Suzanne Collins owns all rights to the characters!
Chapter 10
She doesn't know," says Bonnie softly. "Maybe not about any of it."
"I know you had an uprising in Eight."
"Yes that's why we had to get out," says Twill.
"Well, you're good and out now. What are you going to do?" I ask.
"We're headed for District Thirteen." Twill replies.
"There is no Thirteen," I say it like I am speaking to a child, maybe they don't teach it in District Eight."It blew up seventy-five years ago,"
Bonnie winces as she shifts on her crutches.
"What is wrong with your leg?" Peeta asks.
"I twisted my ankle," says Bonnie.
"Anyone anyone following you?" I ask thinking of the avox girl from the Capitol.
"We don't think so. The Capitol thinks we died in a factory explosion," says Twill.
"Alright let's go inside," I say, nodding at the cement house. Peeta and I follow them in carting the gun. A tin gallon that is cut in half sits in the ashes of the fire. With a handful of pine needles steaming in water.
"Making tea?" I gesture to the tin gallon.
"We're not sure. I remember seeing someone do it in the Hunger Games years ago," says Twill with a frown. It's a miracle these two have made it this far.
"Out of food?" Peeta asks. Bonnie nods.
"We took all we could, but foods been scarce."
"Well it's your lucky day," I say, dropping the bag of food we had. I look up at Peeta, and he nods, meaning I did the right thing. They go through the sack.
"All of this?" Bonnie asks. I nod my head.
"So what's your story?" I ask. And they tell us.
Twill taught at school Bonnie was her pupil. The night of my engagement, the night Peeta fell to his knees and proclaimed his undying love for me. Was the night District 8's uprising began. It gave people a reason to be out on the streets. When the Justice Building clock hit eight, all hell broke loose.
The Peacekeepers were shocked and overcome by the crowds. As Peacekeepers fell, weapons were available for the rebels. Then the ax fell. Peacekeepers came by the thousands. Hovercrafts bombed the rebel strongholds into ashes. It took less than 48 hours to subdue the city. Then, for a week, there was a lockdown. No food, no coal, and no work. The entire district was on the verge of starvation. Then everything went back to normal.
Bonnie and Twill went back to school and had to take a different street because the usual road was made impassible by bombing. They were a hundred yards away when it exploded, killing everyone inside-Including Twill's husband and Bonnie's entire family.
"Someone must have told the Capitol the idea for the uprising started there," Twill tells us faintly.
They went to Twill's, where the Peacekeeper suits were still waiting. They stole from neighbors, they knew to be dead and made it to the railroad station. They went by train to District 6. Then went through the woods on foot.
"I understand why you are running, but there is nothing there we all have seen the footage," I say.
"That's just it. The Capitol has been using the same footage for as long as anyone is District Eight can remember. They always show the Justice Building, and if you look carefully, you'll see it. Up in the far right-hand corner. A Mockingjay. The same one every time," says Twill.
"You're going to District Thirteen based on that? A shot of a bird? You think you'll find people just walking around merrily? And that it is fine with the Capitol?" I say shocked how delusional.
"No. We think people moved underground when the surface was destroyed. We think the Capitol leaves them alone because before the Dark Days their primary industry was nuclear development."
What if they are right? Could it be true? Peeta and I could live happily ever after. And our child wouldn't be in the Games, ever. Could there be something to run to? Somewhere safe? I allow myself to think about it for a second only. I'll end up delusional as well.
"Why haven't they helped us if they exist?" I ask.
"We don't know. Right now we are just hoping they exist." Bonnie whispers. None of it makes sense. They have nothing to go back to. They are just hoping for something.
"I'll help you," I say. First I take Twill outside and teach her to shoot the gun she has. I cut a new crutch for Bonnie. Then I peel off an extra layer of socks and tell Bonnie to stuff them in the toes of her boots to walk. Finally, I teach them to build a decent fire. Peeta sits backs and watch since he's not good with the woods stuff. They beg us for details of the situation in 12. And I tell them about Thread.
"You se,e you have to lead the war," Bonnie says.
"Lead a war?"
"I'm pregnant. How do you expect me to lead a war? There isn't even a war." I say without thinking. They look at me with wide eyes, and Peeta looks at the floor.
"You're pregnant?" Twill asks quietly.
"Yeah, I shouldn't have said that. Just don't tell anyone. My mom doesn't even know." I say following Peeta and starring at the ground. Thinking that I sure can't act I would imagine.
"I'm sorry. Everyone thinks you two are faking the romance for the cameras. We never expected to hear that." Bonnie says.
"Well, we are dating. Engaged actually. We need to go." I say not spilling anything else.
"Of course. It was so good to meet you both. Your all anyone has talked about since-" Bonnie starts.
