A/N: Something I have been preparing for for a long time is occuring tomorrow. After it is finished, I should be able to work on this book more often. Please enjoy, read and review! Thanks :)
(22)
I hit the tree entrance, smacking it in such a way that I hope it recognizes I want to get in but am in a hurry. Thankfully the tree seems to understand and says, "Voice Identification."
"Look, I know you're just a tree, but I need you to warn everyone underground that the Capitol is here!" I practically scream at it. I probably look like an idiot, yelling at a tree, telling it to warn people.
"Command accepted," it replies.
I nod and start to run around. I find myself go back to Java's house. Bonnie and Twill are still on the couch, unalarmed. I burst in through the doors and yell, "The Capitol is here!"
Bonnie's eyes grow large in panic and Twill drops the cup of tea she was holding. The cup shatters on the ground into tiny little pieces. Before I can stop myself, I yell at Java, "Give me my baby!"
Java rushes over and hands me a squirmy Revelyn. She begins to cry. "Shh… now. It's alright," I say, desperately trying to comfort her. Bonnie and Twill stand up, get off the couch, and run out the door. Java touches her forehead and falls to the ground. I suspect she has fainted. Under normal circumstances, I'd try to help her, but I realize Revelyn's life is at stake right now.
I run out of Java's home and risk a look at the hovercraft. It is just beginning to land. I run straight for the tree entrance and slap it again. "KATNISS!" I scream at it and I fall underground. I lose my footing when I land and twist something painfully in my ankle. For a moment, it feels like I've broken it. Revelyn is crying, but she seems fine. I hear the sirens blaring and a calm, female voice repeats "Capitol Hovercraft" over and over again. I manage to stand and use all my energy to run for the elevator, slapping the button for Level Nine. I dash into the room where we were assembling the weapons. Only Finnick, Haymitch, Peeta and Leanore remain in the room. They form a circle and are whispering fiercely.
"The Capitol is here!" I yell, my black hair swept messily over my eyes. I feel like a lunatic. "Peeta, what do I do?"
"Here, give the baby to Leanore! I'll go get your bow," he runs from the room.
I hand Revelyn to Leanore. "Please, protect her with your life."
"Where should I go?" Leanore asks with a frightened look in her eyes.
"Level Two," Finnick answers quickly.
I'd taken the time to figure out what each level was. Level Two was Maintenance where assorted cleaning products to keep the underground District fresh were kept. It was hardly a safe haven.
"Maintenance?" I ask with a look of disbelief.
"There are locked rooms on the level. They can only be opened with the secret code put in place by the person inside the room. There'd be no way anyone from the Capitol could get in. In fact, no one except the person inside, in this case, Leanore, would be able to open the doors. Trust me," he says, "I know."
"Can you take me there, Finnick?" Leanore asks, a nervous edge to her voice.
"Sure," he says. Finnick and Leanore run to the elevator.
Haymitch touches my shoulder and says, "Katniss, I don't think that was wise. I wouldn't leave your daughter with Leanore."
"Why not?" I ask angrily. The reality of the situation is sinking in. I could lose everything important to me within the next few hours. I don't need Haymitch directing me.
"Because—"
"I can do whatever the hell I want with my daughter!" I scream at him and trudge out the door. Peeta sees me make for the elevator and comes up behind me.
"Katniss!" he calls after me, "Katniss? Where are you going?"
He catches up with me just before the elevator doors close.
"Here are your arrows," he says, handing me a quiver. I swing it around my shoulder. "And here's your bow." Peeta places that beautiful bow in my hand, the bow made by my father. I feel warmth arise from the wood. I feel powerful.
I hear him take a deep breath. I look over at him as he presses the button for Level Twenty Four. My intense stare causes him to turn to look at me and our eyes meet for a few seconds. I realize as the elevator dings and we step off that something could go wrong, that this may be the last time I see Peeta.
"Peeta," I say.
"Katniss, we don't have time," he says without looking at me.
I feel a pang in my stomach. Those five words work deep inside of me and seem to rip out my emotions. I come close to exploding on him. "Peeta!" I scream. "We could die!" I feel like a child, saying these things.
"I know. Let's go." His voice has no emotion. Still avoiding my eyes, he stands on the trampoline and ascends to the surface.
I turn around and watch the magnificent glass elevators go up and down, frantically hurrying to the place they've been summoned to. I expect many people are trying to escape from underground. I am about to follow Peeta when a small girl with black hair comes running out of the elevator.
"Katniss!" The girl screams. At first I think she's Leanore, but then I realize that it is the girl from the square who asked a question.
"Yes?" I answer.
She runs over to me and latches her arms around my middle. "Please don't go! Don't go up!"
"Why not?" I ask.
"There are terrible things happening up there. Don't go! Please… please stay here with me. I'm scared," she whimpers.
"I can't," I say with finality. "I have to go fight, er…" I struggle to remember her name.
"Meliss," she answers.
"I have to go fight, Meliss. There's no choice for me. It's different for you though. You stay down here. Stay where it's safe."
