Catching Fire: You and Me

Chapter 29:

"Catilliana, you need to at least speak to Alistair!" my mother cries.

"talk to him? why would i even want to look at him?" i hiss.

"because! you've known him your whole life and your going to marry him!"

"yeah right. i'm already married." i sneer walking away.

"no youre not," she says firmly. "you werent even legally married in that place. what makes you think it will stand here?" she asks.

"all that matters is that im with him. and theres no way in hell ill ever be with Alistair so get over it!" i say turning away from her.

"I am your mother! you cant do this to me!"

"you know just as well as i do that you were never my mother." i scream.

she looks down, stunned a little.

"i told you never to mention that to anyone." she says softly.

"well maybe i will." i say. "if thats what it takes."

"please. no." she pleads gently.

"as long as you try to keep me away from Peeta, i will never have any respect for you."  i say.

"well maybe we could work all of this out calmly. i mean, im sure a judge could make a compromised legal statement." she suggests.

"why? so you can have my husband and my children deported!" i cry. "if theres one thing im good at, its protecting the people i love." i mutter. "and i love them more than anything else in the world."

i go to leave but my bad leg gives out and i fall to the pavement of the hallway. 

"whats happening!" she shouts, rushing over and grabbing my, which i pull from her grasp.

"you knew i had some emotional scars coming back from that place. but i brought a few physical ones along too." i say picking myself up and storming out.

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***

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"sweetheart!" Haymitch calls from across the commons. "there's a message from the Capitol in ten, you need to get the boy and come down to command." he says before taking off, throwing his greasy blonde hair back out of his eyes, tightening his grip on the bottle of red wine.

when we get there we slide into the two office chairs behind the table and Peeta reaches for my hand, looking first at me before focusing on the huge television screen.

"for years, Panem has given only hope and good fortune to our citizens." Snow's hideously wrinkled lips spit out. "and now, they've betrayed us." he adds.

"a new alliance has been formed." Seneca Crane steps on. "one that will forever, make our world safer."

"we aim to protect our people." Snow continues on. "and we've aquired the assistance needed to carry out this task."

"our nation as well has experienced tough ways, and we had plans. plans to make a stronger empire. but they failed. and the blame from my point of veiw is set on one man and one woman." a third, quite familiar, voice says from off the stage.  

"who the hell is that?" Coin asks scretching her scalp rudely.

"peace will come to all. whatever your mockingjay has told you, is now gone. a new era begins today. a time of hope and prosperity for the world." Seneca says. 

"i think we should reveal to you our plans." Snow says sitting up on the edge of his chair. 

"a wedding will be held tonight. in four hours time, two nations will be joined together, and a third will strengthen its forces." Seneca says. 

Snow gets a maniacally develish smirk on his face like hes knows that im watching and his snake eyes burn into the pit of my soul.

"and since a calm agreement could not be met, we've made the necessary arrangements." the mystery voice says.

just then a shreik comes from off camera and my heart falls to the bottom of my stomach.

"oh dear god, i know exactly whats happening here." i say trembling in my seat.

"what what is it?" Haymitch asks.

"i know that voice. and the scream..." i say "Peeta this is my fault. i've just made it all worse." i cry.

"why? whats going on?" Coin presses.

"Alistair Wood has my sister. hes going to make her marry him." i say, getting a little bit dizzy.

"why?" Peeta asks.

"we thought we were using France as a safezone while we saved Panem. but we've just dragged ourselves right into the firing range." i murmmur.

"what do you mean?" Haymitch asks.

"just listen." i stammer out and they return their attention to the screen. 

"in two days. the first annual World Hunger Games will begin." Alistair says

"as usual, all 12 to 18 year olds will be eligible. any resident of the 12 districts of Panem will be immediatley returned to their homes for the reaping, including the rebels in France.'' Seneca adds.

"the normal male and female pair from each District will be chosen, along with one representitive from each state of France. no one is safe. all living Victors, Leaders, and children will be placed in the glass bowls this year." Snow says.

"crafts are arriving as we speak to retrieve those of Panem from the rebel bases. you cant hide, we will find you."

"England gladly welcomes these tributes, as they will host these new world games." Alistair says. "we thank all of you for your understanding."

and then the seal of Panem, backed my a mix of the britsh and french flags, before the screen goes dead black again.

"oh god." Peeta says, i cower into him and he kisses the top of my head.  "does this mean i'll never see you again?" he asks.

"no you will. in England." i say sighing. "in the games."

i curl up in his lap and he holds me tightly. "im not leaving you." he says. 

"you wont be. they'll take you away for a few days. but we all know who the first two tributes on the list are." i say calmly.

the others leave the room to give us time to say goodbye and he kisses me. 

"i love you." he says. 

"i love you too."

and then the Peacekeepers burst in to take him away....

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i know....short again but i bet y'alls werent expecting that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sadly i think i'll only have about 10 more chapters until this book is over.... sad face..... but dont worry its about to get pretty intense. 

love you guys just so so so so so so so so so so so s o much!!

-Aaliyah <3