They're leaving. They're going. This is goodbye. I have to say goodbye. I don't want to say goodbye. It's dangerous. Too dangerous. Why are they going? Why must they go? It's dangerous. They shouldn't go.
"Katniss, you're going to be okay. Prim is going to take care of you. Okay?" Peeta's strong hands cup my face and his blue eyes are clear. He just wants me safe. He smiles at me. "You're going to be safe here."
"You're not going to be safe." I remind him. He won't be safe. Not safe. Dangerous. He could die. "You're going to die. I can't. You can't die. No. No. No please. Please don't. Don't go. You can't die." I thought he was dead in the Capitol. I thought Snow had killed him. No no. I can't go through that. Not again. I can't.
"Katniss, look at me. Hey. Shh. I'm going to be okay. We aren't going to be in any real fights. Okay? Please. Calm down." Peeta can't go. He can't. No! No!
I grab him and hold tight. He can't leave if I'm holding him. He can't leave. No. Not allowed. No. "Don't go. Don't. Please."
"Katniss, I have to. Coin is asking me to go. I have to go or she's going to take you away from Prim. She's going to take Annie and Johanna as well. I have to go and do this."
"No! No! You can't! No!"
"Katniss please. I have to go. I promise I'll be okay."
"No! NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!" Arms grab my waist unsafe! No! Let me go! Let me go! No! I don't want to no! No! Not again! Never again! No! No needles! No! Please! No! No videos! Please! Please!
No more videos no I can't. I can't! No videos please! No! NO!
"PEETA! PEETA NO! Please! Please no! No!"
"Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss" no snake! No! Stop the snake. Stop the snake. Make it stop. Make the snake stop! "Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss Katniss" stop it snake! No! No! "Katniss mutt Katniss mutt Katniss mutt Katniss mutt Katniss mutt Katniss mutt" stop it snake! Stop!
No needle! No! Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no. No videos please snake. Please. No videos please. I can't do it again. No. No videos please.
"Katniss," Peeta? Where? No he's dead. Not here. Never here. He's dead. Peeta is dead. Dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dea-
"stay with me." He's not real. Not real. He's dead. Dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dea-
"Stay with me, Katniss." No! Not real! He's not real! He's dead. He died. He's dead. "Please. Stay with me." He's dead. He's not real.
Lips press against mine his lips. Soft lips. Caring loving lips. Lips press against my cheeks and my forehead and my lips again. "Stay with me please. I'm here. Please."
I open my eyes and there he is. His blond hair in a mess and his blue eyes worried. He's here. He's not dead. He's alive. Real. He's alive.
"Peeta. Alive. Real." I whisper brushing over his cheek. He nods in my hand.
"Real. I'm here. I'm right here."
"You're a baker, real. You double knot your laces, real. You love me, real. You're alive, real. You paint, real. You take care of me, real. You save me, real. You're seventeen, not real. You're eighteen, real. I'm eighteen, real."
"All of that is real, Katniss. It's all real. I'm real. I'm here. It's okay."
I crawl into his strong arms and he just holds me. I'm safe. He's safe. We're safe. We're real. It's okay. We're okay.
"Peeta, we have to go." No!
"Go on without me. I'll make the trip another day."
"Alright." Peeta is staying. He's safe. He's not going. He's safe.
"I'm safe. It's okay. We're safe."
YOU ARE READING
The Wrong Victor
FanfictionWhat if Katniss had been the one left in the arena? What if Katniss had been hijacked and Peeta had been swept to safety to District 13. What if the man of words was left without the one he loved? Let's find out together.
