The Hunger Games: Uprising!

Chapter 23

I walk back through my front door and see my mother sat at the kitchen table.

"Sorry, I just needed to talk to Haymitch. To see what plans 13 has for us after we return from our break"

We make a light breakfast from what's left in the kitchen cupboards and sit down to eat.

"How do you feel this morning?" She asks.

"Okay I guess, still coming to terms with what you told us yesterday. The only thing that worries me about the whole pregnancy thing is have no idea what I'm supposed to do. Even when it's born, what then?

"You'll be fine Katniss. Every women asks herself the same question, but the day you hold your baby in your arms for the first time you'll understand".

"I hope so" I say, full of trepidation.

I need to go the square to buy in food. Plutarch's people who checked over the house before we arrived were good enough to put a few essentials in the cupboards to get us by, but we have virtually nothing in the house to eat.

Mom and I are just leaving when I open the door to see Ross standing in the door way.

"Going somewhere, Miss Everdeen?

I look round at my mother, she has a concerned look on her face.

"We need to go to the square, to get supplies" I answer defensively.

"Very well, can I walk with you. We can talk on the way"

Ross and I make our way into town with my mother following on behind.

"So commander, what can you tell me?"

"I've already spoken to Haymitch and I know he's told you what's happening with the Uprising but the situation in 12 is slightly different.

"In what way"

"People here are actively looking to move toward an uprising. You've still got people starving to death and sleeping in the fields. As you probably know life in district 12 is pretty awful right now. If an uprising happened here it would give Wolfe a foothold right next door to district 13"

"So, it's fair to say that Wolfe sees District 12 as a his main target to get the uprising moving again" I say.

"Exactly" Ross says, smiling at my understanding.

"I'll talk to Paylor, see what can be done to help these people. If we could just improve morale it'll go some way to avoiding a disaster" I say

"She already knows what's going on here" Ross replies.

"What, and she does nothing!"

I see Ross in the corner of my eye look round at my mother, smiling at her.

We arrive in the town square. On the face of it, when you look around nothing seems out of place. But you can sense an underlying feeling of anger. That a time bomb has been primed, ready to go off. We join the throng of people making their way toward the market square. The hussle and bustle of so many people makes me feel uncomfortable. I reach my hand back and my mother grabs it, to stop us from getting separated. We turn off between a grocers stall and a grain merchant and make for the bakery. I turn to my mother and Ross. But he's nowhere to be seen.

"Where did Ross go?" I ask her

"I dont know, he was right behind me only a moment ago"

I check the crowd trying to spot him but there's too many people.

"I've never seen the square this busy before"

"Me neither, there must be something going on at the justice building" she says