~Katniss~
The entire ride back to home I spent in the District Twelve car, as instructed by Peacekeeper Tag. Effie was more than happy to see me and asked all kinds of questions about what I was learning and what I had learned. I can't believe that while I was in District Two I hadn't thought about her or her crazy hair colors at all. But now as I sit in my room on the train and look out the window at the landscape passing by, I can tell that we are close to Twelve. I should be there soon. It is only noon, so I should be home by tonight.
I couldn't wait to get home, to see the woods again, my friends, Prim. Prim. She was the one thing or person I missed the most. I missed braiding her hair all the times when she'd ask, holding her at night in our bed until she fell asleep, everything about her. I can't wait to get home so I can see her again.
All of my friends are going to be so happy to see me, Gale, Madge, and Peeta, I hope they kept their promises and took care of Prim and my mother. I owe them big for doing this, and I owe Peeta double because if it weren't for him and the loaves of bread he threw me a few years ago, I wouldn't be here, and neither would my family. I don't think I can ever repay him for what he did for me, I just don't think there is a way. I was pulled out of my thoughts of District Twelve when there was a pounding on my door and a shrill voice on the other side of it.
"Katniss dear we are arriving in District Twelve! Gather your things and get ready!" the woman with the Capitol accent shrilled. I listened to her and got all of my things together after the two day train trip and walked out of the bedroom with my bag in tow. There stood Effie all decked out in all different shades of blue today stood smiling at me as I walked towards her. When I stood next to her she placed her hands on my shoulders. "Remember to smile, you're happy to be home." she reminded and I just rolled my eyes at her. But when she gave me a sharp glare to do as she says I gave her one of my fake smiles and got her to smile in return. When the doors opened I was blinded by the light that flooded my eyes. But when they finally got used to the assault of light I could see six people standing there waiting for me. Five of them I expected, mother, Prim, Gale, Madge, and Peeta. But the one I didn't expect was Haymitch.
"Katniss, I'm so happy to see you." Prim shouted as I walked off the train towards her. I dropped my bag and wrapped my arms around her small frame. I smiled as I hugged her tightly and looked up to see all of my friends smiling too. When the teary eyed Prim finally let go of me, my mother gave me a quick hug before I was engulfed into a group hug by my friends, all of them saying how happy they were to see me.
"Guys I was only gone for a couple months." I reminded them chuckling slightly.
"But it wasn't the same without you." Madge said with a smile on her face and the guys just laughed. Someone cleared their throat and we turned to look at the only living Victor of District Twelve.
"So you're the one who got to go to the Academy." he observed with an impressed look on his face.
"Yeah." I said simply in a monotone voice, if Effie had gotten off the train with me should would yell at me about my manners.
"Well good luck Sweetheart. And I probably shouldn't have to ask how you got in. The Peacekeepers don't exactly know how to keep quiet about some things, well they don't if we're in private." He said shifting his weight on his legs back and forth.
"Speaking of Peacekeepers, Kat there is a new one in Twelve. His name in Brass and he isn't like those that by our game, he actually follows the rules." Gale explained to me as we started walking back to my shabby run down house.
"Yeah so you have to stay clear of him, if he catches you he will give you the punishment personally." Madge warned and I nodded, taking in the information given to me. A new Peacekeeper, great he'll either be like the ones in Two or worse. We finally made it back to my home, Haymitch had left a while ago when he wanted a drink. They were silent the entire walk back, I think they could tell that I just wanted to be home for a while. But once I was in my home and sitting in a chair they started to ask questions.
"What was it like in District Two?" Peeta asked filled with wonder.
"It was sickly extravagant. They really are the Capitol's lapdogs. The buildings are huge, made of mostly stone, most of the people there were rude and angry but determined." I described.
"Most?" Madge asked.
"I did manage to make some friends." I said and I saw my friends, and Prim's eye fill with curiosity but also hurt that I made other friends. "But they weren't like you guys, you're true friends, if I go into the arena with them, they'll still kill me. Well except maybe one or two, they might not kill me." I said and they chuckled.
"So what are they like?" Gale asked me.
"First there's Luna, she's my roommate from District Five. She's a good person, I don't know why she even wants to train. But she loves her family though. Then there is Clove. She's a top Trainee of Enobaria's, she's great with knives, scary good. She has a little brother who has a physical disability so she trains because in their District, if something is wrong with one member of your family, there is something wrong with everyone in the family. Her mom is a stay at home mom and her dad owns a butcher shop." I said to them, describing the small girl.
