Beacon of Hope

Chapter Eleven <3 The Aftermath

Prim.

Prim! I turn on my heels and find an armed Gale already taking a run for the stairs. I bolt after him, and grab his arm. He burls around and stares me in the eyes.

His eyes aren't a soft silver like usual. No, his eyes are a shade of dark charcoal, burning around me.

" Please, Gale!" I cry. " Please, don't!"

He ignores me, turning to the stairs again, but I pull his arm tighter. He turns around and I smack him hard across the face.

He smiles, devilishly. " I really didn't want to have to do this," he says.

Then he punches me hard in the belly.

I fall to the floor, gasping for air. Haymitch scoops me up and I realise where he hit me. My belly. My baby. I scream and kick against Haymitch's force, crying out. He shushes me and continues to hold me.

Soon I start to feel a little dizzy. White spots dance in front of my eyes. I cry out from the sharp pain thundering in my belly.

My world slowly fades to darkness.

🌹- - - * * * - - -🌹

My eyes flash open, searching the room. A doctor, a Capitol doctor, perches on a stool next to me. I think it's doctor Jean. I sit up.

" Is the baby okay!?" I yell in her face, then slowly sink back into my bed.

" The baby's fine, Miss Everdeen," she says. I let out a sigh of relief. I don't know what I would've done if we'd lost the baby again. " You were rushed to the Capitol after Mr Mellark was stabbed. You're on your way home on the train now."

Mr Mellark. . . Peeta!

" Where's Peeta?" I cry out.

" You can see him later," she says firmly. " For now I'm going to give you two a moment alone."

You two? I didn't see anyone else. I take a look round the room and see my mother. Her face is pale and she's facing the wall. I nod at doctor Jean and she leaves the room.

" Mom?" I whisper. She whips her head round to face me. She looks sick. " Is everything ok?"

She sniffs and starts crying. Big, fat tears roll down her face. She runs over to me and I pull her down for a hug. She just cries harder.

" What's wrong, mom?" I ask, worriedly.

" It's Prim," she whispers hoarsely between sniffles.

Prim? What's wrong with Prim?

" What about Prim?" I ask.

She pulls away and whispers, " She was stabbed, Katniss."

🌹- - - * * * - - - 🌹

I stare at Prim's limp body. Hot tears spurt out my eyes and I grab her hand. I keep telling myself that Prim's alive, but it doesn't help.

She is alive. She's hooked to a machine, and I can hear her heart beat being played loudly around the room.

She's been out since Gale stabbed her. I still can't believe the hardness in his eyes. I can't believe that he stabbed Peeta, and I certainly can't believe that he stabbed Prim. That he stabbed Prim right in the belly.

The boy I've known since that day in the woods. Did he really do this because he loves me? Do I really do this to people?

Prim's body shakes and I squeeze her hand. Her eyes open slowly. She smiles, " Katniss," she says hoarsely.