This chapter will be long because I want to move into the real theme ASAP. Possibly you're yawning with the details but I want it to be tasted like the original novel.
Your REVIEWS will be the best reward for my endless effort for last 7 sleepless nights. So please speak up, let me know what you think. I've barely 8 reviews (It's great, yet I expect a little more because I've a high expectation on it.) I'm on my knees guys, please COMMENT and help me overcoming the limitations.
I wish I could write like Collin. Sadly I can't. (Sighs!)
District 4 is a large district surrounded by sea. As soon as the hovercraft reaches the border the salty sea air welcomes us.
"That's my home." Finnick takes a deep breath, sea green eyes closed. His one hand still wraps around mine, the gentle pressure on my wrist is telling how much pain he is holding back inside. But I don't like a sad Finnick, I really don't. All the times in the undergrounds of 13, he is my only friend along with Haymitch.
"It's good to be home." I try to smile.
"May be." He nods. The sad tone in his voice makes something stirring inside me. Home?
None of us have home any more.
No home, no love.
My eyes move towards Gale, motionless in his couch. Does he think like me too?
I can't read his mind.
The hovercraft makes a quick, spiral descent onto a wide beach on the outskirts of 4. Almost immediately, the door opens, the stairs slide into place, and we're left into the destination. The camera crews- Cressida a Capitol woman with shaved head and green tattoo, followed by her brother Pollux (who never talks, but the way he swallows I immediately know that he is an avox.), her assistant Messalla, the pierced man all over the places carrying all the equipments. The others of the team follow us- Finnick, Gale and Boggs.
The second hovercraft comes with people in white aprons, the medics with all the medical supplies. While I keep wondering what they are for, a tiny blond figure with twin braids catches my eyes, among the rows of six medics- Prim!
My head gives a slight spin, what on earth Prim is doing here in the middle of the war? My eyes meet Finnick in a questioning gaze but he signs to stay calm.
Boggs leads the medics towards the a fallen brown house marked with a battered signboard "Hospital", while Finnick leads the rest of us down to another abandoned pub. I eye Prim again, who instantly catches my gaze and gives a cheerful smile. She looks more mature, like a doctor in white apron, even among all the grownups, spectacled, grey haired men; she easily catches your eye. I see the genuine pleasure in her blue orbs being a true medic after all.
'Be careful!" I mouth at her.
"Don't worry." She smiles back, waving for once; she disappears behind the battered door.
"Do you think it is a good idea?" Gale eyes at me, not I'm wrong, his grey are locked upon Katniss's little sister.
"What?" I say, carefully not meeting his grey eyes.
"Don't you think there is something behind this, sending this little girl in the middle of the war? She is only a beginner." He takes a deep breath "What can she do here?"
My head shot up with his comment. Unwillingly, I can't but stop looking into his eyes. "She won't be here if you never come with us." He whispers "I wouldn't forgive you if something happens to her."
His eyes locks into mine, trying to burn me with his fire. I couldn't really blame him for that.
It is a sign, a warning.
And both of us understand it well.
"I would never let anything happen to her." I say without missing the tone.
"Boys!" soon another deep voice startles both of us and we decide to drop this blaming game. It is Finnick who hurries over us from the abandoned pub accompanied by a grey haired, middle aged man with thick mustache and square face in sea blue army jacket. To me he looks more like a fisherman than the leader of the rebellion.
As they approach near us, Finnick introduces the newcomer "Here boys, this is commander Cresta, from district 4."
So he is Annie Cresta's father, Finnick's would be father-in-law!
Commander Cresta throws us both an unsatisfied glare, while his blue eyes continue train upon us, especially me. I feel Gale tense beside me, and Commander Cresta's eyes continue piercing my soul. I try to ignore his gaze, full of hate which almost makes me to feel like naked in the public. I know what he wants to say, his daughter is taken by Capitol for me. So all he has reserved for me is hatred and nothing else.
"We've come to talk with you sire about…." I finally decide to begin but Commander Cresta's hand rises, stopping me.
"I've my word with Coin.' He says, quiet and clam.
"But Mr. Cresta, Miss Everdreen never…." Finnick tries to interrupt with his usual charm "And Annie is…"
But Mr. Cresta's powerful gaze even silences the ever distracting Finnick. He turns at us and says "Look boys, we've waited for the Mocking jay for long enough. When she is not with us then we're not with district 13 anymore."
