Broken: A Hunger Games Fan Fiction

Chapter Nine

“What the hell, Peeta!” I said as I came out of my room. “You are going to stay home with the kids! They can’t loose either of us; both of us would kill them! Did the government set you up for this?”

“Katniss, I don’t want to fight with you-“

                “Then answer me!” I yelled. I was furious at the fact that Peeta was obviously avoiding the fact that he’d make a surprise visit here and join war in the letter.

                “The government didn’t set me up; I signed up after I left you. Haymitch will be watching the kids. They’ll be alright, Katniss.” He went over to me and tried to hug me and I pushed him away.   “Closing me out will only make this war harder on you.” As always, he was right.

                “Fine” I said sitting down across from him. He had cooked some bread and eggs, which weren’t a shock since he usually loved cooking that. There was another plate for Kale, which was empty. “I’m going to find Kale.” I said getting up and then walking into his room. He was still asleep, looking even younger.

                “Kale” I whispered walking over to him. “Wake up, Kale.” I smoothed a piece of his hair out of his face and saw him open his eyes slowly.

                “I want to go to sleep forever. I don’t want to wake up.” I wondered what had made Kale say that. He seemed like such a strong young man, not one to open up about his feelings and wishes.

                “Kale, are you okay?”

                “I’ll never be good enough. The only reason I’m here is because my family put in twenty slips with my name in it just so my father wouldn’t have to go and they could have more food.” He started crying again. “My family wants me dead. My dad is dying and my mom is leaving once he dies. I’ll be alone if I get back from war.”

                “Oh, Kale.” I said holding him close to me. “If you ever end up alone, look for me. You can live with me. I want the best for you.” I hugged him even tighter once he started crying more. I heard the door open and Peeta sat next to us. There was nothing much to be said anymore. The war was starting in a few hours, and in a few minutes we’d all be separated to get prepared. “Remember Kale, you’re a hero. No matter what. You’ll live as a hero, or die as one.”

                It made Kale smile. Maybe the fact thought that he wouldn’t be forgotten, like he had thought, helped him pull through it. He hugged me, crying less, and thanking me over and over.

                Kale told us other personal stories about himself. How kids made fun of him and when he stood up for himself, he was blamed. When he was younger, he was poor, like I had been. “Your story inspired me Katniss. You’re the reason I’m still breathing.”

                It took my breath away. Yes, all of Peeta’s compliments and love meant the world to me, but the fact that I had inspired someone that I had never met, blew me away.

Cinna told us to go to our makeup artists and designers to go get ready for the war. The moment of leaving them was bittersweet, but I knew I’d see them out on the battlefield. I walked with Cinna over to the room. He left my hair alone, which made me suspicious. I had expected him to put it into a braid like he had done for the Hunger Games. He applied some makeup, but it was natural. He gave me the uniform to change into.

                Once I was into my uniform, I walked outside and saw the boys were already finished. Kale looked like a grown, strong young man and very mature for his age in the uniform. Peeta had his hair combed back. But they weren’t leaving yet. “Alright boys, it’s time” said Cinna leading them into the room I had just been in. I sat down in the chair next to the room and heard the sound of a electric razor buzzing. Their hair was getting shaved off. I grabbed onto mine realizing my hair would be cut.

I watched as they walked out. Peeta’s hair wasn’t fully shaved but was cut about halfway so that only the hair on the top of his head was left. Kale went out of the box and fully shaved head. He used to have medium length brown hair, which was now cut off.

                I smiled at them and gave Kale a thumbs up before I went in to get my hair cut. I watched Cinna play with my hair as he was thinking of how to cut it. He finally decided to cut my hair just above my shoulders.

                I walked outside to see Peeta and Kale completely shocked with my cut. I had looked like a different woman, and I could tell that Peeta still thought I was beautiful because of his smile. “You look amazing” Peeta said trying to calm himself down. If this hadn’t been such a serious moment, I’d be on the floor laughing.

                “Thank you. So do you and Kale.” I said pulling down Kale’s shirt. Their outfits were like mine except there wasn’t a mockingjay pin on theirs and their pockets were on the left side of their pants. We walked together out to the Battlefield. Our side had a few hundred men, and maybe a few women. I looked across the battlefield and saw the Capitol, obviously having less armed men then us. But more advanced weapons. As the cart full of weapons, I grabbed a two pistols, and two sets of bows and arrows. I was planning to pass it to Kale since he had perfected it like I had and give the other pistol to Peeta.

                I looked over at Peeta and Kale, and looking at what they had grabbed. Peeta had three backpacks and one set of bows and arrows. Kale had grabbed three knives and held them like he had been prepared for this war.

                We handed each other the equipment so we each had so we each would have one backpack, a knife, pistol, and a set of bows and arrows. Inside the backpack, there was some water, food, and medicine.

                Once a single gunshot fired, we all ran towards the enemy. Peeta, Kale, and I had another plan in mind though. We ran towards the hills and forests. We were going to somehow work around this, and not be in an open field were we could be an easy kill. As Kale and I acted as if we were running away, Peeta crouched behind a house with his bow and arrows. As soon as he saw someone, he shot the bow and arrow, killing them instantly.

                Once no one had come up for a while. We started walking away when I heard a bullet nearly hit me. All three of us turned around to find out who fired the shot. It was a man in his fourties and I was his main target. Once Peeta shot him in the head, he was suffering a slow death.

                “They’re coming after you… Die, Katniss, die.” He said aiming his gun at me and shooting me in the leg. Peeta shot him before he could fire another shot. I covered my mouth so I couldn’t scream in pain. Kale ripped a piece of his uniform and handed it to me.

                “Fold it up and bite on it.” He went through his backpack and found some medicine. He started applying it as Peeta checked the man’s supplies, and then came over to hold my hand.

                “Katniss, just stay up. Don’t fall asleep.” Peeta said keeping an eye behind him, with a gun in his hand. “I’ll be right back. Stay awake, Katniss. Okay?” I had no strength to nod my head or even answer. He let go for a minute or two, to set up a trap. Before he came back, my eyes shut and I heard a scream.

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