Gale's Story ~On Hold!~

Chapter 12- part 1

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Character and plot owned by Suzanne Collins!

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Recap:

Even though Ms. Everdeen was going to be occupying a lot of my free time next to school and hunting I knew we had to get extra money somehow. I just didn't know how we were going to yet. I mean now 3 of us were working, or making money, I guess some of the leftover money could be used to help Katniss. Maybe I could also ask to help the mayor. Madge had been telling me she could get me a job there for a while now. It would be the most convenient and I would be able to do everything normally then. Madge had told me I would only need to drop by for an hour a few times. I would have to ask her about it to find out a little more...

Chapter 12

That night was the worst I had ever lived through since my father's death. Nightmare followed another nightmare, lasting through the hours of darkness. My worries caught up to me, causing me not only to toss and turn in my bed, but also to live through my worst fears over and over again.

I watched Katniss get killed in about 100 ways. Every time there was a little change in her death. I saw a different arena, a new tribute doing the job, or a worse way of dying. The 8 tributes faces flash in between the killings with secretive grins plastered on their faces. When they were in view they all whispered the same thing to me.

"She is not going to survive! We have all pledged to kill her! Your beloved Katniss' life will end very shortly!"

Usually they broke out in evil laughter like the one we had heard from President Snow just before the replay of the reapings after they finished telling me those awful things. More than once I watched them mock me for screaming at them to stop. I saw them replace my snares in the woods for ones from the capitol to catch me and use me as bait against Katniss. I saw them tear my life apart while I couldn't do anything.

In each nightmare I watched the 8 tributes that I had decided were dangerous -people to watch- ruin me, with wicked gins pasted on their faces. Each one also had a message to the audience and Katniss before killing her.

"You're only hope is now dead District 12! Don't get your hopes up! You will never stand a chance. It was nice fighting you Catnip!" I watched Cato tell Katniss, who was pinned to the ground with a sword that pierced straight through her with a swift movement.

"It looks like I'm going to be doing the capitols job today... Say goodbye to your family and your nonexistent friends!" Glimmer cooed with an evil grin before glancing at Clove who nodded excitedly.

"On the count of three!" They whispered.

"One, two, three!" Clove cried while the two of them stabbed Katniss' heart with a knife.

"Oh, it's a new record! District 12 had a tribute survive past day 1, and the new record is... Day 2!" Marvel shouted at a giant net hanging from a tree. Grinning he stabbed it till blood came pouring down from above. "You'll be dead by tonight!"

"It seems you have trust issues Katniss. Never mistake me for your sister again!" I heard Rue cry to Katniss jumping down on her. Then silently Rue chocked her.

With each line screams threatened to come out of my throat. My face burned, turning purple from having to hold them all in. It wasn't just my best friend who was going to die because of this, but slowly I would too.

The games had started getting to me...

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I woke in the middle of the night shacking. I had knocked everything off my bed and the nightmares were still fresh in my mind. It dawned on me that those horrible nightmares could turn out to be true. Who knows? Maybe the Capitol would rig one of them to kill Katniss or... I couldn't let this happen! I wouldn't let it! I was going to stay strong for her!

Gathering my stuff from the ground I headed to the living room to see if we still had any electricity. If we did I would use the opportunity to take a normal hot shower, though it would also stop me from being able to go hunting. That means I would have more time talking to Madge about the job. Either option was fine. I could easily skip a day hunting if I got the great job the mayor was offering.

I crept into the hall flicking the small humming light switch. This humming wasn't like the normal one that came with the electricity though. It was like the one only a human or an animal could make.

The lights slowly turned on, making the humming even louder. I looked around to see where the noise was coming from, but couldn't retract it to a specific spot. I could just hear it the strongest from the general area of the wall around the window.

Sneaking forward I peered out, hoping to find something that could help me. Not a living sole was awake though. Even the bare ground and the tall, mighty trees seemed to be absent in a way. The usual rustling was gone along with the signs of life and was replaced with an empty whistling. The wind shook some of the weaker houses threatening to tear parts of their roofs off. It carried smaller objects left outside with it. Life had been taken over by this hollowness.

Just as I had given up on finding the person or thing responsible for the unnatural humming a shadow snuck past the large oak tree straight in front of our house. Seconds later a large fire was lit behind the tree. I could see the crackling flames and the large amount of smoke. I wouldn't have dared to make a fire like that! The peacekeepers would punish this person immediately if they found him.

In usual circumstances I would let this happen but this time my curiosity got the best of me. I pulled on a balck, thick jacket, grabbed a big, sharp knife from the kitchen and headed out into the dark, spooky night.

Whoever it was out there I would find them! Then they will be asking me for mercy...

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