Chapter 15

Once I'm inside, I know I have to hurry before Mabel arrives. First I wash up at the sink. My arms, legs and face are filthy from yesterday's events. I don't want to wash my hair because it looks grimy at the moment and I feel like that may help me create my illusion of being under the weather. I pull a nightgown from my drawer and ball it up in an attempt to make it look rumpled as if I've slept in it all night. I unmake my bed, doing something of a snow-angel move with my body as I lay atop my sheets. Next, I pull my wastebasket over to the edge of the bed and throw in several wadded up tissues. I place a half empty glass of water and a box of tissues on my nightstand. Standing back, I look around my room and decide that this should be proof that I was in my room all night, tossing and turning, feeling terrible.

I'm somewhat thankful that I sat next to the fire all night because all the smoke I inhaled has made my voice a bit raspy. That should help the illusion a bit. Doesn't hurt either that my heart is beating a million times a minute leaving me flushed and slightly out of breath. I never lie to Mabel. Today will be a first for that. Hopefully the last too. I can't help it though. It really is the only option. If there were any other way, any way at all…but no, there isn't. I take a deep breath and head downstairs to the kitchen. Mabel should be here now.

"Morning…Oh, what's wrong honey?" Mabel says looking concerned as I enter the room in my sickly state.

"A cold or something I guess. My throat feels funny and my head feels all swirly. I am going to stay home and try to rest today so I feel better in time for tonight's viewing. Do you think you could go to the drug store and get me something for my cold?"

"I'm so sorry you're sick! I do believe we have some medicine here at the house, in your mother's bathroom. I'll go see."

I panic inside my head. She has to leave this house right now. I need her to not hear me in my father's study. I can't risk her knowing what I'm up too. Can't let her be involved in any way. Think Madge, think. I tell myself.

"Yes, there is some cold medicine in her room but it didn't have anything in it to help me sleep. I was up most of the night and honestly, nothing sounds better at the moment than a good, medicated sleep. But if you're too busy I can get dressed and go for it myself, I don't want to keep you from anything." I know in my head that she would never let that happen which is partly why I had to say it.

"Oh don't worry about it honey! I'm here to help you however I can. You have never nor will you ever be an interruption to my work. I'll go pick something up right now, be back quick as I can." She says, pulling me to her in a motherly hug. This woman really does love me, that's for certain. The guilt of my lies is heavy on my shoulders and I feel awful.

"Thank you Mabel. I'll just be up in my bed. I really appreciate it."

And with that she's grabbed her purse and is headed out the door. I have to act very fast now, there isn't much time. I know she will be back in less than 10 minutes. I go up to my room and peer out the window until I see that she is far away from my house and out on the town streets. I fly down the hall to my father's study and let myself in. I don't come in here often because this room always creeps me out. Too much Capitol influence for my tastes. I slide open the hidden panel on the wall behind my father's oversized oak desk. There is a series of buttons which I have no clue about but there is also a large switch. And I know exactly what that one does. I take a deep breath and with a trembling hand, flip the power off. I look over at the clock on the wall and wait a full minute. It's the longest and the fastest minute of my life thus far. I'm again trembling as my fingers grasp the switch to power back on the fence. This is the part that's most scary. I hold my breath and push the switch back on. Quickly and still not yet breathing, I close the hidden panel and exit the study. I hope I gave him enough time to get across the fence and into the safety of the tree line. Now I just have to wait.

I set an alarm in my room just in case whatever Mabel gives me does actually knock me out for the day. I set the alarm for 5 hours from now. That gives me an hour to make sure Mabel is out of the house before I have to do this all over again.

When Mabel returns I'm tucked into bed with a cold rag over my forehead. Thankfully the medicine she's purchased for me is in pill form rather than liquid. I cheek the pill instead of swallowing it because in truth I cannot afford to fall asleep today. It's bitter in my mouth and I can feel it starting to dissolve a little. Mabel fluffs my pillow a bit and then closes my shutters to darken the room before she closes the door to let me get some rest. I spit out the pill as quickly as possible and rinse my mouth with water.

I spend most of the next 3 hours lying still in my bed. I feel like getting up and pacing the room to burn off all my nervous energy but I know that would be risky. If Mabel were to hear me moving around in here she would be suspicious. I finally get up to use the bathroom, deciding that enough time has passed to be plausible that I've slept a bit. Mabel does in fact hear me and comes up to check on me.