"She is tricked." At last I speak up "She is tricked by Capitol. I know sir, she isn't doing it willingly."
"Sir, I grow up with her since she was eleven." It's the time when Gale joins me. "She can do everything to save her family."
I was surprised at first but the next time I decide to join him too. There is no question of jealousy when it involves the woman we both love "Yes, she had risked her life to save mine. I tell you trust her."
Mr. Cresta's eyes are instantly locked upon both of us, still not satisfied. "I know you both, one is her lover, another one her cousin." He gaze never softens as he motions to Finnick. "Show them the way."
I feel Gale's unhappy moves and Finnick's whispering in my ears "I want both of you work together."Now he sounds like Haymitch. I eye at Gale, still with creases on his forehead, not much sure about the crazy things happening here. I wish he keeps himself in senses.
"But if you can convince our rebels to trust in you, I'm all yours." Mr. Cresta waves us towards the door. "Come in lover boy. And bring your friend."
I glance back at the freak show that is my crew, steel myself, and follow him into the abandoned pub. Some sort of heavy, old fashioned wooden door hangs the length of the building, forming a sizable corridor. The rebels- some sitting, some lying, some drunken are scattered here and there. All of them throw us a "hate to see you" type look as we pass. When we reach the end of the corridor, we see a small passage connecting the rebel house with the hospital.
'Why should I live for?" We hear an indigent cry from the other side of the curtain "Why should we join them when they betray us?" Curiously we all peep through the curtain to find a woman with bleeding leg, half chopped from the thigh, tears running through her pale cheeks and Prim is struggling hard dressing the wound.
"No!" I hear Gale's pained voice, eyes training the whole situation, the almost crying Prim and the yelling woman "I know you, sister of the traitor! Go away from me."
"She is not!" Prim tries to say but the woman hardly listens to her. If she isn't a handicap then sure she would push Prim out of her sight.
My fingers wraps around Gale's "Please, we need to work together."
'We shall." He answers quietly.
"That's the situation." I hear Mr. Cresta speaking with Finnick with a disappointment in his voice. I can feel the reason. Katniss was their inspiration and when she is gone, the spirit is gone too. I step through the curtain and my senses are assaulted. My first impulse is to cover my nose to block out
the stench of soiled linen, putrefying flesh, and vomit, all ripening in the heat of the abandoned building. The medics hurrying all over the wounded but each and everyone is denying any help from 13.
"No help from a traitor." At last the shouting woman pushes back Prim, who cringes, blue eyes searching for help- not for her but the dying image of her dear sister. The joy of helping sick is gone, replaced by a worried look. Glancing at the doorway she is the first one noticing me.
"Peeta!" she rushes near me, wraps her arms around my middle, tears socking my grey district 13 uniform. "Hush! Prim!" I try to say but ended up with patting her trembling back. Things are worse than I've ever imagined. Mending a broken image isn't easy always.
Can I do this? My palm begins to sweat. I'm not of a nervous kind, still the whole rebellion standing just upon our ability to convince them.
"She doesn't trust Katniss!" Prim raises her crying face from my shirt "No one does!"
"It will be alright, Prim!" I gently wipe the tear from her face, take her hand, and walk down to the narrow strip of the rows of the beds, stop near the woman yelling earlier with Prim. Her emotionless eyes gazing through the skylight above turn instantly at us.
"You're Peeta!" her face twists into a mocking grin "The lover boy from District 12! But I've no business with you, boy!"
Prim glances at me, nods. She is clearly disappointed.
"But you have to listen to us!" Gale is impatient "Even if you don't even want."
Grief! Disappointment! Hatred! All the emotions I can read when she looks at us. "But why should I?" Her face twists with pain as she tries to rise from her bed. Prim rushes to help but she denies. "My daughter dies in the hunger games. She was only 12 then." Tear courses through her cheeks "My husband died in the bombing in last month. I join the rebels with a hope to take the revenge. She was our hope. But she betrays us." She coughs with the last words. I offer my hand to support, but she denies again. "She betrays us all, our hope, and our dream." She continues, gasping for air.
Prim runs to soothe her.
