Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games
Peyton POV:
"I'm headed home dad." I yell hanging up my apron. But dad doesn't answer. "Dad?" I walk around towards the back and find him. Dad is bent over on the counter gripping the edges for support. A small layer of sweat has risen on his brow. "Dad?" I call again. This time he looks up at me.
"Peyton?" He looks confused.
"Yea dad. I just finished Jane's cake and was going home to help mom. Are you okay?"
Dad's eyes soften and he releases a breath. "Yes, I'm alright. I just had this really bad cramp in my back that I needed to wait out." I don't know anything about back cramps, but I do know dad.
"Dad what's wrong?"
He looks at me with sad eyes. "I thought I felt something coming on. But it's passed. It's fine, don't worry. Tell your mom I'll be there as soon as I can. She's expecting us both." He pats me on the shoulder. "Oh and uh, what are you planning on giving Jane for her birthday?" He's not making fun of me, he's serious.
"I haven't decided yet."
"The clock is ticking. Her party is in a few hours."
I was on my way out the door thinking about Jane's present when suddenly two shirtless hunks sprint past me. Both have a mess of bronze hair, and both have ripped body's. The one in front is waving around a shirt and laughing, while the second looks embarrassed and pleading. It's got to be the Odairs. There really is no other explanation.
I cut through a small pathway to save some time and as I can see the main road approaching I hear someone behind me. Giggling? I turn around and see a group of three girls following me. I keep walking, but their footsteps continue behind me, stopping when I stop and walking when I walk. "Can I help you?" I turn asking.
They show their faces. I recognize them from school. They're all in my grade, but seriously, following a guy home and giggling? These girls are part of a group, not one that I'm familiar with some kind of sorority, but I heard there was a fourth now. So where is-? "Not them. Me." Another voice comes about. I turn and so do the girls, they giggle even more. Found her. Isis Rhode. Her blonde hair is lighter than from what I remember and her blue eyes are sharper. I haven't seen her since last night in my dream as the little girl I remember from four years ago. She isn't from District 12, yet her parents moved here from District 2 where she was born. She moved back a week after it happened, and now she's back. Rock my world.
"Isis." The girls giggle.
"What are you doing here?" I ask her.
She smiles and flips her hair. It's still curly, but not in ribbons. "I moved back here to graduate." She says.
"Why would you want to graduate here? District 2 has a better schooling system don't they?"
"Yea, they do, but I wanted to be here where I grew up. You grew up here, you understand." She's batting her eyes and playing with the curls falling in her face. I was born and raised here just like Katrina and Jane. Finn was born in 4, Grayson was born in 2, and Greg was born in 7.
"When are you leaving?" She looks up at me, I hold three inches on her. She walks up very close to me and touches my chest. She pouts when I show no reaction.
"Don't be so hasty, I think I like it here in 12. I might stay here a bit longer than graduation. I saw your family's bakery by the way, you're so cute when you're covered in flour." She smiles snake-like.
"Been following me?"
"Want me to follow you?"
"No." When is she leaving?
Still getting hardly a reaction out me, she huffs in frustration. "No biggy, I like a challenge."
"I didn't challenge you to anything. Good bye Isis." I turn to leave when she pulls my arm back and spins me so that I'm inches from her face. This is the last place I want to be.
"You've grown to stand up for yourself. Good boy. How's Jane by the way? I saw her leaving your bakery earlier. She's grown up too. Does Peypey still like her? Or has he finally become a man and need a woman?" She leans in. "I can be that woman Peyton." She whispers in my ear.
No. Fuck no! "Get a life Isis." Before she can grab me again I dash towards the main road.
What did Isis mean she likes a challenge? She couldn't be talking about me could she? She better not. I could never feel for her the way I feel for Jane. Nothing in all of Panam could get me to change my mind. That's when I see my mom and Katrina hugging and looking very sad.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"Dad. He's having and episode." Katrina says sadly. Dad must have beaten me home when I got stopped by Isis and her crew. I knew he wasn't alright, I should have gotten home first and said something. This is all my fault. There's crash sound coming from the second floor. I glance up. Something's not right, a shadow moves across the window of Katrina's room. If it was dad he probably would have smashed it. "Maybe he'll see our rooms and remember he has kids and come back." Katrina suggests. Mom nods her head and leans into grandpa who rubs her back. Was there something in her room?
Katrina looks up at the house, and her face goes into instant fright. "Katrina? What's wrong? Your face is white."
She ignores me. "Mom! Mom we have to go inside!" She yells. What is she crazy? Neither Katrina nor I have ever seen dad in his episode/flashback mode. But we've never tried it to bring him back either.
