"Peeta?" That is the first thing I hear this morning, I don't know who it is or what they need but worry dances across their tongue. My eyes flutter open to see my father and his eyes are red and puffy, he is still in his pajamas and his hair is messed up. I shoot out of bed and stare at him; he just starts to cry uncontrollably, this can't be a good sign. He woke me up in the middle of the night, sobbing, but why? Before I think any further I run down stairs to find my brothers on the couch, head in hands, also sobbing, what am I missing out on? I run over to my brothers and they look up as they hear my loud footsteps hit the wooden floors and they look at each other and pat on a chair for me to sit on. I'm antsy, frightened, worried and have no clue what happened yet. My oldest brother Robert sighs and stares at me intensely, that's when I notice somebody is missing from all the commotion, my mother.
"What happened to Mom?" I ask my voice is shaky and my hands start to tremble. I know she can be a mean and wicked person but she's my mother and if something happened to her I don't know what I or my father would do. Rye starts to cry silently again and puts his head in his hands like before, now I know something has gone terribly wrong.
"What's wrong Robert, tell me!" I'm yelling not out of anger but fear, he seems to understand this and nods his head.
"Look Peeta..." He trailed off, choked, voice tight, tears slowly pooling up in his sky blue eyes. I can only think of one thing and of course it's the worst she's dead.
"Is she... is she... gone?" I barely manage to get those words out, he shakes his head and I sigh in relief, but what's wrong? I stare at him expectantly and he nods in understanding.
"She's, she's," he takes a deep breath and looks me dead in the eyes before he continues "she's sick Peeta." My whole world froze and my mind only filled with two words "she's sick." Sick, by sick he meant on death row, the grim reaper knocking on her door, she's leaving forever. My mother, she's an abusive woman who only cared about wealth but she brought me into this world, I can't forget that. She's not dead, not yet anyways, she still has a chance, we need a healer but whom? Who would heal such a vicious, venomous person willingly? I shake my head to clear my thoughts; first I have to see her.
"Where is she?" He looks up and you can see the tear tracks on his cheeks and his striking blue eyes were glistening, a sign that there were more tears to come. He points to a room across the hall, I slowly walk over and turn the door knob and there she is eyes closed and fragile. Her wrinkles are more visible and I notice how thin she has gotten, she's pale and her breathing is heavy. As I'm staring at my ill mother I'm slowly losing the once reassuring hope I had for her making it out of this illness alive. I think about the times when she was full of energy and a feisty fire that constantly pumped through her veins, now she lay before me weak and fragile. She might as well be dead, a cold corpse, lifeless, at least she wouldn't have to suffer through this mystery illness that leads her to a slow and weary death. I cry. I cry because I just can't do anything else, I can't cure her, I can't help her escape from death all I can do is cry and be there for her through her last moments.
After a few hours of on and off crying I decide to go to bed. I don't sleep even with the emotional drainage; I just can't sleep, not with the possibility of waking up and my mother being gone when I wake up. I sit there and think, second, I need a healer. Who would help her? She is cruel to everyone she knows and meets, why would they help her, would be the better question. Suddenly, an idea rushes in my brain causing me to pop out of bed. Katniss's mother is a healer. She'd help right? Even though she was going to marry my father but they went separate ways she'd help. I get dressed and rush out the door; Katniss should be awake by this time. I walk through town, it's a dark day filled with rain clouds and a dreary feeling washes over the town, this is no day to be happy. The harvest festival is in two days then five short horrifying days after that is the reaping. Were boys and girls ages 12-18 are entered for the Games. The Hunger Games are where 24 children, 2 from each of the districts (not the Capitol of course) fight to the death for the Capitols entertainment. They claim it's to keep the state of Panem under control because of the Dark Days, were the 13th district rebelled and the Capitol wiped them of the face of the Earth, just in the blink of an eye. The Hunger Games has lasted for 74 years now, everybody too afraid to try to stop it, just watching their children get slaughtered. I hate watching my father pace in the kitchen at two o' clock in the morning on reaping day worried that his children might get picked. My poor father what did he ever do to deserve a life like this.
Before I know it I'm at the meadow staring at its glory, the grass is blowing gently from the upcoming rain, the flowers still brightly shining from the dew and the sun, the light that illuminates the world below it; it makes me want to smile until I remember why I'm here. I walk over to Katniss's house and knock on the door she answers and her eyes widen when she sees me. She wearing sweat pants and a forest green T-shirt. I smiles a little then frowns when she sees the worry on my face.