"Let's go from here." Gale hesitates "We better talk with Mr. Cresta. May be we can show him our plan for the rebellion and convince him that rebellion will go on no matter what happens. We'll ask for rescuing Annie. We can rescue Katniss too."
"Sounds good!" I'm almost half agreed with Gale. His plan sounds better than convincing the mass. If we can get Katniss back then we can show them…..
Watching the suffering woman and her injured leg, I can partly picture myself in the cave during the first games, almost dying from blood poisoning and Katniss nursing me to life, planning to risk her life to get the medicine from the feast. She tells me a story.
Yes, all this woman needs a story, full of hope.
"Mam!" I cough. The woman instantly looks at me, annoyed. "I've some words with you." The woman nods, tired. Gale raises one eyebrow as I settle myself at the edge of her soiled bed. I ignore him and lock my peering gaze into her green eyes.
"When I was in the first games, I was injured, almost dying from blood poisoning. I was losing my hope. I knew I was dying for sure. I remember my family, their sad faces crying over my dead body…."
My story continues. Rebels moving from their beds, the corridor gather around us. Those who are bedridden try to peep through the gathering crowd. I know I'm always a good story teller, like my painting I can give life to words. This time I pour all my emotions in every words, every tones, picture my Katniss, the brave girl who lied so that I couldn't stop her from sacrificing herself. How she knocked me out with sleep syrup and got almost killed in the feast.
Tears well up from my eyes when I remember her double deal with Haymitch during the Quarter Quell to save my life, how she cried when my heart stopped from the shock. People watch me with teary eyes. Even Gale wipes a stray tear from the corner of his eyes adding some bits and pieces in the stories- her devotion for her family, her sacrifice for her sister. Prim is sobbing again. Even Boggs stands at a distance, watches me, measuring the depth of my emotions. A new sensation begins to germinate inside me. But it takes until I am standing on a table, uttering my final
words to teary eyed crowd, to define it. Words. Power. I have a kind of power over words I never knew I possessed. Snow knew it, as soon as he met me in the game interview. Plutarch knew when he saw my paintings. And Coin knows now.
No, not only me. I glance at Gale, who is smiling too. Love. It conquers all.
"Do you know who the best friend is?" My voice is heavy when I finish the last word.
"I know her." A little boy with a bandage around head stutters the silence "Katniss! Katniss Everdreen!"
All the heads turn towards him. After a pause I hear her name rippling through the hot air, spreading out into the hospital. "Katniss! Katniss Everdreen!" Despite her controversial interview with Caesar they again show their interest in her again, asking us what might lead her to these words. Gale and I are snatched by the curious people, eager to know the truth. We assure them that we know she was speaking under pressure. I do my best to sound positive about our future, and at last people are truly showing their faith upon her.
I see Prim's smile, Gale's enthusiastic laughter. At last I begin to feel really good.
Deal or no deal with Coin, now I'm sure that Katniss will always remain the Mockingjay.
At last when the crowd let us go, Gale shakes my hand while Boggs leads us towards the main corridor where the rest of the rebels wait for us. "You did great, Peeta." Boggs pats my shoulder.
Cressida has already rolled up her flimsy reflectors, the portable cameras, smiling. "It's a great footage, Peeta! When we air it I'm sure everyone will get their faiths back on Katniss." My heart soars.
Yes I could! I could mend her broken image. Katniss! My Katniss! Had she ever felt that I feel for her? Or everything was a haze?
No! I try to clear my head, trying not to look at Gale. No jealousy! Nothing! I want her to be happy. When she will come back she will choose whomever her heart breaks to give up.
It is almost 5.00 pm after saying goodbye to Cressida and her team heading towards district 13 again. "Your footage will be aired an hour later!" She says waving me goodbye. After that when we reach the common corridor Finnick rushes near us and hugs me tightly. "You did a great job friend!" he says, kissing my cheek. It's sometimes really annoying with Finnick's behavior especially his kiss (besides Katniss's kisses, him! Oh forgive me! I'm not the batting girls from Capitol.) . "Ah Finnick!" I wipe my cheek. But he keeps the huge grin plastered upon his face.
"You mend Annie's image too." He whispers while he leads me to the main hall room. The rebels gather around a big television in the centre, no more burning us with the hated glares. Commander Cresta welcomes us with a warm smile. It's really a positive outcome coaxing a smile from this man after the day's exhaustion. Even Gale looks cheerful after all the time. Prim is busy in the hospital, the patients welcome her well now.