"Easy access to knives." Gale thought out loud with disgust audible in his voice.
"But I get why she's training, she has an attitude because of how people treat her with disrespect. I was one of the few people who didn't treat her like the others. So I guess she thought she could trust me a little." I said defending her.
"Who else is there?"
"Well there's Crone, Damon, and Havo but I'm not as good of friends with them." I said remembering the night I saw Crone kissing some other girl in the hallway.
"Wait you said that Clove is Enobaria's Trainee, so who is your Trainer?" Peeta asked, I looked at everybody around me carefully, wondering how I'm going to say to them that I train under Brutus, another past Victor.
"Well who is it?" Madge asked, wanting the information.
"Brutus." I said, bare above a whisper.
"Brutus!" Gale and Peeta shouted together, Gale sounded upset while Peeta just sounded surprised.
"Yeah."
"But why him? Out of all Trainers there why him?" Gale questioned.
"It's not like I had a choice!" I defended. "A Trainer meets with me and if he or she doesn't want me then the other Trainers get to decide if they want to train me. Out of all the kids that Brutus met with he picked me and only me. And he hasn't taken on another student since-" but I cut off, I didn't really want to talk about Cato with them, considering I don't know where he and I stand.
"Since?" Peeta probed.
"Since this guy named Cato, he is the top Trainee in his year, I'm second after him apparently."
"What do you mean?" Madge asked with concern.
"If a Tribute from Two wins the Hunger Games this year Brutus and Enobaria get to take their two top students on the Victory Tour with them as part of their training. Brutus wants to take Cato and I. And I had no choice whether I wanted to go or not."
"Do you even talk to him?" Peeta asked.
"Not if I can help it. He doesn't know anything about me, Trainees have the choice to train in private with their teachers or with the rest of their students, I chose private. And when Brutus found out what my name was he changed it to Spitfire, for certain reasons, and now only the Peacekeepers at the Academy, the Trainers, the other scholarship students, and my roommate know my real name and they aren't supposed to tell anybody. Nobody knows anything about me."
"Not even your roommate?" Gale asked with a raised eyebrow.
"She only knows my name, my District, and the I have three friends, one sister, a mother and no dad. And she promises not to tell anybody." I said and they seemed satisfied with my answer.
"Well I better get back to the bakery. See you later Katniss." Peeta said standing up and walking out the door casting one last smile at me that I returned.
"Yeah and I gotta get back home to mom. Bye Catnip." Gale said before following Peeta out the door. Taking their place walking through the door into the house was a man with a bleeding arm, mom instantly called Prim to her side which left Madge and I in the room alone.
"Come on, let's go to your room." she said taking my arm and leading me up the creaky stairs and entered my room, we both sat on the bed that Prim and I share to sleep on at night and she held my hand.
"So tell me about Cato." she ordered and I stared at her perplexed. "Oh come on Katniss, you didn't want to talk about him which means there's something you don't want to talk about, and I am making you talk about it. So spill." she ordered.
"Fine, he's my age, at least a foot taller than me, blonde hair, blue eyes, has an older brother who is married with a child of their own. His mom is nice and I have no idea about his dad." I explained, letting it all out.
"You've met them?"
"His brother and sister-in-law and niece yeah, but it was by accident. I bumped into them with I was exploring the town square of Two once after training. They're nice, I have no idea how Cato is related to them." I said.
"What do you mean? Is Cato that bad?"
"Yes, he tries all the time in any way he can to figure something out about me. We argue most of the time when we talk. Citch, his brother, is older than him but really nice and his wife, Selima is just as pleasant. And their daughter Sessa is adorable and I think around one. His mom, I think her name in Claret, she's a determined woman, and I haven't met his dad." I explained to her.
"Most of the time?" she asked with a sly smile. But I was confused.
"What?"
"You said that you two argue most of the time. What happened in the times that you didn't?"
"First time was at a Feast they have at the end of every month, it's a chance to see the Trainees mingle together to see who would be a good alliance in the games. The first one I went to, he asked me to dance after some guy asked me that I rejected because he was a prick. We danced and that was basically it."
"And?"
"And what?" I said answering her question with a question.
