Having succumbed to many burns himself, he is well aware of the intensity of the pain I am in.

"Rye, get in here, Peeta needs to learn how to take care of himself." Rye is torn between helping me and being afraid of disobeying our mother. With tears in my eyes, I nod at Rye, urging him to go. There is no sense in both of us being at the other end of mom's bad mood.

I peel my shirt off and press a cool washcloth to the burn. I am unable to prevent the steady stream of tears that escape from my eyes, the pain is just too intense. I find another shirt to wear and slip it over my head. The cool cloth is the only thing that separates me from the fabric of my shirt.

Thankful for the frigid winters we endure here in Twelve, I step outside and grab a handful of snow in an attempt to soothe the burn. When I hear mom's heavy footfalls signaling that she is coming to check up on me, I scurry over to the rest of the supplies and pick up a large bag. If she catches me out here empty handed, this burn will not be my only injury today.

"What's taking you so long? Time is money Peeta, the sooner you learn that...Just hurry up." Mom screams at me, not caring in the least how much pain I am in, or the fact that she is the one who caused it.

I manage to unload the remaining supplies without anything else being damaged, but not fast enough to her liking. The pain is excruciating; the snow helps for a minute or two, but then it seems to make it worse.

Later that evening, I step outside for some fresh air. Time must have slipped away because before I know it, I see Madge walking by carrying a huge stack of books.

"Peeta? Is that you?" Madge peers from behind the stack of books in her arms to look at me. I nod, and using the back of my arm, I wipe the tears from my face, hoping that it's too dark for Madge to have witnessed my crying episode. She runs over to me and sets her books down, embracing me in a hug.

"OOWWWW" I scream out in pain when the pressure of her hug is applied to my skin.

"What's wrong Peeta? What happened? What did she do to you?" I see Madge's furrowed brow as I pull the neck of my shirt down to show her the burn.

Madge gasps in shock. "Oh my God, Peeta! That looks awful! You need to get it looked at, like now!" Madge demands, grabbing my hand. "Come on, we're going to Katniss'. I just have to drop these books off with my dad, and we'll walk together." She doesn't ask me if I want to go, but I know better than to argue with her. Plus, she's probably right.

I accept Madge's help and follow her to her house. The pain must be clouding my mind because it doesn't even register to let my family know that I'm leaving. For the moment, I don't care about any consequences from my mom. I haven't seen my dad all day, he must be hiding in his office. If dad had been in the bakery, mom wouldn't have even come into the back to bother us. Come to think of it, I'm not sure mom has ever hit me in front of dad.

I wait outside while Madge drops the stack of books off with her dad. She's back out in less than ten minutes carrying a small duffel bag.

"Okay, let's go. I told dad that I am staying with Katniss tonight. I also told him WHY we are going, and he's going to let your dad know where you'll be, so he doesn't think you ran away or something." I just nod, afraid that if any sound escapes my lips, I'll end up crying like a big baby.

"Peeta, you know that what she does to you isn't okay, right? She is such a horrible person, and she doesn't deserve to have you for a son. And I hope you know that it isn't your fault, she's just an angry woman; a bully who enjoys picking on smaller people to make herself feel better. You know that right, Peeta? And you know how much I love you right?" I know Madge means well, but I just wish she would shut up. I nod and bite my tongue as hard as I can to keep the tears at bay. I must have bitten down hard enough to draw blood, because I get this metallic taste in my mouth.

We arrive at the Everdeen's front door and I follow Madge inside. It still shocks me a little at how casually and confidently she enters their house without knocking. If I remember correctly, Madge stopped knocking a long time ago.

Mrs. Everdeen has a surprised look on her face when we burst through her front door unannounced. "Mrs. E, will you look at Peeta's chest? He's got another burn. I had to drag him down here, and I'm sorry for coming unannounced and barging in like this." Madge rushes, apologetically, but I don't think she's sorry.

Mrs. Everdeen pulls a chair out from the kitchen, "Come sit Peeta, the light is better over here."

I think she can see the pained look in my glassy eyes, because her face emits pity. I can feel the pressure building in my body, I won't be able to keep the tears away for much longer.

"Let's see it, where is the burn Peeta?" Madge lowers the top of my shirt, revealing my blistering, reddened skin to Mrs. Everdeen.

She gasps in horror. "My Lord Peeta, what happened?" She leans in to get a closer look.

"PRIMROSE, I NEED YOUR HELP IN HERE!" She calls out to Prim, and then I hear Katniss and Prim's bedroom door creak open, followed by the pattering of bare feet against the tile floor.

