Chapter 1:
"Rhys? Are you okay? Wake up!"
I groan as I sit up slowly, stretching my muscles as I go. I search the room for my sister, who proves to be a better alarm clock than technology when I am having one of my nightmares. Shes sat cross legged on the floor near my head.
"Did you have another bad dream?" I nod, already regretting worrying her with my moaning sounds that I've been told I make when having a nightmare.
Rosie doesn't remember the fire like I do. She was only 1 year old when it happened, and I was 7. she isn't tormented by nightmares that a person weak and shaking, drenched in sweat.
"you had to wake me up now?" I say, glancing at the clock, "i couldn't of had 5 more minutes at least?" joking always seems to work on Rosie in the morning, and in turns wake me up even more as her giggles sound through the room.
My sister still retains the cuteness of a sleeping child, even while awake. She has wispy golden hair that falls down way past her waist, ending in little dips of chocolate brown, something I've never seen on anyone but her. Her eyes are probably the strangest, but most adorable eyes I've ever seen, both literally being two colours at once like mine, having blue on the outside of the iris, but going more green the closer to the pupil it gets. She is very short, even for a twelve year old, only coming up to my hips, only just being able to touch my elbows with her arms fully stretching up. She couldn't tip a scale at 40 kilos.
"No, you told me to wake you up at 4 o'clock, that's what you said, it was!" Rosie looks like she might cry, so my joking mood instantly falters. "I'm sorry Rosie, you're right, I have a very busy day today, thank you for waking me up kiddo" Rosie gives me a bright smile and starts to trace my duvet pattern with her fingers.
"Now, you know the rules when I'm not here don't you?" My little sister would never forget them but I always feel the need to make sure, over-protective brother instincts I guess.
As I get out of the shower I check the mirror with a sideways glance. My hair, while plastered on my head and over my face, is vivid blonde, much brighter than my sisters, but only long enough to reach my eyebrows. My eyes also have two colours, starting red then getting more and more orange the closer to the pupil it gets. Unlike my sister, I'm extremely tall for my age, roughly 6' 8 at only 18 years of age, not to mention I'm built like an ox, heavily muscled and broad-shouldered. My skin looking golden in its dripping wet state.
This day is going to be great, with one exception. I'm breaking up with my girlfriend today. even though she was always there to comfort me when I needed it, and I always reciprocated, I've never felt a throbbing in my heart when we're part, or a catch in my throat when we kiss. We never had sex either, even though she wanted it, still does I guess. But it's not fair to her that I keep pretending I'm in love with her, because Delly Cartwright was never girlfriend material, at least not for me.
But before any of that, I have a list of things to do in my head, and the first one on my list as always, is go hunting.
I dry myself off and get changed into my hunting attire before leaving mine and Rosie's house. After the fire that destroyed my parents and our house in town, we were put in the community home, but when I turned 18, which was almost 3 months ago now, I got myself a house on the borders of the seam and the town as I refuse to conform to any kind of segregation, and petitioned for custody of Rosie, which was too easy really, considering I had effectively been her father from the day of the fire. That was the way things worked in the community home, 'look after your own', so I did, and I still am.
After I get to the meadow and stop to just look at the scenery for a while. The way the mountains in the distance were covered in thin mist and the woods had a sheen to them from the early morning sun rise. I always thought that even though w were the poorest district we were also the richest, we had the most vibrant, beautiful views of nature I had ever seen.
When I get out into the woods I finally let myself breathe. The woods make everything better for me, they're the only place I can show everything I am to the world. I am a hunter. A ruthless killer with no thoughts of the pain of animals.
And I'm not the only one either.
As I go to retrieve my weapons from the inside of a hollow tree I found 4 years ago, a voice creeps into my ears.
"You know, stealing is punishable by death, Rhys."
I turn around instantly my mouth stretches into a smirk. "Maybe, but they are my weapons, Gale." I walk and embrace him with a brotherly hug, because that's basically what we are. Brothers.
"Whatever, doesn't mean I'm wrong. Lets just go hunt, I need to talk to you after as well." I nod, and we set off at an utterly silent jog, with me killing almost every animal without even stopping with my knives, bow and axes for the larger animals, and Gale picking off the rest with his bow.
Within two hours, it's clear that Gales distracted and we wont get much more done, so as we have more than enough than to be getting on with, we sit and skin our kills while I wait for Gale to start talking.
"I want to know why Katniss is still depressed over Peeta, I mean, it was months ago! Surely she isn't still angry with herself for what she did, so what is it!?" It takes all of my restraint not to punch Gale in the jaw, I know he isn't as clever as Katniss or myself, but even Rosie figured it out for gods sake! Not to mention Peeta was my cousin, and he talks about it like Katniss shouldn't regret killing one of her best friends relatives.
