Valley Song: A Hunger Games Fan Fiction

Chapter Nine - Summer

Peeta took the stairs two at a time, running into the kitchen, he grabbed a slice of stale bed off the table. Another night of weird dreams and he missed breakfast again. He was thankful for a father who looked out for him and left a slice of bread. 

Before he could grab an apron, his father said,  "We're giving you the day off, son."  

This sounded ominous. "Mother say so too?"  

"Yes, of course." He wondered if his father was ever frustrated with the way they never exactly believed him, and always deferred to their mother. She was the final word on pretty much everything. 

She wasn't there, and from what he could tell there was no one in the shop either. His father grabbed a package from behind a wooden storage cabinet. It was wrapped in plain paper. He handed the package to Peeta and said, "Your mother and I got this for you." 

Peeta looked at it before taking it from his hand. "Are you sure?" He didn't know why he had a hard time receiving this from his father's hand, but they never received many gifts. Everything went into running the store. 

"Yes. It's from both of us." 

He took his time. He opened it with care, while his father watched with a confident smile. What he found inside was a small blank book and a single common school pencil.

 "I know it isn't much, but in your brothers' 12th year, after the Reaping day, we got them each a gift. I thought this might help you come up with more designs for the bakery, or just for you to practice drawing. I hope you like it."

He didn't know why this affected him so much. He wasn't expecting anything, and the notebook and pencil were the perfect gift. He couldn't help the tears in his eyes. He hugged his father, and felt his father pat his head. 

"Don't forget to thank your mother," and with that his father released him. 

He soon found his mother hanging out laundry on a line just off of the side porch. She glanced at him, but then immediately bent down to pick up another shirt. Peeta said nothing. He walked up and hugged her like he did with his father. She didn't respond, or return the hug. She did let him hug her. She smelled of soap and lilacs.

 When he released her from the hug he whispered, "thank you" into her shirt. He felt her hand slightly pat his shoulder. 

Not sure where to go, Peeta decided to find a place to draw. He started walking towards the square, but as He kept walking he realized he was walking in the direction of the Seam. Rather than a nighttime stroll, it was mid-day. He had no reason to be here. 

Some people stared, but many more ignored him. They had more important concerns, like their next meal, like surviving. Finally Peeta decided he would walk toward the fence that guarded the meadow. Houses were lined up close enough that he could easily duck into a yard and make that his intended purpose. 

He stood a little straighter as he walked directly towards the outer edge of District 12. He could make out the electric fence at the end of the street. He walked toward it with purpose. He remembered then about what father said about the strawberries. He said Katniss found them sticking through the fence. 

It must also mean that her home was closer to the fence. Maybe determination had brought him here again, or hope. Hope seemed to be his internal guide when it came to Katniss. 

He looked up and down the fence, but he didn't observe anything that looked like a berry bush. Walking near the fence made him nervous. They were told that there were wild animals, like wolves, on the other side that ate humans. 

He paced a good portion of the fence before giving up, disappointed. He wanted another opportunity to see the berries and draw them in his booklet. Instead, nothing. Just some dry yellowed grasses sticking through in tufts.