The Symbolic Hunger Games

Chapter 12 - Day three

*flashback*
I see Pearl and Rock sitting by a bonfire, grilling some meat. It must be something they've killed in the forest. I just hope it isn't toxic like it was in Haymitch's games.
I turn around once more to see Peeta sleep.
Then I heard Pearl scream, and I turn around as quickly as I can.
*end of flashback*

I see Pearl lying on the ground with a axe in her back.
She screams, screams full with pain that makes me get goosebumps. I gasp and try to catch my breath but I can't.
The little Pearl are gonna die. Rock couldn't save her. He couldn't save his cousin, I won't be able to see her nice green eyes full with love.

I start to cry. She wanted to survive. I don't know what to do I'm feeling speechless.
I see Rock, kneeling down beside Pearl, hesitating and don't know what to do. His ice blue eyes are full with horror, hatred, sorrow and revenge.
He puts Pearl's head in his lap.
>> It was you that were supposed to survive.<< he sobs.
>> Rock, can you win for me?<< she says as a tear fells silently down her rosy red cheek.
He nods and smiles at her.
>> I will, I will kill them all.<< he says with a big hatred in his voice.
Pearl's eyes starts to flutter and before he could say anything else she had fallen into a endless sleep.
I see a tear falling down his cheek. As one tear, the beginning of a storm. I hear him sobbing.
I ground myself crying floods. My little Pearl. She was so innocent and sweet. She was so caring and now, she's dead.
Johanna watches me as I cries, she walks over to me and pulls me in to a hug.
>> Make them pay for it.<< she says, the same sentence as she said before I was going up to my interview in the Quarter Quell.
I nod.

I caught myself forgetting that Peeta is still fast asleep at the couch. I walk to him and sits down on the corner of the sofa.
>> Peeta.<< I say, I'm hearing my voice cracks, since I cried just a few minutes ago.
He murmurs a bit and then his eyes are fluttered open and he looks up at me with his blue eyes.
>> What is it Katniss?<< he asks when he sees that I've cried.
I wait a little before I answer him.
>> Pearl is dead.<< I say and I start to break down into tears again.
He looks at me as he's waiting for me to say "just a joke". He looks so confused and I see the sorrow in his eyes.
He sits up and hugs me.
>> Come, sit here.<< he says and patting with his hands in his lap.
I sit down in his lap and he hugs me from behind. I feel as he buries his face into my shoulder.
>> I'm so sorry.<< he says and I can hear as his voice cracks.

We sit down together by the screens again.
Hand in hand, and I'm still red eyed and snoring and sobbing sometimes, since my little Pearl is dead. She's gone. It's my fault. It's all my fault that she's dead. I voted for this. I chose these games. For Prim, who is ALIVE.
I put my hands up to my ears to cut all the noises out and I scream.
Everyone in the room looks at me and I start to cry.
Josh walks to a phone by the wall and calls Effie.
I hear him mumble quietly and hung up on the phone.
He walks back to me and starts rubbing my back in an attempt to calm me down a little. I cry even more.
>> Katniss, Effie's on her way, she'll watch over Rock for half a day so we can rest.<< he says calmly and helps me get up from the chair.
I follow with him to the door and Effie trips in in yellow and red clothes with gold earrings.
>> Come back in 5 hours.<< she says and sits down by our table.
Peeta nods and follows me up to the penthouse.

We both lay down in our bed and just look up on the ceiling. All I see is white. A white ocean. I imagine me float around in a white ocean, nothing else but a blue sky.
Peeta looks at me. I can see the sadness in his eyes, but he haven't cried.
I don't know how I'm gonna forget the pain. I roll over to Peeta and stops on top of him.
He looks at me with confused eyes.
>> What are you doing?<< he asks.
>> Shhh...<< I cut him off with my lips.
He kisses me back and I can feel as a tear makes its way down my cheek. Peeta kisses the tear away and I smile a smile I think looks more painful than happy.
I kiss him harder this time. I don't wanna feel the pain. I wanna feel Peeta, feel safe, like a child.
I grab the bottom of my shirt and pulls it off of me.
He looks at me confused.
>> Don't... Don't say anything okay?<< I say and looks at him.
Before he can answer I cut him off by my lips again. His hands finds it way to my hips and squeezes them hard, hinting me that he wants too.
I pull his shirt off his body, revealing his abs and I stop, for a bit a little breathless. He grabs my head and kisses me with much passion.
He turns around, and now he's on top of me. He crawls in between my legs and kisses me.
>> What do we do now?<< he asks me.
>> I guess we try to forget.<< I say, a little out of breath.
He nods and smiles.
>> But I don't wanna forget.<< he says.
>> You don't? Why not?<< I ask him.
>> The thing that makes us humans is pain and sorrow, not just luck and be happy.<< he says.
I smile at his super cute quote.
I unclip my bra and throws it on the floor.

