Hunger Games (DNF)

Part 2, Chapter 42: brothers

Hey guys, a large final chapter of demons was just uploaded so if you are originally here from the story check it now, or after reading this.
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George POV.

I woke up in a cold sweat after that dream and immediately curled up into a ball. My eyes stayed focused on my lap and I didn’t dare look around the room, feeling worried that one of the mutts would be in there.

But I did look up when I heard a voice. A familiar voice. “George, are you okay?” my eyes widened and I looked up to see someone sitting in the dark.
“Wilbur?” I asked cautiously. Looking at the figure sitting in the darkness. “Is that you?”

Before he responded I reached over to the lamp beside me and switched it on. Sure enough sitting on a chair in the corner was my brother. A small smile appeared on my face as I saw him, and I practically launched myself out of the bed and into his arms.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him, holding my brother tightly in case I let go of him and he disappeared. Not that that mattered because he was holding onto me just as tightly.
“Beetee came over.” he stated. “He told me to come over then I found out you were here. I didn’t want to leave your side while you were asleep.”

I had been crying against him and eventually just mumbled a quiet, “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” he responded, before lifting me up. He had been able to carry me since I was a kid but it had been a while since I last did. Usually I found it embarrassing when he did this but for once it made me feel safe.

The two of us ended up sitting on the bed and I ended up telling him about everything that had happened. About my time in District 4, and how I learned to fish, and how I had to avoid mutts. All the while Wilbur listened quietly, asking questions occasionally which I answered.

Once I had finished I took a few deep breaths, then looked over to him. “What about you?” I asked quietly, “how was life here while I was away?”
Wilbur let out a quiet sigh. “We were just told that all of the tributes were taken to the Capitol and the games might be rescheduled sometime later.”

“But I hadn’t been recaptured,” I pointed out. “Did you know that?”
Wilbur nodded. “I found out from Beetee a while ago that you had disappeared completely and I spent ages just sitting at home worrying about you.” He let out a sigh, “I feel bad for Niki, she had to do a lot of work while I just sat in my room.”

The two of us stayed quiet for a while after that, just thinking about what the other had said. I wondered about how everyone else here was doing, and if they missed me. There was the baker I brought bread from, some of my old classmates, and my old teachers at the school all jumped to mind. Did they all miss me? Surely they did.

And what about the other tributes? Clay? Were they still in the Capitol? Were they being tortured? Starved? Or maybe they have been made avoxes. I hoped that they hadn’t been made avoxes, because I wouldn’t have been able to hear Clay’s wheeze again.

Why the hell do I keep thinking about Clay anyway? It wasn’t like I was ever going to see him again anyway. Maybe he should be dead, it would have been easier anyway. If he and all of the other tributes were dead then I wouldn’t have worry about them. But what about their families? What about Drista and Puffy? They were still mourning their missing son and brother.

I exhaled loudly causing Wilbur to look over to me again. “What’s wrong?” he asked, and I let out another sigh.
“I’m just worried about the other tributes… that’s all.” I muttered, swinging my legs back and forth like what a child does as a distraction.

My brother hummed loudly. “Do you mean that blond with the green eyes from District 4? The one that you slept with the night before the games stopped?”
As the words left his mouth I flushed red. “H-how did you know that?” I asked him as my cheeks heated up. “Did you see?”

He let out a laugh at my reaction. “No, I didn’t see. The gamemakers never show tributes having sex for several reasons. But it was obvious that you two did.”
“Oh… well… um…” I didn’t know what to say and so I just turned away and blushed more.

Wilbur chuckled again and ruffled my hair. “It’s fine that your gay George. I already guessed.”
“It’s really not that fine,” I said in a choked out voice. I felt like my face was on fire as my brother sat there laughing at me.

When my brother finally stopped laughing we sat in silence again. Who knows how long we were sitting there, just feeling glad to be around our only family members in the world. After a while of content silence Wilbur stood up and I looked over to him.

“Where are you going?” I asked him, watching as he stood up and adjusted his clothes.
Wilbur just gave me a sad smile, “I need to go home so people don’t get suspicious. It is almost dark. But I’ll come and visit you tomorrow, I promise.”

I didn’t want him to go, I had just gotten him back and was worried that I might not ever see him again. “Can’t you stay just a while longer?” I questioned warily. “Please?”
He shook his head. “They put up a curfew starting at 7pm, anyone out after dark gets shot. But I’ll be back tomorrow. Okay?”

He watched as I nodded, even though I didn’t want to. Why he couldn’t just stay here all night I didn’t know. Eventually I gave him a small smile. “Say hi to Niki for me.” I requested, and he just nodded before leaving the room without a word.

I wanted to go after him but decided not to, instead I listened to the sound of him heading downstairs before leaving the room. I walked over to the window and peaked between the curtains to see him walking away with the light of the dim streetlamps to avoid tripping.

For a while I watched him disappear, walking out of the gates and down the path towards town until he was out of sight, and then I still watched. Standing there and looking out the window in case he maybe decided to come back. Which he didn’t

I’d have probably sat there for hours, like a dog waiting for its owner to return after work. But there was a knock on the door behind me and Beetee rolled in on his wheelchair. “Good evening George,” he greeted. I just nodded, watching him out of the corner of my eye as he came over to the window and looked out of it into the darkness with me.

“Wilbur was extremely worried about you,” he stated, and once again I nodded.
“I was worried about him too.” I muttered. “If I didn’t turn myself in I thought he’d be killed.”
“That has happened before.” Beetee stated, before realising what he said and changing the topic.

“I paid someone from the butcher to bring me some ham if you wanted some. It was delivered earlier and I just finished cooking it.” he offered. “There is also some fresh bread from the bakery.”

“Sure. I haven’t eaten well in forever.” I smiled, even though both Beetee and I knew that my thoughts were just focused on my brother.
My mentor just nodded. “Let’s go downstairs then.”
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1132 words.

Next week or at the end of this week, the Karlnapity story 'vampire hunters' will begin to be published under my bio.