"Come in." She walks in and stands in the middle of the room. She crosses her arms and just stares at me waiting for discussion. I see Prim outside feeding Lady while Buttercup paces at her feet, I smile at the innocent girl, she's twelve now, this innocent face is eligible for the reaping this year. I frown slightly then look over to Katniss who is still in the same position. I sigh then begin the conversation.
"`My mom is….sick. She needs help, a healer. But then I thought, who would heal her, she is mean to everybody she meets but then I thought that maybe, just maybe your mother could help. If you want we could pay you as much as we can afford at the moment. Please, can you help?" I blurt it all out, I didn't think about my words they just came out. I feel guilty for putting this on her but this was the only thing I could think of.
"Mom!" She yells from the living room her mom comes in, in a hurry and asks what's wrong. Katniss stares at me and the look she gives startles me, since when has Katniss been cruel to me? She just asked me to go hunting with her. I shrug it off and explain the story to Mrs. Everdeen. She nods and says that she'll help. A weight immediately lifts off my shoulders and I smile. I look over at Katniss and she still has that anger in her eyes, I decide to ask her if she wants to go on a walk.
"Uh, Hey Katniss. Do you want to go on a walk?" She stares at me suspiciously, it makes me uneasy but I stand my ground and at least try to look confident. Finally she nods and walks out the door leaving me trailing behind her. We walk in silence around the Seam and finally I break the tension.
"Are you okay, Katniss?" She glares at me but her eyes soften when she knows I mean it. She looks down at her feet and shakes her head, I thought so. "You want to talk about it?" I ask gently, she's like a ticking time bomb; I have to be careful with my words. She nods slowly and looks up at me.
"Gale tried talking to me." I nod. She purses her lips like she's thinking and continues. "He tried…uh... he tried to kiss me." My eyes widen slightly but not enough to be noticeable. I nod again for her to continue and she applies. "I punched him, he told me not to be that way but it was my only reaction. I don't want a relationship especially one with Gale. Yes, he's strong and can hunt but he's my best friend, nothing more, he's helped me through a lot. I'm able to tell him things without it being awkward and I like it that way!" She pauses and she bites her bottom lip, she thinks she's said too much but I don't mind I like to listen to her and help her, she makes me forget.
"I see did you talk about anything else? I think you should try to be his friend Katniss. He's been there for you for a long time. You should just explain to him that you don't want a relationship, with anybody not just him. Maybe, you could work it out you can't just give up." She looks surprised, I don't know why, my father always said I was good with words, maybe that's it. She nods and we walk for a little while more in a comfortable silence. We reach the meadow and sit down together and listen to the wind howl. It's soothing, the sun is setting and my favorite color of orange coats the sky and I smile.
"What is it?" She ask, she sounds so sweet, so relaxed.
"The sunset. It's my favorite color, the soft orange; it's not obnoxious but soft and calming. My father always told me that when the sun sets it's the sun reaching its love, the Earth. The rays are slowly reaching out to the Earth until finally, the reunite. It's beautiful, don't you think?" She nods and takes in the sunset, she to smiles a little.
"Your father's a wise man." She states, I nod in agreement. "My favorite color is green, like the forest. I could sit out in the forest all day and stare at the trees. It reminds me of my father, when he used to teach me how to hunt. He used to sing to me out there, when he sang even the birds stopped to listen. I remember he used to bring Prim and I out to the meadow, she was just so innocent, had no idea what the world really is, and it's nice to see somebody innocent. I couldn't be that sweet and kind. I cringe every time a patient comes in. I worry that one day they'll take her and her innocence away." She chokes out the last sentence and a single tear rolls down her cheeks. I scoot over and wipe off her single tear off her cheek.
"It's okay nothing will happen to Prim. She's only had her name in once, right?" She nods. "See, it'll be okay, the odds are most defiantly in her favor." She relaxes a little and sighs. "It's going to be okay Kat."
"What you'd call me?" She asks it wasn't rude but demanding. "Kat, it that okay?" She thinks for a moment before she nods and I relax a little.
"How's your mother, Peeta?" I sigh but I have to tell her she tells me her problems. "All I know is that she is terribly ill. She's thin and breathing heavily, she already looks…dead. Part of me wishes she was, so she wouldn't have to suffer. I know she may be abusive but she's my mother and I love her. I honestly already think she's a goner but I want her to live a good last days. That's why I asked your mom to help." She nods and we sit there in silence with her lying in my arms. When it gets dark we decide it's time to go home. I drop her off but before I go she leans up and whispers in my ear "It'll be okay, Peeta. My mom will help her all she can. I'll see you tomorrow?" I nod and she gives me a short hug and slightly smiles before she walks in her house. I walk home smiling stupidly, forgetting my troubles for a day. I finally feel relaxed, thanks to Katniss Everdeen. She truly is my savior.