"I know I know since I pulled out those berries," I say. We are too preoccupied with thinking even to talk. When we get to the fence, I hear the tale-tale hum.
"Peeta... The fence is on. It can't be a coincidence the day we come back it suddenly has electricity?" His eyes go dark, and I lean into his chest.
"We can climb and tree and go over it," I say hopefully. Lucky for us, we do find a tree tall enough to go over the fence close by. The hard part is helping Peeta climb up the tree, because of his prosthetic leg. I jump first landing in a bunch of snow on my butt. And my foot is hurt. I nod to Peeta, and he jumps down as well. He doesn't even land on his butt he lands gracefully on his feet, which I can't figure out how.
"You okay?" I get to my feet and brush some of the snow off, hoping it will make me a little warmer.
"My foot hurts, but nothing bad. You?"
"My butt hurts. My stomach feels fine. And I think I hurt my ankle, but that is much better than being fried on that fence."
"Come on," Peeta says helping me out of the snow bank. We walk back to the house, quietly lost in our thoughts. My foot is killing me the whole time.
"Someone had to turn on the fence. Think about it the first day we go to the woods after a month; it comes on?" Peeta looks at me like I just shot my bow at someone. We both quicken our pace but know what could be waiting for us.
We stop by the sweetshop, and I buy Prim some candy then put it in my game bag. Next, I buy some white cloth for bandages. When we get to the house, I turn to Peeta.
"I love you."
"I love you, too." He says. I lean in and hug him.
"Nothing will happen. We are probably just overreacting."
"I know, but Peeta you can't stop Snow, and even if it is just me overreacting, he is still after us."
"Katniss, we will figure it out," he says, holding me tighter.
I give him a quick kiss, and we walk into my house. Either into the storm or just out of it. Two Peacekeepers, a man, and a woman are standing in the doorway to our kitchen. I catch a flicker of surprise on their faces. They know we were in the woods and should be trapped.
"Hello," I say. My mother walks up behind them.
"Here they are just in time for dinner." We are very late for dinner.
"Can I help you with something?" I ask the Peacekeepers.
"Head Peacekeeper Thread sent us with a message for you both." says the woman.
"They've been waiting for hours." Mother adds. To confirm the fence electrocuted us.
"Must be an important message," Peeta says as he steps in front of me. I glare at him; I can protect myself.
"May we ask where you two have been?" the woman asks. Before Peeta can speak, I do, because I came up with an excuse.
"Easier to ask where I haven't been," I say with annoyance. I walk into the living room with Peeta following closely behind. My foot is screaming, but I continue to walk normally. Haymitch and Prim are playing a game of chess. Was he "invited" by the Peacekeepers?
"So where haven't you been?" Haymitch asks in a bored voice.
"Well, I haven't been talking to the Goat Man about getting Prim's goat pregnant, because someone gave me bad directions to where he lives," I say to Prim. Prim's goat wasn't the one getting pregnant. But we were trying to get another goat for Lady.
"No, I didn't. I told you exactly." She turns her attention away from the game of Chess to me with an almost bored look on her face.
"You said he lives beside the west entrance to the mine," I say.
"East entrance." Prim corrects me.
"You distinctly said the west, because then I said 'Next to the slag heap?' And you said, 'yeah,'" I say.
"The slag heap next to the east entrance," says Prim patiently.
"No. When did you say that?" I demand.
"Last night," Haymitch chimes in.
"It was the east, darling," Peeta adds smiling. I glare at him.
"I'm sorry, but it's what I've been saying. You don't listen when people are talking to you."
"Bet people told you he didn't live there today and you didn't listen again," says Haymitch.
"Shut up, Haymitch," I say, clearly indicating he's right. Haymitch and Peeta crack up, and Prim smiles.
"Fine. Somebody else can arrange to get the stupid goat knocked up," I say making them laugh even harder. Peeta is bent over but still manages to hang on to my hand. I can't help but smile at him. Haymitch raises an eyebrow. I look over at the Peacekeepers. The man is smiling, but the woman is unconvinced.
"What's in the bag?" she asks sharply.
She's hoping for a game or wild plants. I dump the contents on the kitchen table. "See for yourself."
"Oh good, we were running low on bandages." My mother says glancing at the table. Peeta who's still behind me opens the bag of candy.
"Ooh, peppermints," He says popping one into his mouth.
"They're mine. You should have bought some." I say taking a swipe for the bag. Peeta tosses it to Haymitch, who stuffs a fistful of sweets into his mouth before passing them to a giggling Prim.
"None of you deserve candy!"
"What because we've right?" Peeta's wraps his arms around me. I give a small yelp in pain. I can't help it. I've tried holding it in how much I'm hurt, but Peeta notices. I can see it in his eyes.
"Okay, Prim said west. I distinctly heard west. And we're all idiots. How's that?"
