(TW: brief description of past SA)
Livia could feel the blood on her skin.
The man hit the ground with a sick thump sound that made her hand travel to her mouth.
Peeta was by her side desperately trying to pull her away as the crowd broke into a riot.
Then there were more peacekeepers- and unlike their name there was no peace.
The man had only just crumpled to the ground when a wall of white Peacekeeper uniforms blocked the view.
Several of the soldiers had automatic weapons held lengthwise as they pushed Livia and Peeta back toward the door.
"We're going!" Peeta spat, shoving the Peacekeeper who kept pressing on Livia, "We get it, all right? Come on, Liv."
His arm encircled her and guided her back into the Justice Building.
The Peacekeepers followed a pace or two behind them.
The moment they were inside, the doors slammed shut and they heard the Peacekeepers' boots moving back toward the crowd.
Haymitch, Effie, Portia, and Cinna waited under a static-filled screen that was mounted on the wall, their faces tight with anxiety.
"What happened?", Effie hurried over, "We lost the feed just after Livia's beautiful speech, and then Haymitch said he thought he heard a gun fire, and I said it was ridiculous, but who knows? There are lunatics everywhere!"
Livia brought her hand- shaking tremulously- to her face, smudging fresh blood onto her fingertip.
The world seemed to be in slow motion but way too fast for her to comprehend.
Somehow she'd been ushered into a chair, Haymitch's voice made its way into her head.
"Breathe, kid."
He wiped the blood from her face and she just sat emotionless.
From the corner of her eye she could see Peeta's exasperation as he spoke with such distress to Cinna.
There was a moment when she saw him gesture her way, but within a blink their attention was elsewhere.
Two more shots.
Undeniably shots- the door not doing much to muffle their sound.
Who was that?
Thresh's grandmother?
One of Rue's little sisters?
Haymitch made his way over to Peeta, spoke inaudible words, and then approached Livia.
"Come on. Up, up." Haymitch started as he pulled Livia to her feet.
Livia followed against her will, ascending a magnificent curved marble staircase.
At the top, there was a long hall with worn carpet on the floor.
Double doors stood open, welcoming them into the first room they encounter.
The ceiling must be twenty feet high.
Designs of fruit and flowers were carved into the molding and small, fat children with wings looked down at them from every angle.
Vases of blossoms gave off a cloying scent that made Livia's eyes itch.
Their evening clothes hung on racks against the wall.
The room had been prepared for their use, but they were barely there long enough to drop off their gifts.
Then Haymitch yanked the microphones from their chests, stuffing them beneath a couch cushion, and waving them on.
