Timber

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Let the Games Begin

A bone-chilling breeze swept over Hazel, icy tendrils licking at the exposed skin of her face and arms. Shivering, she opened her eyes and wrapped her goose-fleshed arms around herself. She was in the woods, again, alone in the center of a fresh clearing. Wide stumps were scattered across the space like haphazard polka dots. The mossy ground was tinted brown with sawdust and shards of limbs. Several downed trees were abandoned and shattered in a winding row. The area had all the telltale signs of illegal domino felling but not a soul was in sight.

Despite the bright blue sky, she trembled. Her eyes slid closed as she drew in a deep breath. She sighed at the familiar smell of the air, Cedar. It was one of her favorite scents in the whole world. None of the other woods could quite compare. Much of the furniture in their house was made of cedar - their dining room table, her mother's hope chest, and even the little animals her uncle had once carved for her were crafted from the fragrant softwood. It embodied everything that was home. Everything that was District Seven.

'Snap'. Hazel's eyes shot open at the sound behind her. Whirling around, she rechecked the clearing. A small movement at the tree line caught her attention. Squinting, she realized it was a flash of a deep green coat tail moving through the underbrush.

'Snap.' The sound came again, closer this time. A tall figure was draped in a dark green coat, the silhouette standing out against the forest backdrop. The person appeared to be facing her. She swallowed down her fear and moved forward. As she drew closer, Hazel could finally see emerald eyes and a lock of auburn red hair peeking out from under his hood. He remained silent, just watching. He didn't seem to be armed, nor did he make any move to harm her. Hazel took a few more steps closer as if approaching a wild animal. He stood, motionless and silent, as she neared him.

"Uncle Cedar?" she murmured. At the sound of his name, his face registered a brief flicker of recognition, but he remained otherwise still, continuing to watch her without speaking. "Why are you here? Why are you haunting me?" Hazel's voice quivered. The memory of him dying seemed distant and surreal now that he stood before her. Don't disappear. He remained silent, observing her without blinking. Time seemed to stretch on in the quiet of the forest.

Gradually, his expression shifted as she neared. His face remained stoic, but his eyes betrayed a deep pain, and soon, a tear trailed down his cheek. She paused; she had no memory of him ever crying when she was a little girl. He had always been joyful and fun-loving, a constant source of happiness in her life.

Another tear broke away from his eyes, and Hazel closed the remaining distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. His body was cool, almost damp to the touch, unlike the warm hugs she remembered. But to her, the physical sensation was inconsequential. She would have given anything to hug him one more time when she was a child.

He began to move, reciprocating her hug. He rested his cheek on top of her head. After a brief moment, Hazel heard his voice, not exactly as she remembered but similar enough to stir a deep sense of familiarity. "Hey Hazelnut."

Cedar was the only one who had ever called her that. She had not heard the nickname since she was five. She tightened her embrace, fearing that he might disappear if she loosened her grip. In all the time she had nightmares, he had never let her get close enough to hug him.

As they held each other, his coolness soon gave way to an unnatural warmth. The odd sensation spread across her chest and down her back. At first, she thought it was body heat, but the sensation was different, like warm soup being poured over her. Confused, she pulled back. To her horror, she saw her shirt covered in red blood. Startled, she shot a look at Cedar, whose eyes were solemn and fixed on her, but he began to sway.

Hazel grasped his arms to steady him. Her eyes fell to his chest; blood was seeping through his jacket, saturating the fabric right over his heart. Two matching stains darkened each wrist of his green coat. The stains expanded, and as they did, Cedar's face grew pale.