The Victory Tour may have made things uncomfortable for Snow, but it didn't exactly improve my life, either.
There is a new Head Peacekeeper, and he is ruthless. The first thing he does is reinstate whippings and hangings.
I spent every waking moment helping Mum with the men and women injured in the mine collapse. Two more die, one of them while I'm holding her hand. Her husband died in the initial blast, and I'm almost thankful she was never concious long enough for us to tell her so.
Katniss, who can't stand the sight of blood anyways, is constantly in the woods, taking along Rory more often than not. Gale is still out of comission and the Hawthornes are running low on food. They won't take money from either me or Madge, no matter how many times we offer.
One day, Katniss and Rory come home with some strange tale about two women hiding in the forest, hoping to make it to District Thirteen. I insist they take me there the next day.
The trek is long and exhausting, but I am so excited I don't care how much my legs ache. I will finally find out more, hear about other districts. All this will be worth it.
They are gone by the time we reach the hut they hid in.
I can't help myself, I break down in tears, almost hysterical. Katniss and Rory try their best to comfort me, but soon realise they just have to let me cry it all out.
"Go hunt,"Rory tells my sister,"You're better at it anyways. I'll bring her home later, it's okay."
With a concerned look and after kissing my forehead while whispering some reassurance or other, Katniss does actually leave. Good, Posy needs the food and energy. She has the measles, to make this whole mess worth.
Rory sits down next to me and pulls me against him. After a while, I calm down somewhat. I make him tell me again what exactly the fugitives said, word for word, and it's much later by the time we make the treck home.
The streets are surprisingly empty and we exchange a worried look. Did Thread instate some new law? Where is everyone?
It doesn't take us long to realises that people are either running towards the Justice Building or in the opposite direction. We take after those running towards it. I have to know what's happening.
The crowd is thickening the closer we get and once people notice me, they try to make me leave. A bit ahead of me, I see someone else pushing through the crowd and my eyes widen."Taftan!"
He'll tell me what's happening... But he only throws me a terrified look and gestures for me to get out of here.
I hesitate for a few seconds. If even Taftan once me to leave... But then I realises what that cracking sound I hadn't really registerd before is. Whipping. My heart starts racing even faster. The first public whipping. Thanks to the peacekeeper my actions brought here.
But than I here the grunt of pain and am shocked from my stupor, shoving people out of my way and running towards Thread.
"NO! Katniss! Leave her alone! No!"
Thread shows no intension of doing so. Before I can decide what to do, before I even reach them, Taftan catches the whip half-way to Katniss's back. His hand and arm tear open like the countless streaks on my sister's back."You're killing her."
His voice is calm but his eyes are burning and he doesn't let go of the whip. I quickly stand by his side, fighting the urge to fall down next to Katniss."Stop hurting my sister."
It sounds so painfully childish Thread actually gets distracted from glaring at Taftan."She broke the law, she is being punished."
"Is she sentence to death?"a new voice suddenly cuts in, so icy I almost don't recognise Madge."Because if not, you should really stop. She's as good as dead. And I don't think my father, the mayor, would be too happy about you killing a victor's sister with no good reason. Nor would the president, I'm sure."
Now, Thread wavers visibly. A woman peacekeeper I don't know steps forward, taking the chance."Miss Undersee is right. Miss Everdeen is a first offender. By District Twelve law, the punishment is fullfilled."
"Just take her,"Thread snarls, then pointing his whip at each of us in turn, Taftan, me, then Madge."One more toe out of line, and we deal with all of you my way."
We untie Katniss as fast as we can, scooping up Darius as I almost stumble over his unconcious body. He must have tried to help Katniss before...
Carrying the both of them with the help of a few bystanders, we rush to our home in Victor's Village.