"What is all the raucous for? Some of us are trying to study!" Katniss rails, following Prim into the living room. Katniss is clearly irritated with all of the yelling and commotion; she was trying to study for the big math test we have next week. Her eyes soften when she catches sight of me seated in the chair next to her mother, designated for her patients.

"Primrose, will you get the burn kit out, and make some snow coat?" She sticks her hands into some gloves and helps me to remove my shirt without it touching the burn. She kneels to my level to meet my eyes.

"Peeta, how did you get such severe burns? I don't think I've ever seen a burn this bad before in my entire life; whatever it was— I can see pieces of it that has actually embedded itself into your skin!" The pained look on her face is so serious, almost as if she is the one with the burn. "You should have come to me as soon as it happened! Speaking of; how long ago did this happen?" She spits out so many questions, causing my mind to feel as if it is spinning.

I look at the floor, too embarrassed to meet her eyes. "I... I...uh...spilled some frosting on me...while uh...while it was still on the stove." I'm sure everyone knows the truth; I can see it in their eyes. They also know my mother, and the fact that this isn't my first burn.

"Mrs. Everdeen, I told my dad I was going to spend the night here, is that okay with you?" Madge interrupts us.

I see Mrs. Everdeen nod in response to Madge's question out of the corner of my eye when Katniss runs over to me and squats down next to me and takes my hand into hers. She pulls my hand up to her lips and places a kiss to my hand. That was all that it took for the dam to burst, and I finally allow my body permission to release the tears. Big mistake because now, the tears won't stop, and whatever Mrs. Everdeen is doing to me is only making the pain worse.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a crying like a baby, I don't know why the tears won't stop." I apologize profusely to the women who are taking care of me. Prim returns with the snow stuff that she made, and hands it to her mom. Mrs. Everdeen cleans the burn, puts the snow stuff on my skin, and then rubs some kind of cream into my skin. It hurts so bad; I'm clenching my teeth and squeezing Katniss' hand while holding my breath to fight through the pain. Finally, Mrs. Everdeen places some gauze loosely on top of the burn to cover it up.

"Peeta, you are not a cry baby. These burns are severe, and even the smallest of burns are extremely painful!" Katniss tries to reassure me.

"She's right Peeta. Burns are the worst kind of pain; mom gets lots of patients from the mines with burns." Prim's reassurance doesn't do anything to put me at ease.

"I've seen burns less severe than yours bring grown men to their knees." Mrs. Everdeen contributes her two cents in her attempt to ease my insecurities over crying.

"I read in this book that tears are the body's way of releasing endorphins or something. So, if you feel like you need to cry, don't be afraid to let it out. I know I do it all the time!" Prim retorts, and I'm starting to feel slightly better.

"Hey, Peeta, what—" Mr. Everdeen walks into the room and takes notice of the situation, surveying the stern looks on everyone's face.

"Dylan, will you get Peeta one of your shirts that buttons up in the front? It's too cold for him to sit in here without a shirt on, and I don't want anything touching the area where the burn is." Not to mention how uncomfortable I am sitting here half naked next to the girl I'm in love with.

"Of course." He leaves to go into their room and returns moments later with a flannel button up shirt that Mrs. Everdeen helps me get into, leaving the top four slots unbuttoned.

"Peeta, you'll stay here tonight so that I can keep an eye on your burn. I don't want it to get infected. I'll walk over to the bakery tomorrow and explain to Bing why you didn't make it home tonight, so you won't get into any trouble." Bing is my dad's nickname. Apparently, they were friends when they were kids.

I notice that just like Madge did on our way over here, Mrs. Everdeen isn't asking a question, she is simply stating a fact. What is it with these women and their pension for making my decisions for me? Had she asked, I would have agreed to stay, but it would be nice not to feel so helpless.

"I told my dad and he said he has a meeting with Mr. Mellark tonight, so dad said he'll let Mr. Mellark know." Madge informs us.

My heart sinks when Katniss disappears into her room. She returns minutes later with a heaping pile of blankets and pillows. She spreads the blankets out and situates the pillows on the couch for me to sleep on and offers Madge her bed. Madge declines, saying that she wants all of us to stay together. Katniss makes a pallet for herself on the floor right next to the couch. I smile knowing that she'll be just mere inches from me for the entire night.

Between Mrs. Everdeen and Prim, I barely get more than two consecutive hours of sleep throughout the night. Katniss falls asleep with her head on the cushion next to me, and our hands clasped together. In this moment, I feel like I am a part of this family. I feel loved.