At dinner, all of us seat there watching some boring Capitol programs. Almost an hour later Beetee cuts in, the Capitol channel disappears, instead the Hospital room of District 4 comes alive again, our story is told all over the world. Katniss, the name of the Mockingjay is chanted again in the silver screen as well as in the television room of district 4.
Tear wells up from my eyes as Finnick hugs me again "People should know that happened. And now they do." Mr. Cresta shakes my hand. "Well done boy!" he pats my shoulder. Gale genuinely smiles this time "May I should volunteer your place in the games."
The telephone begins ringing. Cresta runs over and receive the calls. Only a second later he has to hand it over me "Your call, Peeta."
"Yes!" I speak over the telephone, but I hear Plutarach's enthusiastic voice, "Bravo boy! It's dazzling! The other districts also begin believe in you."
"All I did for Katniss!" I say.
'Yes, the star crossed lovers!" Plutarach replies "People eat the sentiment. Even you bring me tears."
"Stop that!" I slam the receiver down. But that was only the beginning. Calls from other districts begin coming begging to talk with me. So I talk with almost hundred people, mostly (excluding Haymitch. "You should be Caser!" That sober man mocks.) unknown asking for the truth. Most of them are doubtful about my statement, demanding how I manage so many people to act for the propos.
I continue the tiresome job of convincing while Finnick and rest of the audiences yawns, leave the room one by one. But it is very clear that our effort wasn't as successful as I thought. Finnick continues sweeping through the channels before deciding to turn the television off. When I become free to join him the room is almost empty except two of us.
"I think I've to visit every district now." I sink into sofa beside him "People hardly believe the propos."
"Hmm.. People. They will never stop distrusting." He says. I yawn, still disappointed.
Then what I must do to make them believe? I'm sure no one will believe her until we can bring her back. All are not the simple minded district 4 people, they are complicated. And we still have a hard job to do.
"I'm tired." I say at last.
"Then go to sleep." Finnick reaches for the remote control to turn the television off. "Wait!" suddenly I cry. The Capitol is introducing a special segment and something about it looks familiar.
Yes, it's Caesar Flickerman. And I can guess who his guest will be.
Katniss appears again in the television once again accompanied by Annie. But her physical transformation shocks me. In a single day she has turned into a living skeleton, even the Capitol groomers couldn't give her enough flesh over the bone. Her hands are trembling in a nervous tremor, Annie holds her to keep her steady.
My mind reels. No what they have done to her? I feel my own body trembling if not Finnick holds me tight.
Caesar and Katniss have a few empty exchanges before Caesar asks her about rumors that I'm taping propos for the districts.
"What do you think about this Katniss?" Caser asks "He still refers you as Mockingjay."
She remains silent. Her vacant grey eyes are staring into nothingness.
'Katniss!" Caser asks again.
Again she remains silent. Finnick rises the volume that we can hear clearly.
'Say it, Katniss!" Annie whispers 'Say it." Her words make her stir.
"There is," says Katniss. She looks directly into the camera, right into my eyes. "Peeta…." Her voice is husky "Prim… she inhales sharply, as if fighting for air; her eyes look insane.."And rebels of four you'll be dead by thirty minutes."
"No!" It is Gale who gasps, still in pajamas.
Off camera, Snow orders "End it!" I glance at the clock, 2.00 am. Everyone is sleeping- the guards, the rebels, Prim…
Tick tock. One minute… Katniss's attempt to continue speaking.
Two minutes…
"We must get everyone behind the underground banker." Finnick orders to Gale.
The camera knocked down to record the white tiled floor. Annie jumps to cover Katniss but the peacekeepers knock her off.
Tick tock. Five minutes…. Finnick freezes for a second.
"How far it is?" Gale asks.
"Almost two miles away."
"We' must get everyone soon." Finnick sprints towards the other rooms. Me and Gale head towards the hospital.
The program continues running on high volume.
The scuffle of boots. The impact of the blow that's inseparable from Katniss's cry of pain.
We hear the faint shuffles of hovercrafts at a distance.
Tick tock. Ten minutes…they are coming.
Another painful cry.
And blood as it Katniss's splatters the tiles.
If you review, Peeta will meet Katniss in person in the next chapter.