The Other Mockingjay

Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

When I woke the next morning I was blinded by the sunlight filling my bedroom. I stretched my arms above my head and stood up yawning.

As I was making my way downstairs, I remembered the note. Carefully, my fingers caressed the envelope and I gently opened it.

I knew I wanted to tell someone, the question was, who? Nobody at school could be trusted with this information, and my mother would freak out and make an unwise decision. That's when he occurred to me. One of the only boys that my sister trusted, and I knew that I could trust as well.

Gale.

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After my breakfast, I got dressed and laced up my boots. I was glad it was Sunday, meaning that Gale wasn't in the mines.

Cautiously, I walked through town, avoiding suspicious glances from peacekeepers. A sick feeling came over me as I passed what used to be the hob. It was lively and adventurous. Now, all that remained was singed items, ashes, and sorrow.

Just then I heard yelps coming from the square. I knew for a fact what was happening and sprinted across town.

However, when I arrived, instead of the yelps belonging to an agonized person being whipped, they belonged to Rosemary Mellark.

Her husband Clyde, Peeta's father, was silently standing under the gallows, as a loop began to be strewn across his neck. I scouted out Kate and rushed over to her.

"What's happening?" I panted nervously.

She looked at me with sad eyes.

"You know the Rivets, right?" she whispered.

"Yes? They're orphans right?" I asked. The Rivet's mother died along time ago from a sickness and their father died after a mining accident just 2 months ago.

"Yes," she said softly, "Those Rivets."

"Anyway," she continued pale faced, "Mr. Mellark was caught stashing them in his bakery this morning. Apparently he was just taking care of them, but Thresh declared it kidnapping and now he's being executed."

Her bottom lip began to quiver and tears started rolling down her cheeks. "What about Anne and Jenny?" I whispered, referring to his 7 and 4 year old daughters.

"Nobody knows!" she cried. By now she was sobbing. The girls were her families good friends.

As the gong went off, we both directed our attention to the stage. Thread's booming voice rang across the square, "Citizens of 12," he spat. "This man was found guilty this morning of committing a treason. A treason of kidnapping. The two little Rivet girls have been held hostage by him for weeks. And he will pay the toll.

Mrs. Mellark let out a blood curdling screech. I didn't even watch.

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I left that square as fast as I could. The rest of the town was fairly empty. I sat on a bench and let my heavy breathing die down.

In the distance I could see the train station of 12. And I noticed a faint outline of a train. 12 never gets trains. They only come on Reaping day, to bring victors home, and to bring supplies. Today was none of those days.

I silently crept along the edge of an old warehouse, right by the station. A few odd looking peacekeepers stood at the platform greeting the conductor. My eyes darted around, trying to see what they were trying to import or export.

Then my eyes sensed movement in the back of a truck. Not a lot, just a little flinch coming from a sack.

I made sure I wasn't being watched, and made a beeline for the dark truck. I climbed up the edge and looked at the large sack. My fingers slowly opened the top and when I peered inside, I came face to face with them.