I feel something cold and wet against my forehead which causes me to open my eyes. I am no longer in the Everdeen's home on their couch, but...wait…where am I?

"Rue?" Rue is patting my forehead with a wet…is that a piece of my jacket?

"It's about time you woke up, I was starting to get worried!" She tells me as I raise myself into a sitting position.

"Wha-What happened? Where is Katniss? I was just talking to her…She—" Rue points next to me to an unconscious Katniss. Rue has her tucked into one of the sleeping bags with the blanket bunched up into a make-shift pillow underneath her head. We appear to be in some sort of cave like structure.

"Katniss!" I rush to her side, but she doesn't stir. I lower my face down to her until my ear is hovering just above her mouth to make sure she is breathing.

"She's just passed out from the tracker jacker venom, but she'll be fine once she wakes up. I got stung once when I was younger, and my ma said I was knocked out for over a day. Katniss got four stings, so I'd imagine with how small she is, she'll be out for at least another day; two at the most." Rue casually informs me.

"But I was just talking to her, she just asked me—"

"You've been out cold for two days Peeta, you must have been dreaming." But it was so real, I swear we were just having a conversation a while ago; before my memory/dream. I shake my head to clear my thoughts.

"What happened? Where's Thresh?" I glance around the cave looking for any sign of him, but it's just the three of us. Rue gives me a solemn look as sadness fills her eyes.

"After I cut the tracker jackers nest down, I waited for the careers to run away. Thankfully, the jacker's seemed to only want to attack them; chased them all the way down to the lake. I waited a while to come down the tree, just in case.

I found you and Katniss and was able to drag you in here, but I couldn't find Thresh anywhere. His hallucinations must have led him somewhere safe because I haven't seen his face in the sky either.

I dragged you guys in here, pulled out your stingers and put the leaves on the stings that suck out the venom, and I've been taking care of you guys. Katniss has a nasty cut to her shoulder, but I think she's going to be okay." I don't like the uncertainty in Rue's eyes when she says this.

"You're the one who cut the tracker jackers nest down?" Rue beams, nodding proudly. "They didn't sting you?"

"Not a single one. I covered every inch of my skin up before cutting the hive down, so I guess maybe that's why?"

I reach up to touch my neck remembering when Cato came after me with his sword. Somehow, I managed to dodge his blade just in time before he came at me to slice my head off. I thought the blade barely scraped my neck, but it must have been much sharper than I realized, because all of a sudden, the pain comes rushing back tenfold.

I notice Katniss is shivering in her unconscious state, so I take the blanket from under her head and replace it with my jacket, and then I spread the blanket over her body. I sweep the hair from her forehead, and suddenly understand why she's shivering. She's burning up; with a raging fever. I urge myself to remain calm, redirecting my focus to Rue.

"Did anyone—"

As if she can read my thoughts, Rue lists our remaining competition, "The girl from Two, the girl from Four, and the girl from Ten. The tracker jackers got them; they didn't make it."

"Oh—" I'm not sure what to say, but I don't have time to feel guilty for the fallen tributes, "That leaves, Marvel from One, both tributes from District Two, the boy from Three, the girl from Five, me, Katniss, you and Thresh." Rue nods as she follows my train of thought.

"Three joined the careers, well not willingly. He could have killed them all while they were unconscious, but I guess he was too afraid. They've piled all of the food and supplies into this giant pile near the cornucopia, and I saw him digging over there. I'm not sure what he was digging for, but I'm too scared to find out.

I look around the cave and my lips curve up into a smile when I see that Rue managed to bring all of our supplies in here. Katniss has her bow gripped firmly in her left hand. Rue must have removed the quiver off of Katniss, because I see it lying right next to her. Even in her unconscious state, Katniss refuses to surrender her bow. 'That's my girl' I think to myself.

Rue hands me some water and I take a few sips.

"Thank you Rue." I'm thanking her for more than just the water she's just handed me.

"You're welcome Peeta." Rue smiles at me.

"No, seriously. Thank you for saving my life. For saving Katniss, and for taking care of us. You could have just left us to die."

"We're allies."

'Peeta? Where did you go? Please don't leave me." '

"Katniss?" Rue sends me an inquisitive look as I rush to Katniss' side, possibly questioning my sanity.

"She's okay Peeta. I doubt she'll wake up until at least tomorrow."

"You didn't hear her just now?"