"No we can't!" She mom yells back.
Katrina persists. "Mom you don't understand, it's not about dad anymore! She was in my room when I left and now-"
"Who's in your room?" Mom cuts her off. I knew it! Someone is in her room, but that means that same someone is also in the house with dad raging everywhere.
The sound I hear next just about tares my heart out. A bloodcurdling scream rips through the air. I've never heard her scream before, but I know who it is. My body feels like giving out. No, I can't do that, not now. I've got to help her. I've made up my mind.
"Jane." Katrina whispers. Before I can process what's happening, my legs are carrying me through the front door and locking it behind me.
Some furniture is tipped over and there's a small hole in the wall. But other than that, nothing's really messed up. There's more crashing coming from upstairs followed by Jane screaming. My heart beat has skyrocketed, and my palms are sweaty. So, I'm in a house with dad on a rampage and Jane who has never seen dad like this, she's in real danger. If she says the wrong thing, it could set him off even further. I need to help, otherwise who knows what could happen. Mom usually sings to dad to bring him back, but I can't sing. Just seeing mom could bring him back, but that was before we were born. I have to do something from his past before he and mom went into the Hunger Games, something to spark his memory.
Then, that's when I see it. It's perfect! But I need to look the part. I quickly slap my face as hard as I can on one side and ruffle my hair. I then grab the item and through dad's old apron over my head. I need this to work. Otherwise Jane and I could both be screwed. But as I pass the kitchen I notice something's missing. One of the cutting knifes. Shit.
I run upstairs and see that it's more messed up than downstairs. But wait! I need to slow down, if dad sees me in a rush this will all blow up in my face. I glance into Katrina's room. Some things are tipped over, and her curtain is ripped, but nothing bad. I round the corner to go towards the two spare bedrooms, and see a blood stain on the carpet. I walk slowly not knowing which room they're in. Jane lets out a low yelp. They're in the last room.
"You gonna kill me too Johanna?" I hear my dad yell. Johanna? Jane's mom? "You going to cut my arm and let me bleed to death just like Katniss!" Dad must think he's in the Quarter Quell when Mrs. Hawthorne dug the tracker out of mom's arm by cutting her.
I glance around the corner and suck in my breath. "I'm not Johanna." Jane whispers pleading. She's backed into the far corner holding her wrist funny and she's bleeding, in more than one place. A two inch cut above her eyebrow. A small bloodstain that's growing on her shoulder. And a larger bloodstain under her ribcage. She's very pale, and it's the most vulnerable looking I've ever seen her. Dad holds the kitchen knife in his hand. Jane's blood is covering the surface of the blade.
"SHUT UP!" Dad yells in a fury. Then he lunges for Jane with the knife. Everything happens in slow motion. Dad reaches to stab Jane, she ducks but doesn't see his other fist coming. Dad's punch connects with her temple, and Jane's brown eyes go wide, and then blank, and then they close. She collapses to the ground in a heap and in a growing pool of blood.
Dad looks to hit her again, when I step out from my hiding place. An apron over my head, my cheek pink as if from being hit, and a piece of burnt bread in my hands.
"I'm sorry." I mumble. Dad turns to me. His muscles flaring and his normally blue eyes now almost black. But I don't look at dad. He stops panting, and stares at me. I casually walk a few steps, look at Jane on the ground, and look back at the bread. Jane is not starving, but her body is thin like mom's was. The way dad told it, mom had some cuts and bruises from getting hit and thrown out of other people's trash bins before she came to the bakery. I look up at Jane again hoping my act is working. Then I break the bread in half and look around to see if anyone's watching as part of the act. I then toss a piece to her, then the other, over to her limp body. She shivers a bit.
Dad looks confused. Then looks at Jane, the bread, then me. Taking all the guts I have in me, I look up at dad. Straight in the eye. His look softens, and his eyes turn blue again. "Peyton?" Dad asks quietly.
"Yea dad."
Then dad passes out. I take my moment, and throw open the window and yell down at mom. I toss her the key to let herself in, and tell her about Jane. She bolts inside.
I run to Jane. She's unconscious but she's in a very scary pool of blood. I don't want to mover her in case she has a broken bone. So I move around her and sit behind her raising her head to my lap. She shivers a bit. There are no blankets or coat nearby, and I don't want to mover her too much. So I remove my shirt and drape it over her to keep her warm. She's smaller than I thought. She always walks tall, but the look on her face now looks terrified. I feel helpless. Her body moves closer to me involuntarily, I'm the only source of heat near her.
