Captured || Book 1

Chapter 28 | War is not a Game

War is not a game. It has no winners nor losers. It brings nothing but death and sorrow. I see this when I am placed in the Capitol. The pods are killing people slowly. It never ends. Most of the people who have died are ones that I only remember from training. Small lives to me, though their deaths were nonetheless difficult. It made me wish I had known them in some way other than being an acquaintance. But I have to push through and keep going even with the constant thought that I or anyone else could die at any moment. 

Our now small team sits to set up camp for the night. Jackson, Boggs, Homes, Mitchell, Leeg 1 and 2, Finnick, Gale, and myself are what consist of Squad 451 or, as Jackson as referred to us, The Star Squad, as we are the ones being put in all the propagandas.

"Hurry up with your tents," Jackson orders us all. "If you get caught by peacekeepers I won't be the one to blame!"

Everyone moves quicker with their tents, though I had already finished mine so I go and help Finnick with his. We don't make make any conversation and we don't try to either. We're both upset about the war and leaving behind the people we love.

Thinking about my few loved ones brings me back to the moment I said goodbye to Delly, Prim, and Mrs. Everdeen before leaving to where I may never see them again.

"I'll miss you, Peeta," Delly tells me. "Please come back... for me."

"I promise," I tell her. "I'll come back." Though I don't think of coming back for her, I'll return for Katniss. She's the reason I'm actually trying to live, even if she hates me now.

"I love you, Peeta," she whispers. "I'll always love you."

I know she expects me to say it back, I can see it in her face. But even if I am leaving to war, I can't bring myself to say it.

"Please," she begs. "Tell me you love me back... even if you don't mean it..."

"I'm sorry," I say, pulling her into a hug and kissing her forehead. "I can't say it..."

I know I said it once, but even then I didn't mean what I said and saying it gave me a strange feeling for days. I can't afford to focus on that kind of thing right now, not when I'm entering a war zone.

"It's okay," she says, disappointment staining her voice. "You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"I promise you, Delly, it has nothing to do with you it's just..."

"You're in love with Katniss," she finishes for me. "I understand."

I smile, "Well... I'll miss you, Delly and I promise I'm coming back."

She nods, understanding.

"I'll miss you too... now go day goodbye to your little friend over there." She smiles, pointing to Prim on the other side of the flying deck, waiting for me.

"Prim," I say ad I draw near her, immediately pull her small body into a hug.

"Do you really have to go?" She asks me.

"I'm afraid so," I say sadly. "But don't worry, I'll come back."

"You promise?" She asks. "Katniss and I need you here!"

"I'll be back before you know it. And when I do come back, Panem will be free and you will grow up in a safe world and become a doctor without the fear of being reaped. Okay?"

"Okay," she says. "And before I forget, thank you,"

"For what?" I ask.

"For being my friend," she says. "For taking care of mom and I and most importantly, setting Panem free. This war wouldn't be the same without you."

I smile, "I'm gonna miss you, Prim."

"Mellark!" Jackson calls. "Your times up, get on the hovercraft!"

"Bye, Prim," I say, pulling her into another hug.

"Bye bye!"

That memory starts to slowly fade, so I can barely remember the exact words that were said. I try my best every night to get every detail, replaying it over and over again until I have every detail right. But every night the smallest of details start to fade away into nothing but a blur.

"Peeta?" I hear Finnick call, pulling me from my thoughts. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I say. "Just thinking."

"Do you still think about Katniss?" He asks out of the blue.

"Of course I do, why do you ask?"

"It's just that you haven't seen her in weeks," he says. "I miss having the both of you around."

"Yeah, well... I don't think I'll be seeing her again. She's not getting any better, she's getting worse in fact. And if I don't survive this war... well, you know what happens." I say. "How are you and Annie doing? I haven't seen you much after the wedding."

"It was hard on her, me leaving to war that is." He says. "But... I'm trying my best to keep her in mind every time I get in some sort of deadly situation. It helps me remember what I have to go back to. You should try it,"

"Maybe," I say and walk away without another word to go into my tent for the night.

Our squad gets up before the sun and start heading out, drawing closer to Snow's mansion with each step. Boggs pulls out his Halo that detects upcoming pods. The only problem is, new pods that have been placed aren't detected so we have to be extra careful not to step on those ones. 

Boggs puts a single finger up, signalling us to stop. We all freeze and look around, wondering why he stopped us. We then see a big car drive up and stop as two big body guards come out. Boggs pulls his weapon out as well as the rest of us. When the two body guards pull open the back door and a person that I can't quite see comes out. Though Boggs must see the person because he instructs us to put our weapons down.

The person walks with the bodyguards towards us when I see who it is.

The person coming out of the truck is no other than...

.......

I'm so evil!!!! Even though you probably already know who it is... 😒😒😒

Sorry for such slow updates. I was not in the writing mood and had no inspiration. But I really have to go because my phone is going to die!!!

Goodbye and may the odds be ever in your favor.