The Hanging Tree

It's 12:27 a.m. Ive had another nightmare. It was Snow, cackling as a pool of blood formed around his wide lips. It doesn't even have to be real for me to smell his signature scent of blood and roses. The bitter-sweet fragrance is suddenly all I can smell and I feel slightly nauseas. His snakelike eyes are used as a manipulative tool- frightening and controlling.  In my nightmare, he repeated "Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever", with a cackle in between. As his laugh began to fade out, I could hear the song 'The Hanging Tree' in the background. I am not sure of what this was supposed to mean.

Snow is dead. He cannot hurt me anymore. He cannot hurt Peeta.

I think back to the war, and to when Peeta was hijacked. We all were hijacked. No one survives the Hunger Games; there are no winners. If you are crowned Victor, then you will suffer the rest of your life. The residents of the Capitol didn't realise what they were doing to us. They were oblivious that their so-called leader, President Cornelius Snow, tortured survivors. Mentally and physically.

My then fiancé, wanted to kill me. He had been tortured like many others. His memories of me had mixed up with ideas of mutts and evil.

Snow is lonely. He is jealous and powerful. Anything or anyone people of the districts loves, he destroys. That is his aim.

Peeta, the most caring, loving and gentle person to ever walk the roads of Panem, tried to kill me. "You're a mutt Katniss." I hear his words ringing in my head.

I look over to Peeta and notice the way he is gripping onto the duvet. His knuckles are red; tense; taut. He is beginning to have a nightmare.

Gently, I shake him awake and brush my fingers through his blond, matted hair to comfort him. He opens his eyes in shock and begins to lose control of his breathing. I hold him to reassure him. As he calms down, he asks me: "Did you have one too?"

In reply, I answer, "Yeah, I did. What was yours about?"

"There was a man. He looked homeless, he had messy long hair and facial hair. His shoes were worn and you could see his toes. He had grey District 12 eyes and looked exactly like Greasy Sae. I think he was her son."

As Peeta says this, I remember in my first games, I was talking to Rue about Greasy Sae's granddaughter and her mental disorder. She used to run around the Hob all day, acting like people's pet. I guess they could be related.

"Katniss.. Katniss?" Peeta brings me back into the world I had drifted far away from. I always spend too much time looking back at the games.

"Uhh, yeah? Sorry I was lost for a moment,"

"What was yours about?"

I decide I can't tell him. I don't want to bring Snow's name back. I don't want to upset Peeta. He has been through enough; he has had his own nightmares.

I look down and regret the lie I must tell. "Actually, I've kinda forgotten... Anyway, it's getting late, we should get some sleep." I yawn and Peeta welcomes me into his arms.

"I know you Katniss. We've been through a lot together. I might be sensitive and I know that I'm still healing, but I'm not stupid. You can tell me anything. After all, that's what you and I do. We protect each other. You don't have to hide it from me, I can take it."

Looking up to see his Panem grey eyes and a pitiful look upon his face, I let him know that I never thought he was stupid.

I tell him about my nightmare. I tell him about Snow, and I tell him about the song. Like me, Peeta cannot make sense of it either. I can tell he is pleased that I told him the truth.

He plants a kiss on my forehead before I bury my head into his chest. I lay there, my eyes open, as Peeta slowly falls back asleep.

It's at nights like this I miss Prim. She would sit up with me, advising me, though she was the younger sister. How I miss her smile, and how she would plait her hair into bunches. My little duck.

I try not to think about it. About the bomb. I haven't heard from Gale, since I last saw him at the mansion. I guess that's a good thing.

My thoughts keep crawling back to The Hanging Tree. Trying to figure out what the song had to do with my nightmare is like trying to complete a jigsaw with most of the pieces missing. I can still smell the unpleasant fragrance.

I tell myself he can't hurt us anymore. He's dead. He was killed. Dying from poison. Being ripped apart. He's gone.

This is my first fanfic, so any suggestions will be appreciated(please comment suggestions)! I am new to writing on here, so I hope you enjoy :)