Not real.

Chapter Thirteen: The Nightmare

*Gale*
   When I awake I'm not in Katniss's house. I'm laying on the floor of a room and all the walls are black. I stand up and my reflection appears on all four walls. I walk up to one of my reflections but it doesn't copy my motions. Instead it smiles at me.
"You failed her Gale." It says.
"Who?"
"You failed her Gale, you failed her."
All of a sudden my reflection is joined my images of Prim, Katniss, my mother, my brothers, Posy, rebellion soldiers, Finnick, Boggs, my dead squad members from the war, and countless district twelve citizens that I couldn't save. And all of them chant around me,"You failed us Gale, You failed us.."
I desperately try to fight my way out of this room but the glass keeps me in, no matter how hard I punch or ram myself into it. I slide down the wall and clamp my hands over my head hoping that the voices will go away. When I look up again, I'm in my cell in Kora's facility. Except when I look through the glass Katniss is in a cell next to me, she sees me and screams for help. She pounds on the glass and I try to get up, to run to her, but my ankle is chained to the floor. Kora appears behind her and smiles evilly at me. She takes a long needle and jabs it into Katniss. She screams more and more as Kora stabs the needle into her over and over again. I claw at the chains that hold me back from her until my fingers bleed.
Tears stream down my face as I am forced to watch Korah torture Katniss to death. Katniss screams and pleads for help that I am not able to give.
"Gaaaleee!!!"
I wake with a start. I'm covered in sweat, and at first I'm confused as to where I am but then I remember. I'm in Katniss's house, I'm in district twelve, Korah is dead, my family is alive, it was just a nightmare. But something still isn't right. Then I realize that Katniss is actually screaming and I jump out of bed and dash down the hall to her room.
I find her on the floor convulsing and screaming for help. She must've fallen out of bed, that's probably what triggered her nightmare. I pick her up and hold her in my lap.
"Katniss, It's okay Katniss!" I yell above her screaming. She wakes with a start, and immediately begins to cry. Her arms wrap around my neck and she buries her face in my chest.
My grip tightens around her, protecting her from the fear that constantly surrounds her. Her tenseness and grip don't ease up and I begin to worry about what kind of nightmare could cause this much terror.
I pick her up slowly and carry her over to a chair that sits in the corner of her room. After I sit down I use my thump to wipe away her tears.
"Hey, hey." I try to calm her down.
"Catnip it's okay, I'm here alright? It was only a nightmare, it wasn't real."
She sits up in my lap.
"We were in the first games and C-Cato he, he tied me up, a-and he used me for bait for-for you and then he..." She starts to sob but continues her story,
"He beat you death right in front of me and made me watch and then he left me there and I couldn't-I couldn't..."
I interrupt her before she can recall more horrifying images.
"Hey, look at me. I'm okay see? I'm alright, nothing's gonna happen to me or you. Not while I'm around. I'm here okay?" She nods her head but her tears don't cease.
"Oh Catnip, don't cry, shh." I whisper softly into her ear. She begins to calm down and her death grip on my neck begins to loosen. I press my lips to her temple, and stand up to carry her to her bed. I lie her down and bring her blankets to her chin. I whisper goodnight to her and am about to leave when she grabs my hand.
"Gale," she says in a small voice. I know what she's asking and I nod my head letting her know she doesn't have to ask. I lie down next to her and she snuggles up close to me.
"Your freezing!" I exclaim, and wrap my arms around her to warm her up. I'm worried if I don't she might die of hypothermia never mind what my nightmares come up with. She sniffles and laughs lightly.
"Well I wasn't born warm-blooded like you were." She says sarcastically.
"Well I'm glad I have some warm blood in me, your icy fingers might've frozen it all." She laughs as I rub my hands up and down her back trying to cause some friction.
"Gale." She says in a voice like a child.
My eyes find her and I wrap her cold hands in my warm ones.
"Catnip." I reply.
"I'm glad you're home." She says softly. I wrap my arms around her once more.
"Me too." I whisper into her hair. She sighs and her breathing evens out.
I love you Catnip. My mind says. Maybe one day I'd be able to say it aloud and not be rejected like before. No, I would say it. But only after she did. She needed to be ready before I added that stress on her. If she tells me first then I'll know it's real. Even if she doesn't ever say those words I'm never going to leave her again. And if it comes to it then those four words will be my last. But until it comes to that I'll plan on waiting for her, and fighting for her.
With that though in mind I tighten my grip protectively around Katniss. And for the first time in a long time I fall asleep peacefully.