Chapter Six: The Post

As soon she was out of sight from any wandering eyes, she began sprinting towards their shack. Maize couldn't believe that she'd done it! She had successfully stolen the medication her sisters and Nyanya needed! Her heart was soaring, and her breaths came out giddily.

They already had a measuring device to calculate how much medication she needed to give everyone at home. Maize had spent her time in the Med-Bay carefully observing how the doctors administered the lucky few the medication, and she knew that the twins would need to get a smaller dose than their Nyanya. Her mother would be ecstatic! She burst into her home, ignoring her mother's surprised shout, and went straight into the cabinets to find the measuring device before grabbing it and running into the bedroom.

"What are you doin' child?" her mother exclaimed as Maize kneeled beside her.

"I got it mama!" she whispered excitedly as she pulled out the bottle from her sleeve, "I've been at the Med-Bay an' got the meds we need!"

The woman gasped softly, her red-rimmed hazel eyes wide with hope and disbelief, "H-How?

Maize carefully measured out the first dosage, "I saw a bottle roll under some shelves and took it when no one was looking. Here," she gestured as she handed it to her mother, "this is for Brier."

She sat up her weak little sister and supported her head as her mother pressed it onto the toddler's lips and commanded for her to drink it. Brier only whined for a moment before complying. They proceeded the process once more for Piper who had broken out into the characteristic boils known for the pox while Maize had been gone. It was only when Maize turned towards her sleeping grandmother that her mother stopped her.

"She passed away Maize." her mother whispered softly, "Happened this morning after ya left. I've been waiting for the diggers to arrive and collect her body."

She felt as if she were on fire.

"What?" she shuddered.

Mama pulled her into her arms before beginning to gently pet her hair, "It'll be fine, we'll be okay. Your Nyanya has gone to a better place. She was too sick. Was hurting. She's fine now."

A small sob escaped from her throat as tears began to seep down her face. She'd been too late to save her. She had failed.

It was evening when they came.

Her baba had taken the death of his mother as well as he could have. Though he was grateful that the twins were still among them. The diggers had taken her Nyanya's body soon after she'd arrived with the meds. It was the Peacekeepers that had stolen their grieving solitude from them.

Maize had been able to hear the marching feet of the Capitol's soldiers before she'd seen them. With those brief few seconds, she'd been able to grab the medicine they had left out and handed it her frightened mother, "Hide it." she hissed moments before the Peacekeepers barged into their shack.

A Peacekeeper grabbed her arm before dragging her out, ignoring the shouts and cries from her family, "Is this the girl Doctor Wheatway?"

The man in question was of average height and build for a District 11 man, but it was his face that caught Maize's attention. It was the doctor that had stopped and asked if she was alright when she tripped and stolen the medicine. She was in trouble. It was with that realization that the man in front of her stopped examining her and turned back to the Peacekeepers.

"This is the one."

Those four words were damning her. Maize's mother cried in the background in fear, "What has she done!?" her baba protested in an attempt to distract the men.

"Maize Galloshire you are being detained for stealing medical supplies from the Med-Bay." one Peacekeeper spoke up without inflection behind their voice. "How do you plead?"

Maize almost swallowed her tongue in fear before responding, "Not guilty."

The Peacekeeper holding onto her arm tightened his grip before growling out, "Guilty. We have all the evidence we need!"

Her mother broke out into sobs as her father was tackled by another Peacekeeper as he struggled to get to her. Only two things would be happening now, either she would be shipped off to the Capitol and become an Avox (slaves for the Capitol that had their tongues removed after a crime against the ideals of Panem) or she'd bee whipped to an inch of her life.

Maize couldn't figure out which fate was more terrifying.

"Where are the meds!?" the Peacekeeper holding onto her bellowed.

"I-I don't have 'em!" she lied fearfully, keeping her head low and eyes locked onto the ground.

"Twenty lashes!" the Peacekeeper bellowed, "For stealing from the Capitol and lying!"

She felt numb as she was dragged into the town square where she'd once seen a teen be whipped to death as a child. Peacekeepers were dragging families out of their homes behind her and forcing them into the square to watch. Her parents were dragged to the front, with the twins sobbing into their clothes, and forced to kneel. The Peacekeeper holding onto her kicked the back of her knees, forcing her onto the ground roughly and her arms were bound to the whipping post. Another ripped her shirt, forcing her bare back to be naked to all eyes watching.

Fearful tears began to slip down her face. She was so afraid. But Maize didn't regret her actions. Because of her, the twins would live.

"As penance for stealing supplies from the Med-bay, and lying for her transgressions, Maize Galloshire will receive twenty lashings! Let this be a warning to all! Thievery is forbidden!" the Head Peacekeeper declared before nodding to the man holding the whip behind Maize.

"One!" the man proclaimed, as he lifted the whip up and sliced the air and her skin with its force.

She couldn't hold back a scream, "Ahh!"

Her back was on fire!

"Two!"

The smack was loud and wet.

"Three!"

Tears were streaming down her face and onto the ground.

"Four!"

Each breath was gasped out between screams.

"Five!"

Blood was beginning to drip down her sides and cloud around her.

"Six!"

The cuffs around her wrists dug in painfully onto her sensitive skin as she arched her back and shouted.

"Seven!"

Her vision was beginning to cloud over.

"Eigh-"

Words: Around 1,019

Edited: Oct. 23, 2019

(If you see a mistake please tell me)