I refuse to acknowledge the last two weeks happened. At all. I never went through all the districts, and I definitely didn't shake hands with President Snow.

Nope. It never happened.

Gran finally let me work again in the shop today. Which was releaving, considering Mrs. Mellark had been giving me that 'Hello, future daughter-in-law' look again lately. So, in short, I tried not to go to the bakery as frequently.

Which is a pain. I've grown used to Peeta's company.

I'm in the back, carefully cleaning the meat knives and getting ready to slice up the meat for today when the bell rings. My head jerks up but I'm at a funny angle and can't see who it is. So I grab a towel and wipe my hands, pushing open the swingy door with my hip.

"Hello, how may I help you?" I ask before I even see who it is. As soon as I do, my hands clam up. I swallow thickly and put on my 'I'm totally fine' smile.

It's Katniss. And... Gale.

Oh well.

Katniss steps up to the counter as if she doesn't pick up on the awkward vibes. Maybe she doesn't; after all, I'm almost a hundred percent sure that ahe doesn't have an incling that Peeta has been massively in love with her since the first day of school.

"We shot a deer. How much can we get for the meat?"

Thank God for Katniss Everdeen and her bluntness. It's like a breath of fresh air in a world where people only know how to beat the bush. That's why my grimace turns into a true smile.

"Well, how much meat? Do you want me to go get Rooba? I don't know how much she usually does..." I trailed off, peering around the corner to see if she was coming down yet.

"She usually just does a few coins a pound." I nodded as she continued. "I think there's about fifteen pounds." I smiled.

"Alright. I'll grab the money. Do you have the deer with you?"

She shook her head but it was Gale who answered.

"It's at Katniss' house. Her mother is skinning it."

I nod again. "Alright, well, we can send someone to pick it up or you can bring it back and I'll get the money together."

"We can bring it back. Thank you." Katniss said flatly before turning and leaving, Gale right behind her.

I let my hand drop from where I had raised it in farewell and sighed.

A few coins per pound? Before I had never really thought of how little that was, but now... I shook my head and popped open the register. There was plenty of coins in here now that I was getting Victor salaries.

I returned to the back, getting ready to prepare the meat to sell. It was like second nature, clean this, move that, chop it all.

I hadn't even given it a second thought until the cleaver thumped through the meat, spraying blood.

I stopped, my entire body freezing over. My cheek was warm, and it tickled as something ran down my chin and neck. I slowly reached a hand up, touching my fingers to my face. They came away red and sticky. Blood.

And then I was in the town square again, a knife in my hand, anothers blood on my face.

I dropped the cleaver with a chocked scream and staggered back. It was as if my throat had just stopped responding. I couldn't get air in or sounds out. I backed up all the way into the worktable behind me, knocking things over.

"Aces?" Gran called down the stairs, but the sound didn't register right in my head. Everything was too bright, too loud, too hot or cold or suffocating. There were footsteps snd the click of a phone, more jumbled words, and then someone was grabbing my arm and I didn't want to die, no, I can't die-

My throat finally opened up and I was screaming, screaming, screaming and I couldn't stop no matter how much I wanted to. I didn't even know if I wanted to; if I wanted to be okay and calm down.

In my panic I scrambled for the cleaver again, my movements stiff and choppy.

"Aces!"

Voices are decieving, don't listen, don't trust, dont, don't, don't-

Don't.

GPOV

I kept quiet as Katniss and I carefully caried the deer back to the butchers shop. We took most of the back ways as to lessen the chances of getting caught. Katniss didn't speak either, but she never spoke that much anyways, and so it was silent. Until we got within sight of the shop.

I could hear faint screaming and the sound of crashing. I slowed to a stop with a frown, causing Katniss to stop as well she turned towards me.

"Come on."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Catnip. Don't you hear the screaming?" My frown deepened. "I knew this was a bad idea. She's bot mentally stable."

Katniss sighed. "But the money is the best we'll get. And besides, we're strong enough to take care of ourselves. And I hate to say this, but she might... She might need help if she's having another relapse or whatever it is."

I sighed but didn't say anything else. Katniss took that as an okay and continued to the shop.