"Better," I say and accept his kiss. Then I look at the Peacekeepers as if suddenly remembering they are there. "You have a message for me?"
"From Head Peacekeeper Thread. He wanted you to know that the fence will have electricity twenty-four hours a day." The woman stands there, still looking unconvienced.
"Didn't it already?" I ask, a little too innocently.
"He thought you might be interested in passing the news to your cousin," says the woman.
"Thank you. I'll tell him. I'm sure we'll all sleep more soundly now that security has addressed that lapse." I'm pushing things I know it, but it gives me a sense of satisfaction. The woman looks mad as they leave.
"How bad does it hurt, Katniss?" Peeta asks me finally, realizing that I have been in fact hiding the pain. Everyone else stares.
"I banged up my left heel. It hurts, a lot. And my tailbone hurts to move much." Peeta carries me to one of the rocking chairs. I roll my eyes, and he thinks he's a superman. My mother takes off my boot.
"What happened?"
"I fell." Three pairs of eyes look at me.
"On some ice." We know I can't say it in a bugged house. She probes the bones in my left heel, and I wince.
"There might be a break. The other foot is fine." She says. She judges my tailbone to be bruised badly.
"Did you fall on some ice, Peeta?" Mother asks.
"Yes, ma'am. My foot hurts, but barely." Prim gets my pajamas and robe. When I have changed clothes, my mother makes a snowpack for my left heel and props it up on a hassock. I eat three bowls of stew and half a loaf of bread while everyone but Peeta and I dine at the table. Peeta eats even more than I do. Prim comes and sits on the floor, leaning against Peeta, and I's knees and Peeta has his arm around my waist. Haymitch and Mother stare at us. We suck on peppermints as I brush her soft blonde hair back behind her ear. I wonder if I have a daughter if this is what it will be like? Would she look like Peeta or like me? Hopefully like Peeta.
"How was school?" She tries to turn to face me slightly but then realizes she can't because of my grip on her hair.
"All right. We learned about coal by-products. The school is still buzzing about when you and Peeta talked about The Games with us." We stare at the fire for a while.
"Are you going to try on your wedding dresses?" Effie sent a big box of wedding dresses the other day.
"When my foot is better," I say.
"Make sure I'm here." She says. My mother gives me a cup of tea with a dose of sleep syrup, and my eyelids began to drop immediately.
Before Peeta can take me upstairs, I say, "I guess I know what it felt like when Haymitch and I gave you sleep syrup."
Peeta gives me a scowl remembering it. Haymitch laughs.
"Hey! I just gave it to you, didn't mean you had to use it." Peeta rolls his eyes and carries me to my room. A side effect of sleep syrup is that it pretty much makes you sound drunk; makes you say what's on your mind. So I know I have to watch my mouth with the cameras.
"I'm tired," I say giggly.
"Do you know who I'm in love with?" I ask stupidly. Peeta looks confused. "Who?"
"Peeta Mellark. He's nice, and I couldn't live without him."
"I love you too. Good night Katniss. I'll see you tomorrow morning." he says kissing me lightly.
"Are you coming back tonight?" I say, pulling his hand to my face.
"Do you want me to?" he asks.
"Yes." Then the sleep syrup pulls me under.
I wake up around nine in the morning. Peeta is staring down at me.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Peeta! Give me that trash can!" I say quickly. I can't get to the bathroom quick with my foot. He gets it from the side of my dresser hurriedly realizing why I need it. He holds my hair back.
"Six more months," I whisper into Peeta's ear. He laughs.
"Did you officially come by?"
"Yeah, your mom knows I'm here. She said that you should add your knowledge about plants into some family book?" Peeta says questionable.
"Oh, the plant book. It has a bunch of plants and their medical uses, but my father put in if they were edible or not. It kept us alive."
"Can you draw the pictures for the plants? You know I am awful at drawing." Peeta smiles at my mention of his talent.
"I'll help you. Where is it?"
"Probably the bookshelf in the living room. Ask my Mother if not. It has a leather binding on it." I say thinking.
Peeta kisses my forehead. "I'll be back in a minute."
"Wait!" Peeta turns around to look at me with a confused expression.
"Can you have my mother bring me some breakfast?" Peeta laughs.
"Yeah. I bought some cheese buns if you want some of those." Peeta says from the doorway. My face lights up.
"Cheese buns, please!" I shout. Peeta laughs.
"Sitting there for weeks and eating cheese buns... You may gain some weight." Peeta says smiling.
"Funny," I say rolling my eyes. I'll gain some weight anyway.
"Here is your breakfast and the book. I'm going to run over to my house to get some colored pencils." Peeta says, handing me breakfast and handing me the book. I nod my head because I have already stuffed the cheese buns in my mouth.
~K.D. Howell