Real or not real? (everlark)

12

The next morning I wake up exhausted. The sun shines through my window in rays, lighting up small parts of our bed. I can see little dust particles floating around as I get up and stretch. My feet hit the cold floor and I get up, standing. I look at the bed, but Peeta isn't there. He must've gotten up earlier.
The floorboards creek slightly as I walk on them. I thunder down the stairs, looking for Peeta. He isnt in the kitchen, living room, anywhere. I go back upstairs  to our bedroom, sighing. He must've gone to work.
Then, I hear a small movement in our closet, and something falls to the ground. My head snaps up, and I creep up to the door.
"Peeta?" I ask, just as the door flies open. A pair of hands find their way to my throat, and the burning sensation makes it appearence  again. Peeta has a crazy look in his hijacked eyes, a look that send fear shooting like fireworks throughout my body. I let out a strangled gasp as his fingers tighten, leaving angry red marks on my throat. I struggle for air but none comes, and I feel like pins and needles are shooting up and down my body as his mouth parts in a fierce snarl...
I wake up in a cold sweat. Gasping, I reach for my throat, but nothing is there. The pain is gone and though my hands shake violently, I'm relieved. Peeta sleeps soundly beside me, his chest rising and falling in a smooth, steady rythym. I get to my feet and walk to our bathroom, examining my throat. It looks as good as before, no angry red marks. I sigh and turn the shower on and step in. The water rushes down my back and it soothes my nerves. For once, Peeta didn't wake up when my nightmare came. I scrub the shampoo through my hair, recalling the dream. It's a repeating dream, it comes to haunt me at least once a week. I'm confused as to why, I've never had this dream before we went back to the Capitol...
That's it! When I went back to that place of horror, my nightmares of Peeta started. I rinse the last remains of conditioner from my hair and turn the water off.
I put on a pair of jeans and a green long sleeved shirt. Peeta stays asleep in bed, so I head downstairs to watch some TV.
I open our front door, looking to see if we have my arrow delivery yet. And sure enough, on our porch is the small narrow box. I bring it into the kitchen, my fingers itching to touch the new, sleek arrows. I cut the tape and grin, ready to see them. But it's not arrows in the box.
It's a single white rose.
I drop the rose as if it's poisened. I back up into our island, my back hitting the corner. I ignore the small pain that's formed, my hands starting to shake as I stare at the perfect, white rose. My mind forms a single thought.
Get Peeta.
I thunder up the stairs, skipping the last step. I open our bedroom door all or the way and make a running leap onto our bed.
"Peeta! Wake! Up!" I say, bouncing on the bed in between each word. He sits up groggily.
"Whats up Kat?" He asks, rubbing his eyes. I pull on his arm, dragging him from the bed.
"Come look what came in the mail this morning!" I say and drag a shocked Peeta down the stairs and into our kitchen. Peeta looks around for a moment, unsure of what he's supposed to be looking at. But then he spots the white rose sitting on our table.
He walks over and picks it up with shaking hands.
"Katniss-" he asks and then he drops it and hugs me. He knows the memories, the flashbacks that hit me like a tidal wave just by seeing this white rose. When he let's go, he walks back over, and pulls a single piece of paper from the box.
"Did you look at this yet?" He asks as he unfolds it. I shake my head as he reads the words, and his face pales. He sits down, and hands me the piece of paper.
I take it my trembling fingers, and unfold it again. In swooping letters,it reads-

I'm not dead.

Memories pop and spin in my brain. I feel dizzy as they appear. The explosion of the packages that brought Prim's  death. Gale getting whipped by the Capitol Peacekeepers. Rue in the net, the spear puncturing her stomach. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath.
There is no way he's alive. I shot him myself. I killed him.
"Peeta-" I say but he shakes his head, throwing the rose and the piece of paper in our burning fire.
"Fire can always melt snow." Peeta says, and I look at the fire, realising he's right. And if he was alive, I would have been told. This isnt possible. It must be...
"A prank." Peeta finishes the sentence for me. "A cruel joke someone thought they should play on the girl on fire. But it's okay? Alright? Snow is dead, I promise." He plants a small kiss on my lips. "Hungry?" He asks, but for once, I shake my head. I surprise him. My recently found love of food has kept him cooking. I guess the rose just took away my appetite.
"Hey, you okay? You seem a little..." Peeta says, and I know what he means.
"I had another dream about you as your hijacked self." I say, taking a seat at our table. He freezes for a moment, but then proceeds to sit across from me.
"What did I do?" He asks. I avoid his gaze as I answer as simply as possible.
"You choked me." I say, and he puts his face in his hands.
"Katniss, you don't know how much I wish that never happened. I know I hurt you horribly, and I hate myself for ever doing that to you. If you're having nightmares about me, then maybe-" I know where this is going.
"No. I need you more than you could understand. They'll go away soon, I know they will. It only came back when we went to the Capitol. Maybe that triggered something in my unconscious  mind. I don't know, but I promise, it'll go away." I say, taking his hand.
"Good."

Guys I honestly had like consentration  problems during this whole chapter, so if I have spelling errors or it just plain  sucks I'm sorry.
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-Skyzone