Primrose Mellark

Chapter Sixteen

BOOM!

   I quickly sit up and look around wildly. A loud noise sounded in the morning silence. I crawled out of my home and lifted up the door. I looked around. The shot was close, because I can see birds flying up out of the forest only across the lake. I duck and walk over to behind a big pine and bush. I peer over the top of the bush, hidden from sight.

   I see two men walking out into the open. One of them is carrying a long pointed stick, and the other is holding a goose by the neck. It was dead. 

   I narrow my eyes and watch over the glint of the lake against the sun, my gaze on the two men. They weren't looking for me, I knew. If I remember correctly, they are illigal hunters called poachers. It's illigal to hunt like that, and you can go to jail. I watch as they stop and point near me, into the forest. They don't see me, though, because the other one with the dead bird nods and says something quietly to the other. I duck lower.

   I hope that they don't walk this way. But no. Here they come, walking rapidly. I turn around and look for a better hiding place. I pray that they don't notice my cave. I run across and crawl under a tree's roots that were sticking out. It was a large maple, and the roots were out of the ground, with a hollow underneath so I can crawl and hide. I pull some branches over the front so they don't see my face. Then I wait.

   After a few moments, I can hear them now. I peer out, and see them walking up to the clearing in which I am. I watch with dread as one of them walks directly past my cave. He doesn't notice it, but is awfully close. The other calls into the forest. He has a rough voice.

   "I think you scared them all 'way." he grunts. He points the goose into the forest. "See? They ain't calling to each other."

   The man with the gun replies, "Well, what do you want me to do?"

   "We have all day," the other points out. "We can wait for them to get back." My heart drops. There was no way I could go back into my cave without them seeing me if they stayed here.

   To my relief, the other waves the thought away. "Nah. That'll take too long."

   "But those idiots aren't here anymore," the bird man says. It takes me a second to realize that they were talking about District Twelve. I scowl at them silently.

   "Yeah? Well I don't want to wait in this sun for the rest of the day!" he snaps. "I am goin' back to the truck and I'm riding home. We can try somewhere else. Are you going to come with?" His voice was hard as he questioned the other man. I noticed the man with the bird is younger than him. He doesn't have a beard, and there was less wrinkles in his face than the other man. Maybe it was his son. He looked to be about twenty years old, or somewhere in that area.

   He sighs. "Fine. We have to take this sucker home anyways before he spoils." The man with the gun smiles approvingly.

   "Sure thing! We'll have a good supper tonight!"

   They go on about what they're going to have that night. I curse under my breath at them. Just go away already! Go home in your truck and leave me and my forest alone.

   " 'Cmon." the bird man says. So they walk off in the direction they came, across the lake. When they leave the birds start to sing again. I crawl out of under the tree, and I walk over to the edge of the clearing. I made sure they left before walking back to my cave.

   That was a close one, I thought. Good thing they fired that gun before they came over on this side of the lake, or else I'd be in trouble.

    I get inside my cave, and I start to bury the live embers under the ash so I can use them later, if I needed to. I start rummaging through the box I'd brought. Clothes.... a little bit of food.... some more rope... what else did I pack? My hands to to the bottom. As they brush something long and wooden, they freeze. I grasp it and pull it out of the box. My bow! I reach in and pull out the stash of arrows. I run my fingers along the perfect wood, and then the bowstring. This was my weapon for survival out here, other than fire.