Need You to be Safe

Mackie and Gale

Mackie was watching the airing of the Quarter Quell at the Everdeen's. She quite had a liking to Prim as she was one of those who bought cheese and milk from her. She was at their place because Prim had seen her walking with a limp and offered to help her. 

She had a gash on her leg which she got after following Gale to the woods. She often wondered before of where Gale gets the squirrels, rabbits, and if lucky, the turkey, she'd seen him trade with Katniss at the Hob. 

Of course, she never told Prim where she actually got it, but told her instead that she slipped on the stairs as she was helping her Mom bring down the homemade soaps they sell. Prim didn't ask any more questions.

Mackie's mind drifted away to the past. As merchants, they were lucky enough to have a bit more than those from the Seam. After the accident in the mines, she had seen how many of her classmates were affected. So she always go to the Seam to see how life goes at the other side of District 12 and acted as if she was from there. She tried going into the Hob and that was where she'd seen Gale and Katniss. 

Well, everyone knows what happened at the reaping. Prim's name was called, Katniss volunteered, Peeta was picked, they were the star-crossed lovers and they won. All eyes were on Katniss and Peeta, but her eyes were set on just one person.

Gale.

She'd seen how everything affected him. How he tried to act as if he wasn't hurting but she knows that he is. It is obvious that he likes his best friend but with everything that's happened, his feelings and his efforts were left unnoticed. She decided to approach him once while he was at the Hob and helped him out with selling to the merchants. She was happy knowing that somehow she was helping him with his burden. That was the moment they became friends. Yeah, she doesn't hunt with him but she waits for him a few meters from the fence to help with the game. He didn't get mad when she confessed that she's a merchant's daughter and said that he knew all along which made her fall in love with Gale more and more. 

"WAIT?!... Love?" she thought. 

Damn! She's in love with Gale?! 

She IS in love with Gale. Just then, the electricity went out.

"What happened?" she didn't notice Prim and her mom were so quiet. 

Prim whispered, "Katniss shot an arrow at the force field in the arena as the lightning struck the tree..." 

Prim's voice drifted away as Mackie tried to get her ears to identify what she was hearing at a distance. A very faint and familiar sound. She furrowed her brows and closed her eyes to concentrate and think where she heard it from. Then her eyes opened in fear and shot straight up from where she was sitting, panic and realization strewn all over her face.The very faint light coming from the window gave away her expression,

"What's wrong Macs?" asked Prim.
All she can tell her was, "Run! To the woods!! NOW!" 

And she started to run and tug on Mrs. Everdeen and literally pushed them out of the house in the direction of the woods. Everyone who were on the street are wondering of where a certain sound is coming from, everyone was looking up at the sky. But Mackie knew what were coming. 

Hovercrafts.

The first hovercraft came into view just as Mackie shouted,"EVERYBODY!!! RUN!!!"... It was like everyone froze in their place while trying to understand what she just said,

"RUN TO THE WOODS!! RUN!! SAVE YOURSELVES!! THEY'LL BE DROPPING BOMBS!!!" and from a distant area, the first bomb exploded.

She pushed Prim away as she was tugging on her. She can't believe what's happening. Her mind was unsettled like she didn't know what to do next. "GALE!!" was the last word she heard from Prim that made her come back to her senses. 

GALE! She had to find Gale!

And then she was running. She kept on colliding with people but she didn't mind pushing through the crowd. She needs to get to Gale. She was able to get to their house and help Gale's family run to safety. But Gale is still nowhere to be found. 

"GALE!! she called out. 

She ran back to where she came from thinking Gale might go straight home from the mines. 

"THE MINES!" she thought and ran to where the mines are.

It was chaos. 

Gale. I need to find Gale... she kept on running and then she saw him running to her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the woods, to safety. 

"Where are you going?!!!" he shouted at her.

"I was looking for you! Prim and her Mom and your family are already beyond the fence.." was all she could say.

"Let's go!" Gale said as he steered themselves through the crowd and ran faster. 

She could've sighed in relief after finding him but it finally struck her... 

Family...

Her Parents!... she needs to find them too! 

She shoved Gale's arm away and ran to where the shops are. 

How can I be so stupid?... and selfish! she tell herself. 

She was now crying and sobbing as she fought her way to get home to her parents. Gale caught up to her and hugged her from behind, trying to get her to the direction of the crowd.

"LET GO OF ME!!.." she screamed as she tried to free herself.

Gale's arms lifted her as he started to move back to where the woods are. 

"MOM!!" she kept screaming. 

"DAD!!" 

She was crying so hard, blaming herself for not thinking about her parents first. She kicked and screamed and fought against Gale's arms but Gale tearfully shouted for her to hear as he was trying to pull her back where they came from,

"C'mon! There's nothing left there.."

She continued to sob. 

"The hovercrafts dropped the first wave of bombs where the shops are. Peeta's family... and yours... they're gone!... none from the merchants had the chance to run..." he trailed.

 "C'mon... I need you to be safe..." he said.

Upon hearing those words, Gale lifted her completely; she let Gale carry her to safety, as she was sobbing, crying on his shoulder,feeling defeated. She felt really tired and the gash on her leg started to hurt again. She found herself falling asleep in Gale's arms that she quite can't comprehend if it was real or just a dream that the last words she heard from Gale were 

"...i need you to be safe... I don't want to lose you... I love you..."