Blaze

Haymitch Pt. One

25 years earlier

I remember when I first saw her. All blonde hair and blue eyes. She was picturesque, a thing of beauty. Of course though, she would never fall for me and she would probably end up with Conther, or Javin one of those merchant boys. I still liked looking at her though. It was hard not too. Everyone says Maysilee and Molly are identical twins and that they look exactly the same but I can tell them apart. Maysilee has a curve in her smile and a glint in her eye, something that Molly doesn't have. She's also adventurous.

When I fell in love with her, it was because she was in the woods, under the fence, past the gate and up in the trees. I hadn't even noticed her at first, I was hunting. Somebody had to provide for my family and it certainly wasn't going to be my deadbeat dad or drunk mother. Little Robin needed protecting and as long as I was here, I was going to provide for her.

I was on the verge of killing a rabbit when the snapping of a twig up in the trees startled it. The rabbit dove into a thicket. Cursing up a storm, I straightened up and was heading off when I heard a soft, "Sorry." Whipping around I found no one behind me or around me. Nobody else was out here, nobody else could be out here. More rustling caused me to look up into the canopy of leaves. Blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She dropped down in front of my almost shyly. "Sorry." She repeated.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" I demanded. It wasn't because I was scared we would get caught, but because I wanted to scare her away. How many times have I glanced her way and imagined talking to her? Now here she was dropping from trees like a perfect angel.

"I could ask the same of you." She snapped heading back toward our District. That should have been the end of our conversation but I went after her.

"You shouldn't be out here."

"You shouldn't either. Hunting is illegal." She said eyeing my knife. I had gotten it at the Hob and it was pretty handy.

"I need to eat."

"And I like the trees." She replied forcefully.

I warned Maysilee to never go outside the fence again before we went our separate ways but I got a feeling she never listened to me. Sometimes, when I was out in the woods and heard the snapping of twigs or swishing of leaves, I knew she was somewhere up in the trees watching me. It felt good to know that someone else was there.

This year was the last Reaping I would ever attend, as a contestant that is. After that, all I had to do was make sure Robin was well fed, get a job in the mines and keep her out of the Games. I had a plan all set and ready to go.

It was days like this where things like friends and Maysilee were sent to the back of my mind. It was time to focus on me and my family. I glanced over at them now. My father, carrying Robin, and my semi-sober mother lazily looking at the stage. I ground my teeth and fixated my gaze on the announcer.

This year two boy and girl tributes were to be picked for the Games and even though that's one more than usual, I was liking my chances.

I was so focused on myself and my own thoughts that when the women with enormous green hair called out "Maysilee Donner." I thought I heard her wrong. My worst nightmares were confirmed when she walked toward the stage leaving her crying sister and friends behind. Now I was torn. Maysilee. She was going to die and I would never see her again.

My mentality was switched to only thoughts about her and her hair. The curve of her smile and the grimace she wore onstage. I pictured her at her desk in school, reading a book, walking around school grounds. She was in the Mockingjay's I could sometimes hear her singing too. She was the trees and the air that I breathed. She was my entire world.