That's when I start to hear mom racing up the stairs with more pairs of feet than her own. "Peyton?" Mom screams from down the hallway.
"Over here!" I yell back. Jane lets out a small whimper. Her breathing pace is increasing. Her heart beat picking up and fast. Then she starts shaking. "MOM!"
Mom bursts through the door, and her eyes find dad. She lets out a small squeak. Then she sees Jane on the ground bleeding. Her blood starting to soak through my shirt. She gasps. From behind us another woman screams. Mrs. Hawthorne. She runs over to us with mom hot on her heels.
Mom kneels down next to us and lifts up my shirt. It was blue, now it's purple. There is a lot of blood.
"My baby girl!" Mrs. Hawthorne screams, tears streaming down her face. Someone else's head pops through the door. Grayson. He sees his sister on the ground and his face goes pale. He rushes over and tells my mom something, she nods her head and clutches her heart. In one swift motion Grayson picks up his little sister and hurries her downstairs. Mom helps Mrs. Hawthorne up and they move out of the room.
Dad starts moaning. Then, he slowly raises himself to his feet. He looks up at me with his blue eyes and his face is white. The knife still in hand. "Peyton!" He exclaims. Then he rushes over to me and looks me over. "Blood…" He trails off picking some of the blood off my skin.
"It's not mine dad." I say sadly. He looks confused. I motion towards the knife that hangs from his hand, dripping her blood everywhere. I didn't feel it before, but I have the sudden urge to puke.
"Peyton, what happened? Who's blood is it?" My dad hurt the girl I love and he doesn't remember.
"It's Jane's." I whisper. My eyes are starting to water. I love my dad but right now, I don't want to be near him. So I start to back away. Dad gives me a pained look.
"MELLARK!" Oh shit. "WHERE IS HE!" The sound of stomping footsteps fill the house. Mr. Hawthorne is at a full sprint to the room and he stops when he sees dad holding a knife with his daughter's blood on it. His eyes are full of rage and he looks as though he might explode. But dad doesn't move. "YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!" Mr. Hawthorne charges at dad. Dad doesn't move, he just drops the knife. Both men go crashing to the ground and soon Mr. Hawthorne has dad pinned underneath him and is punching him senselessly. I'm frozen.
"MY DAUGHTER! SHE'S MY DAUGHTER AND YOU CUT HER UP!" Mr. Hawthorne has tears in his eyes now. His punches are slowing, and he's starting to look weak. Dad's nose is bleeding like there's no tomorrow.
"MY DAUGHTER! My daughter…" Tears are streaming down his face. "Janelle. My daughter. How could you?"
"I'm sorry Gale. I truly am. I hate that I still can't control myself, but this is who I am." Dad looks sincere.
Mr. Hawthorne ignores him. "Janelle." He moans. I've never seen him cry before, but now that I have, I can assure myself that Mr. Hawthorne is human just like the rest of us. Now as for his wife, that's a different matter entirely.
Mr. Hawthorne gets off dad and sinks to his knees burying his face in his hands. Dad gets up wiping his blood off his face and helps Mr. Hawthorne up. Both men walk out. I'm left in the corner. Somehow, I can't move. My heart is racing, my mind is spinning and my stomach feels like a sea storm. I sink to the ground and feel my breathing slow down. I need to draw. I need to. I somehow drag myself over to the desk and pull out some paper and a pencil. I put the pencil to the paper and let my hand fly. I don't know what I'm drawing, but I know it has something to do with the events that recently occurred. I close my eyes not watching what I'm doing and feel myself drift off. I seem to do my best work when I'm not looking.
Pictures of Jane bleeding fill my head. Pictures of her father in a rage then crying. Pictures of her mother having a near heart attack at the sight of her daughter. Pictures of dad as a monster I never knew. Pictures of his recovery and confusion. Pictures of Jane's smile suddenly fading to black. Pictures of Jane's eyes going blank.
I open my own eyes and look at the drawing. It's of Jane, from my dreams, but older, in a white dress. The dress is torn up the side revealing her thigh. Her hair is done but a bit messy, and she's wearing makeup but it looks as though she's been crying. A small cut letting out the tiniest amount of blood is on her wrist, but it's at the wrong angle to be self-inflicted. Someone else hurt her. She's barefoot, but her feet aren't dirty. She's laying on the floor of a dark room. Asleep? Dead? In her hand she holds a ribbon. It's torn and trashed, but she clutches it as if it's the most precious thing on this planet.
I know where that ribbon is from. It itself was the very first thing, I ever gave Jane as a present.