"No. Maybe you need something to eat. I don't know how to set snares, but I did manage to get these—" Rue holds up two rabbits and a groosling, "— from your snares, and I made a fire and cooked them while the careers were knocked out."

"We'll set some more later." I tell her.

Rue follows me outside of the cave to collect some leaves, branches, sticks and rocks to conceal the entrance to our cave. I manage to camouflage us in, no animals or humans alike will know the difference.

Rue and I lean against the wall of the cave sitting comfortably in silence and I close my eyes to think. We've got a real chance now. Even after I found out there was a plan to bring me and Katniss home, it always seemed just out of reach. But now, it's just within our reach.

But how can we weaken the careers? What could we do to tip the odds in our favor? And what about Rue? My heart cracks at just the thought of her death, but I also know there is no way we can all make it out of here alive.

'Peeta?'

'Katniss?' I respond in my head this time.

'Peeta, is that you? Where are you, why can't I see you?'

'Katniss, is it really you? How am I hearing you?'

. . . . . . . . . .

0o0o

. . . . . . . . . .

~ Madge ~

'Welcome to The Revolution, we are thrilled to have you aboard.' I shine the light over the words to read the message and then flip the page over to find out more.

USING THE LIGHT ENHANCER:

1. To activate light enhancer : Click pen once; this will allow you to read incoming messages.

2. To activate 'writing mode' : Click pen three times in rapid succession. Pen will perform just as a normal pen would. When closing cover of notebook, message will transfer to my notebook. When re-opening book, words will appear invisible. Use light enhancer to review your outgoing message.

3. To deactivate : Click pen once and hold for five seconds to activate sleep mode. Pen will emit a short beep once off.

4. Notification of incoming message : Pen will vibrate when new message comes through. Keep pen on your person at all times.

5. MISC : Pen is water, fire, and shatter resistant.

'Is this for real?' I ask myself, not quite believing it, even after I've read through all of the rules. It's as if I'm daring it to give me any kind of proof, I decide to test it out by clicking the top of the pen three times. Just like any regular pen, the point pops out and I grip it in my hand, hovering it just above the paper. What should I write? Who am I writing to anyway, who is the owner of my notebook's twin?

Hello, this is M. Undersee. I write in my neatest handwriting, intentionally withholding my first name. Almost immediately, the pen begins buzzing in my hands. I click the top once and shine the light over the page. I am flabbergasted as I watch the words magically appear on the page.

Hey sweetheart, it's Haymitch. Glad you figured it out

Holy shit, this is real?

Is it really you? If I wasn't watching it with my own eyes, I might have thought someone slipped something into my water today and I was hallucinating.

I'm sure you know this, but never read or write in your book in front of anyone. How are things in Twelve? Reporters get there yet?

Yes, the reporters arrived today, and I'm not looking forward to having to share my home with them. Things are calm here; everyone is just worried about Katniss and Peeta. Speaking of, why haven't you sent her any medicine? She doesn't look so good.

Madge, I need you to spend as much time around the reporters as possible. Eavesdrop in on their conversations with each other and let me know what they talk about. The higher ups won't let me send anything other than food right now. I think they're planning something...something big, we just haven't been able to figure it out yet. Don't worry, I won't let them die.

Gotta go, someone's coming. Talk soon.

I click the pen, holding it down for five seconds and wait for the beep before shoving it into my pocket. I slam the book shut and slide it under my pillow. I've got to find a better hiding spot for it later, but for now, under my pillow will have to suffice. There is a knock on my bedroom door, and it cracks open, revealing my dad's head.

"I just wanted to say good-night before I head up to bed. Are you okay? You look a bit peaked." I smile, trying to quell my anxiety and hoping my dad can't hear my heart racing from where he is standing.

"I'm okay daddy, just worried is all." He enters my room and sits down next to me on my bed.

"Everything is going to be okay Madge. They're going to make it back home."

"I know daddy, it's what happens after they get home that has me worried." A flicker of something I can't name flashes across his face, and he pulls me into his arms.

"Have you been in to see your mother recently?" I nod in assent.

"I went in with Rose this morning and helped her. I think she recognized me this time." My mother suffers with excruciating migraines, and the medication The Capitol provides her with oftentimes causes mental disorientation. More often than not, I don't think she has a clue who I am.

On the days she recognizes me, she is doubled over in agonizing pain. The days when her pain is manageable; those are the days I am but a stranger to her. I miss my mom so much, but I don't want her to suffer.

"I love you Madge, don't stay up too late."

He leaves, shutting the door behind him and I breathe out a sigh of relief. I wonder what he knows.

