Author's Note: Hey guys! I've got another chapter here for you. Enjoy! :D
Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games series.
Hiraeth
Chapter 8
Everything was in chaos.
The screens went dark, the replays of the interviews were canceled, and Peacekeepers were trying to rein in the indignant crowd.
It was clear we had started something. We set off a bomb that was bigger than any of us individually and it had been a long time coming.
Peacekeepers were herding all of the tributes, making sure we didn't mingle with the others. The damage was already done though, no matter how much they tried to reverse it.
Haymitch hurried along, trying to keep up, but he was a little slower than usual with his leg. We were marched into the elevator and sent up to our floor.
I looked over at Haymitch, trying to gauge how he was feeling. What could he be thinking? There was a glint in his eyes, he looked more determined than I'd ever seen him before.
I wanted to ask him, to know. But he couldn't tell me anything, not with all of the cameras around.
The doors abruptly opened and we stepped out of the elevator onto our floor and immediately Peeta rushed over and wrapped his arms tight around me.
"You were incredible." He whispered, holding me like he would never be able to again.
We went to the dining room and ate dinner (lamb stew with dried plums), but I found I couldn't eat much, even though it was delicious. The other's seemed to be having difficulty as well.
As soon as dinner was finished, Effie abruptly left the room. Before I'd had a chance to wonder what had caused her sudden unexplained absence, she hurried back into the room.
"Here, I've got this for you." Effie said, setting a large jug in front of Haymitch. It must've been able to hold around half a gallon of liquid. The light scent of the hangover tonic drifted out from it as it sloshed up on the edges.
"It should keep you for around 24 hours, so drink it in the morning as close to the time you'll be going into the… arena… as you can." Effie's voice cracked, her almost always impeccable demeanor was showing a few obvious cracks.
"Effie…" Haymitch said, concern starting to show. It was an odd moment, realizing that the pair actually cared for each other.
Effie shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes.
"Effie, come here." Haymitch said, he wrapped his arms around her and a few sobs shook through her small body.
"I'll miss you." Haymitch said as he pulled back. Effie nodded, obviously not trusting herself to speak.
Haymitch smiled at Effie sadly before turning to Peeta.
"Take care, Peeta." He said gruffly.
"You too, Haymitch." Peeta replied and he shook his hand.
"See you tomorrow, Sweetheart." Haymitch said to me before he turned and limped off towards his bedroom.
It was then that Effie really broke down.
She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Peeta rushed over and gave her a half hug while patting her on the back, shooting me a helpless look.
I just stood back, watching as if I were watching through a fog, through a screen, it wasn't real…
But it was.
More real than anything had ever been before.
It was too much, I quietly left for my own room. I didn't want to start crying myself, and being out there, I was dangerously close.
I wasted as much time as I could, putting off going to bed.
I showered, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and tried on a few different pairs of pajamas. A red satin nightgown that was too light, a lace gown that was too itchy, and a pair of cotton pants and shirt that I eventually settled on wearing, even though they seemed too heavy.
I sighed, climbed onto the bed, and rested my head on my knees. I just wasn't ready. I was too tired, too drained, there was too much that was left unsaid.
The door cracked open and a figure descended into the darkened room. The weight of the bed shifted as Peeta sat beside me. He wrapped his arms tight around me.
"How's Effie doing?" I asked quietly.
"She'll be alright." He replied.
"I meant to say goodbye to her, I just.. couldn't." I admitted.
"It's okay, Katniss, she'll understand." He said, and whether she actually would or not, it didn't matter anymore. It was too late, I wasn't going back out.
We didn't say anything else, because there was nothing that could be said using something so inadequate as words.
I had so much that I wanted him to understand, but I just curled into him closer, hoping that maybe that could convey the things that I couldn't say.
In the end, I realized, Peeta would be the hardest one to leave, the hardest one to say goodbye to. I never would've thought I'd care for him so much. I never thought I would need his arms around me or his warmth. But I did.
I didn't know whether or not we slept much that night. I spent most of it drifting in and out dreams and always holding him tight.
"Katniss…" I was being shaken awake. But I didn't want to wake, not with everything that was waiting for me in the real world.
"Katniss, it's time for you to leave." I opened my eyes to find Peeta sitting beside me.
Cinna stood in the doorway, he was going to come with me to dress me for the games.
I reluctantly stood up. The sun cast it's bright glare in through the open window and a slight breeze drifted in through the room. It was nice.
"I'll let you two have a moment." Cinna said, stepping back into the hallway and closing the door.
I stood there alone with the blond haired boy for a few minutes before my tired mind remembered that the odds were that that would be the last time I'd ever see him.
"Peeta…" I said, eyes darting across his face, trying to take it all in.
"I'll see you soon, Katniss." He said simply, but I couldn't let that be it. The end of it all.
"Peeta!" I said again, feeling more frantic. I crashed my lips against his, kissing him intensely. I trembled, not knowing if I could actually say goodbye.
He cradled my face softly, as if it were an expensive piece of china or a precious family heirloom.
I held him like he was my life.
We broke apart too soon. It was Peeta who pulled back. He pressed a kiss to my forehead and gave me a small smile.
"Shoot straight." He whispered. He turned and left before I could say anything, before I could even get a chance to say goodbye.
"You ready?" Cinna asked, standing in the doorway. I sighed.
"Yes, I am." I said, slowly gathering my resolve.
We climbed up onto the roof and made our way into the hovercraft that was ready for us. The tracker was injected into my arm, so they would always know where I was in the arena.
The rest was just a waiting game, which was agonizing.
"You need to eat something." Cinna insisted, he set a plate of hot food and a glass of water on the table before which I sat.
"I'm not that hungry." I admitted.
"You will be in the arena." He insisted. It was that simple reminder that encouraged me to nibble on the food and finish off the glass of water.
Cinna held my hand for most of the flight. I was thankful, he just seemed to know how much I needed human contact right then.
After a while we reached the Launch Room in the arena. Cinna helped me get dressed in the simple blue jumpsuit that was provided for me and he braided my hair like my mother used to do before dad had died.
"Thank you, Cinna, for everything." I said, embracing him.
"Remember, Katniss," Cinna said, pulling back and looking me in the eyes.
"I'm still betting on you." He kissed my forehead and pinned the mockingjay pin onto my jumpsuit.
I stepped through the opening of the glass cylinder, it immediately closed around me. I waited for a moment. Why wasn't it taking me up into the arena?
And the door to the room burst open. Three Peacekeepers stormed into the Launch Room. I didn't have any time to comprehend what was going on before they hit Cinna. They kept hitting him creating deep gashes along his face and body.
"No!" I screamed again and again, slamming my shaking fists into the glass. But I was completely ignored.
One of the Peacekeepers hit him hard in the temple and I saw Cinna's limp, blood-covered body fall to the ground.
The Peacekeepers drug him out of the room by his arms, glistening crimson smearing across the floor.
I could hardly breathe.
Nauseating terror swept through me, the world spun, and the plate underneath my feet rose, bringing me up into the arena.
Author's Note: Alright, we're finally to the Games! Thank ya'll for reading! Leave a review and let me know what you think! :)