After The Games

Chapter 1

                “Katniss, go! Now!” Peeta screams at me to run, run away from the hovercraft descending in on us.

“Hurry Peeta, you can make it!” I cry back, slowing my pace slightly so he can catch up. He opens his mouth to reply when suddenly the metal claw drops down onto him, scooping him into its clutches. “Peeta!” I scream, reversing my course and racing back to him. I see his mouth moving frantically as he’s lifted in the air, and I only hear a single word “Go!” I stop in my tracks, watching as he’s pulled the rest of the way into the hovercraft, already seeing the masked men raining down on top of him. I turn again, and run as fast as I can, tears streaming down my face. Why him, why him? It should be me they’ve captured! I think as I run farther and farther away.

                Finally, when I feel like I’m far enough away, I stop and duck behind a bush, watching the sky for a sign of anymore approaching hovercraft. When I’m sure the coast is clear, I slump down to the ground, curl into a ball and let the rest of the tears come. Peeta…poor Peeta, captured by the Capitol, and it’s my fault once again.

                Then, I hear a rustling sound. I sit up quickly, wiping the tears from my eyes, waiting for the attack. When, Peeta emerges from the bushes in front of me.

                “P...Peeta?” I stammer, shocked, “But…how?” I stand slowly, reaching my arms out to him. “They had you…how did you escape?!”

                He reaches out to me too, and just as I’m about to step into his arms, his face changes, and he becomes the tortured Peeta I remember all too well. I step back slowly, afraid now. He opens his mouth.

                “Katniss….” He says carefully, enunciating each syllable clearly. I nod, searching his face frantically. Suddenly, his eyes turn red, and he opens his mouth again. “MUTT!” he screeches, in a voice that isn’t his own.  He starts towards me, and as I turn to run, a dizzy spell comes over me. I fall to the ground, unable to stop myself. The last thing I see is his face, the face of the boy the Capitol turned him into, not the sweet, lovely Peeta from before the Games, and then it all goes black.

                “No!” I scream, bolting upright, my eyes squeezed shut. As I do so, my head smacks into something in front of me.

“Ow!” I hear, and my eyes flutter open. It’s Peeta, sitting on my bed in front of me, rubbing his forehead. “Katniss…what are you doing?!” he says grumpily.

                “Peeta!” I cry, as tears begin running down my cheeks. I throw my arms around him, knocking him backwards onto the bed.

                “Well good morning to you too, I have to say, I like the hug a lot better than the head-butt,” he says, stiffening slightly. He gently begins to pry my fingers from his body. I let go of his neck and bite my lip. I quickly glance up at him, and notice the slightly terrified expression on his face.

                “Sorry about that...just a dream, they never fail to scare me,” I brush my messy hair off my forehead, suddenly embarrassed. He frowns slightly and slowly reaches out to touch my cheek, hesitates, and then pulls his hand back.

                “It was just a dream, Katniss, no need to worry,” he says soothingly. I nod, knowing he’s right, but I also know that, probably for the rest of my life, I’ll relive the horror I experienced during my time in the 74th and 75th Hunger Games. I’ll relive the torture he endured and the deaths of all the innocent people that I caused. The thought of having to go through these things for the next 60 or so years, made me feel physically sick. I think about wrapping my arms around him again, and then decide against it. Even though it’s been a while since we’ve been back in 12, and everything’s pretty much gone back to normal, it still doesn’t feel right. I know he’s still terribly confused, and this little outburst has probably confused him all over again.