There was no one in the front, but that was because they were all in the back. What had been muffled screams before had quickly turned into shrieks.

"Damnit, boy, grab her arms!" Somebody yelled as Katniss and I rounded the corner.

There was blood on the floor along with a forgotten cleaver. There was a very worried looking Rooba standing next to the door I had just walked through, and Abernathy, and Mellark.

And a very messed up looking Aces Smith.

She was thrashing in Mellark's arms as he tried to get her to stop hitting him.

"Calm down! Aces, calm down!" He yelled.

Abernathy looked over at Katniss and I.

"If you're not here to help, stand out of the way." He said gruffly.

There was a loud 'pop!' and a grunt, and then Mellark and Smith hit the floor. His nose was bleeding and her elbow was jabbed into his ribs as she continued to squirm.

"Let go! Let go! Let go!" She yelled.

Abernathy crouched down in front of her.

"Aces, calm down. It's okay now. You're in Tweleve. You're not in the games-"

"Lies! Shut up! You're lying! I won't die, I won't! Don't! Don't! Stop! Let go!" Her words blended into shrieks again.

"What do we do?" Mellark asked.

"Get her to stop screaming, first. Cover her mouth." Abernathy said. I raised an eyebrow. Yes, that sounds like a wonderful plan.

And Mellark, being the stupid Townie he is, followed Abernathy's orders.

That only seemed to add fuel to the fire, however, as Aces' eyes widened and her muffled shrieks grew in pitch. And now he only had one arm to restrain both of hers as she thrashed more and more.

She got one arm free, her nails ripping at the hand over her mouth. When that proved futile, she started hitting Mellark in the face. He was going to be all kinds of black and blue tomorrow. I couldn't help but grin a bit at that.

"Hawthorne. Either help or get your smug ass out." Abernathy grunted as he tried to grab Smith's kicking feet.

Mellark cursed as blood ran from between his fingers.

"Aces! It's me; stop biting!"

I looked sideways at Katniss, who now also looked worried. Why? Why did I keep getting dragged into this shit?

I sighed and carefully approached.

"Mellark, let go. You're not strong enough to get her to stop thrashing. Hawthorne, when he lets go, grab her." I had no chance to argue as Mellark swore again and let go. His hand was dripping blood from a deep gash.

It was my turn to curse as Smith shot up and lunged for the dropped cleaver. Damn, she's fast. I caught her and picked her up so she couldn't get the knife. Her feet kicked at my knees and at anyone that got too close. Mellark got a kick to the stomach and the face before he was able to grab both her ankles. Smith continued to scream and struggle, causing me to almost drop her a few times. How did she get so damn strong?

"Aces!" Abernathy yelled. "Snap out of it! Do you hear me? Stop!"

"Aces, please. You're gunna get hurt." Mellark said. The frigging softie.

"Damnit!" I huffed as her head connected with my chin.

"Aces! Stop! You're hurting everyone!" Mellark said again.

Her small hands latched onto my arms, trying to pry them off. For such a tiny Townie, she sure was putting up a fight. No wonder she won.

Katniss stepped up, grabbing her wrists and carefully but forcefully pulling them away.

"Aces. Stop." She said. "You're not dying. We're trying to help." And surprisingly, Smith calmed a little. I looked at Katniss in surprise.

"See, Aces? It's alright. Calm down. Please." Mellark said. She stopped trying to kick the shit out of him but wasn't done trying to get free entirely. Her voice had given out, a crack every now and then the only sound.

"Are you alright now?" Absrnathy asked gruffly. Smith nodded slowly. There was blood all over her face.

I let go and she crumpled before regaining her ballance. Rooba was there instantly, making soothing noises as she led Smith out.

I looked to Abernathy and arched my brow.

"What the hell?"

"She had a PTSD moment from trying to chop the pig up." He motioned to the slab of meat and cleaver. "We couldn't get her to calm down." Mellark nodded and straightened, holding his hand as more blood dripped on the floor.

"Thanks for the help." He said before following Smith and the butcher.

I looked to Katniss and we left as well. We waited by the counter with the deer carcass.

What a day.