. . . . . . . .

0o0o

. . . . . . . .

~ Peeta ~

"Peeta, if you don't stop pacing, I am going to punch you." Rue quips

"Why isn't she waking up? I'm worried about her shoulder, it looks worse than it did this morning, don't you think?" Rue pulls the blanket down far enough to reveal the gash on Katniss' shoulder. She grimaces, which validates my incessant need to worry. Surely, we have sponsors, so why hasn't Haymitch sent her any medicine? Katniss has been involuntarily shivering throughout the day, which is a tell-tale sign of a fever which is the very last thing we need to have in the arena. To top it off, she isn't even awake to swallow the fever pills I found in the first aid kit.

I close my eyes and concentrate on Katniss. I focus all of my attention to Katniss, begging her to wake up. I'm almost certain that it's been her talking to me in my head these last few days. Five minutes later, I open my eyes and Katniss' eyelids begin to flutter.

"Rue, I think she's waking up!" I rush to Katniss' side as I watch her face grimace in pain. Her eyes open slowly, and she flinches back in fear. She tries to sit up, but the pain is too unbearable. I've spent the last few days talking to her in my head while she's been out; or at least I think it's been her. I've kept her informed on everything that has happened while we were out, and everything since. Either it's been her, or the tracker jacker venom hasn't worn off and I'm seriously hallucinating. I guess I'm about to find out.

"Don't try to sitting up, your shoulder is in pretty bad shape." I guide her while I move behind her to be her human pillow. She leans back against me, happy for the support and nearly squeezes my hand off due to the excruciating pain.

"Rue and I have devised a plan—" The last thing I want to do is to leave Katniss alone in this cave for any amount of time, but I know the sooner we do this...well, we just need to do this, and soon. I can't think about what happens afterwards.

"I know Peeta, you just told me. Don't you remember?"

'Katniss, can you actually hear me?' I ask her in my head. Her eyes widen in shock realizing that we are in fact, communicating telepathically. She doesn't utter a word, allowing her eyes to convey everything I need to know.

'How did this happen?' I hear her voice clear as day, as if she is speaking to me out loud.

'I don't know, but we can use this to our advantage. We can't let anyone know…not even Rue.' I feel guilty withholding anything from Rue, with as much as she's done to help me and Katniss, but it just isn't safe. There are camera's everywhere.

"Guys, are you having some kind of non-verbal conversation or something? You're kinda freaking me out over here." Rue chirps.

"Sorry Rue. Do you want to tell Katniss the plan we came up with?" Rue nods happily and crawls across the floor of the cave to sit closer to Katniss. I hand Katniss two tablets for reducing fever, along with a bottle of water. Katniss accepts the items I hand her, taking small sips while she listens to Rue explain our plan.

"Peeta and I were talking about how the careers the other night and how they always manage to win the games every single year because they have the upper hand. They start out in a large group and hoard all of the food, weapons, and the rest of the supplies, leaving everyone else to live off the land. But what if we could take that away from them? This year, the careers have all the supplies in this huge pile, and we want to find a way to destroy it.

We will go off into separate direction, and I will start a fire, luring the careers away from the cornucopia while Peeta goes to the supplies. They'll be off searching for the fire starter, which will give him the perfect opportunity to destroy the supplies. By the time they reach the fire, I will already be clear on the other side of the arena, starting a second fire."

Katniss is silent for a moment as she ruminates the idea through her mind. "It could work. What about me though, what can I do?" Katniss' voice is weak, and even though she hides it well, I see how much pain she is in; and it is overwhelming her.

"Katniss, you need to stay here and protect our supplies. You're injured to badly to come with us."

"You can't expect me to just stay here and leave all the work to you guys, Peeta."

"Katniss, I can't do this successfully if I'm constantly worried about you."

"What if I take over Rue's job, and set up the fires—"

"Stand up, Katniss." I beseech her, but only to prove my point. She tries to standing up on her own, without any assistance and barely gets onto her knees before I rush to her side to steady her before she passes out.

I hold her in my arms until she opens her eyes. "I see you have a point." She gives me a half grin and hands me her bow.

"I don't know how to use a bow Katniss."

"Practice." She cajoles me to take it.

'I want to test out a theory.' I accept the bow from her hands and hook the quiver over my shoulder like I've watched her do millions of times. Rue brings in a huge branch from outside, smeared with the juice of some berries, creating a makeshift target. She places it at the far end of the cave for me to practice on.

