Breaking Down Bridges ▸ Hunger Games

Chapter Ten: Gale Hawthorne

A/N: This chapter is PURPOSELY short. Everything is going to be explained in detail in the next chapter. 😁 —GryffindorGirl (GG)

Chapter Ten:

Gale's POV

I have died everyday waiting for you

Darling, don't be afraid

I have loved you for a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more

—Christina Perri, "A Thousand Years"

When I watched him kiss her, my world shattered from underneath my feet.

He got what he wanted, and here I was, tied to a chair, watching him take her away from me. She looked so beautiful. But it was wrong, all wrong. In fact, most of the time I've spent in the Capitol had been wrong. I didn't understand it, because it wasn't fair. She was being forced into something evil, something twisted. Frost had used love as a twisted gimmick to make people think something wasn't wrong. When in fact, everything really was.

As the three of us got back on the train that evening, Shawn hurried off to the room Cyra and him shared.

"You come in here in twenty minutes," he ordered her, his cold greenish-blue eyes blazing.

Cyra simply bowed her head as Shawn stormed out into the other direction.

After we were sure that Shawn was gone, his footsteps echoing down the hallway of the train, followed by the sound of a closing door, Cyra ran to me. Her violet eyes were wet and dark.

I could feel her bones poking through her skin, and her face was cold with tears.

I glanced down at her, and I kissed her and for the first time in weeks she didn't pull away. I held her in my arms, making her as comforted as possible.

"Gale," she whispered, her voice clogged and raspy, like she hadn't spoken in weeks, "He's horrible..."

I nodded my head to her, and pulled her in tightly. "I know." I couldn't think of any other words to say, other then the ones the fell out of my mouth, "I love you."

She blinked for a moment and then glanced up, meeting my eyes in a silent heartbeat. "I love you, too."

~

The next morning, we arrived in District Four. The Reaping for them was today, but clearly it wasn't a question who was going to be put in. Seriously, only three people were still alive from the District. Honestly, did they even have to do a stupid ceremony?

As Shawn fished grabbing some things from the room, Cyra had a look of terror swept across her face. I leaned in and kissed her, but this time she pulled away from me.

"I don't want to lose you..." she said softly, before stepping off the train and onto the platform.

"What?" I called out to her, but she didn't hear me, as Shawn had grabbed her by the hand and pulled her away to the only remaining home in District Four,  his.

As we continued on to District Twelve, all I could manage to do was stare out the window. The rain had begun to tumble down, and the train was moving faster then it was before, causing everything to slide off the window effortlessly.

As we pulled into the station, I had noticed that the Reaping was already starting.

Rushing off of the train, I quickly stood in my section, Previous Male Winners.

It was just Haymitch and I.

On the girls side were two girls: one named Mailey, and the other named Steller. They were twins and had won the same year, the 52nd Hunger Games.

Clearly, everyone knew who was going to be in the games this year from Twelve as well.

~

After the four of us were Reaped, we hurried onto the train.

I walked quietly down the hallways of the train, looking at all the numbers on the doors. Passing number Three, I finally came onto Four. Leaning into the door, I heard nothing but silence, until I leaned in closer, and heard whispers from Cyra's voice, like she was talking on the phone.

"Are you sure...?" Cyra asked quietly.

I couldn't hear the response of the person on the other end of the line, but I heard Cyra's.

"All of us out, you promise...? Just stay until the time is right?"

And with that, I noticed Shawn storming down the hallway, causing me to walk in the opposite direction. The last thing I heard before I walked away was the sound of Shawn yelling at Cyra, and her saying nothing in reply.

What was going on? I wish I knew, but I didn't.