I walk into Gale's office with his lunch and turn my stiff neck from this mornings beating. I see him writing a document and I clear my throat. He looks up and smiles. "Come and set it on my desk." I limp over to him and set his lunch on the desk.
I hate District Two with all the technology... It reminds me of the Capitol. He stands and slaps me hard across the face. My eye swells up and my lip drips with blood. "Hide that limp or people will wonder why you are limping."
I let a silent tear roll down my cheek and fall onto one of his papers. He shoves me into the wall and slaps me harder making it echo through the room. Then we hear footsteps. He shoves me away and brushes his dark brown hair back.
"Get into the bathroom before someone sees you.. When they leave I want you back at the house ready for your punishment." I rush away quickly and shut the door softly. I look at myself in the mirror. New bruises forming over my makeup that covers it, my lip gushing with blood, and tears rolling down my cheeks that show my other bruises.
I put my bruised face in my trembling hands where blood drips onto the perfect white counters. I hear his boss talking to him and listen to their conversation while sobbing. "Yeah, Katniss is pretty sick and wants me to come home." "Well that's fine Mr. Hawthorne be back Monday." "Yes sir, thank you sir."
The door shuts to his office and he opens the door to the bathroom, watching me clean my face. He grabs my shirt collar and hisses in my ear. "Take the back way, I'll be waiting for you at home." He throws me to the back door of his office and I run down the steps with tears blurring my vision.
I briskly walk back home before anyone notices the bruises or limp. I go and lay on the couch sobbing into a pillow that smells like Peeta. He was the one who gave it to me for my wedding gift. Then Gale opens the door and slams it throwing his brief case at me angrily. "Get your ass upstairs you worthless bitch."
I walk slowly upstairs with my limp and he follows me. When I get to the room he slams the door and he shoves me on the bed where I have been hurt many times before. He pulls down my black slacks and my blue tank top making tears slowly rolling down my cheeks. He takes off his shirt and unbuckles his belt and I whimper softly.
He rapes me again, like he did a few days ago and I sob as he does. Then he zips up his pants after he is done and looks at the blood gushing out of me. "Take a shower." I rush into the restroom and slam the door and burst into uncontrollable sobs.
I want to get the feel of him off of me. I turn on the shower to a scolding hot temperature and let it burn my scared and bruised skin. I cower in the corner of the shower and sob. This isn't home, this isn't where I'm loved.
I get out of the shower and get dressed into some pajamas and grab the phone, knowing well Gale left for a walk. I dial Haymitch's phone and then it starts ringing. "Hello?" Hearing his voice makes me let tears roll down my cheeks.
"Haymitch... I-I can't take this anymore." He clears his throat. "What's going on sweetheart?" "Gale has been been-" "KATNISS! GET DOWN HERE AND MAKE ME DINNER!" Gale screams and I let tears roll down my cheeks, sadly wrong about his stroll. "I'm sorry Haymitch." I hang up and walk downstairs slowly.
-------- Three Weeks Later--------
I have been trying to keep the house clean and Gale happy so he doesn't beat me anymore. He comes home in his old hunting outfit as I am scrubbing the floor. "G-Gale. I cleaned the kitchen, I got the blood out of my clothes and our sheets, I got your papers from your boss an-" His lips stop my rambling and I let tears roll down my cheeks. He hasn't kissed me sense two years ago. He breaks away and smiles.
