Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! I do not own Mockingjay, any direct quotes will be in italics.
Ch. 34
Hatred courses through my veins at the sight of our evil President. It wasn't easy for me to hate someone; I always tried to look for the good in them, somewhere. But with President Snow I hadn't even tried because I knew there would be no good.
My untainted memories, before the age of twelve, showed that even when I was young and innocent I had hate for the man. I remember really watching the Hunger Games for the first time. I was seven and my dad had sat me down, held my hand, and told me, "Peeta, some things aren't fair in life. You remember Parker? He came into get bread every once in a while."
I had nodded. I had already noticed his absence, he would always joke around with me, and I liked him. I remember watching, as the Capitol escort before Effie had called him up, I didn't really know what it meant. Only that the kids that got called up each year never came back.
"Well, he's been reaped in the Hunger Games. You know what those are?" I had sat still because I knew I should, but I didn't really. He sighed and put his head in his hand and when he came back up his voice was much quieter. "Well son, a long time ago, before your grandpa was born, the District's weren't happy with the Capitol." He told me the whole story, the destruction of Thirteen included.
"Peeta, you have to watch this year. You're going to see Parker and he's not going to be happy like you remember him. Peeta, Parker's going to die." My dad had watched me as my face began to quiver.
"It's him isn't it? It's President Snow! He wants Parker to die!" I had screamed, loudly, surely Peacekeepers had heard me. I'm glad the ones in Twelve had grown to like us more than other Peacekeepers tended to.
In response my dad said nothing, because he knew full well that it was President Snow. My dad was a loving person, but not towards our snake-like President.
"Katniss Everdeen was nothing, but a poor girl from the seam with a stubborn will. She did not give you hope, she gave you a silly notion that change could happen. With Katniss Everdeen gone our country can continue to move forward." President Snow scoffs at the camera. I could give him one thing, he had a powerful voice when he used it right.
I watch Katniss through most of the broadcast, she looks removed, aloof, as if she really were dead. As if she was giving Snow what he wanted. Her face stays unchanging until suddenly the screen changes and there stands the fearless President Coin.
A brief introduction into who she is and then a counter argument to Snow, "Dead or alive, Katniss Everdeen will remain the face of this rebellion. If ever you waver in your resolve, think of the Mockingjay, and in her you will find the strength you need to rid Panem of its oppressors." Away from Coin to a picture of Katniss, that doesn't really look like Katniss, it's not really the face of the rebellion, but a heavily edited picture of a girl who would never, could never, look that fake. People didn't know that though, they only knew Katniss Everdeen from the games, and there she was beautiful by Cinna's hand and through this picture I could have sworn he was still alive.
President Snow comes back, he looks angry, but only if you look hard enough, "Tomorrow morning, when we pull Katniss Everdeen's body from the ashes, we will see exactly who the Mockingjay is. A dead girl who could save no one, not even herself." And then he's off and I'm left with his last line lingering in my mind.
They start making a plan that I can't hear and soon they are starting to clean the room, but I stay stuck to the couch because what if she couldn't save herself? Katniss was strong, but I was bigger, I had muscles. I knew how to handle a gun and if I got a hold of hers she would be as dead as President Snow thought she was. Then Katniss really would never be able to save any one, not even herself as Snow had said. I don't want to be in the way of that.
"Come on, let's head out." Says Jackson and they all move towards the place they had decided we would go. They would travel underground, I had heard, but I wasn't sure because I wasn't listening very well.
"I'm not going. I'll either disclose your position or hurt someone else." I say.
"Snow's people will find you." Says Finnick, thinking he's got me there, but he doesn't, not really. I would rather be given back to Snow than be responsible for Katniss' death.
"Then leave me a pill. I'll only take it if I have to." I say.
"That's not an option. Come along." I could tell that Jackson wasn't used to non-sense like this. Her voice didn't sound very threatening and it didn't make me want to go anymore than I had before.
"Or you'll what? Shoot me?" I ask. The best solution, I think.
"We'll knock you out and drag you with us. Which will both slow us down and endanger us." Homes says this. I was in a room with a bunch of stubborn people and we were getting nowhere.
"Stop being noble! I don't care if I die! Katniss, please. Don't you see, I want to be out of this?" I'm looking right at her and she's looking right back at me and her gray eyes catch in mine. My only reason for living, my only reason for dying. And somewhere in there I see that she gets me. I see that it won't be right now, but before soon she will let me die.
"We're wasting time. Are you coming voluntarily or do we knock you out?" Katniss says her voice rising. I bury my head in my hands, what Homes said was true, it would slow them down knocking me out. But maybe having to carry me around would cause them to want to get rid of me. And I did see that look in Katniss, she would give in soon enough.
I make my decision to go peacefully in hopes that I can soon die peacefully and stand to join them.
I really liked writing that first part, I love Peeta's dad. The little that is portrayed of him in the books is a kind gentle man and he's fun to expand on even though, I haven't done much! Thanks for bearing with me as it took forever to update!
Don't forget to REVIEW on the way out! Thanks! ~boywithbreadlover