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"Jimin." The boy looked at me out of breath.
"Jihyun?" I sighed looking at my brother. "Why would you follow me here?"
"Mom is freaking out." He eyed me cautiously as I lowered my bow. "She couldn't find you and..."
"And?" I raised my eyebrow. "You thought spying on me was the answer?" I raised my bow again as I leaned against the tree eyeing a deer.
"You know we aren't allowed to..." his voice trailed off as he eyed the deer. Carefully and quietly I released the arrow through the air hitting the deer right between the eyes.
"Hunt?" I said making my way towards the deer.
"You know the capital doesn't allow it and with the reaping...."
"Jihyun go home." I finally said.
"You know the consequences Jimin." He squeaked out.
"And you know you and mom need to eat." I said grabbing his face. "So go home."
"We can eat whats at the bakery..." he trained off.
I groaned and shoved him causing him to fall. "And I said go home Jihyun." I yelled startling him. He looked up at me with big sad eyes and I felt regret almost instantly. "They aren't going to do anything to me." I shook my head. "What more can they do? Place my name in the reaping more than they already have it? You and mom have to eat. And if I go..." I lifted the deer and swung it over my shoulders. "You guys just have to eat okay?"
He nodded. "I don't want you to go."
"Hopefully." I looked at him as I pulled the arrow out of the deer. "Neither of us will go. But especially not you." I poked his nose. "To avoid you getting in trouble go home. I'll meet you there."
"The reaping is in 3 hours." He looked down sadly. "I'm scared."
"Its your first year." I said. "Theres no way you'll be picked. I've made sure everything was in my name. Your names only going in once." I sighed thinking about how many times my own name was going to be tossed into a giant glass dish. Too many times.
Jihyun trudged up the hill as I followed a good amount of distance behind him. So if by chance I was caught holding the contraband, Jihyun would not be punished as well. His head hung lower as he walked further up. He made one last glance behind him before he ran the rest of the way home.
I sighed feeling the heaviness of the buck on my back almost regretting risking getting caught. My family were the bakers of the district, however we hardly ever had enough food to feed ourselves despite the hefty amounts of bread and cakes we seemed to make. I learned how to hunt, we needed food. My brother and mom needed food. I could have cared less if I ate.
My father passed away a few years ago and I never wanted to be in that dark place we were in back then. Before I exited the woods a girl smacked heads with me while running causing me to stumble and fall backwards, her landing on me.
