Fire is Raging On (A Hunger Games Fanfic) [#Wattys 2016]

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Peeta's POV

I can feel the heaviness in my eyes and limbs. I haven't been sleeping the best for the past few days. Well, I haven't been sleeping the best since Vada's taken over. The Snow's have taken over again. But recently it's been worse the past few nights, last night in particular was bad. The worse since the Games. I think even some nights during the Games were better than last night. I couldn't sleep a wink. Every time I would start dozing off I was jerked awake.

Nightmares have been raging through my mind. I thought I was used to nightmares eating away at me. Nothing in the Games could have prepared me for the nightmares I was having last night. They were leaving me waking drenched in sweat, my entire body shaking. I remember my mouth forming soundless screams, but nothing would come out. For that I'm glad. I don't want to wake Katniss or Willow with the evidence of my nightmares. I don't want to put Katniss through having to take care of me again when I'm like that. I know she would do in a heartbeat, but I don't want to burden her with it.

Now I lay in our bed, Katniss could tell how tired I am today. She told me not to come back down until I've gotten some sleep. So, now I'm staring at the ceiling of our bedroom with my lids drooping, and I'm dragged into sleep and into my nightmares.

It's dark and the sound of the wind howling breaks the silence of the night. It howls through the house like a window has been left open. Except that we never leave the windows open at night. We always keep them locked up tight. With the window opening the temperature is dropping in the house. I shiver as the temperature drops below a comfortable temperature. It seems like a much colder night than what is normal for late August. Another series of shivers travel through my body. I roll over in bed, searching and reaching for Katniss. My hands come up empty as they sweep across the bed. I wipe the sleep out of my eyes and sit up against the headboard.

I know Katniss has only left the bed recently. The place she was laying still slightly warm from her body. Maybe she just went to check on Willow. I'll go get her and tell her to just bring Willow back to bed with us. I stumble a little as I get out of bed.

The door of the room is closed which is odd if Katniss only went to check on Willow. I open the the door to the hallway and am instantly blasted by a wave of cold air. I shiver harder and wrap my arms around myself. I can see Willow's door is closed, but the light is slipping out from the crack underneath. Willow must have woke up.

I'm about to go to Willow's room when I hear a creak. A feeling of unease settles over me. I turn to look down the other direction of the hall. The only things down that way are my art room and a linen closet. The door to my art room is swaying back and forth in the wind. That's weird I always keep that door closed. I walk to my art room; the temperature gets colder the closer I get. As I enter the room the wind picks up. It howls through the window. Why is that window open? I don't leave that window open ever. I don't want the elements to come through the window and ruin my art work.

I quickly shut the window, the room instantly warming after the onslaught of wind stops. I shrug and quickly check over my artwork. Nothing seems wrong or out of place, so I shrug once more before walking to Willow's room. The closer I get the more uneasy I feel. It's almost overpowering by the time I reach the door. My hands press against the wood of the seemingly heavier than normal door. Light washes over me as I finally push the door open. Katniss stands on the other side, panic written across her terrified face. Her hair is a tangled mess and covered in something dark and wet. Willow's cries interrupt the silence of the room, and I realize we're not alone.

Vada stands holding Willow, a sinister smile gracing her face. Cynthia stands behind Katniss; a knife pressed into her neck. Blood covers the knife as Cynthia presses harder. It drips and soaks into Katniss's long hair.

"Say goodbye to your mommy and daddy, Willow. I'm going to take good care of you," Vada coos into Willow's ear.

I shoot up in the bed, once again drenched in sweat and shaking. Katniss sleeps beside me, her face void of the stress we have both recently put under. She looks so much and younger and peaceful in sleep. I look toward the window to see the trees moving in the wind. The sky much darker than normal with the clouds covering the stars.

The same feeling of unease from my dream lingers with me. My heart hasn't stopped pounding in my chest. I take a few deep breaths, but I long to hold my little girl in my arms. I slowly get out of bed, careful not to wake Katniss. I walk through the hall, the house feeling cold though physically it's warm. It's like a sense of dread lingers over me. I push open Willow's door desperately seeking my little angel. It's quite in the room, too quite. I walk to Willow's crib and terror freezes my veins.

She's gone! My little Willow is gone! "Katniss!" I scream. I hear her stumbling out of bed and running to Willow's room.

"Peeta, what's wrong?" she says breathless.

"She's gone," I sob pushing out of the room and running down the stairs. I push out the front door and look up to see a hovercraft with the Capitol seal rising in the sky. Vada!

"Peeta? What's going on?" Katniss says, catching up with me.

I sink to the ground sobbing. My heart feels like it's being ripped out of my chest and run over repeatedly. She's out of my reach. My baby is out of my reach and in the hands of a monster. "They got her. They took her. She took our baby," I sob brokenly.

"What?" Katniss asks still confused.

"I had a dream. It came true," I whisper into my hands.

"Peeta, please explain," Katniss pleads, kneeling down beside me.

I take in a deep breath and shakingly start telling Katniss about my dream and what just happened.

~FIRO~

It's the next morning. Neither Katniss and I have gone back to sleep. We couldn't, not after what happened. Our daughter, our baby is gone. We haven't talked since I finished telling Katniss about my dream and the events of last night. We sit on the couch in silence; my arms wrapped around Katniss.

A sudden sound of the TV makes the both of look up. The Captiol seal that's been burned into my mind since last night flashes across the screen. Vada stands with our Willow on the screen.

"As you can see here, I have Willow Mellark, daughter of Peeta and Katniss Mellark. No worries anyone. I'm not going to hurt a hair on her precious little head. You see this is a message for Peeta and Katniss. Peeta and Katniss, I know you're listening or at I'm hoping you are, if you ever want your darling daughter here back, come to the Capitol and get her. Just turn yourself in and I'll give you her back. All you have to do is come to the Capitol. I only want to talk to the both of you. Now that's out of the way, happy 76th Hunger Games, people of Panem!" 

So I'm sure you all hate me for what's happened with Willow (I'm sorry). But you should be happy because I updated on Thursday this week too. Now I was going to write chapter 22 today, but when I opened up my laptop I'm just not feeling it. Like I know what I want to happen in the chapter, but the words and how to get there are escaping me. So I think instead I may spend the day doing a bigger and deeper outline of the rest of the novel. I started changing things from my original novel and now my outline is kind of fucked up looking. So it desperately needs me to just fix it. -- Alexis