Chapter 3
Gale's POV
I watch stunned as Katniss ties the wire to the arrow, notches it in her bow, draws it back, and fires it at the sky. Suddenly, there is an explosion of lights, the arena starts falling in, and the cameras go black. Silence has descended across the town square, eyes glued to the screen. Moments later, the power is cut, and the only light is that of the moon. Lucky thing that it's a young moon, as we'll likely need it to find our way home.
I turn to Prim, wondering how two sisters can look so different, and tell her to hurry home and stay with her mother. I watch for a moment as she makes her way through the crowd. This gathering of people have come to watch these hometown "kids", and I know how much Katniss means to many of them. That's when I notice the lack of Peacekeepers. I hear the rumble of the engines, and I know that this can't be good. I look around, and while there are a few people dispersing, many are still silently staring at the screen, or quietly discussing what happened. I spy a crate behind the group, and stand on it. I take a deep breath, wet my lips, and let out a loud whistle. The sound seems to startle them, and they all turn to face me.
"Stay calm. I need everyone to stay calm and listen to me. I'm not sure what just happened, but I think something bad is about to happen. I need everyone to calmly and quietly head to the meadow. I will meet you there, and we will continue. We don't have much time, so gather the people, but leave the stuff. Hopefully, I'm wrong, and we can all head back here in the morning."
I watch as people begin to move, and notice that the men from my crew in the mine are heading toward me. In the short time that I've been in the mine, I've distinguished myself as being trustworthy, and was given my own crew, most of whom are gathered around me now. Quickly, I ask them to round up everyone they can, and meet me in the meadow. I remind them that time is of the essence, and that we can wait for no one. The guys split up the parts of town as I go to Katniss' house in Victor's Village.
Prim is waiting for me when I knock on the door, and while there are questions in her eyes, she gathers her mother and they follow me to the meadow. Once there, I instruct people to start tearing down a portion of the fence, and explaining how to get to our rondevous point, the cabin by the lake.
I think back to that fateful day, when she said that we should go, and I fought her. I should have just thrown her over my shoulder and taken off. Alive or dead, at least we would have been together, but this is not the time for reminiscing.
Thom had the foresight to bring candles, and I distribute them to a few people who will be leaders, then we split the group into smaller groups and begin herding them through the open fence. I collect the bows and arrows from the hollowed log, and dash back to the front. The last group is only about 100 yards into the woods when the first hovercrafts drop their bombs. We watch in horror as District 12 bursts into flames, people wailing for loved ones, but we press on. It is slow going, the ground is uneven and heavily covered in vegetation. A large portion of our group made up of Seam families, with their multiple children, women heavy with child, people injured in the mines, and yet we continue.
For 3 days we subsist on what we can hunt with 2 bows, trap with a small series of traps, fish we catch with one net and plants we gather. I'm surprised with how helpful Prim and Mrs. Everdeen are, as they quickly set up a medical station and treat people with plants they recognize. I'm worrying with how we are going to continue feeding everyone when a hovercraft comes into view. The group makes a collective gasp as it lands, but the uniform of the man stepping out is black, not the Capitol white. I make my way to meet with the man. He gives me a friendly wave as I approach, introducing himself as Boggs. It turns out that he is from District 13. He can't fit us all into the hovercraft, but he asks that I arrange the people into groups. While I do this, he arranges for more hovercrafts to evacuate us all.
I still feel slightly dazed when I think about it, of the nearly 900 people who made it to District 13 with little more than the clothes on their backs. Dalton, a guy from 10, tells me that they need us here, that there was a pox epidemic that left many of them sterile. They need new breeding stock, and us Seam folk, we have no problem breeding, especially now that we are fed and clothed and have medical care.
Somehow, when recounting their tales of escape from District 12, my name kept coming up. I've been given a higher rank and a Communicuff as a reward, which brings me to the meeting I am attending now. I usually have no problem paying attention during these meetings, but Peeta joined us today. I never was a fan of the soft Merchant kid, but I didn't really have to interact with him, save for the rare occasion that he opened the back door to the bakery when Katniss and I came to sell squirrels.
Katniss. I've seen the way he looks at her. I don't like it, not one bit. On one occasion, I even needled him a little, just hoping to start a fight, but the boy's so soft that he didn't take my bait. If it weren't for Katniss, there's no way that he would have won the Hunger Games, but there I was, watching as he confessed his love to the woman I plan to marry. I watched as she kissed him, cared for him, and that night in the cave, I punched a hole in the wall. Soon enough, Katniss came home to me, and while we weren't as close, it was my anger that caused the distance. She was there on my screen, holding his hand, sharing kisses, and embraces, and saying yes to his proposal, what was I supposed to do? What I should have done was volunteer to take his place, and joined her in the games, but she would have never forgiven me for leaving her mom and Prim. Maybe I should have believed her when she said that it was all an act, but it was a good act, and I was hurt.
I did put aside my hurt after the Quarter Quell announcement, it was then that he was good for her. You could see from a mile away that he was planning to surrender himself so that she could come back home. And, he got her to train... It's a miracle that anyone could get her to do anything, she's just as stubborn as I am. I also have to admit that it's hard to dislike him. He's smart, and funny, and not at all what I had expected, but he's clearly in love with her...
I watch him out of the corner of my eye, as he gazes off into space. He clenches his teeth when he sees me, but it must make him think of her, because a dopey smile crosses his face, and then a quick blush, followed by a smug look.
Something in those last two looks make me want to pummel him. Anger rises in my chest, and I feel my fist clench, crumpling the paper in my hand, but resources are scarce her, and wastefulness will not be tolerated, so I carefully smooth out the paper, and do my best to focus on President Coin.
I steal a glance at him again, and he looks like he's about to cry, right here in the middle of Command. He stands up, and just walks out, right in the middle of President Coin's update about something or other. I guess I wasn't really paying attention either. President Coin gives a quick update about the uprising in the districts, and releases everyone but Haymitch, Plutarch Heavensbee (the gamemaker from the Quarter Quell), and Fulvia, a film director. I've got to hurry if I'm going to make it to training on time, and District 13 takes punctuality very seriously.