"Feeling any better Hon?" She asks as she knocks and pokes her head in my door.

"Yes, some. Thank you again."

"I made you some soup for lunch. Would you like me to bring that up now?"

"That would be good, thank you."

Mabel brings up a tray of steaming hot chicken soup and a little dish of fruit. I eat a little, careful not to devour it though I'm starving. I know if I eat too much she'll be alerted that something is up. I eat a little more than half and then act as if I am once again exhausted and going to sleep again. She kindly leaves me to rest. I'm left once again to lie still for what seems like forever. My mind is all over the place but mostly on Gale. I think back to last night. Our faces were so close we could have been mistaken as a couple. I wanted so badly to lean in instead of leaning away from him. Wanted more than anything to kiss him. To feel his arm around my shoulder again. I wish I wasn't so nervous around him. He almost seemed comfortable around me last night for the first time. Like he wasn't despising every second he had to spend with me. I think about what a wonderful twist of fate it was that he lost the rock-paper-scissors game and had to stay to tend the fire. Had he won he would've gone home and I'd have been with Thom all night and not found out about Rory. I would've missed my chance to save him from whatever terrible fate the Capitol would've imposed on him as punishment for leaving the district. I hope Gale has found Rory and is safely making his way back. I don't think I'll be able to relax again until I know they're both safely standing on this side of that awful fence.

I'm pulled out of my daydreams by the sound of my alarm. Five hours. Gale left five hours ago and is, hopefully, almost back with Rory. I quickly shut off the alarm and go downstairs to see what Mabel is up too. I need to get her to go home as soon as possible. I find her in the kitchen, as usual.

"Well hello there. You look much better than you did this morning. I was just about to come up and wake you. I'm getting ready to leave for the day and I didn't want you to oversleep and miss the viewing."

"Thanks, I do feel better. I think all I need now is a good shower and some dinner."

"So glad to hear it, so glad." She says smiling at me. "Why don't you go on up and shower and I'll fix you a little something for dinner before I go."

"Oh, ok. Just something quick like a sandwich will be fine. Maybe more of the fruit from lunch." Crap. She cannot stay here and cook me an full meal. Please, please just make a sandwich and leave Mabel, please! I silently beg her in my head.

"That I can do!" She says with a smile.

I smile, nod and rush upstairs. I quickly shower and throw on a black, sleeveless shift dress, slip on a black headband and coordinating black sandals. A quick dab of gloss on my lips and dusting of blush on my cheeks and I'm good to go. I look just as I would if it were any normal day. I check the clock. I have 10 minutes until I have to flip the switch. I silently curse myself for telling Mabel I wanted dinner. How stupid of me to say that when if I'd been using my head I would've known that of course she'd offer to stay and make me dinner. Now I'm going to really have to hurry.

Downstairs in the kitchen I find my sandwich and a small dish of pears along with a note from Mabel.

Madge,

I went on home to get cleaned up for the viewing. Enjoy the sandwich and I'll see you in town tonight. I'm so glad you are feeling better!

Love,

Mabel

I breathe a huge sigh of relief and rush upstairs to my father's study. I painstakingly watch the clock on the wall until it's time. I flip the switch powering off the fence. I watch the clock again for a full minute. Then terrified as I am, I give it another 15 seconds just in case. Then I flip the power back on. My heart is beating so hard I think it'll be heard all the way outside. I close the hidden panel and head downstairs. I'm pacing the back porch, eyes never leaving the treeline. Where is Gale? Shouldn't he have crossed back? He should be standing on my porch at this very moment with Rory at his side. But he isn't here. My mind is racing. Did something happen? Could he not find Rory? Was one of them injured? This is bad. Very, very bad. I'm desperately keeping my eyes on the tree line in the hopes that they are just running behind schedule and that I'll see them and can quickly run up and power off the fence again. But I don't see them. Not any sign of them. I sit on the steps and try to figure out what I need to do next, eyes still focused on the tree line of the woods. His mother. I'll have to go find his mother and explain what we did. I'll have to tell her that now, not only one but two of her children are trapped on the other side of the fence. They'll miss the viewing. The Peacekeepers will see that they never checked in they'll show up at the Hawthorne's home to question his mother. This is terrible. I'm about to get up and find my way to the Hawthorne's house when someone plops down on the steps next to me.

"Gale!" I cry out and throw my arms around him without even thinking about it.