Deep In The Meadow

Chapter 11

For the past few days I've been helping the staff. I did anything you could think of. Cleaned the bathrooms, scrubbed the catwalks, even hosed down the stone walls. I had my own room. It was small, a table and booth when you walked in, then in the next room it had two beds. There wasn't much, there wasn't even a dresser. They delivered new clothes every morning. We all had showering schedules and ate at the same time. We sat in alphabetical tables and our rooms were in alphabetical order. It's amazing how these people kept so much control, and unlike Snow they used it responsibly. Not to clench their own thirst for power. I started to see less and less of River, not because of what Effie said, but because she kept sneaking off to places. Haymitch was no where in sight when River was gone. Could something be up with those two?

• • •

I sat down at my table and picked at my food. I stared at River and Haymitch, who say across the room from me. Their table was right in front, right in the way of the televisions. The televisions were usually off or played small reminders. I barely ate. My eyes burning into River and Haymitch. Could they really be together? River looked back, her eyes made contact with mine. It was only seconds, but she knew what I was up to. She whispered something in Haymitch's ear and they both got up. They left their trays, and walked out. I quickly got to my feet and got maybe five feet when someone said, "Hey,Mellark! You have to take care of your tray remember?"
I swore under my breath and took my tray and dumped out the food. I ran outside to the catwalk, small thuds made it clear that River and Haymitch were right above me. I ran up two flights of stairs only to trip half way up the third one.
"Shit!" I yelled as a my face made contact with the metal. River and Haymitch's foot steps got smaller and smaller.
I had lost them.