Chance || Peeta Mellark

Activities [06]

It was early morning, the sun hadn't risen; a white frost covered the pathway, untouched snow. The only thing breaking the cool silence was the sound of footsteps trudging through the thin layer of snow and the shutters of air between breaths. Early morning, illegal activities. The only way to get some sort of thrill in the district was to leave it. Take the long walk over the hill. Crawl under the fence. Roam Free. Easy.

A grunt escaped the boy's lips as he pushed himself under the fence that is meant to be electric, but rarely is. He looked up to the girl as she passed him a pack through the hole; it was basically just water and some nuts they had found. Shimmying across the frosty ground was definitely a wakeup call, she shivered as she stood back up, "Bit cold there?" He boy chuckled as they set off into the woods between the districts.

An annoyed look came across her face as she looked up at him, "No, it's a sauna really, Dustin..." She murmured sarcastically as they continued to walk. They soon found their path, tip toeing through the leaf litter and bushes; it was ten-minute walk to their spot in the middle of the woods. It seemed almost imaginary, a small open space where lush green grass grew, trees stretched over in a circle to create a roof from branches and leaves. However, since it was winter, the green grass had been covered in snow and the once lush trees had turned dark.

Dustin had walked off to go get something, he said it was a surprise; Alexis stood in the middle of the once lush eutopia, staring at the sky through the branch canopy. It was beautiful, a purple and blue haze, not a cloud in the sky. Her arms spread out as she began to spin slowly, a smile graced her face. Out here, she was free - free from the district, free from peacekeepers, free from the reaping. A twig snapped, breaking the silence. Immediately her attention snapped towards the noise to see Dustin standing there, a goofy smile spread across his face - although he was hiding something behind his back. "What's that?" She asked sceptically while gesturing to his arms.

His smile only got bigger as he brought it in front of him, holding it out as if it was his most prized possession. It probably was. A slick, silver bow. "How did you—" She said quickly as she took the smooth metal in her hands; it was cold, sending a shiver through her body. "How did you get this?"

A chuckle escaped his lips as the girl pulled it back, aiming the empty bow at a tree beside them. "I traded for it. Took a full deer." She carefully returned the bow to its resting point and give the boy a questioning look.

Her eyes flickered from him to the bow and then back to him, "A peacekeeper gave this to you." Her eyes returned to the bow as she ran her hand over the grooves in the metal. It was identical to the ones the gamemakers used in the games. "A peacekeeper gave a thirteen-year-old boy from the seam.... A bow?"

"Traded." Dustin corrected.

Alexis' eyes couldn't help but roll, "Oh sorry, allow me to correct myself." She said as she looked up at him, "A peacekeeper traded a bow to a thirteen-year-old boy from the seam for a deer?" The boy nodded, "That's illegal."

"Well apparently he really wanted that deer." Dustin said while taking the bow back into his hands and smiling. "Now are you gonna let me teach you how to shoot?" He said confidently as he pulled back the string, aiming for a nearby tree. It was her turn to laugh now, "what?"

"Sorry." She said while covering her mouth, "But how am I meant to learn, because clearly we are lacking in the arrow department." She gestured to him and the bow as his gaze followed her hand.

"Oh."

It took around three hours to carve sticks into arrows, but together they had carved six. Dustin had promised that next time he will have actual arrows, but it scared the girl. Peacekeepers arming the district. Even if it was a one off, it was dangerous. It could start a rebellion.

Dustin pushed himself to his feet as they finished, he offered his hand to the girl, pulling her up. "Okay, let's do this." He said while stepping behind Alexis and putting the bow in her hands. There was a circle carved into the tree around 10 metres in front of them. Together they brought the bow up into Alexis' eyeline, "Close an eye." She closed her left, Dustin leaned around and saw her right eye still open, "Okay, your right eye dominant, mm, okay, uhm, focus on the circle."

His arms were still around her and she felt his breath tickle the back of her neck. He kept adjusting the bow in her hands, so he ended up putting his hands on top of hers. "Ready?" He whispered, she shook her head, nervous she'd completely miss. "Oh, you'll be fine, ready. 3..." he began to count down, so she let her shoulders relax, "2... breath in...." she did as told as sucked in a deep breath, allowing the air to fill her lungs, "1... breath out..." The breath escapes her lips, relaxing her shoulders. "Let go."

Together they released the wooden arrow, and it flew through air for a brief moment before it planted into the tree, snapping at the impact, but it did land, hitting the middle of the circle. A small yip escaped her lips as she let go of the bow and turned to Dustin, who was a smiling mess. A grin was stuck on the girls face as she pulled him in for a hug. "Omgosh!" She let out as she pulled away from him, "We just shot a bow! Oh my god."

A hearty laugh left his lips, "Yeah! We did that!"