In Power We Trust - Haymitch Abernathy

Chapter Twelve - Day Two

Amelie

We had been walking for about two hours. Right as the sun crept over the horizon Maysilee insisted we got moving. We didn't even know where we were going, we just walked.
Maysilee in front, Haymitch in the back, and me in the middle.

Sometimes, In the corner of my eye I'd see Haymitch staring at me. I didn't mind though, If it were anyone else I would. But Haymitch tended to be my exception.

A couple of tributes died as we made our way out of the base of the mountain and onto more level ground.
"Stay in the tree line." Maysilee ordered.
Before me was the very meadow I'd run through the morning before. A shiver ran down my spine.

As Maysilee pressed onwards through the trees, I noticed Haymitch stood still behind me, He grabbed my hand before I could follow May. His eyes were wide. I furrowed my brow in question. He held up a finger and pointed forward at the base of the tree Maysilee was walking towards. Then I saw it, a green vine was wrapped taught around the trunk and stretched out into the walkway. A trip wire. I looked up and saw a large ax attached to the other end.
Warning escaped from my lungs, "Maysilee look o-"

Just as the words came out the ax whipped down into her chest. I turned my back to her and buried my face into the crook of Haymitch's neck.

Boom

Maysilee's cannon. Maysilee was dead. My friend. My friend from twelve was dead. Maysilee Donner was dead.

"Oh my god!" I cried. Haymitch pulled my face away from him and held either side of it.
"Amelie baby, we- I, I had to, I had to."

"Why didn't you warn her! Wait did you set that trap?" That sentence came out louder and more accusatory than I'd intended.

Haymitch's eyebrows furrowed like my question disappointed him. "No of course not!"

He took a deep breath, wiped my tears with his thumbs and composed himself, "Sorry I don't mean to yell. I'm sorry I didn't warn her, but I had to Amelie. This is the Hunger Games, remember? If you're getting out of this everyone else needs to die. That includes her. I'm sorry. I just don't think I could've brought myself to killing her and well, I saw the wire and-"

A pang of guilt rushed over me and I just hugged him tightly. "I understand."
That's all I could manage to say over the overwhelming urge to kiss him. It was strange, he just let my childhood friend die and I just wanted to kiss him.

He nodded. "Okay well, you stay here, don't turn around, I'm going to get her water and the ax she got from the cornucopia."
"Why don't you want me to turn around?"
"Well uh-" He swallowed hard, "She's bled a lot since you turned away from her and well, it's just a lot of blood. Too much to just turn around and see."

I nodded at him, just thinking about Maysilee looking anything like that boy from nine made me queasy.
When he came back a minute later the ax and canteen were tucked in his waistband, hidden from view. And his pants had bloody hand markings on them like he was trying to clean off his hands. It wasn't successful though, his hands were still stained red.

•••

Haymitch

I couldn't tell her. I couldn't tell her that it had been me that set the trap. I couldn't tell her the real reason I killed Maysilee. I couldn't tell her that her friend was actually a stone cold killing machine. A person that didn't bat an eye at murdering little girls. I couldn't taint Amelie with the truth. I just couldn't.
The burden of knowing her ally killed her friend would be too much. I knew that even if I would've told her the truth, she would've stayed loyal to me. That's just who she is.
Regardless, I chose to lie; to protect her.

We both knew Maysilee's blood was on my hands. Literally and Figuratively.

I had to take us through the meadow because 'whoever set that trap could've made more' even though I knew I hadn't. It was a risky move but at least in the open we could see if anyone was coming. I made Amelie walk in front of me so I could protect her, and so I could look at her.

"What about over there?" She pointed to our 1 o'clock. There was a break in the trees that revealed a large black, treeless mountain.
"Sure," I said, "Let's check it out."
It took us about 30 minutes to get to the base, it was further away than it initially looked.

"Wow." Amelie said.
"Yeah, wow." I'd never seen anything like this before. A black treeless mountain. Something dreamed up by the game makers no doubt.
We walked counterclockwise around the base inspecting it. Then I saw what looked like a promising cave opening. It was camouflaged around many large boulders and rocks, I only saw the entrance by chance.
"Hey look!" I said in a hushed tone.
"Oh my god!" Amelie hit my arm and smiled, "Haymitch Abernathy you are a genius!"
I felt warm at that comment and tried to stop the blush from burning under my cheeks. "Come on!" I said as I led us to the entrance.

The gap between the nearest boulder and the cave's opening was narrow. It was great because it hid it away well, but not so convenient to get into.
"Let me go first and I can help pull you in," Amelie said.
"Absolutely not, what if there's a tribute or two already in there. I have the ax."
"So," she stepped closer to me, her eyes comparable to that of a siren, "Give me the ax then." Her hands grabbed mine and it would've been so easy for me to kiss her. But I just nodded. "Okay fine." I untucked the ax from my waistband and handed it to her. "Be careful,"
I whispered.
She nodded and placed the half of her body with the ax in the opening first, then after some minor adjusting she slipped the other half of her body through. I watched through the gap as she placed the ax on the ground against the stone wall, "Alright give me your hand and I'll pull."
"If we can't get me in there you can stay in there until the games are over and I'll guard the entrance."
"Oh shut up Abernathy, that is not happening. Just give me your hand."
I sighed and managed one half of my body through. One of her soft hands grabbed mine, and the other grabbed my arm. "On three," She said, "One...Two...Three."
We pulled and struggled for a minute before the rest of my body managed its way through and I stumbled into the cave.

Her hands were still in their places. Our bodies were touching, neither one of us moved. "Thank you," I managed to whisper. My heart was pounding. Her hand that was holding my arm slid onto my other one and ran up to my neck. Her hand that was in my hand followed suit on the other side. Without thinking I grabbed her waist and pulled her into me. Our lips crashed together in one swift motion. Electricity corced through my body. She was like oxygen. I needed her. I wanted her. My hands caressed her back as I pressed her up against the stone wall. When our lips broke from each other It wasn't by my own accord, It was hers. I would've kissed her forever if I could've. I kissed her cheek and made a line of kisses down to her neck as she spoke. "Haymitch," She whispered, "Haymitch stop."
I pulled my lips off of her and looked at her, her eyes looked sad.
"What? What is it?"
"There's a camera."
"Wha-" I turned my head and saw a black lense tucked into a fake black rock near the ceiling, "Damn it!" I grunted. I was frustrated, not because I couldn't go any further, but because when I was kissing her I forgot about the Games. Everything else faded away. And then all at once I was reminded.

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