Aftermath

Unsaid words

The cold air whips my face, making my hair flow widly around and freezing the words in my throat. 

"Katniss! Katniss! Katniss!" The crowds chant.

At least I think they're people, but up from here, on this stage they all just seem like a smear of colours all merging together like one of Peeta's paintings. 

Peeta steps forwards and I instantly grab his hand, to which the crowd responds with wild screams and cheers. Peeta offers me support once again, sheltering me from their eyes.

"Wonderful!" Effie grins, clasping her frozen hands together. Then she resumes falsely reading off her cards, reminding them how love conquered hatred and how we survived the Capitol. Before inviting us to say some words of our own. 

Both Peeta and I stiffly move closer to the microphone. I open my mouth to begin, but the words get stuck in my throat, so Peeta rescues me.

"The capitol-" Peeta begins in a monotone voice before a commotion in the crowd disrupts him.

At first I don't quite understand what's going on, and I still can't fathom how Peeta saw it.

But either way he did. 

A distant voice yells out across the now silent crowds. "Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever!"

And then I hear the gunshot. 

Peeta slams into my, clearing me of the bullet.

I hit the ground with a large thump, my head spinning wildly and ears ringing.

Peeta.

I spin around to find Peeta curled up on the floor a few meters away from me.

I instantly scrabble to him, rolling him over onto his back...and that's when I see the blood encasing his chest.

"Hey..." He murmurs, his face pale.

"Oh my god!" I whimper, clasping his face in my hands. "Peeta!" He grips my hands, trying hard to stay conscious.

"Sorry Miss!" A young man yells harshly as a team of medical staff surround Peeta. "Step out of the way!" 

But I can't.

So instead I'm dragged away by a peacekeeper and Haymich. 

"No! No! No! PEETA!" I wail, thrashing, kicking and biting as they pull me further away from him. "Peeta I love-" But then the doors slam in front of me and a needle enters my arm.

"Sssh, Katniss, easy." Haymich soothes me as the drug pulls me under.

"No." I sob. "That bullet was meant for me......." but the drug takes hold before he can reply.