"There's more and you aren't telling me."
"Okay, so one time after training hours he wanted to meet with me and talk to me. One thing lead to another and he kissed me." I said and she gasped, she knew that it was my first. "But I ended up rejecting him because he is the biggest flirt in the Academy." I said defending myself but she gave me a disbelieving look.
"What if he likes you though?"
"You're starting to sound like my roommate." I said making a face at her.
"Well his family is nice to you, so they must like you even though they don't know you very well."
"They did say that he talks about me at home." I pointed out.
"See he could like you!" she shouted encouragingly. "What if he really does? Then you two could go out and get married or something. I wish I knew what this guy looks like." she day dreamed.
"You know I don't want to get married." I reminded her but she rolled her eyes.
"But you two sound so alike! And if he is anything like you then he does have a caring side to him."
"Don't even say that we are alike. He train because he wants to go in the Games and he wants to win. I'm only doing this to protect Prim." I said to her with a glare and sh backed off a little but. "And if District Two actually wins this time then you might see him. He'll be the big muscular blonde."
"Will we be able to see you?" she asked hopefully, making me shake m head. "Why not?"
"Because if I come back people will recognize me and you know Prim will come to me and call me by name. To protect me and my identity, Brutus, Enobaria, and I came up with a plan that I'll fake getting sick while I'm on the tour, for at least part of the second half. So if I'm sick I can go on the Victory Tour but I can't go out in public so I don't get others sick as well. Only Brutus, Enobaria, and I will know tat I'm not really sick." I explained and she nodded.
"But won't they realize that you might be from this District if its the only one that you're sick for?" she asked and I shook my head.
"We thought about that. I'm going to be sick from District Nine through Twelve."
"Ah smart." sh complimented.
"Well if two Victors from District 2 came up with it then it has to be." I said glumly.
"So what's the training there like?" she asked after a couple moments of silence.
"What I expect training at the Capitol for the Games to be like. They have different stations fill with different weapons, weights to lifts, climbing, a track to run on, a pool to learn how to swim in, I even got to shoot some arrows."
"What did Brutus say when he saw how good you were with a bow?" she asked with worry in her voice.
"He was surprised but then he asked how I was so good."
"What did you say?"
"I told him the truth, that I hunted back home, he was impressed that I would break the law like that but he didn't tell anybody. Oh god, I have to go hunt!" I said jumping up and getting ready to hunt.
"But you just got home!" Madge protested.
"But I have to get some more food. I've been gone for so long I feel like I need to make up for lost time. I'll hang out with all of you after okay?" I offered and she nodded before making her way out of the house. I changed into my hunting clothes including my boots and dad's old hunting jacket. I grabbed my game bag and walked out of the house, calling to mom and Prim to let them know where I was going.
I walked quietly and calmly to the edge of the town to the fence. When I got there I listened quietly for the hum to see if it was live or not, like usual, it wasn't. I climbed through the opening in the fence and jogged to the forest, finding the hollow tree with my bow and arrows. I don't know how long I hunted, probably a couple of hours, but when I as done I had three rabbits and five squirrels in my bag. It's not my best catch but it will last for a few days. I made my way back to the fence and climbed back through the opening. On was on my way to the bakery to trade a squirrel with Mr. Mellark when I was grabbed on the shoulder by a man, not just any man, a Peacekeeper. He's one I haven't met before, shit he must be the new one.
"Well well well, what do we have here?" he sneered at me and I gulped.
"Oh nothing, just a bag of old clothes." I said trying to pass off the lie, but he didn't seem to buy it.
"Well let's just see." I said and I groaned as he took the bag, opening it, and finding all of the game that I had collected. He glared at me, grabbing my shoulder roughly, and dragging me away. "You're coming with me." he said angrily. This was bad. Very bad.
~Madge~
I was sitting in the living room with my mother having tea, my father was home up in his office doing work when there was a pounding on the door. My father came down and opened it to reveal the new Peacekeeper holding a bag full of something and a terrified Katniss, oh know she got caught.
"What is going on?" my dad asked concerned.
"This little rat was just caught hunting illegally, you know the punishment." he said and my father nodded.
"Of course." dad said reluctantly and I gaped at him. Without a further word the Peacekeeper took Katniss away and dad shut the door leaning against it.
"Dad you can't let him do that! Please!" I begged.
