Broken (A Hunger Games Fanfic)

Chapter 2

   "I'm sorry, Annabelle, I have to change my mind," Ash says behind me.

   "What do you mean, 'change your mind?'" I ask him.

   "We're probably both going to die out here. District 13 probably doesn't even exist. The closest we could get there would be District 12, and I'd probably die in the mines."

   "Fine!" I spun around to face him, "Go ahead and go back to your miserable life cutting down trees! I'm doing this to survive, and if you don't want to, you can just kill yourself now."

   "Bell, I don't want you to die because of something that isn't real. I would rather see you die in the Hunger Games then watch you go mental,"

   "Oh wow, isn't that flattering." I tell him sarcastically. "If it's too much for you to handle, Ash, then you can go right back to District 7 right now and fail at trying to keep Sage and Berkley alive,"

   He slapped me.

   It was a good hard slap. His dirty face was streamed with tears and turned up in a scowl. Then he did the last thing I expected.

   He hugged me.

   "Annabelle, I don't want you to die in any way. You're my little sister. I don't know if District 13 is still there or not. All I know is that the Capitol is looking for you to put you in the Games. I'm sorry if I ever treated you horribly. It was for your own good,"

   "Ash. . .it's fine, really. . ." I didn't know what to say to him.

   I looked up and saw the sun setting in the west. We broke away and got to work for the night. I quickly started cutting branches and use my knife and a rock to light the fire. Ash set up a resting place concealed by pine trees. We ate a little of the grain for dinner.

   "We're going to have to learn to hunt soon, Bell," Ash reminds me. "How good are you with that knife of yours?"

   I stood up and faced toward a tall, branchless tree, aiming my knife. I got into a position and threw the knife. It soared in a fast, straight line and stuck itself into the tree at my eye level.

   "Good," Ash praised me. "I'll train you to make and use a bow,"

   He stood up and grabbed a long stick on the ground. From a tear in his pants, he ripped a thin ribbon of fabric. He worked for about thirty minutes, and I passed the time throwing the knife into the tree. When he was done, he presented me with the cheapest bow you could ever get including three homemade arrows.

   "Test it out," He told me.

   I try to adjust the arrow on the bow, but I fumble and it falls out multiple times. When I finally make it stay, I try to shoot it. It wiggles in the air and only makes a dent on the tree I use as a practice target. I discipline myself by slapping my forehead with a growl.

   "You'll get better," Ash assured, "What about your trapping and tracking? Are you good at climbing a tree?"

   "Why are you asking me this kind of stuff?" I growl at him.

   "If the Capitol does find you, you'll need to be prepared for the Games. You won't have any advantage against the Careers if all you know is how to throw a knife."

   "I've already decided I'm not going to let the Capitol catch me," I remind him for the millionth time.

   "Fine, but you'll have to survive somehow out here, too." His face changes from mocking to confused and protective. 

   "Wait a minute," He instructs me. Then I realize what's happening.

   A person was walking behind us, hidden behind the evergreens. The person was small and was moving fast. I got into my knife-throwing position and Ash rose the bow.

   "Belley!" A little girl's voice cries out as a head of reddish-brown hair bursts through the pines.

   "Berkley!" I drop my stone knife and ran toward her, picking her up in a bear hug.

   Galen and Sage come tripping out behind her. Sage, with his normal tangled mass of black hair, hugged my legs. Galen and Ash gave each other tough pats on the back.

   "Galen said we were going to see you and go away from home!" Sage says gleefully.

   The hole that had been making me melancholy the whole journey was sealed witht the joy of my family being reunited. Even Galen seemed like my brother now.

   Yes, that was what we were. A new family. A fixed family. We were going to start a new life away from District 7. I wouldn't get myself killed in the Hunger Games, and I wouldn't have to worry Sage or Berkley dying. I would learn to appreciate Galen as my brother.

   Hope had returned to us.

Yes, very short chapter, but Chapter 3 will be better :) Vote and fan! -Kaitlyn