➳𝔲𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔬𝔴➳

chapter 4

I leave my phone in my room and walk out into the hallway my socks slipping slightly on the hard wooden floor. I walk down the stairs and walk into the living room where my mum was sitting on the couch curled up in a blanket made of cotton. She picked up the edge of the blanket becoming me to curl up with her. I walked up to where she was and hugged her. The TV was off. It was just the fireplace flickering with flames. We watched it in silence. The fire crinkled and crackled and an array of beautiful bright oranges, deep reds and glowing yellows filled the grey stone fireplace reflecting all the colours onto the clear window behind us. On the table in front lay a mug of steaming hot chocolate and a roll of bread, my mum's favourite snack. I finally pluck up the courage to ask her...

"Who is Gale...?"

My mother converts her attention from the fireplace towards me. She looked at me, hey grey eyes shined. I knew this question made her tear up a bit but I wanted to know who he was. She paused for a long time until she gulped and said,

"Well...he...was my first real friend, I used to hunt with him in the woods"

"Why don't you see him anymore"

"He...well...I..."

She stuttered, trying to find a way to explain why... until she finally got her words together and said,

"Your Auntie, my sister, Prim died in a bomb explosion during the end of the war..."  tears started streaming down her face "h...h...he designed the bomb that killed her and many... many others. And he was okay with that." Her voice became stronger... angrier even, "He was okay with killing INNOCENT CHILDREN AND PEOPLE. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME WHO DIED. I SHOULD'VE DIED WITH HER. I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO GET HER BACK!" She started crying, tears streaming down her face; her eyes becoming blotchy and red.

I hugged her tighter allowing her to cry and let all of her feelings out because sometimes that is the best way to make someone feel better, not talk and just let them cry. No matter how long, just be there for them.

After a while she calmed down. All of the emotions from today finally relaxed and her breathing steadied, she wasn't choking on her tears anymore. Her arms protectively wrapped around me sent a rush of warmth into my body. Suddenly, Rye came bounding down the stairs with his homework project he had made and I instantly get up from the couch and move my brother into the kitchen where I tell him to place his project.

"Why did you move me here I wanna show mum and dad"

"Dads at the bakery, and mum isn't having a good day and reminding her of the games is not a good idea right now"

"But... but... its just a poster and a drawing..."

"Rye... when your older..."

"Not this again"

"No. Listen to me, when your older you will learn about the hunger games and how it works. You are turning 12 this year and that's when you ACTUALLY learn what people went through in the games. And when you will learn about that you, most likely, will realise how awful it was"

"But your only 14! You don't know everything"

"Rye... I know enough to figure out that it scars you for life. Our parents have had an awful day today and honestly, being reminded of the games isn't going to make anything better. It's a great poster of an arena you made... it really is."

"Well then, why do we learn about it at school if it just hurts others. Isn't that really bad?"

"Yes... well... no... we learn about it because we don't want to relive our ancestor's mistakes. The ones who thought littering the planet and causing climate change was a good idea, well... it wasn't really their idea but they realised that it was harming the planet just before it was too late and they tried to turn it around and where did it leave us? Here."

"Okay. Well what do I do with my project in the meantime?"

I lead him upstairs to my room. Where I search for a piece of ribbon. I finally find a soft orange one and help him roll up his poster where I securely tie the ribbon in a bow around it. 

"Thank you, I have a question"

"Sure what is it? You can ask me anything."

"Well... I kind of like this girl but I don't know if she likes me back..."

I smile to myself. This was too cute. But Rye seems to notice this and says

"Why are you smiling?"

"No reason, but anyway who is this girl? And how long have you liked her?"

"Her name is Ariana and... I've loved her for as long as I can remember seeing her... but I don't know if she likes me back"

"I tell you what... go and..."

My dad knocked on the door before I could finish my sentence. He told us that they were going to tell us what will be happening tomorrow and so we made our way downstairs to the dining room.