THE MAN IN THE HANGING TREE | Gale Hawthorne

TWENTY - Love Destroys Us

YOUR POINT OF VIEW

I take one last deep breath before turning the brass handle of my father's office door, opening it slowly as my heart hammers in my chest.

Sitting behind the desk, in my dad's chair, is the president of Panem. His cold eyes watch me with an amused sort of wickedness. "Miss Undersee, pleasant of you to join me." He looks just as vile in person as he does on camera, and seems even worse.

My voice, not even wavering a bit, responds. "I didn't know I had a choice."

President Snow laughs, it comes off as an evil chuckle. "What a cleaver girl you are, already catching on that you have no power. Please, have a seat." He gestures to the two chairs on the other side of the desk.

Without another word, knowing I truly don't have any power right now, I take a seat in the chair on the left.

Snow's cold icy eyes seem to pierce into mine, staring deep into the farthest depths of my soul as he watches me carefully. My heart beats faster, why is he even here?

"Do you know why I'm here, Miss Undersee?" He asks, but by the look on his face I'm not supposed to respond, he is going to for me. "I'm here because of some concerns regarding you and your actions." He tilts his head a little, those snake like eyes still watching me.

"My actions? Whatever do you mean?" I fold my hands in my lap, playing dumb.

"You know exactly what I mean." He snaps. "The salute at the reaping. The pin. The interview last year. Every wrong move you make here in Twelve. I see it all."

I gulp. "All..." I murmur.

"All." Snow says.

He watches me for a few seconds, like a predator stalking it's prey before eating it alive.

Then he speaks again. "Your association with the Mockingjay is enough to get you executed on the spot, your part in the creation of her image is enough to get your entire family slaughtered."

My eyes are wide as I watch our president pick up a rose from the vase on the table, he twirls it in his fingers as if he did not just issue a death threat.

"But you see, Miss Undersee, I do not waste lives when there is no need to at the moment." He tells me. "I am not wasteful."

What is he talking about? He wastes lives all the time– The Hunger Games.

"Never fret, you will get your suffering soon enough. I know how to get to you now easily." Snow smiles, quickly changing back to death threats. "But if you help me, I promise I can forget every act of treason you have formed against Panem."

"Help you? What could I possibly do to help you?" I narrow my eyes, suspicious of his intent.

One should not trust a snake.

Snow continues to twirl the rose in his hands. "I only ask simple things. Stop all association with the victors of district twelve, all association with the so called 'rebellion'." He pauses, cold eyes flicking back to me. "Also, you would complete tasks for me as I see fit, quite a few viewers of last years Hunger Games found you rather desirable."

My stomach flips at the last part. I know what he's insinuating, I heard that quite a few 'desirable' victors after the games get forced into, well prostitution. I'm not a victor, and yet Snow wants me to do it. 

No way in hell.

And stop associating myself with Katniss and Peeta, and even Haymitch. They're my friends, and a slightly annoying protective adult in my life. I care about them, why would I just stop talking to them?

"Your demands are ridiculous." I cross my arms. "No deal."

The president holds up a finger, smiling wickedly. "Ah, I knew you'd say that." He then types something into the holo-screen on my dad's desk. 

And suddenley, a video of Katniss and Gale comes on screen, they're talking in the Seam. I recognize the place as the outside of the Hob. The video appears to be live.

"Katniss is back already?" I ask. I thought she was going to be in later, I was going to meet her at the train station.

Snow nods, answering my question, then says something that makes my heart drop to my feet. "You see, as I was saying before, I know exactly how to get to you."

Gale. He's talking about Gale.

"If you touch him, I swear to God I'll-" I begin, but am cut off by another chuckle from the president.

"I'm not going to hurt him, trust me I don't have to hurt him to make you hurt." He chuckles darkly. "If you need proof, ask your mother and your father, well your real father."

"W-what?" I stutter. "My real father?"

Snow just watches the screen in front of us, and as if he knew it was going to happen, Gale and Katniss who were just talking moments before-- are now kissing.

And even though I broke his heart first, and I totally deserve that pain, tears form in my eyes.

I think about all Katniss and Gale's years of friendship. I always thought they were super close, I always thought there was something between them. It actually made me a tiny bit jealous when I was dating Gale, Just because Katniss always seemed to know him a little bit more.

The two are done kissing now, and Katniss kind of bolts away. My heart lies shattered in a million pieces, Snow really knows how to strike pain into his victims.

"See Miss Undersee, it's the things we love the most that destroy us." Snows eyes glint coldly, maliciously.

And I almost start sobbing right then and there. I have no chance getting Gale back now.

And what Snow said moments before, about my 'real' father, I'd have to ask my mother.

Snow drops the rose he was playing with in front of me of the desk. "Have a lovely day, Miss Undersee." Then he exits the office, like nothing ever happened. Like snow in spring time, gone without a trace.

I pick up the rose, it's image is blurred slightly by my tears. 

I was going to apologize to Gale, I was going to confess my love to him. But now I have no chance of getting the best thing in my life back, now I'm the one with a broken heart too.

I stand up from the chair I'm in, staggering a bit on my feet, but determined. I crush the flower part of the rose in my hand then toss it into the blazing hearth. I will not meet his demands, I will make sure he goes down if it's the last thing I do.

My mother enters the office too as I watch the rose crumble to ash.

"Honey, are you alright?" she asks, gently.

No, I'm not alright. I will never be alright as long as that snake rules Panem.

"Fine. I'm fine." I wipe away some tears, but more just fall.

I really don't want to talk to my mother about this. 

"I have to go mom, I'll see you later." I say, then I run out of the house down the street to one of the only people I can talk to left. All the way back to the bakery and Noah.

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