Still, I force myself to calm down as I know he really hasn't done all the working as he continues to talk, now sounding close to tears. "I-I don't know what to do Rhys... She's so out of it so often, and there's nothing anyone can do about it but hope when she seems normal, it stays that way"
I decide to tell him what he's obviously to love-struck and sad to figure out "She loved him Gale, it took him... dying to realize it. And she might never get over it but-"
"Get over what?" Katniss's voice rings out from behind me, emanating anger as it always does when she hears us talking about her. Gale obviously was obviously too distracted to be aware of her presence, like I was.
I slap an easy smile on my face and say "Well that depends on how much you heard Miss Everdeen." I wink in her direction, as I always do, but I know that hasn't worked since she became victor of the 74th hunger games, since she killed the district 2 boy, josh, and thresh from district 11 single-handed whilst overcome with rage. Rage that grew from anger when she arrived back from the feast to find my cousin Peeta's dead body, the body of the boy she had loved since I introduced the two when we were 13. Peeta was going to propose to her on the night of the reaping as well, with a ring I now have to regard as my own. A silver band with the golden words Simul in vita, Simul in morte which is in an old language from before the dark days called Latin. Where he learned Latin I don't know, but he knew it meant Together in life, Together in death. It was in his will that should he die before it is given to her, that it would be passed down to me until I find a woman to give it to. As such, the ring stays on my finger at all times and Katniss does not know what the ring was for, lest it increase her grief.
"That's all I heard 'she might never get over it', what were you talking about Rhys?" It kills me that her voice has stayed monotone all the time she's been here.
"we were just talking about how you might never get over the fact that I'm still better with a bow than you or Gale" I laugh, partly fake and partly because it always amazes me how quick of a thinker I am.
"Whatever, I haven't even shot a bow since..." she looks away but her voice stays steady when she finally finds her voice again "... Since the Games."
I look at her, desperate for something to say to take the pain away, but Gales big mouth take the first try.
"Hey, remember that time me, you, Rhys and Pee-" Gale suddenly stops, realizing what he's said, but before he can get another word in, tears are leaking out of Katniss's Grey eyes and shes walking briskly away, hands over her ears, warding off Gales idiotic words. He really needs to think before he speaks sometimes.
I don't even look at Gale before I am jogging after Katniss, quickly catching up, I see she's shaking heavily and trying to choke back tears, I put an arm around her shoulders and lead her towards her house in the Victor's village. She doesn't try to shrug me away when we finally get inside her house, instead finally lets out a loud sob and crumples next to me.
Without thinking, I scoop her up, marveling how little she weighs before putting her on the couch, pulling up a chair and stroking her hair while she continues to sob. The silence in the rest of the house is message enough to know her mother and Primrose aren't here.
This girl, this beautiful, terrific, clever girl broken by the Hunger Games like nearly every victor, well maybe not those from the career districts, but the rest of the victors were left like this, but Katniss's suffering outweighs them all. I can only hope the Games don't take another of my friends into hteir jaws, or I might just lose it myself. My cousin Peeta, my best friend Katniss and my friend Aaron, a tribute nine years ago have all fallen prey to the Games.
It takes nearly an hour until Katniss finally stops sobbing, and through the whole time I have not moved from my position on the chair, nor have I stopped stroking her hair either. She looks at me for a few seconds before launching into my arms, not quite crying but trembling with sadness. I just hold her and whisper soothing words in her ears while she keeps her death grip on me.
When she lets go, she appears slightly better, so I decide to go with the most obvious question.
"Are you okay?" Its all I can manage.
When she speaks, it's shaky but strong, "I think I'm better now, thanks for being my sponge" she says while indicating my tear covered jacket she cried into while I took her home.
I laugh lightly, " I think that's okay Kat, your eyes needed it more than my body did, but could you wash it for me anyway?" it was meant to sound playful but Katniss just nods looking guilty and I instantly regret my words.
I decide to change the subject to one I know she will be happy about, "So guess what I'm doing later?" she raises her eyebrows, "I'm breaking things off with Delly." She tries not to look to happy but fails to keep the smile that forces its way onto her face. Her and Delly haven't been friends, well, ever really. Delly tied to make Katniss like her when we started dating 3 years ago but failed miserably in a tale I tell Rosie if she's feeling sad, it always makes her laugh.
"Aw, that's terrible Rhys, why?" She still can't keep the smile off of her face and I know why. Katniss and I are like the annoying sibling to each other, always teasing about boyfriends and girlfriends and play fighting when the mood strikes us. But at the same time we would do anything for each other, and we had done a hell of a lot over the 6 years we have known each other, when she met me and Gale while hunting. We were a weird bunch, the 12 year old hunter with her friends, the 14 year old trapper that was Gale, and the nearly 14 year old who was good at just about everything to do with killing and survival that was me. We grew extremely close over the years and trusted each other completely by the time I turned 15.
"I'm not going to stay in a relationship that's completely one sided" I'm choosing my words carefully so as not to set Katniss off again, luckily she just keeps smiling.
