After the Ashes - Story from Gale Hawthorne

Chapter 11

My eyes bead into hers. She cannot be serious. She isn't sure about me? She already casued all the trouble for me, hoping that after all the games and the war, she would come back to me and love me like I loved her. But she gave me up, and fell in love with the baker's boy.

All of a sudden, she leans into me. She presses her lips to mine, embracing a kiss. I missed the sweet taste her lips offered, and it took me too long to pull away. I finally did and said, "I'm not your sloppy seconds." With that I leave her mind to wonder all the unanswered questions.

The Preparation Center is in the middle of Two, and my house is less than a mile from there. Light thunder rolls threatening a storm, but no other evidence can show otherwise. I walk through the unusally empty streets until I reach my destination. I still hear Katniss's words ringing in my ears, and can still imagine her kiss.

I enter and see that the Preparation Center is more crowded than ever. I make my way through the mass of people and find my way to the elevator. Only a few people enter with me. I press the little white button taking me to the 8th floor. I step off and find room 696, my personal work room. Pushing the door open, I am comforted by the silence. I quickly dress in my uniform and work my way down to the weapon supply area in the basement. 

I am armed with a belt of grenades, two hand guns and two rifles. I am supplied with extra bullets as well. Seems a lot for a peace army. But we could be facing any level of dangerous. We all board the hovercraft to fly to distict six. All the soldiers around me are ready for action, prepared to protect the country. Except for me. All I can think of Katniss. Why can't she just leave me alone?

After about an hour, the hovercraft eases its landing. In an organized line, we march off the hovervraft into the worn down district. Occasional guns go off and a scream here and there, but otherwise silence. Rain sprinkles down on us and clouds cover the sun. In our line, we march straight through the center of the district. There are no signs of any arguments, any fights or feuds. It's not until we reach the outskirts of the distict until we realize the guns shots are coming from beyond the boarders. 

We quicken our pace and walk over the torn boudary fence. In the distance, I make out a large group of people shooting back and forth, small explotions only reaching within maybe ten feet of where it was set off. How could such a small fight over supplies turn into this?

More soldiers swarm in, shooting at some of the outraged people and capturing others. One aims their gun and me and I shoot before they can. It looks like we have a pretty good handle on this fight by now, some of us including me are only on the sidelines observing and doing only what we need. 

Suddenly, someone outburts, "RUN!" No one understands at first, until the ground begins to shake. A bomb, I say to myself. I begin to flee when it goes off only yards from me. I'm arborn, thrown off my feet and landing hard on my back. My left thigh is shooting with pain and my vision is blurry. We don't have as good as a handle on the fighting as we thought we did. 

By now, the peace we planned to restore turns into defense. I shoot any threat I see, though my aim is off due to my still distorted vision. There is nowhere to take shelter, only miles of plain. Constant ducking and dodging, limping to get away. 

Thunder claps surprisingly, followed by flashes of bright lightning. The fighting has reached its maximum, as I step over lifeless bodies and bullet shells. My leg cannot take the pressure and I unwillingly collapse on the dead grass floor. I can hear the fighting die down some, but not enough for an end. 

I sit up, knowing I must fulfill my job. I unsteadily load my gun, vision returing some and then getting worse on and off. I shoot, missing and hitting my targets. The thunder creeps louder and louder, and a bolt of lighting strikes down hitting the ground. It seems harmless, until I see a fire growing. 

As the fire grows and the distict citizens become outnumbered by our soldier fleet, their side desides to surrender. Before I pass out, I hear one last gunshot. The bullet to that gunshot sinks into the flesh of my unprotected cheek.

I wake up in an unfamiliar hospital room. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. The only sound is the wall clock. I remember what happened last. The shooting, the bomb, the fire. I look down at bandaged thigh. I try and move it off the bed, but it suddenly explodes with pain. I reach my fingers to my also bandaged cheek and jaw. 

"He-" I begin until my jaw snaps shut again, almost automatically. It hurts too much to even speak. Great.

A nurse dressed in all white walks in. "Hello Gale how are you feeling?" the nurse says and checks some medical form. Of course, I cannot respond. "Jaw sore?" she asks considering I didn't respond to her first question. I slightly nod and she writes some notes.

"Well you'll be fine. Just need a lot of healing. You're lucky that bullet didn't do any permanent damage. It just kind of went through your jaw, not quite to your ear," she continues. "But your leg. . .well that got pretty banged up. A bomb I hear? Anyway, when they rushed you in with some other soldiers, your leg was basically just bloody flesh. You might not be able to walk for a few days. Oh, and one fractured rib. Nothing too drastic. It'll heal in two weeks tops. Just relax until then. Soon you'll be good as new," she smiles and finishes.