The Aftermath(a post-mockingjay story)

Katniss POV

I wake up next to Peeta, his chest slowly rising and falling as he breaths. They say everyone looks younger when they sleep. Not Peeta. He still looks the same. Perfect, to me. Its about 5:00 am, which isn't very early for me. The perfect time for hunting. The animals are out early looking for food. The birds looking for worms, the deer finding the perfect patch of grass, the rabbits and squirrels too. I have to hunt for food for Gale's family since he still is working in the mines and Hazelle wont take any of my money.

I get dressed, put on my boots and my father's hunting jacket, and head out. I walk to the meadow and stand there for a second, taking in its beauty. Sometimes I sit here for hours thinking about everything before and after the rebellion. The games, how my mother neglected us for years, the quell, Rue, Prim, Peeta's hijacking, Finnick. I even come here to cry because I want to stay strong for Peeta's sake. I slip through the gate and grab my bow and quiver of arrows.

I try to shoot as much as I can so Gale's family has enough for five of them. There is Gale, Vick, Rory, Hazelle, and little Posy. They need food too. I feel bad every time I go over to bring them the food because I have so much money, supplies, and clothes. Everything anyone could ever need. They have almost nothing. But they have each other, and hope is stronger than fear.

I check my snares and catch 5 rabbits, 3 unsuspecting squirrels, and a wild dog. I reset the traps and save the dog for Greasy Sae. Almost all of the houses and buildings have been rebuilt, except for the train station. It is not needed since tributes don't need to be shipped off to the Capitol to get prepared for the Games. The mere thought of its name sends a shiver up my spine. As I hunt, I take down a turkey, a groosling, and 2 beavers. Hazelle will make a nice stew with them. She always does.

I have to walk through town to get back to the Seam. As I said before I volunteered, "District 12, where you can starve to death in safety." But I don't dare defy the Capitol anymore. They have broken me. Snow killed my sister, put me and Peeta through 2 Hunger Games. He hijacked Peeta's brain and made him forget our good memories. Now to pay for all that, he choked to death on his victim's blood. Probably from the tributes of earlier Games.

As I pass the bakery, tears threaten to spill down my face. Peeta's family once worked here. His brothers, his father, his mother. All of them taken down by the Capitol. Damn you, Snow. Peeta still works here, but he gets lonely. Not all the time though. I think kneading dough and frosting cakes helps him think about his past. I don't like to think about mine too much because to me they're sad, but to any ordinary person, they're devastating. Peeta. Sometimes he's all I worry about. He puts all his thoughts into his work, just as Cinna once did. He created Finnick and Annie's wedding cake, the cookies Snow and I shared before the Quell, the delicious cheese buns that are my favorite. His delicate flowers and intricate frosting patterns, mixed with his broad shoulders and muscular arms, you might not think he would be the way he is. Sweet yet broken. Like me.

I finally get to Gale's house, more like hut. Hazelle thanks me for the meat, and all Im left with is the wild dog. The Hob is on my way to the Victor's Village, so that's my next stop. Greasy Sae always says,"Special soup of the day is beef with carrots in a nice broth!" We all can taste the difference between beef and dog, but we eat it anyway. Somehow she manages to make it taste less gamey.

Last stop, home. Well, Peeta's home. We decided to move in together after the rebellion because neither one of us would last without sleeping in each others arms. He makes me feel safer. He chases away my nightmares. I used to wake up to night terrors with no one except Prim to comfort me. When I walk through the door, I hear the TV on, so I set down my game bag and walk into the living room. He says,"Hi."

-----------------------A.N.------------------------

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