Sparks

Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

Why don't I just die? Why I don't I just run away. Don't tell anyone where I'm going. I'll never be safe from him. He'll always haunt me in my dreams and when I'm awake. Just when I think I'm safe, he's back. He's been alive all those years. He's been hiding in that house I saw by the meadow. He's been so close to me and I never even knew it. Now I know for sure that I'll never have a chance with kids. Peeta will never be a father. I'll never be a mother. They would never survive this world that we live in. This world that is never safe. That you can't run away from. That you must face with courage and strength.

Someone has been visiting each district. Every citizen in Panem other than District 3 and 12, have been injected with tracker jacker venom. The same kind Peeta was tortured with. They have all been made to see me as an enemy, a threat to them all. Every positive thought of me saving them from Snow is gone. Its buried deep in there brains. There is hope like there was for Peeta, but there's a lot of people.

I sit in my room, shaking, rocking back in forth in a ball on my bed. Just staring forward. I don't dare leave my room forever. I can't trust anyone anymore.

"Katniss?" Peeta knocks on the door. He knows. He was with Haymitch when they received the message from Paylor. "Katniss, please let me in."

No one can calm me. Not even Peeta. But a wave of anger and frustration covers me. I stand up and open the door. I look Peeta straight in the eyes with anger.

"Katniss?" He asks confused.

I shove past him and make for Haymitches house. When I walk in Haymitch is sitting on the sofa. Just sitting there. "Hello sweetheart." He says with a crooked smile.

I grab his shirt and pull him up. "When did you find out about this?" I demand.

"Woa! Calm down girl." I let go and we both sit down. "Paylor came in present a couple hours before you found me at the Hob. I was going to get you, but we couldn't find you." says Haymitch.

"Listen Katniss, Snow is planning something. He's made his army of people, you know that. Those bodies you found in the woods, mutations. We don't know what yet, but by your descriptions, vicious and ruthless. He's managed to be in secret for two years in that house, working with someone. We don't know who, but someone who is smart and is willing to risk everything at every cost. Snow is furious, he's not planning anything for a couple more months, but we better act fast before he finds out we know of his existence."

"Okay. What do I need to do?"

"Continue on normally. Like you don't know anything. Your going to get married, and be in love with Peeta. We will work on this and give you updates."

"You are going to tell me everything this time, right?" Last time he lied to me, everything bad you could ever imagine happened.

"Yes, Katniss. I will tell you everything." He reassures me.

I walk back to my house to find Peeta sitting on the sofa with his head in between his knees. When he hears me he lifts his head. "Katniss?" He stands up and wraps his arms around me tightly. I hug him back with my arms clinging to the back of his shirt. I don't dare cry or Peeta will lose it.

"Peeta?" I say into his neck.

"Yeah?" Peeta responds.

"When are we getting married?" I ask.

"Whenever you want," says Peeta.

"Now." He pulls his head from my shoulder and smiles. "Lets get married today." I say.

"Okay." Peeta smiles.

There's no need for me to rent a white dress, because I have Cinnas clothes. I pick a simple white dress with white floral patterns. I put my hair up in the braid my mother did for the first reaping. Peeta wears a simple black tux. No one comes to this event. We wanted it to be special, and it's most likely we will be having a more festive and ridiculous wedding in the Capitol afterwards.

I walk down the stairs to find Peeta waiting by the door. He turns and smiles at me. I run into his open arms and kiss him. He closes his arms around my waist and kisses me back.

We sign the forms at the Justice Building as usual. And since we already live together, we aren't assigned one. After we've signed the forms, Peeta picks me up bridal style and carries me into our house.

Peeta has a collection of his own cakes and we decide on the smallest one he has. Just plain white with a simple white rose on top. We eat cake, build our fire, and toast bread. Well Peeta does most of the toasting since he's the expert. After we toasted, we were really married. That's how it's done in 12.

Peeta carries me bridal style upstairs to our bedroom and lies me down on the bed. This was going to be our official kiss as husband and wife. He stands over me as he leans in slowly and presses his lips to mine. I grab his shoulders, bringing him down on the bed next to me. I climb over him and kiss him gently.

I lean down by his ear and whisper, "I love you."

"I love you too." He says back.

It's time like these that not even Snows return can ruin, because I know to make the most of it because it won't be the same for a while.