Chapter Four

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I wake up the next morning to yelling. As I come to my senses I realize it is not yelling but cheering. Not in Effie's house but outside. Quickly getting changed, I rush outside to see what the source of the noise is. As soon as I set foot outside my eyes widen in horror as I realize what day it is today. I've been so wrapped up in my personal issues I've forgotten about the newspaper article I read earlier in the week and judging by the whipping post set up in the square just at the bottom of the hill that the Seam sits on and the cheering of the crowd of women there, today is the day the paper spoke about.

Today is the day they kill Finnick Odair.

I've already decided not to attend such a horrific occasion when two women I don't recognize appear at the end of the road. I soon realize they're not ordinary women: they're wearing PLA uniforms. PLA's are the Panem Law Abiders who are like a police force for the individual Districts. I wonder what they're doing up here when they really should be down at the square. I watch them curiously as they approach the house a couple of houses down from Effie's and knock on the door. When there's no response, I jump when one of them kicks the door in.

A girl screams as both PLA's enter her house and drag her out. Her face is pained, tears soaking her face and her features scrunched up in rage. Her brown hair is bedraggled and messy, whipping around her head as she struggles against the Law Abider's hold on her arms.

"I'm not going!" The girl screams. "You can't make me!" I wonder what her problem is. Shouldn't she be like everyone else? Eager to watch the sin of a man put in his place? My questions are answered as my eyes lock on the barely visible baby bump peeking out from under her camisole.

This girl is Annie Cresta.

They can't be possibly forcing her to go and watch them murder Finnick are they? Now I've witnessed a lot of cruelty over the years but surely this is too far is it not? Why can't they just leave the woman be to grieve on her own? A feeling of rage bubbles up inside me and just then a slingshot lying on the pavement catches my eye. A kid must have dropped it or something . . .

Before I fully realize what I'm doing, I've picked the slingshot and a rock the size of a toddler's fist up and have aimed it right at the PLAs. As soon as I let go of the elastic band the rock sails soundlessly through the air and hits the closest woman right in the head. Both Law Abiders and Annie search for the source of the rock and before I've comprehended my actions I've sent another one flying. It hits the same woman and almost knocks her off her feet. It's when Annie's terrified eyes lock on me that I realize what I just did. I just assaulted a PLA! I could get arrested for that!

Panic bubbles up inside me and I feel the urge to run but also feel planted to the ground, waiting for the PLAs to see me and realize it was I who hit them with the rocks. Something shifting behind me causes me to turn round and am rewarded with the sight of Peeta staring at me, his mouth open like a gaping fish. Effie must have set him the task of cleaning the windows because he has a soapy sponge in his left hand. He'll enjoy this, watching me get what he's probably been waiting for me to get ever since I arrived.

Instead of smirking or chuckling when the PLAs finally lock eyes with me like I thought he would, a sponge whacks against the side of one of their helmets, sending water and soap everywhere. "Leave her alone!" Peeta's voice suddenly yells, dragging the PLAs attention away from me. If given the choice to believe that one of their own threw a rock at them or that a slave did . . . well . . . then they'd believe it was the slave.

Before I can process in my mind what has just happened, Peeta has bolted. Jumped over the garden fence and fleeing for his life. Both PLAs practically dump Annie to the ground as they run after him. 

"Peeta!" I scream as I watch him disappear down the road and beyond. He's headed in the direction of the square where Finnick is about to be executed. I hurry over to Annie and help her to her feet. She wavers beside me uncertainly, watching as the PLAs disappear as well. Her face is slightly scraped from hitting the ground and her hand sits on her stomach protectively.

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