Under the Willow

Chapter 18

  At first, it was silent. But a loud explosion interrupted our thoughts. Rory and I were just in the woods when it happened.
" Rory?" I said, clutching his arm.
" They're bombs."
  " What?"
  " They're bombs!" he said, pulling me along.
  " Run!"

   My feet felt like weights as I ran out of the forest. At first I thought that they were near us. But until the trees exploded into splinters, and I knew they were targeting the forest.
" Don't let go of me!" I shouted, trembling.
  " I promise. I won't."
With that he grabbed my hand tighter. Sometimes it was my wrist. Other times it was just our fingers. But he never let go. We met Gale and my mom in front of the the center of 12. " We need to get back to the forest, now." Gale said, beckoning us to follow.
" Buttercup!" I cried. " We need to go back for Buttercup!"  

" There's no time. Now!"

As we were running towards the fence, I herd screaming, almost hysterical. Woman and men walked out, covered in blood or soot. Others ran around on fire.
" Why don't we just go to the mines?!?!"
" It's not safe." Gale answered, his grey eyes steady as we walked through the area just bombed that wasn't on fire. " A tunnel could easily collapse from a bomb."

  After six horrifying minutes, we all final reached the fence. Gale and all the miners helped about 700, including us, to the lake. It may seem a lot, but that's only out of 10,000.
   A screaming Delly Cartwright came into view.
" Delly, what's wrong?" I asked, noticing her face was plastered with soot and ash.
" I.. I was just behind the shoe shop and it just.."
" Where's my brother?" Delly screamed frantically.
A little boy, averaging about seven, crawled under Delly's arms. " Delly where were you?" he asked in his little toddler voice. " I was waiting for my cupcake."
Hugging her brother while sobbing, she pulled out a pink cupcake. He munched right into it, a bright smile gathering onto his face.
" Where are the Mellarks?" Mom asked.
" They were the first ones bombed. Then the people. Then the mayor."
Mom's eyes started to fill with tears, and I knew why. Mom was best friends with the mayor's wife when they were younger, more fresh with beauty.

" Thank you Delly," she replied not even looking at her. I thought she would go into another depression, but instead she was scanning the area. " Prim, there's about three hundred wounded coming in. Let's set up an area." We managed to lay down some blankets many generous people let us borrow, and I collected some sage, catnip, and tansy from the forest. We could only treat so many burns. I'd never seen so many people die in front of me in my life. Mom and I would continue working, and the miners would line up the bodies. Rory helped out a bit too with the patients, but he was still learning. After an hour past, Gale and Rory were reunited with their family.
" What caused the Capital to bomb us?" I asked Gale.

" You know the answer to that Prim."

And I did. Because we were the ones to create a leader. Even though I didn't watch the Games, I knew who it was.

My sister, Katniss Everdeen.