"Katniss!" she calls as I pry her arms off of me. I walk straight up to the trampoline and the next thing I know, I'm on the battleground. My back is to the tree so I turn around and see the Capitol's army get off the hovercraft in scores. They are dressed in a heartless shade of gray that reflects their hearts. From where I am, it looks like they are armed with guns.
Shakily, I reach for an arrow. I knock it carefully on my bow and begin to walk closer to the troops. I watch the men come closer. I remind myself that I haven't heard any shots yet. At least no one has died. Yet.
I crouch down behind a bush that is just in range of the army. I doubt they can see me here, so the spot is perfect for now. I begin to wonder what's going on when I hear a voice, the voice of Mayor Bauer.
"Greetings!" Bauer says to the army. "What brings you here today?"
"Do not be ignorant," I hear. The chill of the voice sends a ripple of fear through my body. I recognize this voice. It is the voice of none other than President Snow. He stands on the platform of the hovercraft and he is poised carefully against the handrail. I aim my arrow right at his heart. If I act now, I believe I would be able to shoot him. If I could just…
"Stop!" A harsh whisper commands me. A firm hand rests upon my shoulder. I turn around and face Gale, a gun in his hand.
"Why?" I say back in the same tone. "I have a good shot! I could kill him right now, Gale. This man has caused me so much harm. I have to kill him!"
"No," Gale says, lowering his voice. "Not yet. Wait and see what happens."
"What if I miss my opportunity?" I furrow my brow.
"Katniss, just, don't," he says, removing his hand from my body. I feel a rush of anger towards him. I turn back to see President Snow is no longer on the hovercraft platform. He has moved closer to Bauer and I'm alarmed to notice he is carrying a handgun. I need to warn Bauer. That is the only thought going through my mind. I must warn Bauer.
My body reacts before my mind. I scream, "Look out!" Gale clasps his hand around my mouth and pulls me back from the bush. I feel his arms wrap around me and he manages to pick me up and run with me. I can't tell what's going on, only that uproar has risen and I'm being carried by Gale, the person who stopped me from murdering President Snow.
"God Katniss! You know better than to yell like that!" he fumes at me. I realize he has placed me down on a bed in an unfamiliar room. My bow and arrows are by the door. Gale's gun, however, has disappeared.
"Where are we?" I ask, in confusion.
"Does it really matter?"
"No," I say quietly.
A long time of silence passes. My heart is pounding out of my chest. I watch as Gale stands guarding the door. He tussles with his hair and avoids my eyes. "Any reason you blew our cover?" he says, turning towards me.
"But Bauer— "
"Oh, but who cares about Bauer? He's hardly involved!" Gale yells.
I look up at him. He has the appearance of a mad man. He finally meets my eyes and the gray storm is raging.
"Gale…" I say, quietly feeling myself drawn to him in a way I've never felt before.
"Yes?" he says. Without looking away from me, his fingers find the door handle and he locks it soundlessly.
"Come."
I don't know what makes me do it, but I invite Gale into my arms. He willingly climbs onto the bed and gets close to me. I find his arms wrap around me. "Gale, what's going on?" I say, burying my head into his shirt. Gale has a distinct smell. I can't quite explain what it's like.
"I don't really know," he says, squeezing my arms together. "Katniss?"
"Yes," I say, looking back into his eyes.
"My dearest friend," he whispers in my ear.
"Yes? I'm listening," I say, cracking a smile.
"The world is going to change. I don't know if it will be better or if it will be worse, but it is definitely going to change and I don't know how I feel about that. I wanted to… wanted to say good bye just in case—"
"NO!" I yell. I sit upright and break free of his arms. "We are not saying good bye! Are you kidding me?"
"Katniss," he says calmly, trying to sedate me. "Please."
I let out a huff and look back to him with a giant frown on my face. I can feel my eyebrows scrunching up my face and the corners of my mouth dropping.
"Just in case something happens," he pulls me closer to him, "you have been my best friend throughout my entire life and I—"
"I love you."
"Yes," Gale locks eyes with me. "I love you."
It takes no explaining to tell each other how we feel. We both know exactly where we stand when it comes to our relationship. So I just enjoy the comfortable safety of being held by him. I feel secure about the way that we can accept what's going on. There is no need to worry about Gale. It's as if, in our time in this room, we have come full circle.
It seems like hours pass, but then, at the same time, our last moments pass by very quickly. The last few minutes we spend together alone in this locked bedroom are among the very few I wish to keep in my heart forever, something I do not want to reveal to anyone. When the time comes that they are over and he gets off the bed, unlocking the door, I have accepted the situation in its entirety.
"Well," he says, "now it's time to get serious."
"Yes," I say, taking his hand and giving it a final squeeze.
"Almost forgot!" he says, his eyebrows raising on his forehead. He lets go of my hand and grabs my bow and quiver. "Here you are," he says, handing them to me.
"Thanks," I mumble, slinging the quiver around my shoulder once again.
"No problem," Gale replies.
He opens the door and we run out together. As an instinct, I look down at my patch and find the tenth dot has turned to gray.