Doe In The Meadow | Peeta Mellark

prologue

The wind was blowing as the trees whistled by her. She flinched several times at each noise she heard from all around her, her mind was racing, but her heart was catching up fast. She looked through the curtains of her stringy long hair, at the blurry bushes ahead of her. The sword was placed firmly in her shakey hands, as she drew it up, brushing the side of her cheek.

Across her view, pools of blood scattered across the green grass.

A rustle from a few feet away, caused her to spin around abruptly. A boy began walking towards her, but she couldn't see his face. "Stop!" She screamed at him in warning, lifting the sword before her, attempting to keep her balance in check. But the figure kept advancing on her. She grew worried, as more figures seemed to appear, surrounding her entirely. Her shakiness increased as she began sweating, soaking through her clothes and tears fell down her cheeks, staining them.

"I said stop!" She warned, attempting to sound as threatening as possible, but knowing it probably made her sound more scared, if anything. As they closed in on her, her heart rate began to speed up pace, worried that this may be her official end.

"Arizona, calm down." The voice begged. Her knuckles were turning white from gripping the handle of the blade so tight. "Drop the sword, Ari. It's okay. It's me." He continued, trying to sooth the frightened girl.

Arizona's eyes focused on the face before her, as the other figures dissapeared, realizing she was just hallucinating. You'd think she'd have gotten used to them by now, but it was so hard to determine what was real and what was an illusion.

Dropping the blade to the ground and draping her arms around his neck, she burried her face in his chest, letting out silent sobs. The shaking intensified. She could finally let go of all that emotion built up inside her.

"What's wrong with her?" Another voice asked, coming into view.

"She's in shock." He responded to the girl as Arizona cried and stay shaking in his arms, hyperventalating.

"Whose blood is that?" The girl asked once more, with a nod, noticing the crimson fluid painting Arizona's face. The boy didn't respond, but only proceeded to pet the top of her head. "Peeta, who's blood is that?" The girl repeated herself, a bit louder this time.

"How the hell am I supposed to know, Katniss?" He snapped back at her, annoyed at the fact that that was her main concern.

"Well, ask her." Katniss demanded, walking over to the tree behind her and stretching out her left leg. Peeta grew more irritated, but obliged.

"Arizona, I need to know whose blood that is." Peeta whispered to her, pressing his forehead against hers, while holding her cheeks in his hand. She couldn't conjure the words to tell him. She had murdered somebody. She took someone's life, and not only that, but all of the world had witnessed it, televised. And that was something she would never be able to overcome. This was playing God, and she didn't want that. She just wanted to take down the capitol. And now, she really was going to make sure they'd pay.

"Boy from District 4." She finally choked out the words, heartbroken and dissapointed with herself. He nodded, looking downward, but then pressing his lips against her forehead, in comfort. "I'm going to kill them, Peeta. I'm going to kill them all." She looked up into his eyes, and he looked back into her bloodshot ones. "President Snow is going to pay for what he's made me do. For what he's done to these people." Her hands were gripping onto the sleeves of his shirt, nearly tearing them off. Katniss stared over at the two of them, knowing Arizona had a point. And she was going to help her achieve this goal, whether she liked her or not. Someone needed to destroy the Capitol, and the more people involved, the higher chance they had to beat the system.

This was the beginning of a war. And they were officially on the oposing side.