I wake up two hours later, we have two hours left before we have to go back to the mentors room. I decide to wake up Peeta so I shake his arm that's around me. I see his eyelashes flutter and his eyes opens.
>> Hi.<< I say.
>> Good morning.<< he says.
>> More good afternoon.<< I say in a smile.
He smiles back and kisses me. I kiss him back.
>> So what should we do now? We have two hours left yo relax.<< I say and jump out of bed.
>> I dunno, we can watch a movie?<< Peeta suggests.
>> Sounds good, pick a romantic one.<< I say in a smirk.
Peeta seems to be in a extra happy today. He nods and smiles a cute stupid smile on me and raise up from the bed.
When I walk to the bathroom I moan in pain. Ouch, my hips hurt.
>> What's wrong?<< Peeta asks.
>> Nothing.<< I mumble. I don't want him to feel bad that I feel pain. So I decide to keep it for myself.
He walks up to me, in just underwear and I try my best just to look into his eyes.
>> No, what's wrong?<< he asks and looks at me with his sea blue eyes.
I shake my head and blush, I really don't know why I blush. I look down on my feet so he can't look me in my eyes.
>> Do you feel pain?<< he asks me worriedly.
>> Okay, I feel pain in my hips.<< I say.
>> Let's skip the movie and take a bath instead.<< he says and smiles at me.
I nod a little, I don't know if this would help but I think he knows these kind of things better than I do.
He carries me into the bathroom and let me down and starts to fill the bath tub with hot water. It looks like it's gonna help actually. I hope it does. When it's done filling he holds a hand out for me. I grab his hand and lowers me into the bath. I moan, it feels so much better. He undresses himself and sit down in the bath tub behind me.
He hugs me from behind.
>> Better?<< he asks.
>> Mhmmm...<< I say and close my eyes.
He buries his face into my shoulder.
>> I'm so sorry that you feel pain.<< he says.
>> It's fine, it's not that much pain. It just feels a little when I walk.<< I say.
>> Okay.<< he says into my shoulder.
He starts doing soothing circulations on my back. I feel so relaxed.
>> Have you ever...<< I ask him as the question pops into my head.
>> Well, uhm... I dunno if it will count as "love". << he says.
>> What?<< I ask.
>> Once. I've done it once.<< he says.
>> With who?<< I ask.
>> I don't really know. I was in a girl's house with some of my friends and we got free alcohol from the old lady that used to sell home made in the hob.<< he says.
I nod, don't wanna go into details. I thought I should feel jealous but since he don't remember the girl's name I don't feel so jealous. He's only loved me and I feel special for that.
I turn around and kiss him.
>> I love you.<< I say and smile at him.
He kisses me back.
>> I love you so so so so so so so much.<< he says and buries his face into my shoulder again.

It's been two hours and we are walking hand in hand to the mentor's room.
We knock on the door and walk into the room.
>> We're back now Effie.<< I say and she nods and trips away to the food cart.
We both shut down by the screen, it's been changed to one instead of two, because we only have one tribute left to look after. I suddenly feel Peeta look at me. I look back at him and he smiles supportively on me. I smile back.
Two minutes later I feel his hand rest on my leg. I look down on his hand and smile for myself and I can feel how I'm blushing.

Rock hasn't been doing much. He's been sitting in a tree all day, it probably is because he wants to sorrow for Pearl. I understand him. I look at the screen and I see that he looks a little pale. I don't know if he's got water or food.
I turn around to Peeta.
>> Should we send down a piece of bread and a water bottle for him?<< I ask him.
>> Okay.<< he says and nods.
I go to the sponsor section to search for a sponsor that's generous enough to sen pad him a piece of bread and a water bottle. I find someone that wanna send him it so I pick up the bread and the water bottle and sending it down to the hovercraft that will send it to the arena.
I walk back to Peeta and I see the parachute falling down over him. He sees it and takes it, looking around and mumbling a thank you before eating it up.

I get quickly tired and the next thing I remember is that I fell asleep in Peeta's lap. I felt safe there and got calm quickly as Peeta stroked my hair calmingly. I hear him whisper in my ear: >> I love you Katniss.<< before I fell asleep.

****
Okay, this chapter was a little shorter than the other ones, but I hope you like it!😊
Xxx Hanna