Burning Embers
afraid for my loved ones
I glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly time to meet him. Without noticing, a smile lit up my face, and I took two of the loaves off of the table and bundled them up in a clean wash cloth. Perhaps it was wrong to give a piece of the gift from Pronze to the boy I loved, but his family needed food just as much as my own.
As I ran through the town, I waved to familiar faces and watched as everyone was cleaning up our district. I didn't stop to chat though, instead, I hurried to a small hill just far enough away from the chatter, but still within the fences of District 12. As expected, he was already there laying down in the grass.
"Hi," I smiled as I approached him, taking a spot close to him.
When he heard my voice, he propped himself on his elbow and looked warmly at me. "Hi," Gale echoed, and brought his hand to rest over mine. His eyes never left my face, and I felt warmth crawling up my neck. After a moment, he trailed his fingers down to the hem of my dress. "You look beautiful… what's the occasion?" He mumbled teasingly.
I scoffed and answered, "Hopefully there is none. Reed and Clay have their names in there 126 times combined… And you… how many times are you entered? Twenty-five?"
"Twenty five." He confirmed with an uncaring shrug as he laid back down, pulling me with him.
I curled against his chest and soaked in his warmth. Despite the serenity of our surroundings, I couldn't stop from being a nervous mess. Gale's lack of interest in the matter never failed to shock me. "I'm scared for you." I admitted. "If I lost you, Gale, I don't know what I would do."
He looked at me and put on a coy smile. His fingers brushed through my hair as he responded, "You'd get by, Leena. There are a lot better choices out there for you."
"You're the one I want," I insisted quietly.
Silence fell over us, but it didn't bother me. What else was there to say? Gale had two brothers, a sister, and a mother to support. His father died in a terrible explosion in the mines about two years ago. A few weeks before my own father died. Kind of cruel irony that my dad stayed home to take care of my mother the day of the explosion only to die weeks later. Nevertheless, being with Gale just wasn't a possibility at the moment. First of all, we were both only fifteen. And secondly, it was much like Reed and Fauna's situation where our families needed us more than we needed each other.
After awhile, I remembered the warm bread and sat up. "Happy Hunger Games," I told him gently, extending the loaves for him. He looked at them, his eyes lighting up with hunger, but then he froze. Gale knew where the bread was from, knew who gave it to me, and suddenly lost his appetite. With a sigh, I shoved the bread into his hands and said, "Don't be so stubborn, Gale. Food is food."
"He can feed you and your family. I can hardly support my own." He grumbled.
I shook my head and laid back down on his chest. Staring into his grey eyes, I pushed his dark hair away from his face. "You don't give yourself enough credit." I replied simply. "Take it home to your family… I should go now. I'll see you at the Reaping?"
"Alright," He murmured in a huff.
Not exactly the kind of note I wanted to depart on, but it would have to do. With a sigh, I sat up and smoothed out my dress. Before I could stand up, though, Gale caught my arm and pulled me on top of him. His hands cradled my face and he kissed me on the lips. It was all too easy to fall into that kiss, and I did. My hands ran up his sinewy chest as my lips melted into his.
When we finally pulled away to breathe, he whispered into my ear, "You'll never lose me, Leena. My heart is yours."
Gale released me from his grasp, and I stumbled back to my home all starry eyed and having to hold back tears. Gale talked about running away before, but I was too frightened to hear anything of it. I was obedient not out of loyalty, but out of fear. I was afraid for my loved ones, afraid for myself, afraid for the future. But if I was to know what would become of my life in only a matter of thirty minutes, I would have packed up everything and took my loved ones far, far away from the Capitol and their evil games.
As I ran through the town, I waved to familiar faces and watched as everyone was cleaning up our district. I didn't stop to chat though, instead, I hurried to a small hill just far enough away from the chatter, but still within the fences of District 12. As expected, he was already there laying down in the grass.
"Hi," I smiled as I approached him, taking a spot close to him.
When he heard my voice, he propped himself on his elbow and looked warmly at me. "Hi," Gale echoed, and brought his hand to rest over mine. His eyes never left my face, and I felt warmth crawling up my neck. After a moment, he trailed his fingers down to the hem of my dress. "You look beautiful… what's the occasion?" He mumbled teasingly.
I scoffed and answered, "Hopefully there is none. Reed and Clay have their names in there 126 times combined… And you… how many times are you entered? Twenty-five?"
"Twenty five." He confirmed with an uncaring shrug as he laid back down, pulling me with him.
I curled against his chest and soaked in his warmth. Despite the serenity of our surroundings, I couldn't stop from being a nervous mess. Gale's lack of interest in the matter never failed to shock me. "I'm scared for you." I admitted. "If I lost you, Gale, I don't know what I would do."
He looked at me and put on a coy smile. His fingers brushed through my hair as he responded, "You'd get by, Leena. There are a lot better choices out there for you."
"You're the one I want," I insisted quietly.
Silence fell over us, but it didn't bother me. What else was there to say? Gale had two brothers, a sister, and a mother to support. His father died in a terrible explosion in the mines about two years ago. A few weeks before my own father died. Kind of cruel irony that my dad stayed home to take care of my mother the day of the explosion only to die weeks later. Nevertheless, being with Gale just wasn't a possibility at the moment. First of all, we were both only fifteen. And secondly, it was much like Reed and Fauna's situation where our families needed us more than we needed each other.
After awhile, I remembered the warm bread and sat up. "Happy Hunger Games," I told him gently, extending the loaves for him. He looked at them, his eyes lighting up with hunger, but then he froze. Gale knew where the bread was from, knew who gave it to me, and suddenly lost his appetite. With a sigh, I shoved the bread into his hands and said, "Don't be so stubborn, Gale. Food is food."
"He can feed you and your family. I can hardly support my own." He grumbled.
I shook my head and laid back down on his chest. Staring into his grey eyes, I pushed his dark hair away from his face. "You don't give yourself enough credit." I replied simply. "Take it home to your family… I should go now. I'll see you at the Reaping?"
"Alright," He murmured in a huff.
Not exactly the kind of note I wanted to depart on, but it would have to do. With a sigh, I sat up and smoothed out my dress. Before I could stand up, though, Gale caught my arm and pulled me on top of him. His hands cradled my face and he kissed me on the lips. It was all too easy to fall into that kiss, and I did. My hands ran up his sinewy chest as my lips melted into his.
When we finally pulled away to breathe, he whispered into my ear, "You'll never lose me, Leena. My heart is yours."
Gale released me from his grasp, and I stumbled back to my home all starry eyed and having to hold back tears. Gale talked about running away before, but I was too frightened to hear anything of it. I was obedient not out of loyalty, but out of fear. I was afraid for my loved ones, afraid for myself, afraid for the future. But if I was to know what would become of my life in only a matter of thirty minutes, I would have packed up everything and took my loved ones far, far away from the Capitol and their evil games.