Eyes Open | AruAni | Attack on Titan Hunger Games |

5

The air was damp, cold and foggy. The atmosphere was dull. I walked through the streets of District 12, aimlessly after not being able to find food for my father and I. I had just turned 13 back then. My father was getting used to the lifestyle without alcohol. I was trying to provide enough food for us. I had sold random items we wouldn't need, hunted, then sold the meat so I'd be able to buy more food. I know it doesn't make sense. Why wouldn't we keep the food instead? Well, we'd make more money selling it. People would give anything for food. We kept some of it, obviously. We had to survive somehow. I hunted in the forest. It was a restricted zone but I made sure I wasn't spotted. 

On that day though, things were different. I was headed for the forest again, but something told me not to. It was a voice. A cry for help. A whimper coming from just around the corner. I turned a corner to see a blond head, surrounded by three other guys. He was sitting on the ground, tears in his eyes. It looked like the other three had just injured him. He held a loaf of bread in his arms, protecting it. Were they trying to take it from him? 

I sighed. But, that was just enough noise for them to hear me. They looked towards me, trying not to let chuckled escape their mouths. 

"Aw look, his girlfriend showed up." - One of them said to the other. 

"Awwww what is she gonna do?  Call us names?" - The other one replied. The third didn't bother saying anything. 

I moved my hair away from my face, still staring at them with that cold, blank expression. 

"Leave him alone." 

They laughed, not taking me seriously. With a swift movement, I prepared my bow and pointed it at them. 

"Need I repeat myself?" 

Now they looked scared. They moved away and faked a laugh.

"Right." - The - what I assumed was the "leader" of the pack - cleared his throat. - "We have enough food. We just wanted to teach him a lesson. We'll be heading out now." 

The scurried away and I sighed, putting the bow down. I walked over to the kid on the ground and looked at him. He looked up at me as well. 

"Why did you do that?" - He asked, timidly. He seemed afraid. - "Is it for the bread?" 

"Get up." - I ordered. He got up but he wouldn't take his eyes off the ground. - "You can..." - He passed the bread in my direction. - "You can have it." 

I shoved it back to him. - "I don't need it. Keep it. "

Now he met my gaze. - "Really?" - His eyes glowed. 

I nodded. - "Yeah. I don't care." 

"Thank you!" - He smiled - "My grandpa will love this!"

I had seen the kid around before. All I knew was that he lived in a small shed with his grandfather. His parents had him young. They tried to look for a way out of District 12. They tried to run, escape with a parachute but much to their bad luck, they were caught by peacekeepers and killed. I felt bad for the guy. He was trying to survive yet he couldn't defend himself against older kids. He had a small build, pale blue eyes and messy blond hair. His name was Armin Arlert and he would soon become my best friend. 

Fast forward three years later, and we were here, waking up next to each other in the country of Marley, just a week before we'd join the deadliest arena of our lives. 

"Annie, are you listening?" - I heard a voice. It broke my trail of thought. I looked up, only to realize I was supposed to be having breakfast with Levi, Hange and Armin. 

"Yeah." - I replied - "I just zoned out." 

"Right." - Hange said. - "Well, we were going over some of the arena events."