Trapped in the Consequence of Time

Rye and a watch - Willow POV

I aimed and fired.

My arrow pierced the neck of the deer and it collapsed sideways into a clump of flowers. It was newly spring so the flowers hadn't been there for long and my girly feelings would have taken over had it not been the deer, which was the first I'd seen all year, was in perfect condition and if I sold it to the best buyer I would have enough money to stay in the Capitols five star hotel. Of course gone were the days when District twelve was the poorest most underfed district with no chance in the Hunger Games. Gone were the Hunger Games and I'd given up learning about them when I was seven.

That was nine years ago.

But I knew what they were and I knew every tiny detail of the rebellion that followed through my parents, most stories' they told were about my aunt, Primrose, who died too young. I wouldn't know. Nobody I know has ever died.

"Willow!" came Coral Odair's voice somewhere to my right. How she found me every time I never know. She lives in District Four with her parents, grandmother and my grandmother. The result: a lot to trips the Four.

"Over here!" I yelled back and a minute later she stumbled into my clearing. Coral, being from another district, looks really out of place in Twelve, the same way my family does when we go to Four. Although inner district travel is now legal most people stay in their home District, unless like my grandmother after the rebellion they wanted a new life somewhere else. So Coral with her fathers to-die-for looks swept back blond hair ruffed by eleven years of ocean breeze and tanned skin from helping out at the fishing house and her bright sea-green eyes were very different from my bright blue merchant ones and my dark skin and hair. Rye was my opposite with light skin, blond but nowhere near as blond as District Fours and dark Seam eyes.

"Hi!" she said and ran over and hugged me.

"Hey Coral." I greeted, hugging her back. "What's up?" She smiled at me.

"I saw Rye, and he's now cowering under his bed, because he decided that he would drop a balloon full of yellow paint on my head. I would have been here earlier had he not done that and I had to go and change" She scowled and I laughed.

"Do you want help getting him back?" She smiled wirily at me.

"Yes."

"Help me with the deer first and we'll see about it." I said nodding over to the deer I had shot down moments before Coral's arrival. Coral stared at it, before looking up at me.

"How much would you get for that?" I grinned at her and tapped my nose.

"That's for me to know and you to find out; come on the butchers isn't far." I walked over and tied the legs together then grabbed one side of the deer. Coral groaned but came over and grabbed the other so we walked slowly back to the fence surrounding district Twelve. Then I opened the gate nearby and pushed the deer onto a small platform trolley I had waiting. Then Coral covered the deer and sat on the edge while I dragged her down the main street. A few people smiled at us and waved hello and Coral greeted everybody, with their names that I can't even remember and I live in Twelve. After another five minutes we reached the butchers as Troy the butcher came out and started locking the door.

"Wait!" I yelled and he turned around and grinned at me.

"Hello Willow, Coral."

"Hi!" said Coral.

"I have something for you." I said and Coral jumped off the trolley and pulled away the cover. Troy raised his eyebrow at me impressed. "Shot about ten minutes ago." I said proudly. The butcher nodded and unlocked his door again.

"I'll see what I can do; I have a big shipment out to One because they have some crazy idea that meat from the medicine district will cure mental illness." He rolled his eyes. "I consulted a doctor and he told me to go along with it because thinking that might actually work." I laughed. "Anyway." He picked up the deer in his strong arms and put it on some giant scales then he opened a drawer and pulled out a bundle of notes which he handed to me. As he closed the drawer I saw the label on the side: Mellark family.