Catching Fire: The New Story

Visiting the Hawthorne's

Part One - The Spark

Katniss's POV

I sit on the gray, hard rock, stilled by the cold of the winter day and my never ending thoughts, my legs tucked under my body. I have sat here for hours; as of now the sun is barely moving into the sky, shining light through the dark, quiet woods. When I left my home in the Victors Village, it was still a dark midnight blue. Walking around the woods has frozen my body stiff until I reached this random rock by the edge of a cliff. It is beautiful here, the view breaths taking with the moon shining down. My body couldn't take more walking, I hadn't been hunting, just walking and thinking. I began running, running from my past, future, present, and dreams. I ran until my muscles tensed, disagreeing with how much energy I was using that I did not contain, and my sweat seeped through my clothes, my bones chilled, my teeth chattering, so I stopped and sat here. I can't stay here forever, I know that. I'll catch something I don't want today. Calm from my thoughts, and mostly my mind, and shaken by the damp air around me, I realize then I would literally freeze to death if I don't start my hunting day. Not for me, no, for the Hawthorne's family, and everyone else who trades for my meat at the Hob. Whatever I could get my arrows through. Why would my family need anything from the woods beside herbs? We have enough money to feed the whole district for as long as I live. And the rest of my district lives in poverty.

We still prefer fresh, hunted meat rather than manufactured, butcher meat from Ten, but we are sent the meat and will never throw anything in good use away.

My feet push me up, my muscles screaming in agony from their stiffness, and around back to the fallen tree where I hide my bow and arrows. I slowly move my legs and walk to Gale and I's spot on the cliff. I look out to see white covered tree tops on the dozens of mountains ahead until they become the white winter sky at the horizon. The snow blanket made any movement harder to see from my distance, when usually, I could spot any animal miles away. Any sudden animal harder to hear, even with my left ear. After the Games, they corrected every wound from the arena and perfected me until I was like a new porcelain doll in a box, ready to be played with. The Capitol doctors even fixed the ear I went deaf in after I blew up the Career's food supply. It was a miracle they did it, how would I hear from just one ear? But, my new ear is better than my original one, giving me a headache easily from a loud enough noise coming more approachable in my left ear. Making my stubborn self continue to test it with time.

I should at least watch a bit more. Listen closer. I mean, even with my good ear, I may not be able to hear a wild dog with the layers of snow on the ground covering the dried fallen leaves from the autumn season. I possibly can't hear it, let alone run from it with my stiff, sore legs. Snow especially wouldn't let me out of an attack of any creature. I spied around, checking for anything suspicious looking or sounding, but nothing came up in my senses, nothing moved. Most animals were in hibernation at this time of year, so I could be safe for now. I checked the snares Gale set up and invented himself years ago with his oh-so-delicate eyes and hands. His fingers so superior to make such precise snares out of the most daring objects found in these woods. It continues to surprise me what he could think of and create. A talent I lack and wish I contained.

The snares caught two squirrels and a beaver. Amazing for such a weather filled night.

I find myself wanting to walk directly to Gale's house before my old one. But, not wanting to freeze, I head home since the Victors Village is across town from the entrance of the woods where I was now. The walk isn't far to Gale's home, but I have to stop to change my hunting clothes or I will freeze in my father's hunting jacket. My old worn out house lay still on the boundaries of Twelve by the fence I entered and exited the woods from. Still held up with the memories I wish I could go look for and live in forever.