Quick A/N: Shikabane-Mai, xXxNightlockxXx, TheGirlWhoWasOnFire21, DoCtOrWhOlUvEr11, Hungrygames and noctuas – thank you for your lovely reviews and comments! My exams are over for a few weeks, so I shall focus on my writing. This chapter is longer than the others to make up for how long it's taken to get it up. I hope you enjoy this! Reviews would be lovely!
"Katniss!" My name yelled at me. It isn't from the outside, it isn't from Prim. I don't turn around; I ignore the voice and continue to yell for my missing sister. My mother is at my side now, joining me in my attempts to yell my sister to safety beside me. I wonder if it was her who was yelling, it couldn't be, my mother sounds nothing like that.
"Open the doors, you're going to hurt her" Is the next thing I hear. I stop my yelling for the slightest of seconds to see Effie stood next to the guards, her pale features blazing with something new. Something that only lasts for a moment until it's faded. But sure enough, as my screaming fires up again the guards begin to move the doors apart by the slightest of fractions.
I worm my way through the gap, there is enough room for me to wedge my shoulder into the opening to continue my attempts to locate my sister. "Prim! Prim!"
"We're coming!"
"Hold the door!"
Prim, Gale… they're finally here. They are safe and almost with us.
"You need to open the doors more, they're coming!" I tell them. And with flushed faces the guards begin to slide the doors open so my sister and Gale can get into the bunker. I don't dare move out of the fear of getting us all locked out. It is only when my sister, clutching to that ugly cat, rounds the corner I move to get her. Pulling her into a hug, resulting in Buttercup getting squashed between us. "What were you thinking?" I ask her, still holding her close.
Gale runs through the gap, turning sideways to get the baggage he is carrying through. When he comes to a stop panting ever so slightly, the doors slam shut with a grinding clank. "I couldn't leave him behind Katniss!" Prim is saying. I listen to her explanation whilst watching the scenes between Gale and Effie unfold. I don't know exactly what is been said, even if I could lip read I am too busy listening to Prim to listen to their conversation too.
Gale looks annoyed slightly, still holding onto whatever he was determined to get into the bunker. Effie looks concerned more than anything, and places a hand on Gale's arm. Her lips are saying words I can't make out. He nods, and before I can begin to wonder why Gale suddenly looks at ease Prim is talking to me. Actually her exact words are:
"You can let go now Katniss"
I somehow summon a smile down at her and release her from my arms. I glare at the cat though, which Prim doesn't approve of. I tell her to go to compartment E, and off she goes with the stupid cat meowing in her arms. I consider following her, but turn to Effie and Gale instead. Still wondering what was said between them that changed Gale's demeanour completely. It is then I notice what he is carrying. My game bag, that's what, slouched over his shoulder. The box of medical supplies we picked up on our last visit to Twelve is in his hands.
"If Peeta is right these didn't stand a chance" He tells me, placing the box in my hands whilst I take the game bag from his shoulder. I thank him, thank him for everything. Prim, my belongings… and he is off, walking to his compartment. Compartment Forty-Seven apparently, the number shared just in case I need him.
"Shall we go to our compartment Effie?" I ask. She nods her eyes suddenly wide. It is when I take her hand, balancing my medical kit under my arm that I realise why she suddenly shrunk away from the woman determined to get the guards to open the door. Seeing as everyone retired to their compartments when the doors began to shut – before our charge at them - Effie and me are being watched by 500 people as we make our way to our new home for however long the bombing lasts for.
"Just ignore them" I tell her under my breath, glaring at a pair of women with a disapproving look in their eye. I try and remain cool and calm, but seeing as everyone thinks I'm crazy there is no point. I've only helped these assumptions with my charge across the bunker. Oh well, it's not like I like most of the people down here. Let them think whatever they want about me. "Look, we're here now, you go in first" I whisper to Effie, standing back to allow her entrance to our compartment. Whilst I don't care about their opinions on me, I care about the effect their judgmental stares are having on Effie.
When Effie walks inside and away from prying eyes, I follow her in and immediately hand my mother the medical kit. I watch as she sets it down carefully. I was as Prim places Buttercup on the bottom bunk and he hides under the sheets. I could join either of them; instead I join Effie who is sat on the floor with her chin resting on her knees. Her arms tightly wrapped around her legs and her hair falling over her eyes slightly. I bend down and sit crossed legged next to her, placing my bag in front of us. I pull out the first thing, the plant book, and place it on the floor. I see Effie look up ever so slightly to watch me. My hunting jacket inherited from my father follows, my parents wedding picture… personal items kept in my drawer coming out one after the other. Finally the pearl Peeta gave me is on the top of the pile, and I knot it in the corner of the parachute still attached to the spile.
