Gale and me ran back to the black market area.
"My eye!" A woman, Ripper told me.
"I'm gonna get you out of here."
Gale
I had a wild turkey on me.
It was dead.
"No!" A woman yelled as a Peacekeeper kicked her on the ground.
I ran over.
He grunted as I tackled him on the ground.
Two Peacekeepers grabbed me.
"In the square." The Peacekeeper ordered.
He pulled the wild turkey off me.
"How did you kill this thing?"
"It wandered beyond the woods. I stabbed it with a stick."
I was cuffed to the whipping post.
I was getting whipped.
Katniss
I wet a rag.
"Here."
I covered Ripper's eye.
I looked back as I heard people shouting indistinctly.
"Yeah. Hold that on there."
She groaned as I applied pressure to it.
I stood up.
I heard Gale grunting in the distance.
I ran off.
He was groaning.
Gale was quiet.
A whip cracked.
I ran up the stairs.
I pushed pass people.
He was getting whipped.
I knew I had to do something.
A wild dead turkey was hanging above Gale's head.
His jacket was cast aside on the ground and his shirt torn away.
Gale slumped unconsciously on his knees, held up only by the cuffs at his wrists.
"Listen to me!"
The Head Peacekeeper paused.
Thorn, one of the miners motioned to a stick and then the wild turkey.
"I gave him that wild turkey to sell to Cray. I caught it wandering beyond the woods and stabbed it with a stick."
"Well, at least your story is similar to your boyfriend's."
"She's... Not... My... Girlfriend."
"He's my Cousin."
The Head Peacekeeper uncuffed Gale.
He fell to the ground.
"Take him to my mother. Have her treat him."
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine."
"Your mother will kill us if we don't return with you."
"And not a word of this to Peeta or Haymitch."
"Do you realize how scary Haymitch is?"
"Yes."
"Do you realize how big, strong, and protective Peeta gets over you?"
"Yes."
"Those two are terrible together."
"Well, it's a good thing he's working at the bakery today."
"Your fiancé is gonna kill you."
"Probably."
"When he figures out what you did."
Two Peacekeepers grabbed me.
"Get him to her."
They walked off with Gale in between them.
I didn't fight against them.
They chained my wrists to the whipping post.
My shirt was torn away.
I had got whipped like 60 times.
This fucker was surprised I hadn't passed out.
Snow
Miss. Everdeen was in attendance at Gale's whipping.
She had a look in her eyes when she saw him.
A wild dead turkey was hanging above Gale's head.
His jacket was cast aside on the ground and his shirt torn away.
Gale slumped unconsciously on his knees, held up only by the cuffs at his wrists.
"Listen to me!"
Thread paused.
A coalminer motioned to a stick and then the wild turkey.
"I gave him that wild turkey to sell to Cray. I caught it wandering beyond the woods and stabbed it with a stick."
"Well, at least your story is similar to your boyfriend's."
"She's... Not... My... Girlfriend."
"He's my Cousin."
Thread uncuffed Gale.
He fell to the ground.
"Take him to my mother. Have her treat him."
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine."
"Your mother will kill us if we don't return with you."
"And not a word of this to Peeta or Haymitch."
"Do you realize how scary Haymitch is?"
"Yes."
"Do you realize how big, strong, and protective Peeta gets over you?"
"Yes."
"Those two together are terrible."
"Well, it's a good thing he's working at the bakery today."
"Your fiancé is gonna kill you."
"Oh, probably."
"When he figures out what you did."
Two Peacekeepers grabbed Miss. Everdeen.
"Get him to her."
They walked off with Gale in between them.
She didn't fight against them.
They chained Miss. Everdeen's wrists to the whipping post.
Her shirt was torn away.
Miss. Everdeen had got whipped 60 times.
Her back was bleeding profusely.
Thread was surprised Miss. Everdeen hadn't passed out.
Katniss
"You think you're so tough?"
"Oh, I know I'm tougher than you."
The Head Peacekeeper flipped me.
I didn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction when he whipped me across the face.
The Head Peacekeeper whipped me about seven more times across the face.
Snow
"You think you're so tough?"
"Oh, I know I'm tougher than you."
Thread flipped Miss. Everdeen.
She didn't give him a reaction when he whipped her across the face.
Thread whipped Miss. Everdeen about seven times across the face.
She still wasn't submitting to him.
I found it kind of funny.
Cinna pushed open the door.
"Cinna, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
"Call your dog off her. Now."
"Well, why don't you tell your girl to tell the truth?"
"No."
"No?"
"No. Because if you knew a thing about loyalty, you'd know she's not gonna do that. And I'm not so sure she's lying."
"Mm."
"Call your dog off."
"No."
"It's bad enough he did that to her back. On the eve of her Wedding. Not to the mention the fact, her dress is backless."
"Re-design it."
"No."
"No?" Really?"
"It's the one detail she wanted to be her own. I'm not re-designing it."
"Then you're taken off District 12. Effective immediately."
"You have no grounds whatsoever. But fine. Good luck having her get dressed by another stylist."
He walked out.
Miss. Everdeen had like 12 whip marks across her face.
She was slumped back against the whipping post.
