(Author's note: Yes another chapter. Sooooo here you go! Oh and thanks for the reviews, I know there isn't a bunch, but it makes me feel better! Remember to read Rue's Hunger Games Nightmare by Katniss123. She's my friend and she would appreciate it if you read her story. But be warned! It's got some hardcore stuff! Rue takes "potty breaks"! Scary right?)
My whole world seems to be crashing down. Katniss went into the hunger games, Peeta admitted his love for her, and now Posy is missing. After all of the things I've done to protect my family, I never expected this to come. All of the tears I've been holding back finally come out. My legs give out underneath me and I'm on my hands and knees. The only thing I don't understand is what happened to Posy. Did she run away? Or did she go out looking for me and get lost? Or maybe... no that couldn't happened. Posy couldn't have gotten kidnapped. Or could she? Who would do that? I think of the possibilities and remember something.
My mother was extra busy with work one day and couldn't take care of Posy while Rory and Vick were off with friends. So I had to babysit her. I needed to sell my game so I took Posy to the Hob with me. I kept seeing something in the corner of my eye. I thought someone was following us but I was probably just seeing things. When I was selling my game to Greasy Sae, a small man came up to me and Posy. He was wrinkly and wore tattered rags that were a faded brown. He had wispy white hair that barely covered his pale scalp. His eyes were a bright green and there was a mischievous look inside of them. His skin sagged and was yellow, which made him look very sick. He wore plain brown strapped sandals that were falling apart and his fingernails and toenails were cracked and encrusted with dirt. He smiled and showed a few cracked yellow teeth. "Hello young lady. How are you today?" Posy giggled and said,"I'm good. This is my brother Gale. He's selling his animals that he killed." The man raised an eyebrow and said,"What kind of game does he catch?" Posy replied,"Oh all sorts of things! Bunnies, squirrels, deer, turkey, and once he caught this big kitty. What was it called Gale?" I said flatly,"It was a lynx. And I don't think you should be giving out that information to strangers. Goodbye sir. Come along Posy."
Greasy Sae handed us our soup and we sat down at a bench and ate. Posy finished and asked if she could have another bowl. I nodded and told her to not talk to anyone else. She skipped away and I waited a bit. I soon became nervous and looked around for Posy. I couldn't see her anywhere. Panic came over me and I ran around yelling,"Posy! Posy! Where are you?" I saw a bowl of soup on the ground and knew I was getting close. Ahead something caught my eye. It was the old beggar with someone. I got closer and recognized who it was. Posy! I sprinted over to the and grabbed Posy. The beggar smirked at me and said,"What's wrong? We were just going for a little walk." I pulled Posy close to me and whispered,"Stay away from my sister." My voice cut through the air like a knife and the man backed away and nodded as he limped away. I took Posy home and decided that taking her to the Hob wasn't such a good idea.
That putrid little man must've taken Posy. Why? What did he want from her? Posy's so helpless. I remember her rosy cheeks and how she always smiled. Her hair was black and sleek but she'd always be doing crazy things to it. Her eyes were the same color of grey as mine but hers were so childish and playful that they seemed to glow. She would always run up to me and hug me when I got home from school and tell me all of the fun things she did with her dolls that my mother made. I look out the window to see rain drizzling on the ground. I still have my tool belt on with my wires for snares. I search for something that could be used as a weapon and find a hunting knife. I bid my family farewell and run outside.
I look at the footprints left in the mud and see some that obviously don't belong to me. It looks like the bottom of a sandal. I follow them and keep a look-out for anything suspicious. I finally get to the hole under the electric fence that separates the Seam from the forest. I slip under and follow the footprints for what seems like forever until I hear a twig snap. I stop dead in my tracks. I look around and find myself in a huge clearing. The ground is cleared off and the huge trees act as a canopy. I look around and something emerges out of the trees. A raspy cackle echoes around me and the beggar steps into the moonlight. He is clutching Posy close to him and has a knife at her throat. "Hello Gale Hawthorne. Welcome to my home." Posy's eyes are brimmed with tears and are full of worry. I grip my knife and say,"What do you want her? Why did you take her?" The beggar laughs his cruel laugh again and replies,"I'm poor, Gale. I have no money, and do you know what that means? No food. I have to get some myself. But a man in my shape could never catch anything. Animals are too fast for me. I need bait. But I don't want to catch a rabbit. No, no, no. I want a meal. And little Posy here can help. She can attract the real game. A lynx." I can't believe my ears. I take a shaky breath and say,"You're going to feed her to a lynx?" The beggar replies,"Do you really think one little lynx is going to find her? Ha! And now that you've fallen into my little trap, I guess I'll have to kill you too."
He throws Posy to the ground and she cries out in pain. He lunges at me with his knife and I dodge his attack. He curses and raises his knife. I kick his shin and hear a loud crack. He screams and falls to the ground. I wait for him to stumble clumsily back on his feet. He hops on one foot with his knife ready. I pull my arm around his scrawny neck and he coughs while tugging at my arm. I release my grip a little so I won't choke him. I tell Posy to cover her eyes and she nods. I hold my knife to the beggar's neck and slit his throat. I thought that if I ever had to kill someone, I would be extremely guilty. But this man would've hurt Posy and I, and he would've ripped apart another family for his own greedy reasons. I drop him on the ground and run up to Posy. I stroke her hair and pick her up. She whimpers as I step around the dead man in his pool of blood. I safely carry her home and tuck her into bed.
She asks me to tell her a bedtime story so I tell her,"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl. Her father was very kind and sung beautifully. But one day, there was an explosion, and he died. The mother became depressed so the girl was all alone. One day, she was in the woods and met a peasant. His father had died in the explosion too. He became her best friend and he taught her how to hunt, even though it was illegal. He secretly loved her and they hunted everyday, until the big kingdom that ruled everyone took her away. She soon became a princess. A charming prince that was really greedy said he loved her even though he knew nothing about her. Everyone in the most powerful kingdom approved of their relationship, so the princess was forced into loving him back, even though the peasant knew she didn't really love him. The prince manipulated the princess for his own personal gain. The peasant heard how everyone thought it was so sweet and how it was true love. But he still had his family that he loved more than anything in the world. And that is the greatest thing to have. The end." I blow out her candle and kiss her forehead. Posy says,"But Gale! What happened? Doesn't the princess fall in love with the peasant?" I look at her and say,"We'll know when the princess comes home."