The Beginning of the End

Chapter 10

-Peeta-

     Turning the key, the car began to rumple. I became extremely nervous. I had the love of my life to worry about and then the rest of us. I grip the steering wheel for dear life, even though it hasn't started moving. I wait but nothing happens.

     "Go, you idiot! What are you waiting for?" Haymitch growls. 

     "Nothing's happening!" I yell. Gale cracks up and Haymitch unbuckles and crouches behind me. He points to two petals on the ground. 

     "That's the gas petal, and that's the brake. You have to hit the gas petal with your foot to make it go, and the brakes to make it stop." he explains, surprisingly patient. I nod and slam my foot all the way down. The car lurches forward and I immediately slam on the brakes. We're all thrown forward and I hear Katniss scream behind me.

     "Gently!" Haymitch grunts. Slowly, I lower my foot on the gas. It starts to move and  I begin to get the hang of it...until I run over a curb in front of me. Katniss gasps as she's thrown from the seat.

     "Get a seat belt on her." I snap at Gale.

     "You need to steer." Haymitch says through gritted teeth. He's losing his patience. 

     "If you're so good at this, why don't you drive?" I shout. He laughs.

     "I have to stay back here with Princess to make sure she doesn't murder you." I roll my eyes and keep driving over the curb. Turning the wheel, I'm able to get us out of the parking lot safely. Until Katniss regains all movement. She rips off her duct tape and blindfold, and unbuckles herself.

     "Please put that back on. I don't want to kill you." I say anxiously.

     "Well good, because I want to kill you. And that's exactly what I'm going to do." she says to me. I shudder at how deadly her voice sounds. She lunges for me and I swerve, very nearly missing a passing car. They honk and I re-adjust. Haymitch and Gale have already thrown themselves on a screaming Katniss. 

     "I hope you rot. You killed them! Finnick, Cinna. Prim." her voice cracks on her name and she starts to cry. It takes all my willpower not to stop the car and comfort her. 

     "Let go of me, I'm not going to kill him yet." she says. They don't move. "I said let go!" she screams, and throws them off of her, but doesn't come at me. "I want to see him suffer." She brings her lips to my ear and whispers, "I'm not just going to kill you. I'm going to make sure you die in the most slow, painful way possible. Just like you deserve." I shudder and swerve. She laughs and sits back in her seat.

     After many panic attacks, maniacal laughter from Katniss, impatience from Haymitch, and lots of honking horns, we finally pull into the train station alive.

     Once we board, we lock Katniss in her old room. She screams and pounds on the door, but after awhile she calms down. Walking around this train reminds me of the games. How helpless I felt both times. I nearly laugh at the irony. I feel helpless this time as well, since there's nothing I can do to help Katniss. I look around at the familiar dining cart. Haymitch is leaning back in his chair with his feet on the table and a glass of scotch in his hand. Same-old same-old. Gale's flipping through the channels on TV, and I'm picking at some chocolate covered strawberries an avox brought. I sigh; the only people missing are Katniss and Effie.

     "I'm going to check on her." I say, a bit worried that she's been quiet for so long. They nod.

     "Be careful." Haymitch says. I wave him off. I walk to her room, take a deep breath, and knock.

     "Come in." a bored voice says. I smile; she's sounding like herself again. I enter and her hands twitch when she sees me, like she's just dying to get them around my throat.

     "Hi Katniss." I say. "I brought you some strawberries." I reach the tray of beautifully decorated strawberries out to her and she just looks at them.

     Then all of a sudden, she growls and throws her arms up, knocking the tray out of my hands. Coming at me, she pins me to the wall, slamming her fist repeatedly in my gut. The breath is knocked out of me and with ever punch the pain intensifies until I begin to see black spots dance around my vision. Unable to suck in a breath to scream for help, I attempt to fight back, but the pain in my stomach is making it impossible to do so. I fall to the ground and she kicks my chest, my stomach, my shoulder, repeatedly. I feel at least three ribs shatter, and this time I am able to scream as her foot slams down on my already broken ribs. One more kick and Gale and Haymitch are on top of her, tackling her to the ground. Every breath hurts worse than another kick and I scream again as Haymitch lifts me off the ground and carries me. 

     "It's okay. I've got you, you're going to be just fine, I'm here." I focus on his words and finally the pain makes me lose consciousness. 

-Katniss-

     Gale holds me down until I stop struggling.

     "Katniss, Peeta loves you." he says taking my hand. I almost want t o laugh at how ridiculous that sounds.

     "But I don't love him. I hate him. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!!" I scream, hoping he heard me.

     "You do love him." Gale says, tears in his eyes. I look at him and calm down.

     "No, I love you." I tell him. He buries his face in his hands and shakes it.

     "I love you too, Catnip. But you don't really love me that way. That's just the venom talking." he says sadly. Suddenly a strong emotion washes over me, like a memory. I can see Peeta on stage with Ceaser Flickerman, moving like everything hurts him. I feel a deep, deep sadness and fear for him. He loves me. 

     "The Capitol...they have him." I tell Gale. He looks at me, as confused as I am. "We have to save him! Snow..he has Peeta!!" I trail off, two new memories blocking my train of thought. I see Peeta's face, full of anger, killing Prim, Finnick, Cinna, everyone I've ever cared about.

     "Peeta's here, he's safe here with us." Gale says in a reassuring tone. I throw my hands in the air, exasperated.

     "Then why haven't we killed him yet??" I say. Gale sighs and shakes his head at me. He leaves, leaves me wondering what is real or not real.