(Peeta's POV.)
Numbness fills my veins, the image replaying over and over again in my mind. Just thinking about it makes me feel sick to my stomach.
"I'm surprised you're stable." Gale says coldly, his dark eyes nearly burning holes into mine.
My jaw clenches, a spark of anger now lit inside my chest. I ignore his remark, my fingers curling into fists as I slowly take a step forward.
Gale holds up a hand in caution. "I wouldn't step any closer if I were you."
My entire body stops cold, my fingers beginning to slightly relax.
I watch as tears stream down Katniss' cheeks, her chest rising and falling quickly. Gale's hand remains tightly intertwined with hers, his eyes not leaving mine.
"Peeta-" she begins to say, her voice immediately cut off.
"It's over, Peeta." Gale whispers, his eyebrows rising in amusement.
"What's over?" I hiss back, the words stumbling out of my mouth in a mumble. I can feel myself growing weaker as time drags on, more and more blood continuing to run down my wounded back.
His arm roughly pulls Katniss closer to him, a wince of pain escaping her lips. I nearly throw myself at him, but my body fights off the urge.
A thick layer of sweat has broken out on the back of my neck, my head throbbing with pain. The small spark of anger in my chest has grown into a blazing fire, the flame gaining strength as he continues to stare me down.
My boot hits the ground loudly as I slightly step forward, Gale's hand immediately clenching into a fist.
"Let her go."I mumble, my eyes beginning to roll around in my head. Everything is weakening inside of me by the second, my body on the verge of passing out any minute now. I will definitely not give him that satisfaction.
Gale's lips curl into a devious smile as he speaks, his eyes narrowing into slits. "We both know that's not going to happen."
He is suddenly thrown off his feet, his back hitting the hard pavement with strong force. Katniss is now on top of him, her shaky fingers curling around the width of his neck.
A chuckle escapes his mouth, a gasp for air following. I immediately rush to her side, pain ripping across my torso at the sudden jolt of movement.
Just as I'm reaching out to grasp his arm to hold down, his fingers claw deep into my chest, my body then thrown to the ground.
I roll over in the dirt as I attempt to regain my breathing, pain blazing across my entire torso.
Katniss slides next to me, a loud screech of pain following. My eyes roll over to face her, the black dots beginning to block off my vision again.
Her shaky hands desperately grab at her ankle as she yells out in pain, the sound nearly drawing me to tears.
Katniss' pain hurts me worse than my own. My body jolts forward as I drag myself across the ground, my blood now leaving behind a track of red liquid.
"Katniss," I manage to whisper, the weakness now overwhelming.
She turns to face me, her eyes bright red from the tears. Just as she's about to speak, Gale's boot stomps right in between us; the action sending dirt right into our faces.
A loud cough forces its way out of my throat, the air now immediately cutting itself off from entering my lungs. My chest explodes in pain as I struggle to breathe, the blood now pooling underneath me.
Gale leans down to his knees, his head now only inches away from mine. His hot breath burns my cheeks as he speaks, every word feeling like a stab to the heart.
"She chose me."
Katniss' cries grow louder as she forces herself to her feet, the movement obviously not clicking in Gale's mind. Her body rams into his side, both of them beginning to roll down the small hill leading to the front of the store.
I stand up with shaky legs, black dots almost completely concealing my vision now. Just as I reach the bottom of the hill, Gale's arms lock tightly around the back of my waist. I'm thrown to the ground once more, the impact sending blood splattering across the entire lower half of his white shirt.
Pain explodes across my jaw as his fist slams into it, the hit nearly sending me out cold. I wince loudly in pain, shrill cries from other people now echoing around us.
My weak arms lightly shove him away, a swift kick to the lower extremities following. A loud gasp for air escapes his lips, his body immediately sinking to the ground in pain. I climb to my feet with wobbly feet, every bone inside of me feeling shattered.
More screams from surrounding people fill the thick air, one in particular nearly sending me over the edge.
"Daddy!" Finnius screams out, tears now spilling down his bright red cheeks.
"Stay back!" I yell in a hoarse voice, my words cutting off at the end. Gale's knuckles bury deep into my stomach, his knee then nailing me in the chest.
I collapse to the ground, my mouth immediately tasting of metal. Blood rolls down my chin as I desperately spit out the liquid clogging up my throat, my chest tightening in pain.
I can see Katniss from the corner of my eye. Finnius and Rose hang over her as she continues to clutch onto her ankle, all three of them crying.
I'm suddenly dragged to my feet, Gale's strong fingers holding me up by the collar of my shirt.
"You've lost! Can't you see that?" He yells into my face, his cheeks burning a bright red. I'm shook violently as he repeats his statement, the movement sending more blood splattering across his shirt.
Tears burn in my eyes as I struggle to speak, my eyes nearly rolling back in my head.
"She'd never choose you."
Just as he begins to bring back his fist, I'm suddenly dropped to the ground, Gale's attention switched over to a different target.
"Leave him alone you monster!" a tiny voice screams, the sound of a fist hitting Gale's stomach following.
A body suddenly hits the ground next to me. The noise it made wasn't that of a grown man being thrown down. It came from a small boy.
Blood pools the ground next to me, the smell overwhelming. That blood belongs to Finnius.