Rebellion on the Rebels

Chapter 9

Gale and I walked into the woods in silence. I killed two rabits before either of us said a word.

"I suppose I should tell you why I'm moving here," he started. His voice seemed to have gotten even deeper since I last saw him. "I can't work in District 2 anymore."

I frowned.

"Why?"

"There are a lot of reasons, it'll take a long time to go over them all."

"We're in no hurry."

"I don't really want to-"

"Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me."

"Fine," Gale sighed and sat down on a tree stump outside the wood shelter Johanna must have made. It was almost empty. "I've been working with the new recruits. The democratic government thinks it's a good idea to have an army ready just in case."

"In case what?" I rest my head on his shoulder and stare at a robin plucking worms from the wet ground.

"Plutarch has it in his head that there are still some people out there who support the Capitol and Snow," he sighed. "He won't tell me anything and he acts like we went through the war as if I was just another citizen."

I open my mouth to tell him he was just a soldier, but I bite my tongue to stop myself. It would only bring up a pointless argument.

"Gale," I murmured and he looked down at me. "You saved so many people. You saved what's left of 12, you saved people who lived in the Capitol and if it wasn't for you, the war still might be happening. You don't need Plutarch, everything is a game to him."

"Once a game maker always a game maker," he agreed. "But it's not about him. Sure I saved people, but I killed so many with that bomb."

His voice cracked and his next exhale was shaky. Memories of Prim flashed through my mind, but I knew they were coming. Prim laughing, Prim crying, Prim screaming my name as Gale lifted her away from me on that one reaping day.

"Katniss?" Gale's rough and callused thumb glided across my cheek gently.

"Yeah?" I answered sleepily, not taking my watering eyes off the robin.

"I'm sorry."

I sighed and wrapped my arms around his broad back. He was sorry, of course he was. And I had forgiven him long before then, but it was nice to just here him say he was sorry.

A scream interrupted our moment and Gale shot up from the log, knocking me off balance.

"Annie," he gasped and roughly helped me to my feet. "Come on!"

Without waiting for me, he took off back the way we came. Without hesitation, I followed him.

"Annie is here?" I yelled ahead as I ducked between tree branches. "You two don't tell me anything!"

"I thought Johanna told you!" He protested and his pace quickened when she screamed again.

"Call Johanna, get her to help!" I cried and leapt over a pond.

"We can't, she went into the city for supplies. Hurry!"

"Where are we going?" I demanded as we past the hill our cabin was on.

"You thought we were the only ones living in the 50th arena?"

I restrained myself from saying anything else and focused on breathing. After a minute we came across another log cabin like ours. Gale hurtled towards it and through the door. I whipped a dagger out of my boot just in case and followed him.

"Annie!" I cried.

Gale was sitting on the floor, a sobbing Annie in his arms. She was even thinner than I remembered, and her skin was tinted yellow. Even her once gorgeous red hair was frail and as I got closer I noticed the small clumps of red scattered across the dark floor. A small pool of blood was under Annie, and more stained the wall beside her. I dabbed at it with my boot. It was fresh.

I met Gale's gaze. He was glancing around the house helplessly, his eyes pleading for something to help.

"Annie," I murmured and dropped to the floor with them. "Annie can you hear me?"

As I spoke I wondered why Gale wasn't trying to talk to her.

"Annie?" I put my hand on her shoulder and rubbed her back lightly. "Annie Cresta, can you hear me? Hold on, we're going to get you to a hospital, you'll be fine."

"No," Gale sobbed and I whirled around, surprised to see him crying. "No she won't."

"Why not?" I demanded and scrambled for the phone on the table. "Of course she will, it was just an accident."

I stopped. What was an accident?

"How did this happen?" I spoke slower than I intented, with a scary calmness.

Gale's body shook again and he removed his hand from under Annie's stomach. It was covered in blood, and in it was a knife. My dagger was at Gale's throat before I knew what I was doing.

No, you can't. It's Gale. You love him. You love Gale.

I drew my blade away but kept it pointing at him. He didn't move.

"Gale?" My voice was hoarse and scratchy. "What did you do?"

He sobbed and a fresh wave of tears fell down his face. It seemed like he hadn't hear me.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he sobbed. "I'm sorry Annie, I'm sorry. Finnick, I'm sorry. Prim, I'm sorry. Sheila-"

I frowned. Who was Sheila?

"Gale!" I said sharply and he automatically straightened and stood up. His hand was halfway to his forehead before he realized that I had yelled his name. His stiff position melted and his sobbing resumed. I tried not to look at Annie and wiped the tears off my face.

"I didn't mean t-to. Sh-she just screamed when I c-came in and I d-d-d-didn't mean to, I j-just react-ted."

Footsteps running quickly approached the house. I quickly loaded my bow and, hesitantly, turned my back to Gale.

Johanna appeared and that was all it took for me. My bow fell to the ground and my legs gave out. I collapsed to the ground, and let the tears mix in with the blood I'd accidentally wiped on my cheek.

"Oh-Oh my god," Johanna covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh jeez. Is that-"

I nodded and my hair stuck to my wet face. I didn't care. The girl we all promised we'd protect was dead at the hands of my best friend and man I loved. The day couldn't possibly have gotten any worse, so of course, it did.