Reliving Choas

Chapter One

  “Jizabell” mom called. I turned my head and saw her standing there. I started to run towards her when I remembered Gale. I turned back around to see him looking at me with moms grey eyes. I smiled.

  “Come on Gale,” I said, grabbing his five year old hand. He smiled and we started to walk back. When we reached mom she smiled one of those small, strong smiles that she only smiled from time to time. It always looked good on her.

   “Mommy!” Gale yelled, letting go of my hand and running to her. She lifted him up and kissed his cheek. She glanced at me and grabbed my hand. She held it as we walked home. The sun started to set in the distance and it flashed gold across every surface.

  We lived in the Victors village. Mom said that when the Games were still going on, the Victors would live here. She had also told me she and dad had won the Games twice. Once because of night lock berries and the other time they didn’t really win because they weren’t the only ones who got out alive.

  “Mom, where’s dad?” I asked. I hadn’t seen him with mom today.

  “He’s busy making bread for people, well that and drawing, painting, and decorating cakes,” she said. I nodded. We reached our house and I opened the door. I held it open as mom and Gale walked in. I was about to shut it when dad came in.

  “Daddy!” I squealed. He shut the door as he lifted me up.

  “Hey there, Jiz,” he said holding me closer as if someone would take me away. He set me down as we reached mom. She had set Gale down and he was playing on the floor. I walked over to him and started to play.

    “Wanna play hide-and-seek?” he asked me after a while. I nodded.

    “You count,” I said. He nodded and faced the wall, counting. I ran down the hall and into the kitchen. Mom looked at me and I put my finger to my lips, crawling inside a cupboard. “6, 2, 5, 1, 10, 7…” Gale counted in the other room.

    “Ready or not! Here I come!” He yelled, I smiled. A shuffle came from dad as he walked into the kitchen. Mom sighed and set down the dish she was washing with a soft thud.

    “Peeta, we can’t tell them, they are still too young,” Mom said, obviously continuing a conversation they had started earlier.

    “I know, but we can’t keep them in the dark forever,” Dad said.

    “But we just can’t yet. Not until Gale’s at least 8,” Mom argued with a sigh.

    “But when he’s 8, Jizabell will be old enough to be picked. She will be by 11 then.”

    “I know, I know,” Mom said softly.

    “Jizabell!” Gale yelled. I could tell he ran into the kitchen by how it bounced off the hard walls in echoes.

    “Mommy! Where’s Jiz?” He asked. I could hear the frantic edge in his voice that meant he had been looking for me for a while.

    “I can’t tell you. If I did she wouldn’t be happy with me. We don’t want that now do we?” she asked him. I pushed the small door open a little bit and saw him shake his head. He then frantically looked around, disappointed to not see me anywhere. I smiled and closed the door as slow as I could as he ran out of the room, calling my name again. I reopened it and crawled out. Mom and Dad smiled and nodded so I ran out and into the living room. Gale was standing there, arms crossed, puppy guarding the safe spot. A smug look sat on his child features.

  “Hey, Jiz,” he muttered, a small smile spreading across his lips, eye brows rose slightly, shuffling forward by millimeters. I shook my head and took a large step back.