The Boy on Fire (a Hunger Games fanfic) ON HOLD

1- In The Rain

\\ Peeta //

I know I shouldn't be scared of the Hob. It's just an ordinary building in the middle of my home district - but in so many ways it isn't just ordinary. So many laws are broken in there, I'm surprised the Peacekeepers haven't shut it down yet. Actually, I'm not surprised - I know how often they use it themselves.

Still, this was the first time me and Rosy had been starving enough for me to pluck up the courage to go in there. But whenever I thought about backing out, I pictured Rosy's pretty face, all innocent, and my doubts melted away. I had to get her some food. I don't think I could live with myself if she starved to death.

So now I'm standing outside the Hob, in the pouring rain. I can just about see Greasy Sae in the corner, through all the smoke. We make eye contact and, seeing I'm starving, she beckons me towards her.

I take a deep breath. This is it. Time to go in. I step forward. It's funny how just that one step can make me feel so much more confident. Suddenly I find myself right next to Greasy Sae.

'You're looking hungry. Some stew?' She says.

'I wish I could, but I don't have any money. I'm so poor, we don't have enough money to even feed us.'

'Ah. That's a problem. Well, if you do manage to get a few pennies, I can do you some squirell for a discount?'

'Thankyou.' I say politely, while inside my hopes sink.

I walk away, not knowing what to do next, when suddenly I spot a squirell just outside the Hob, getting wet and muddy. But I don't care, I rush to it and pick it up.

Standing in front of me is a girl, about my age, with a long braid running down one side of her head. Wow, she was scary.

'I-is this yours?' I hold out the squirell, terrified she'll say yes and take it from me.

But she doesn't say anything, she just stands there staring at me in the pouring rain.

Finally she does talk. 'Yes, it's mine. But you can keep it.' She glances down at my ribs, easily visible through my shirt, poking out like sharp knives.

I almost faint with relief. 'Thankyou so much, I...Rosy...' I can't manage a whole sentence.

'It's ok. If you need anything else, I -' Suddenly she glances behind her. 'I gotta go. I'm..i'm so sorry. See you around?' Before I can say anything she rushes off, leaving me standing alone, squirell in hand.

-----

Later, back at home, the squirell is roasting on our small fire. You should've seen Rosy's face when I brought it in. It will feed us both for at least a week, if we ration it carefully with some bread we managed to bake. You'd think being a dead baker's son would help, but really my dad died when I was so young, that I could barely remember anything. And it isn't like Mum was a cook.

I couldn't stop thinking about that girl all the way home. Why would she help me? I was just a poor, starving orphan. Maybe she just pitied me.

My thoughts are interupted by a sharp knock at our door, which is more like a big plank of wood. I get up and heave it to one side.

It's the girl. She looks exactly the same as she did twenty minutes ago, except for a large bruise on her cheek. But somehow this makes her look even more intimidating.

'Umm...hello?'

'I brought you this. She throws something at me, a huge furry thing, and starts turning away.

'Wait! Don't go.' I say.

'I have to. My mum...she'll go crazy if she knew I was giving you this.' And that's the last I see of her.

I put the wooden plank back in place, and observe the corpse. It is a dog - a whole dog. I almost dance, right there. A dog!

Rosy peeps out behind me.

'Look Rose, we got a dog! A whole dog!'

Her face lights up with happiness. I want to show the girl how happy she was making us, but I can't.

-----

That night, I'm lying in bed when I hear the scream. Her scream. The girl's. If I listen closely, I can just about hear the sound of a whip striking against skin. And a mother's angry shouts. They echo around town, chasing me into my nightmares.

Author's note: This book is being written by amzzz18 . Please check out my other stories if you like this one! (Shameless self-advertising...)