A peculiar sensation jolted Hazel. An alien vibration resonated through her bones. She sat up, her green eyes snapping open, her senses on high alert.
Hazel's copper hair cascaded over her shoulders as she glanced upward. The pine needles above were trembling. For a brief, sun-drunk moment, she thought it was an earthquake.
A resounding thwack reverberated within the trunk beneath her. It was then it became evident that the rhythmic chopping originated from the very tree she had been resting against.
Her heart raced as she peered down, her eyes locking onto a figure hacking away at the base of the pine. Draped in a dark green coat, the figure's presence was out of place amidst the summer heat of District Seven.
"Hold on!" Hazel croaked.
The axe-wielding figure paused, glimpsing upwards.
Yet their face remained veiled.
Hazel's attention rushed to the tree's trunk. The axe had carved a deep, wedge-shaped gash. The exposed wood pulp was sandy brown, rough, and splintered. Bark shards were scattered around the base.
Unheeded, the figure resumed his task with vigor. The tree now swayed under the assault. It groaned and creaked, mourning its impending fate. Each strike of the blade dispatched another swell of panic through her.
"Stop!" Hazel's voice cracked.
But it only seemed to fuel the tree assailant. Hazel ditched her lunch. The homemade apple bread tumbled from her lap. Its golden crust and melting butter were like a fleeting dream that disappeared into the abyss below.
Scrambling to descend, Hazel's muscles felt heavy, weighed down, and wholly uncoordinated. But time was a luxury she no longer possessed.
The air brimmed with the deafening whack of splintering wood. Birds scattered from their perches. Leaves and pine needles rained like confetti at a morbid gathering. The thunder of the tree's mighty trunk rushed through the woods.
Her hands were raw and bleeding as she clawed at branches, bark tearing away beneath her fingertips.
Time slowed as the tree reached its tipping point, teetering on the precipice of collapse. Then, with an overpowering roar, it surrendered to gravity's embrace.
Hazel's world tilted, a heady rush of adrenaline flooding her senses. Her stomach churned as the ground rushed to meet her, the massive Ponderosa Pine succumbing to its fate.
Hazel's reality blurred into a whirlwind of motion and noise as the colossal tree hurtled toward the ground. Her tightly shut eyes couldn't block the overwhelming sensation of freefall. Amid the turmoil, a familiar voice pierced her nightmare, calling her name.
Hazel's body spasmed, jerking her out of the stomach-emptying plunge.
Dawn's first light remained a distant promise on the horizon. Blinking away the remnants of her dream, Hazel fought to shake off the sensations of crashing branches and the gut-wrenching drop.
She was sprawled erratically in her bed, drenched in sweat, her heart still pounding from the vivid dream. The lingering adrenaline coursing through her veins clashed with the creeping calm of consciousness.
Her room lay still in the pre-dawn darkness, and she groaned softly into her pillow, pulling the patchwork blanket closer.
"Lazybones," the voice from before teased.
A tall silhouette emerged from the shadows. "Come on, you have to get up, or we will be late."
Hazel remained still, her face nuzzled deeper into the welcoming embrace of her pillow.
YOU ARE READING
Timber
FanfictionBook One of the Timber Series. In the rugged woodlands of District 7, fate dramatically alters the lives of Hazel Marlowe and her younger brother when they are both selected during the reaping for the 15th Annual Hunger Games. The historic selection...