Thread hit Miss. Everdeen across the face with the whip again.
The hearing device came out of her left ear.
Blood poured down the left side of Miss. Everdeen's face and neck.
Peeta
I had stepped out onto the porch to take a break from baking.
A crowd had gathered in the square.
"What the hell is going on over there?" I questioned my 18 year old brother, Nathan.
"They've brought back public whippings to try to instill fear in other Districts. It's ridiculous."
"Mm."
"So, warn that pretty little girlfriend of yours and that friend of hers to stop hunting."
"Yeah. Yeah."
"Soon-to-be Wife, right?"
"Yeah. We get married tomorrow night."
"Snow wants you to get married in The Capitol?"
"Yup. All of the Districts are coming."
I stood up on a bucket to get a better view.
A dead wild turkey was nailed to the whipping post.
I had saw long black hair.
"Shit!"
"Peeta?"
"Get Haymitch to the square. Now."
"Peeta!" Nathan called as I ran through the crowd.
Most of the people in my way just moved aside.
I saw a Peacekeeper hitting Katniss across the face with a whip.
I guess she mouthed off to the wrong person this time.
Haymitch
There was knocking on my Victor's Village door.
I opened the door.
It was Peeta's older brother, Nathan.
He was rambling.
The only pieces I got were "Peeta. Katniss. Square."
"Move."
I ran to the square.
I shoved pass people who were in my way.
A Peacekeeper was whipping Katniss across the face.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I said, stepping in front of her.
The Peacekeeper had aimed a gun at Katniss since she apparently wasn't giving him a reaction.
"Get out of my way!"
"No. You don't want to shoot her or continue to hit her."
"How about I shoot both of you?"
"Look, Commander, you're new here. Trust me- I'm trying to help you." I told him.
"I'm Haymitch." I introduced myself.
"You recognize her?"
The Peacekeeper looked behind me at her.
"Katniss Everdeen. Darling of The Capitol."
Katniss was breathing heavily as she was passed out.
He lowered the gun.
"She interfered with a Peacekeeper."
"I never said she was smart."
I chuckled.
"Look, you already got multiple lashes in, right?"
"That's not good enough. She's an agitator." The Head Peacekeeper pointed out, aiming the gun at her again.
Peeta stood on the other side of me.
He turned the gun to him.
"Easy, easy." Peeta told the Head Peacekeeper.
I pushed him behind me.
"Look... You're sure Snow wants three dead Victors here?" I questioned.
"Because that's what we're looking at." I told him.
"It's bad enough that you marked up her face and back on the eve of the big Wedding. Let it go. And we will too." I pointed out to the Head Peacekeeper.
He lowered the gun.
"Alright."
The Head Peacekeeper looked down.
He put his gun away.
"Okay."
I smiled.
"But next time, it's the firing squad."
"Excellent idea." I agreed, nodding my head.
"I don't care who she is."
I nodded my head.
"Clear the square!" The Head Peacekeeper ordered.
"You're all under curfew. Anyone out after dark will be shot on sight." He threatened.
The Head Peacekeeper stopped in front of me.
"Get them outta here."
Peeta and me uncuffed Katniss' arms from the whipping post.
The old woman at the clothing stall sold us the board that serves as her countertop.
We lifted her up onto it.
We carried Katniss back to her Victor's Village house.
Snow
Thread was whipping Miss. Everdeen across the face still.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Haymitch said, stepping in front of her.
Thread had aimed a gun at Miss. Everdeen since she wasn't giving him a reaction.
"Get out of my way!"
"No. You don't want to shoot her or continue to hit her."
"How about I shoot both of you?"
"Look, Commander, you're new here. Trust me- I'm trying to help you." He told him.
"I'm Haymitch." Haymitch introduced himself.
"You recognize her?"
Thread looked behind him at her.
"Katniss Everdeen. Darling of The Capitol."
Miss. Everdeen was breathing heavily as she was passed out.
He lowered the gun.
"She interfered with a Peacekeeper."
"I never said she was smart."
Haymitch chuckled.
"Look, you already got multiple lashes in, right?"
"That's not good enough. She's an agitator." Thread pointed out, aiming the gun at her again.
Peeta stood on the other side of him.
He turned the gun to him.
"Easy, easy." Peeta told Thread.
Haymitch pushed him behind him.
"Look... You're sure Snow wants three dead Victors here?" He questioned.
"Because that's what we're looking at." Haymitch told him.
"It's bad enough that you marked up her face and back on the eve of the big Wedding. Let it go. And we will too." He pointed out to Thread.
He lowered the gun.
"Alright."
Thread looked down.
He put his gun away.
"Okay."
Haymitch smiled.
"But next time, it's the firing squad."
"Excellent idea." He agreed, nodding his head.
"I don't care who she is."
Haymitch nodded his head.
"Clear the square!" Thread ordered.
"You're all under curfew. Anyone out after dark will be shot on sight." He threatened.
Thread stopped in front of him.
"Get them outta here."
Peeta and Haymitch uncuffed Miss. Everdeen's arms from the whipping post.
They lifted her up onto a board.
They carried Miss. Everdeen back to her Victor's Village house.