"My hands are tied Madge, I can't do anything or play favorites. I'm so sorry." he said before going to change into his mayor suit. With tears streaming down my face I ran from the house to find Gale, Peeta, Mrs. Everdeen, and Prim. Closest to me was the Bakery so I barged through the door to find Peeta putting loaves of bread in a large oven.
"Madge what's wrong?" he asked concerned.
"Katniss! She got caught hunting by the new Peacekeeper! He's going to hurt her and dad can't do anything!" I shouted and he dropped everything to come with me to get Gale. We ran to his small house and found him outside with Rory.
"Gale you have to come Katniss is in trouble!" Peeta shouted and Gale stood up to face us.
"What happened?"
"She got caught by the Peacekeeper when she came back from hunting!" we shouted and ran to the Everdeen's house. Prim and her mother in the kitchen trying to make dinner.
"Mrs. Everdeen, Prim, you have to come Katniss was caught by the new Peacekeeper and he's going to hurt her!" I yelled and they ran with us out of the house and to the Town Square where the Peacekeeper already up on stage with Katniss tied up.
She was wearing a garment that covers the front of her so she isn't exposed, but her bare back is still open. Her hands were tied to posts so she couldn't squirm or move away, and he was positioned on her knees with a piece of wood that held her feet to the ground. She looked terrified and worried. I've never seen her like that. We pushed our way through the throngs of people to the front to get to her. But she refused to look at us, she always hated it when she had to look weak. The man behind her that caught her was pacing back and forth holding a whip in his hands. Everybody around us was worried, they knew that it was bad for her to get caught, plus she helped feed those in the District. There was footsteps ringing around us and I looked up to see my dad walking up on stage with a sad look on his face. He walked up to the podium and read the rules for being caught hunting illegally.
"By order of the Capitol, any person who goes outside the District boundary gets," he said choking on his words, I could tell that he was trying to hold back tears, he loved Katniss and her willpower. "Ten lashes." he finished and Prim let out a cry. "And any person who hunts outside the boundaries illegally gets another ten lashes." he said folding the paper back up and turning to the Peacekeeper. "You may begin." The Peacekeeper gave him a malicious grin before starting the horrible punishment, he cracked his whip once before taking his position behind Katniss.
Crack
She refused to make any noise while he whipped her, at first she just bit her lip and closed her eyes tight shut, trying to imagine herself in a better place. But when it got to the fifth crack, a shriek of pain emitted from her mouth, giving the crude and evil Peacekeeper the satisfaction of causing pain. I could feel Gale and Peeta tense up next to me, Prim cried into her mother while she shouted for the Peacekeeper to stop, along with the other citizens of District Twelve that have come to love Katniss as much as we do over the years. By the time that whip cracked against her back the seventeenth time, there were tears streaming down her cheeks like a roaring river. An when he was done, she was sitting there, her limp form passed out from the pain. Peeta and Gale climbed up on the stage and got her out of the hold before following Mrs. Everdeen's instructions to carry her back to the house as quick as they can. I ran after them with Prim by my side and they immediately laid her fragile body on the table and Mrs. Everdeen went to work straight away on cleaning the wounds with Prim there to help.
I had to leave the room, the blood falling from her back was making me nauseous and I couldn't contain my sobs. Prim ended up having to send Gale and Peeta out of the house because they were being disruptive to their work. So we sat their outside, waiting for them to finish, while I cried, Gale paced back and forth, and Peeta sat next to me with his face red with anger and hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white. Eventually Mrs. Everdeen walked out of the house with teary eyes.
"I cleaned her wounds and stitched them up as best as I can. She'll have some scars but I did the best that I could with the herbs I have to make her heal faster." she said choking back a sob.
"Is she awake?" Peeta asked hopefully.
"She hasn't woken up yet, but she should in the next few hours." she said and we nodded, following her back inside the house and to Katniss's side, all of us surrounding the table. Prim sat there holding her sisters hand, her face tear stained, eyes puffy and red, and her breathing was irregular from sobbing. I stood next to her with my hand around her shoulders, holding her close to me.
"When is she going to wake up?" she asked looking up at me but I shook my head.
"I don't know." I replied helplessly.
"I just hope it's soon." Peeta said, letting his feelings for the girl on the table show a little. And just like him, I hope she wakes up soon.