'I want you to concentrate on me Peeta, and whatever you do, don't close your eyes, other than to blink.' I watch as Katniss shuts her eyes, and I concentrate, just as she instructed me to.

'Elbows higher, shoulders back. Slide your left leg about two inches to the left. Now straighten your back. Perfect. Pull back…now release!' I listen assiduously as I follow her instructions.

It's as if Katniss has possessed my body; I hit the berry juice target, dead center.

"Wow Peeta! You're a natural!" Rue squeals in delight, clapping her hands as she jumps up and down gleefully.

"When should we go? And then maybe afterwards, can we look for Thresh?" Rue asks us, pleading with her eyes. "How about just before the sun comes up?"

How can I say no, with eyes as sweet as hers? I nod, agreeing to both of her suggestions.

"I'm gonna go out and use the bathroom; maybe get some nuts to munch on, will you guys be okay?"

"Rue, maybe I should come with you, it's not safe out th—"

"Peeta! I'm just using the bathroom; I promise not to go far. If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, you can send out a search party." I feel the heat rising up my cheeks in embarrassment. I wasn't thinking that she may want some privacy, I was worried, and didn't want her to be alone out there. Our Capitol audience must think I am some kind of pervert.

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking." Rue slips out of the cave, leaving Katniss and I alone together.

Taking advantage of our fifteen minutes of solidarity, I lightly place my hand under Katniss chin, turning her head towards me and place a kiss to her lips. It was never my intention for it to be more than a short peck on the lips, but once her lips connect to mine, I can't help but trace my tongue along her lips. She welcomes the kiss, parting her lips slightly, granting me access into her mouth.

The world seems to disappear while our lips are locked, that is, until we hear the crunching of leaves. I pull back just as Rue enters.

The three of us are munching on the assortment of nuts Rue collected when a parachute floats down to us. How it got into the cave is beyond me, but I'm thankful for whatever our gift is. Katniss opens it to find a giant bowl of soup with three spoons attached to the underside of the lid. I am slightly perturbed that it contains no medicine. We fill up on the soup and then climb into our sleeping bags. Rue and I need to be well rested for our adventure in the morning, so Katniss offers to keep watch while we sleep.

. . . . .

0o0o

. . . . .

~ Haymitch ~

"What are you doing, Haymitch?" Cinna asks me after I've replayed the same scene of Peeta shooting the girls' bow for the fourth time.

"Something isn't right, I just can't figure out what it is."

"What do you mean, 'something isn't right'?"

"That boy wouldn't know how to shoot a bow if it was shoved up his rear, and he hit the bullseye on his first try. But look, watch this." I press play and we proceed to watch it again.

"I don't get it." Cinna says, confounded.

"Watch the girl." I instruct him. "You see how she closes her eyes? Now watch the boy as his stance changes. I can't figure it out and it's driving me crazy."

"Haymitch, do you suppose we could send in some medicine or something for her shoulder? She's so pale, and I'm afraid it's infected." Effie impetrates me.

"It's infected alright, the girls' knocking on deaths door. But they've already removed any and all medications from my list of available sponsor gifts I can send. I think they're up to something."

"What do you suspect?" Portia pipes in; I almost forgot she was here; she is so quiet.

"I don't know yet, but I'm gonna be pissed as hell if they let her die." I grit my teeth as I walk over to refill my glass of whiskey.

. . . . .

0o0o

. . . . .

~ Gale ~

Prim and her parents, along with my family, Madge and Mr. Mellark are all gathered in the square as we watch the games tonight. The Capitol has switched everyone back to mandatory viewing in the square, which is probably a good thing. From here until the end, none of us should watch this alone.

Catnip is hurt pretty bad, and thankfully, Peeta talked her into staying in the cave while he and Rue put their plan into action. I don't fully understand their plan, even after Madge explained it to me twice.

Madge. Marjorie Amaryllis Undersee. I still haven't told her my true feelings, but I think she knows. She has to, right? I mean, I spend every spare minute of my time with her, so, she has to know how I feel right?

The first half of the games isn't shown in real time, otherwise it'd be pretty boring, and we'd be out here all day and night.

Madge's grip on my hand tightens as we watch The Capitol's version of the highlights of the day. Rue and Peeta veer off in opposite directions. Peeta heads toward the cornucopia, while Rue takes off the other way to start the first fire. She gets the first one started, and immediately takes off in the direction of the wheat field. She runs for what The Capitol informs us is close to an hour before she climbs up into a tree. She stays in the tree for a while before heading out to start the next one.

