Gale: A Hunger Games Story

The Second Announcement

The past few days have dragged on, but they have been different than before.
Now that I've talked to Madge, I have a glimmer of hope that Katniss might make it out of this death trap alive. I watch silently as she feeds, soothes, and kisses Peeta all day long, but the jealousy inside me has subsided, and I see every display of affection as a chance to bring them home safely. It's hard, but I've accepted that Peeta and Katniss are doing the right thing.

My mother is very pleased, I'm eating everything she puts in front of me, and sleeping rather than watching the live night broadcast. Rory and the others had been veering away from me for a while (who wants to be with a sad brother?) but now I've regained their trust. Posy curls up on my lap after supper to watch the Games, and I cover her eyes whenever something gruesome happens. I haven't been back to school since the Reaping, but started working on the stack of homework Madge brought over yesterday.

The Capitol seal disappears from the screen, and footage of the forest is shown. It would be a beautiful area if it wasn't the site of such a ruthless game. Pictures of the remaining tributes flash by, when Katniss appears, my siblings cheer. I smile. This is so much better than the way I was last week.

Of course, the first scene they show is of Katniss and Peeta in their "love cave". They are embracing each other very tightly (I try not to grit my teeth) and various supplies are strewn around them. What breaks them apart is the sound of trumpets.

Claudius Templesmith cheerily greets the tributes.

"The Gamemakers have a special surprise for you! We invite each district to the Cornucopia, where you will find what your team needs the most waiting. Come quickly! The teams who collect their items will have great advantages over the rest!"

This is big. I know exactly what District 12 "needs most". Medicine for Peeta. His wounds are not healing, despite Katniss's feeble attempts. His leg is swollen and infected, and he needs real medication from the Capitol. This would cost thousands of dollars, could Haymitch do it? Katniss needs to get to the Cornucopia, if Peeta is in top shape, they could survive! Two healthy people is much better than one sick and one stuck healing them.

Katniss seems to think the same thing. I swear, we share part of our minds. As usual, Peeta is reluctant to let her go. He doesn't want to lose her. Neither do I, Peeta, and if she gets the medicine, we won't.

Peeta is nice enough, I guess, but he doesn't understand risk like Katniss and I do. As a baker's son, he's always had money, very little, but fair, good, not-made-by-hunting-illegally money. For him, the law is solid. For us, we do what we need to do. He doesn't understand that sometimes the safe way isn't the best way.

So come on, Peeta! Let Katniss go! You need, I need, we need Katniss to come home, so come on and let her try to save you!

Katniss finally gives in, but I can see it in her eyes. She's going, no matter what Peeta thinks. It's just a matter of how.

The answer comes floating down under a silver parachute. Sleeping syrup. Katniss grins, thanks Haymitch in a whisper, and proceeds to mash up some berries. She pours the vial in, and happily, almost too happily, brings it to Peeta.

"Oh Peeta!" she sings. I cringe. "Look at these lovely berries I found!"

I sigh. Terrible liar, that one.

Peeta senses that Katniss is up to something, but eventually eats the mush, after much coaxing and yes, kissing. Rory giggles. I try not to groan out loud, and cover Posy's eyes. Soon he's asleep and Katniss sneaks out of the cave.

I watch as the other tributes prepare to confront each other at the Cornucopia. Some look intrigued, others positively petrified. That sly foxy girl's expression, as always, is unreadable.

I cross my fingers in desperation, knowing that this one confrontation could mean Katniss's death. My mother comes to sit beside me.

"It'll be hours before they arrive, Gale. Let's go to the bakery and visit Mr. Mellark."

It's more of an order than an idea. I reluctantly switch off the television and follow her. The day is cooler than average, so we wear jackets. My siblings skip around us, waving at classmates and kicking stones. Was I this unaffected by the Games when I was their age? All another television hoax, I must've thought. I was wrong. It's a real thing. Death is not entertainment. A fire of hatred for the Capitol boils up inside me.

"Gale, I want to ask you about Katniss."

My mother's words extinguish the flames into a dull flicker. Just hearing someone other than Peeta speaking her name makes me feel better.

"Is there, well I don't know, anything about you and Katniss, together, that I, um, haven't heard about?"

It's her ever-so-subtle way of asking what's up. I'm not sure how to answer honestly. Even I don't know what's between us.

"I don't want to talk about it, Mom," I sigh, kicking at a pebble.

We continue down the street silently.