I do, I need you. #wattys2016

Back in Thirteen.

Gale sets me down, Peeta grabs my hand pulling me down the tunnel. We follow Pollux as I scream in pain, Boggs flashlight shines and at the very end of the tunnel, I see eyes.

Now normally, an animals eyes are a yellowish gold. But these eyes, are red. Blood red and shine brightly, when he shines it again upon my request, the eyes are gone and probably submerged under the three feet of water.

The hisses begins again. "Katniss....Katniss."

"Peeta, hand me my bow." I whisper. He takes it off his back and I slide a explosive arrow into the slot. I let it fly recklessly and fire erupts from the tunnel. I see outlines of the mutts bodies.

"This way!" Castor shouts. Pollux points to a small slot in the wall, we have to crawl through. Pollux crawls first, checking to make sure it's safe. When it's safe, I go then Peeta and Gale and then everyone else. Boggs is last shining his light to be sure it's safe for him to go. He looks for a long time before he turns it off, he turns facing us; as if he knows he shines the light again. All of a sudden bunches of bodies appear tearing him to threads.

"BOGGS!" I scream. "BOGGS NO!"

"GET TO SAFETY." He bellows before his screams fill our ears. They push me in the middle of the pact and tears fill my eyes, everyone dying because of me. I should have just eaten the stupid berries and died like I was supposed to. None of this would have been happening. But as Coin said, we might have had to wait another seventy-five years for another rebellion to spark.

"Here!" Castor screams. We find the hatch and everyone runs through. There's a ledge at the end making everyone fall into a small sticky pool of black liquid.

"Tar." I mumble.

We stand and Gale pulls Snow to his feet by his shoulder roughly. "Let's go." He hisses. We step from the pond onto the main mansion road. The road is split into three sections, to get into the mansion.

The sections and road are packed. Capitol citizens are pushing against the gates trying to get in the mansion for safety.

Peacekeepers are blocking the gate as a message plays saying for children to be handed to the front. They will be helped first and kept the safest. Parents are handing their children up rapidly, the kids scream for their parents as the parents show no emotion at all.

I catch a glimpse of a braid of dirty blonde hair. "Prim?" I yell. "PRIMROSE! PRIMROSE EVERDEEN." Parachutes appear in the sky, like the ones in the games.

Children and parents reach for them as some of them chant 'gifts, gifts'. I already have a bad feeling about this.

The parachutes reach the hands of the refugees and explode. "PRIM!" I scream. She turns looking and running towards me.

And that's when the second wave of bombs go off.

***

I wake in a hospital bed, with Haymitch standing at the end of the bed. My shoulder and leg is wrapped in layers of thick gauze.

"Prim...Peeta....!" I gasp.

"Don't speak sweetheart. Hold on." He runs from the room and brings back a nurse. A nurse I realize is my mother.

She averts my eyes checking my vitals. She injects something into my IV's and goes to turn back around. "Mom..." I whisper. "She's dead isn't she?"

A few tears fall before she nods. "Yes dear, she is." I nod and she walks from the room. I don't have the urge to cry, not get at least.

"Where's Peeta?" I ask.

"The boy's asleep, in your compartment."

"Can you get him?" I ask.

"Already been called." I nod. He waits a few seconds before speaking. "The execution is in two days." He speaks.

I just nod. The door slides open with a swish and Peeta runs in. "I'll let you the alone." He steps from the room as Peeta holds my hand tight.

"Katniss, you scared me to death. You've been asleep a week!" He cries into side. "I thought you were never gonna wake up."

"I'm sorry Peeta." I whisper. His lips find mind blindly and he kisses me slowly. It's the first time in a while I feel his touch. "I love you so much Peeta."

"I love you too.." He sits down.

"Did Gale make it?" I ask. Peeta stays silent.

"He hasn't been around much.." Peeta admits.

"Why not? Is he hurt?"

"No Katniss..Those parachutes... they were his ..." My mind goes numb, the beeping on my machine quickens and Peeta shrieks. "I never should have told you! Stay with me Katniss please! Please, Katniss. I need you .... don't leave me-" Then my eyes fall shut.

I wake back up with an oxygen mask on, Peeta has my hand in a death grip as he sleeps silently. I do my best to squeeze it but I can barely move my fingers. He shakes his head awake and he almost instantly starts sobbing hard. "That's twice in one day Katniss. Please, your heart and breathing stopped."

He kisses me slowly, running his fingers through my tangled brown hair. His tears and mine combine. "Don't ever leave me again.."

"I need to speak with Gale."

"Katniss, Are you sure?" He asks warily.

"Yes." He kisses me again and rushes out of the room and leaves me alone. My body begins to take in shakes and I think about what I know is true. "My name is Katniss Everdeen. I'm seventeen years old. I am from district twelve. I was in the hunger games twice. We were rescued by district thirteen. Twelve was bombed and doesn't exist. We captured snow. And I will kill snow."

By the time I've said it fifty times over, there's a knock on the door. Peeta comes in first, sitting next to my bed in a chair he pulls close to me. Gale stands at the foot of my bed. "Hey Catnip." He says in a sad tone, he looks me in the eyes.

"Why haven't you been around much?" I ask like it isn't obvious.

"I can't tell you Katniss.." He murmurs.

"Yes you can Gale. Now tell me."

"When you left for your first games, I promised to keep your family alive and safe. I also promised myself i'd keep Peeta alive, for your sake because I knew you'd be broken. But I broke my promise. I broke it terribly with my own stupidity and recklessness. I'm so sorry." He starts to cry leading me to believe he actually is sorry.

But i can't forgive him. I'll never forgive him, not for killing my little sister. Not for risking his life in this rebellion. "Well?" He whimpers with tears in his eyes.

I collect all the strength in my body I can clenching onto Peeta's hand. "Goodbye Gale."

And with that, he's out of the door. And it's official, I've lost my best friend, hunting partner, cousin, gaurdian, sometimes lover. All words I used when I tried to decipher my feelings for the man who killed my sister.