The writing at the bottom of the screen informs us that four hours have passed since Rue and Peeta split up. Peeta arrives to the cornucopia where we see the boy from Three is standing guard by the supplies while the careers are off searching for the tribute stupid enough to start a fire. They're not shy about their immense hatred for Katniss and Peeta.

Claudius Templesmith's voice tells us that fearing for his life, Three bargained with the careers, telling them that he could dig up the mines from the platforms and plant them around the supplies. If anyone were to step on top of one of the mines, the culprit, along with all of the food, including anything within a fifty-yard radius will be blasted into nothing. Bread boy isn't my favorite person in the world, but Katniss and Madge seem to care about him, so I don't want him die.

Peeta finds a rock formation that reminds me of an alcove to hide in while he just sits there observing for a while. I think he's trying to figure out what is so special about the food pyramid. Just then, the red headed girl from Five dances her way toward the supplies, making sure to step ever so carefully in very specific spots. It looks kinda like she's doing a little dance. I'm pretty sure she makes a wrong step when she freezes in place. She sucks in a deep breath and holds it like she's afraid of something and her face goes white as a ghost.

I see the recognition in Peeta's eyes, and I'm almost certain he's figured it out. Now that I think about it, Five is a pretty clever girl. She has survived by wit and cunning alone by hiding and spying on everyone. All throughout the games, she has been stealing food from the careers, only taking enough to fend off starvation, but never enough for anyone to notice.

Peeta waits for the girl from Five to leave, and then he strings an arrow. It looks like he's concentrating so hard as he keeps adjusting his posture. Wait...when did Mellark learn to shoot?

He's concentrating so hard; I wonder if he's even breathing. Finally, he releases the string, and the arrow punctures the edge of a bag of oranges, causing only a small tear at the top of the bag. For some reason, he reminds me so much of Katniss when he knocks his second arrow.

Something peculiar is happening, I just can't figure it out. I make a mental not to ask Madge later. The second arrow produces enough tension and causes the bag to rip open the rest of the way. The oranges come tumbling out and roll onto the ground, causing a domino effect. They end up hitting several of the mines causing a chain reaction.

The force of the explosion sends Peeta flying through the air. His body is thrown up against a tree before he crashes to the ground and is left unconscious for a time. My heart races in anticipation, hoping that no one finds him while he is so…. vulnerable.

We watch as both tributes from Two race to the cornucopia; and boy, are they pissed as hell! The boy from Two, (I think his name is Cato, but I like to call him shit face), in a heated rage, he immediately snaps the boy from Three's neck. Three never saw it coming before he plummeted to the ground. I don't hear the cannon due to the heavy blow of Peeta's explosion, but I know he's gone. Shit face starts screaming at the dead tribute in a heated tirade. He reminds me of Posie when she doesn't get her way; granted a much more vicious, lethal, psychotic maniac as he stomps his feet, nearly having a temper tantrum.

"He knows that the boy can no longer hear him, right?" Madge says out loud with a hint of sarcasm. I give her a little chuckle and squeeze her hand.

Shit face flies off the handle at his district partner, and she punches him in the face, sending blood gushing from his nose. She punches him again, and then he collapses to the ground, unconscious. I wonder why she doesn't just kill him right now?

Templesmith tells us that it's a few hours before Peeta wakes up, and I can tell he's too unstable to move. He seems to agree as he tucks himself into the small alcove to conceal himself in for the night.

"Do you think he's okay?" Madge asks me, the concern written all over her face.

We've all been so focused on Peeta, the explosion, and District Two, that no one notices the absence of District One. Or how eerily close he is to poor, oblivious Rue.

. . . . .

0o0o

. . . . .

~ Katniss ~

'Peeta? Peeta...Peeta, please answer me! Are you okay? PEETA!' I'm not sure how much time passes before I finally hear his voice.

'Katniss? Katniss, is that you?' Even in my head, I hear the tremulous edge in his voice. He's hurt, I just know he's hurt.

'Oh, thank god you're okay, I heard some kind of explosion and I was so scared something happened to you. Tell me what happened.' I take a deep breath and hold it in for a few seconds before slowly exhaling through pursed lips, as I try to return my heart rate back to its normal rhythm.

'Oh...God...I'm so dizzy, Katniss.' Peeta's voice sounds so weak and far away, and now, I'm more worried than ever. I hope Rue is hiding safely up in a tree right now.

'I blew up...you…blew up...the supplies.'