"Is that what Peeta gave you?" Effie asks me. I nod as I place it in the depths of my bag to keep it safe. It is the last thing I have of Peeta; if I protect it Peeta will be safe. And Coin's voice is suddenly flooding the room, stressing how this is not a drill. How an attack is going to happen…
And that is when the first bomb hits. As it explodes my arms act of their own accord and wrap themselves around a shaken, terrified Effie. I can't help but think of our impending doom, how we will die in the bunker, and I look up to the ceiling. I expect to see a crack there, for the walls to cave in, rocks to rain down… but nothing. Suddenly we are plunged into complete darkness, and as my arms tighten around Effie, her own are beginning to wrap around me. In the utter disorientation, in the midst of shrieks and screams and wails… I feel comforted by Effie's arms around me. I hope my own pair brings her the same feeling. I don't want her to be scared of this. There is enough in Thirteen to bring Effie nightmares, this can't be one of them.
With a hum a generator creakily springs to life. The glow almost like the candlelight we had back home in Twelve. I look down to see Effie, the light illuminating her petrified features that are staring up at me. "Are you okay?" She asks in a whisper before I can even consider asking her the same thing.
"I'm fine" I tell her, keeping one arm wrapped around her tiny frame whilst my other wanders off to rest on Prim's leg. My grip tightens slightly and I pull her over to me. She is talking to Buttercup to calm him down, and after the two of us are held by our mother she begins to delve into what kind of bomb it could be.
"We are so far down, I'm sure we'll be safe" Effie says, her head now resting on my shoulder. Her tone sounds so far away, like she is in a daydream of sorts. My mother agrees with her statement whole heartedly, and her thanking of Peeta is cut off by a grim sounding Coin who is once again talking to the citizens of Thirteen. Talking about the bomb, saying how we owe Peeta for alerting us. How there will be more bombs.
My mother is needed in duty all of a sudden. She is reluctant to leave us, despite the fact she will still be close. "I'll keep my eye on them. It isn't like they can get up to much in here" Effie says weakly, looking up to my mother and the soldier she is standing next to with a small smile. A smile to reassure them we will be fine, that my mother can go.
"We've got Buttercup too, nothing will get past him" I add. We all laugh a little at the state Buttercup is in, curled up under the covers. He gives me a half-hearted hiss, and my mother says a goodbye and a thank you to Effie and is off.
As I pull out the mattress for me and Prim to rest on for a while, Effie moves away from us. Somewhere out of sight. I wonder what she is doing; I can hear movement from the corner. I remain with Prim, wrapped up in our blankets in the cold. Asking her about Thirteen, seeing as I haven't been much of a sister lately. It is when she mentions that she thinks they will be training her up as a doctor Effie joins us, following on from my congratulations with her own.
"Are you cold Effie? Do you want to get in too?" Prim asks.
"No, I'm fine. I'm actually too warm…" Effie mumbles. I notice she is carrying my game bag, and places it at the front of the mattress. "I thought you'd like them all back in the bag and…"
"Thanks Effie" I tell her, knowing what she is saying even though she trails off. She sits on the edge of the mattress which barely dips down as she does so and takes Prim's hand in hers, bringing a smile to my sisters lips.
"Lay down Effie" I tell her, moving my head for Effie to join us comfortably. When she does I get a good deal of her hair in my face.
"Sorry!" She exclaims, quickly sweeping it to the side. Prim begins to laugh whilst I just look up at the ceiling with a smile on my face.
"Carry on with this sort of behaviour Effie, and I'll get Haymitch to tell you off" I say, making Prim laugh harder. Effie looks at me in shock, but when she sees the expression on my face she relaxes and I can see a smile almost forming on her lips. It is quickly replaced with a frown, and a frightened looking gaze instead of her previously relaxed one.
"Do you think Haymitch is okay?" Effie asks, she goes to sit up but I pull her down and into a one armed hug.
"He'll be fine. We both know Haymitch is tough" I tell her as her head rests on my shoulder once more.
"I… you're right" She mumbles, "I wish he was here now"
"Why?" I ask, continuing the conversation seeing as this is the most I have heard Effie talk since we've been in Thirteen.
"I just… he… it doesn't matter, it will sound silly" Effie says with a mumble and numerous stumbles.
"It won't sound silly at all" I say, holding back a yawn as the need to sleep suddenly washes over me.
"Well… it's like. It's like he helps to keep the nightmares away… you know?"
"Nightmares?" I ask. I know full well she has them, but we have never talked about them before.
"About being here, about the Capitol… just stupid things…"
"They aren't stupid. I know I'm not Haymitch, but I promise to do my best to protect you from the nightmares tonight" I say. I feel Prim curl up to sleep beside me as I say the words.
"You will?"
"I promise" I say. I don't know how successful this will be. Effie's words were almost childlike as she admitted what she did. She does feel like a child, curled up in my arms and beginning to drift off into slumber. My last thoughts as I begin to join her and my sister into dreamland is about Effie, and how I hope my promise will come true and she won't suffer from nightmares tonight.