"Thank god, she was so annoying, definitely not true love"" I laugh as katniss makes an irritated expression as though remembering her voice, but her expression quickly falls.
"I had true love once" Her face is set as if she is determined to say this, my face also morphs into a encouraging expression. I want her to go on, she needs to get this out, no matter much I didn't want to hear her talk about my cousin.
"He said he loved me, Rhys... He had been saying it for 2 years and I was always saying it back." her eyes have started to fill with tears, but her face and voice have not changed. I don't move a muscle, afraid she'll run away if I make a sudden movement. She continues, " He promised me he would never leave, and I believed him Rhys, I believed him every time he said it." I'm getting the feeling this is the calm before the storm, and I've never been so sad to be right. "HE LIED! HE LEFT ME AND ALL I HAVE LEFT IS THE WHAT-IFS AND WHAT COULD HAVE BEENS, I FEEL DEAD, RHYS!"
Her tears finally spill over so I take her in my arms again and wait for her eyes to dry out. Again. But I don't leave. I don't want to leave, not when she needs me. But it kills me to know I can't help in any way other than holding her.
It's about 2 hours later I make my way to the bakery, the last place on my minds list before I have to break things off with Delly.
I take a deep breath before into my uncle's bakery. The place seems dead now, Peeta's father and brothers never stopped grieving and by the time they did, the place was too far gone, now they just live here. Nobody visits anymore, not now nearly the whole town has offered their condolences to the family of three. The only visitors are myself and occasionally Gale when he comes to trade squirrels for bread. When our house burnt down we were offered the opportunity to come and live here instead, but I decided not to, I never wanted to burden them. I'm glad I did too ,or we would have to live in this. A place that looks so sad even from the outside that Rosie nearly cries whenever we pass it in the street, and I hate to see my little sister cry, so I haven't been around much.
"Who's there?" a voice calls out from the kitchen, I answer with my name and a man runs out, embracing me in a tight hug.
"Hey uncle Ryan, where are Rye and Wheat?" I ask, extracting myself from my uncles grasp.
"Moved out, where the hell have you been?" My uncles eyes are wide, he really thought I'd known.
"Where? I'll go see them when I leave." I gave my uncle a small smile but he doesn't return it, he looks so dejected and useless it's painful to see.
"You can't, Wheat's a capitol envoy now, so he's there" Uncle Ryan's eyes harden for a moment "and Rye says he doesn't want to see anyone, including me" he sighs and pulls out a stool to sit on before he turns to me with sad eyes, "you can go now Rhys, it was nice to see you" My uncles then looks away and doesn't move until I;'m out of the bakery and on my way down the street to Delly's house.
I'm confused, why didn't he want to talk to me? I know I wasn't around much after Peeta died but they weren't the only ones grieving, I was helping comfort the Hawthornes, the Everdeens, and my little sister Rosie. I was sorry I didn't get to say that but by the looks of it he didn't want to listen to me.
I find my self at Delly's a few minutes later, still so lost in thought I didn't really register being pulled into her house and dragged to her room. Nor am I really glad that she's here, given I'm about to crush her, even if I don't want to which I don't. But I don't want to keep living a lie either so I say it in the worst possible way. Not intentionally but still.
"Delly, stop, I can't do this any more" Her hands stop half way down my shirt, having been unbuttoning it without my knowledge.
"What are you talking about?" she stares up at me, with her blue eyes and blonde hair glistening on the sunlight.
"This, Delly. Us. I can't do 'this' any more," I say as gesture between us with my hand, "I'm sorry I don't want to hurt you but-" I'm cur off by Delly's hand slapping me full across the face. After the pain is gone I look and see that the ever-cheerful Delly Cartwright is crying, actually crying. I've only ever seen her cry twice before; at her fathers funeral and again at Peeta's. I didn't realize she was so invested in this relationship, and I feel bad for ever thinking she just wanted to get in my pants like I'd assumed when we first got together and she'd r=tried ripping my clothes off multiple times.
"Why?" Her voice is so small, so broken that I nearly cringe. This is the third person i've made cry today, first Katniss with a stupid choice of words, my uncle, with my ignorance, and now Delly, with my honesty. Seriously, I could just not say the right thing today? The only people I never made a mistake with, ever, were my sister. And Peeta...
Peeta would know exactly what to say now, know exactly how to make her understand that while I didn't love her, I cared about her so much and I never wanted to hurt her or anyone else.
But I'm not Peeta. Words are not my speciality. Killing is.
So I leave and don't look back.
When I get home, Rosie bounds downstairs from her room and straight into my arms, and all the stress and worry from the day is instantly melted away as I breathe her in, content with the one thing in my life I never managed to ruin. And I never will either.
A couple of hours later, after I've finished washing and drying up from our dinner of venison and lamb stew, the phone rings. A phone that only two people use, one of which is Katniss, and I really hope it's her today.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Jacobs?"
My blood freezes
"Hello President Snow"