Gale Reaped

Katniss

I run, my legs aching of pain, soon they give way, give way to the Capitol. 

To the games. I hear her scream my name, to run. Its too late, the tribute stabs the spear into my back. Pain takes over and kills me.

My back hurts as I wake up from the nightmare. I pant and walk to the kitchen for water. I think its to late to go. But then I think of Katniss, so I grab my jacket, bow and arrow, and run to a place of freedom. The woods.

"I thought you wouldn't come." She says, but we both know I would.
I shrug, pick up a rock and throw it up to a tree. Birds come out like a waterfall as Katniss perfectly aims and kills 5 in a row for the first time.
"You know, you'd actually stand a chance in these games." 
She laughs and grins "Yeah right."
I haven't told her so, but I love her. She knows that as well, she loves me too. Just a different type of love, like a couple but without the romance, like brothers and sisters without the arguments, like father and son without the age difference. Now I think I might love her like were a couple, but she doesn't feel the same way, I can sense it, so I don't bother telling her. Me and Katniss are incredibly close we know how the other is feeling or what their thinking without even speaking to eachother. Sometimes we don't even need to look at the other, we sense it. I love this amazing bond, its like a superpower.

A bush rumbles and a bunny hops out. "Kill i-" She exclaims. But I've already shot the arrow through its neck. We then split up to check on the snares we set yesterday. I find a groosling and 3 rabbits. I see Katniss running towards me with something huge that shes holding. 
"Gale! Look! Its a fox!" 
A fox. Something that will get greasy sae licking her lips. She works at the hob, and says that foxes make very delicous broth and are the tastiest animal. Me and Katniss dont agree, but the coal workers do, it must provide lots of energy.
Its also great because when the hob workers skin it, they wash and clean the skin, then Katniss and Prim sew it to make a beautiful coat which we sell to the bakers wife, or keep when its winter. This is the second fox we've ever caught. Katniss beams brightly.
"What luck! What else did you get?" I ask
" 6 grooslings, 4 rabbits, I also collected strawberries from 2 filled bushes, theres about 100, and I caught 3 birds while I looked for you."
"Woah!!! I guess the odds are quite in your favour today Miss Everdeen." I say in a Capitol accent. "I just got a groosling and three rabbits, I think putting up my traps on your side will get my baskets full."

Katniss nods then we go to her snares to collect the rest of the game. It would've been too much to carry if I didnt bring 2 extra game bags. We sit down near a rock where the grass is long. I try to take in the aroma of the berries we eat, this might be my last day here in 12. 
"I'm gonna be reaped. I know it."
"Gale. Repetitive dreams dont mean anything."
I sigh.
"Besides you'd be able to win them if you became a tribute."
"The odds aren't in my favour today." 
"What?! How?!"
"Waking up late. Less game than usual. Bad nightmares. Plus its the Quarter Quell this year. Oh and tesserae."
"How many times is your name in?"
" 48 "
"Oh yeah you told me, I forgot. I'm in 24 times."
"I know." Katniss forgetting things is not usual, I sense something strange.
"No you dont." She whispers, then turns her head away from me, something is wrong.
"Hey, Catnip. Whats up?"
"Nothings up, it seams as if everythings going down." She turns to face me and I gasp then pull her into a hug. She was crying. "Hey, its okay, its okay." I say as I pat her back. 
"Its not okay." I barely hear her say because her face is on my chest and she's crying. We just cling onto eachother for a while, then Katniss pulls away and starts to walk back to the fence with the bags of game.
"Catnip! At least tell me whats wrong!!!" I get up and chase after her, I grasp her arm, not too tight but she shakes it free and runs off.

Katniss has never been like this and she's not a person to start fussing over little things.
Somethings wrong, and I need to know what it is.

I pick up my game bags and head over to the hob. Everyone seems quiet today, I suspect its because of me, but its probably the games. I give Greasy Sae the groosling, birds and rabbits for medication, herbs and soups from the groosling and 3 birds. I let her keep the rabbits, because its reaping day. I take the strawberries to the mayor, it all seems so wrong Katniss should be here, with me. Madge opens the backdoor, I hand over the berries for money, she slides something else into my hands with the money. Its a pin, a mockingjay pin. 
"Why?" I ask
"For luck."
"Have you seen Katniss, she had half of the berries, is she ok."
"Yes and shes fine."
"So..Do you know why she was so upset."
"Yes but I'm sorry Gale, I-I cant say. I'm sorry." Her face saddens.
"Well good luck even though you'll need none."
She wishes me luck and shuts the door. Everything is so unfair, the Capitol gets everything while we get nothing. Of course, then there's ranks, people like Madge who get an advantage and need no extra food, people in other districts who train for the games their whole lives, people like me and Katniss who do illegal things for survival, then people who live with the fact that there lost, poor, sick or dying and tesserae is their only hope. I look at the sky and the sun is just about to rise, I have a few minutes left. I run over to Katniss's house as fast as I can.

I go in and Ms. Everdeen looks startled. "Im sorry, but Katniss isn't okay, I need to see her........." A long silence passess. "Is she here?" I ask as Katniss comes into the room, she looks the same as when she left the woods, she finally walks towards me and takes me outside.

"Catnip! You okay?"
"Gale what are you doing here?"
"What do you mean? Are you even okay? I know theres something wrong, not just because of the Quell, is it because of me? Or is there something wrong with me?!" Another long silence passes. "Well Is there?"
"Yes." She croaks as a tear makes its way down her cheek.
I just...Theres nothing I can think or say...Something has always been wrong..Since they started these games....These horrible games....

"Gale, your going to die." She says and I see a man coming towards me. Fear fills me, and I doubt the fact that I can defeat it.