Not real.

Chapter Four: District Two

*Gale*
Goodbye Gale,
Goodbye Gale,
Goodbye Gale....
I awake with start, dragging myself out of the dream I have more than occasionally. There's this constant ache in my heart from those words that repeat in my mind. I hate it. I wish I could just get over...her. I wish I could forget her. But I remind myself that I deserve this. I deserve this constant punishment of being heartbroken because it's my damn fault. I did this to myself.
With that I drag myself out of bed like I have for the past three years. Though on this date it's always just a little harder. I knock back my P.T.S.D meds that I'm not sure have actually worked, get dressed and head out to the newly built Nut.
I was put in charge of rebuilding it after the war. I spent months designing machinery, and architectural layouts to make sure that it could never be brought down again. It's now the center of defense and safe house for all of New Panem.
Within it lie tens of thousands of weapons that I've either designed or helped design. I oversee all training of our new Military recruits. Anything from Hovercraft maneuvers to hand to hand combat is my expertise and I intend to make it so for our soldiers as well. My co-partner, Beetee, oversees all computer defense and made sure that we only had the best of the best tech as well as soldiers operating it.
Even after all that's been built, it will never match the complexity and expansiveness of district thirteen. But since the war District thirteen has reverted back to its previous job of mining. All operations that took place underground were stopped and everyone moved above ground for the first time since the dark days.
We've accomplished much in this country's broken state, and now New Panem is recovered and working properly under President Paylor. But I'm not sure if the generation that saw this country's complete destruction will ever recover fully.
A sigh comes from my throat as this thought crosses my mind. But I can't let my thoughts distract me today. I'm teaching hand to hand combat.
I enter the gym and wrap my hands in tape to prevent injury. My class of soldiers circles on the edge of a mat in the center of the room. I walk over and stand in the middle.
"Two rules. You hit me you win. If anything but your feet hit the mat your out. Ready?"
My troops give a curt nod in response.
"Great. Go."
The soldiers start to slowly circle around me. The first one makes a run for it, hand in position to pop me in the nose. Before he can me a move, I grab his arm turn around and judo flip him over me. I whip around to see my next assailant, I dive for his leg and knock him off his balance. While I'm doing this, another takes a swing at my chest which I block, grab their arm, and twist. Somersaulting them in the air and letting them fall straight on their back. The next takes a jump for my back which I calmly duck. But the next one I'm not prepared for. Soldier O'hara swings her leg into the back of my knee knocking me to the ground on my back. She then quickly forces my arms to the ground by pinning her knees into my elbows so that she's sitting on top of me.
She smiles as she prepares to take a swing at my mouth. Behind her eyes I swear I see a hint of lust as she relishes this moment. Angrily, I break her grip on my arms and drive her backwards into the floor. She gasps for the air that got knocked out of her and winces.
I stand up and gaze over my students who are all trying to get up from the floor. They'll all no doubt have bruises in an hour or two.
"Pretty good. Remember to go for moves that your opponent wouldn't expect, and never EVER," I glare at O'hara "get too cocky when facing an opponent." She glares at her shoes avoiding eye contact.
"I'll see you in a few days, remember to dress those bruises well."
"Sir yes Sir!" Says a chorus of five voices. And with that I head out to the woods.

I let the cold freeze me as I reset a snare that had caught a decently sized rabbit. My very thoughts seem to be frozen as well. My mind and body are numb. I add the rabbit to my belt of kills and make my way towards her grave.
It's not much, just a name carved into a tree. From my pocket I bring out a small light pink flower.
"Here you go Prim." I whisper.
Suddenly it seems as if gravity increases on my shoulders and I collapse on my knees in front of the tree.
"Prim.." My voice cracks. "Damn it Prim...you'd think it'd get easier every year but it just gets worse." My head leans up against the bark and my palm hits it.
"We were in the woods. It was about three years after the explosion that killed my...my dad and your's. And she asked me to promise her something. She asked me to promise her that if one of us got reaped that the other would take care of their family as well as their own. And I said I would. And then I promised her that I wouldn't let anything happen to her or her family. But look where we are now!"
I let one sob escape my lips. Hot tears run down my face.
"Prim I'm...I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I didn't get there fast enough. I'm sorry."
The gravity I felt before weighs down on my eyelids and after I caress the letters engraved on the tree I lean my back against it and then drift off to sleep.