Maybe It Can Be Real

Chapter 4

I slowly open my eyes. I stretch and grimace when a shooting pain goes down my back. I fell asleep with my back hunched over and my arms around my legs. My back is stiff. Surprisingly, I had no nightmares. I don't even remember dreaming. I must've been so tired that I didn't dream.

How I wish it could be like that every night.

I get up and stagger into the bathroom. I purposefully avoid looking into the mirror because I don't want to see the scars I have everywhere. I turn the water in the shower scalding hot, strip off my clothes, and hop into the shower.

I don't know where this random burst of energy came from. I'm massaging my scalp when an idea pops into my head. "I'm going to go hunting," I think to myself. I get out of the shower and dry myself off. I throw on clothes and go down the stairs, stumbling down the last few. I grab a slice of bread and walk down the hall to the room where my bows are. I sling one and the sheath of arrows over my shoulder. I slide on my father's hunting jacket and boots when I reach the front door. I put the bread it my pocket, unlock the door, and run outside.

I walk quickly through town trying to not be seen. My jacket catches on the fence when I slide under it, but I yank the jacket free. I bring the bread out of my pocket and take a bite. I gag when I realize it tastes like Peeta's bread. I close my eyes and breathe heavily. I swallow the lump of bread in my mouth and drop the rest of it on the ground.

Extremely unsteady, I walk over to a tree stump. I start seeing stars in my eyes after I lower myself onto the log. I sit there for a few minutes tangling my fingers in my hair. It's still matted into clumps because I didn't feel like combing it out earlier. I breathe in the scent of the woods to try and calm my nerves.

I stand up to try and hunt, but trip over my own feet and fall onto the ground. So much for the burst of energy. I just lay there for a while, not having the energy to move.

Eventually I must fall asleep because the next thing I know I'm half in consciousness, half not. I feel a pressure around my back and under my knees, like someone was carrying me. My face is nestled into something soft and a little sticky. I smell dill, making me realize what's going on, like it woke up my senses.

Peeta is carrying me.

I don't want him to know I'm awake, so I don't move. I fall back asleep at some point because I jerk awake later, panting heavily in my bed. Another nightmare woke me up.

I wrap a blanket around me like a cocoon and get out of bed. I crawl along the floor over to the window. I slowly raise my head up and peer out of the open window. I can just see out of it. A gentle breeze moves the blanket off my head, so I pull it back up over my forehead.

"Katniss?", a familiar voice asks. A voice I can never forget.

"Katniss?", Peeta asks again from his window. I close the window and scoot away. I feel bad about ignoring him, but I don't know what to say. I lay on the floor for a few minutes, just wrapped up in the blanket. I'm completely covered with the soft blanket, no skin peeking out. I go back over to the window and look out. Peeta isn't in the window anymore. No, I see him walking out of his house into the direction of mine.

"No, no, no, no," I mumble to myself as I throw the blanket off and run out of my room. I start going down the stairs, but my legs are so weak and I'm moving too fast that I tumble down almost the entire flight. I take a deep breath and push myself up. I smash into the door and lock it.

Next I run into the kitchen and hide under the table. I start shaking. As much as I still ....love?.... Peeta, I can't talk to him. I hear a soft knock on the door followed by a, "Katniss? I know you're in there. You can't stay hidden forever."