'I know that part, just…just tell me what happened after that. I couldn't see anything once you blacked out.' This 'connection' we've established is beyond incredible, if we both focus our concentration, it's like I can see out of Peeta's eyes. I wonder if he can see through my eyes as well.

'I think...I think the explosion blew me away and I must have hit my head on something. When I tried to stand up, I got really dizzy, so I'm hiding in this little alcove thing for the night. I wanted to search for Rue, but I'm afraid I'd be useless in a fight. I'm not sure I could protect myself, much less Rue. I think—'

'No, you're right Peeta. I want you to stay there for the night and gather your strength. You can look for her in the morning.'

'Kat, you don't sound too good. Are you okay? How is your shoulder? Did you take more of the fever pills? Are you going to be okay through the night, and do you have enough water? What about the soup…do you still have some left?' Peeta rambles off question after question, his tell-tale sign that he is terrified.

I don't want to lie to Peeta, yet I don't want to give him more reason to worry either. 'I'm okay right now.' It's technically not a lie. I open the canister of soup, and I'm relieved to find its' contents slightly less than half full. 'And I've got plenty of soup and water.' I reassure Peeta.

'Katniss...' Peeta knows me too well.

'I'll be okay through the night, I promise. You worry about yourself tonight, okay? Once you find Rue, you guys can look for Thresh and then you will get back to me, and then we'll figure out our next step, okay?'

'If I call out to you and you don't answer me, I'm coming straight to you.'

'Okay.'

'Okay, and Katniss?'

'Yes, Peeta?'

'I love you.' Only Peeta Mellark has the ability to force a smile onto my lips right smack in the middle of the hunger games.

'I know. Me too Peeta.'

'Really? You mean it?' I can literally feel the radiant glow his face is most likely emanating.

'I do. Sleep Peeta.' I cover my face with Peeta's jacket to conceal my blushing face. The Capitol doesn't deserve to see this right now. I finish off what's left of the soup and then try, unsuccessfully might I add, to sleep as I worry about Peeta and Rue throughout the night. I keep my thoughts at bay as to not disturb Peeta by singing songs in my head.

How did mine and Peeta's thoughts get connected? What happened to cause it? I remember the tree incident that intertwined our emotions, but we've never been able to talk to each other like this before. I wonder if it is permanent. And how can I see what he sees? Is it a conscious thing, or will he be able to like...read my thoughts? Or is it just a communication thing? I don't make a habit of keeping secrets from Peeta, but I don't think I want him privy to my every thought.

Peeta doesn't respond, which I take as a good sign.

. . . . .

0o0o

. . . . .

~ Peeta ~

'Peeta...are you awake yet?' The sound of Katniss' voice floods my mind which causes me to startle.

"Katniss?" I look around frantically, searching for her just as I remember the chaos of yesterday…or was it today?

'Katniss?'

'I have a bad feeling, Peeta. Do you think you can look for Rue now?'

I sit up and lack the feeling of the ground spinning beneath me, so I make an attempt to stand. Good, still not spinning.

'Yes, I'm good Katniss. Except..'

'Except what?' Katniss asks me in a panic.

'I think the blast took out my hearing or something. I can't hear out of my left ear.' I snap my fingers near my left ear, confirming my temporary deafness. I steady myself as I readjust the quiver on my shoulder and take off with the bow gripped firmly in my hand. I lift the leg of my pants to make sure my knife is still there.

Once I confirm it's still there, it's time to find Rue, and then I've got to get back to Katniss. Something tells me that she isn't nearly as well as she claims to be, and she's not going to last much longer. I'm not losing Katniss, I can't, I won't.

I'm not an experienced hunter like Katniss is, but I've spent enough time in the woods with her enough to be just comfortable enough out here. There is a chill in the air, and then I feel as if someone has just walked over my grave.

After an hour of searching for Rue, only to come up empty-handed, I remember to whistle the four note tune that Rue taught me. Rue explained that it's how she and her sisters would communicate with each other in the trees of District Eleven when they're too out of range to speak to each other.

The only sound that comes back to me are the mockingjay's that pick up the tune of my whistle as they turn it into a beautiful melody. I begin to panic when she calls out to my name.

"PEETA! PEETA! HELP ME PEETA, PLEASE!"

Please read and respond, your reviews make my heart glow! What did you think? Like it, hate it? Too much…not enough? Your thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated and valued. Anyone in the medical profession may see some discrepancies in the information given to you in this chapter versus actual fact. Just so you know, I just made it up as I went, so forgive me if it isn't accurate. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Practice social distancing…keep your face covered when in public and wash your hands!