Peeta's pov: 12 years old.
Run. That's the thing my mind is screaming for me to do, as the dog mutts comes closer and closer. I run as fast as I can into the big forest, knowing that it's my best chance of getting away from them.
But I was wrong. So very wrong.
One of the mutts knocks me to the ground and is just seconds from killing me, when a mockingjay suddenly flys onto its head and starts to pecking out the mutts eyes with its beak. The dog mutt whimper and cries out, as the blood flows from its eyes. I gets up on my feet again and runs fauther into the forest, when a high pitched scream fills the air.
"PEETA!"
I stop up. I know that voice all too well, all though I haven't heard it in 5 years.
"KATNISS! KATNISS WHERE ARE YOU!?" I call out. She screams my name again and fear starts to take over my body. I run as fast as lightning toward her voice, but then I hear another scream, this time a male voice.
"PEETA! PEETA, HELP ME!"
"DAD!" His scream comes from the other side of the woods. Away from Katniss' voice. I need to choose between them! I've already seen my dad die once, and it was horrible and I was frightened half to death, but if I choose him, I'll have no chance to save him, just like I didn't had it last time. But maybe, just maybe, I have a small chance to save my best friend from her soon to be, death. I really have no idea how to save her, but my feet is already bringing me closer to where, I supost Katniss is. The screams are getting louder and louder and within a few seconds, I find myself standing in a beautiful grassy, flowers-filled meadow. But it's not just a random meadow. It's mine and Katniss' meadow. I look anxiously around, but Katniss is nowhere to be seen. Where is she?
"Peeta!" Her voice comes from behind me, so I turn around. There she stands, under the big willow tree, looking more beautiful than ever. A smile forms on my face. I have really missed her like crazy. Soon, we are both running toward each other, like we always did when we were younger. Her smile is mirroring my own, as she jumps into my arms. When we let go, after a while, a white blury figure appears from behind the trees. I can't see who or what it is, but I have a feeling that I deep down know this mysterious thing. I hold Katniss desperately tight in my arms, afraid that if I let go, she would turn into dust and I'll never ever see her again. A terrible sweet smell hits the air, which makes me wanna gag, but it's a familiar smell.
I don't have time to think more about it, when a bunch of mutts encircles us and Katniss gets pushed away from my side. I try to get to her, but it's to late. A mutt has already torn her apart in big pieces and blood is flowing everywhere on the grass. A last scream escapes her mouth and right in this moment, I know that she's forever gone. I stand completely still as tears rolls down my face. The mutt who killed Katniss, growls and looks at me with hate in it's clear blue eyes. The eyes of my own father. H-he's the mutt! Wet blood is dripping from it's teeth-showing mouth and it gets itself ready to attack me. I scream as it attacks and bits me in my throat. I hear a faint laugher before my whole world goes black.
I jolt awake with a shock. Cold sweat starts to drip off of me, as I sits myself upward on my small bed. My slightly oversized t-shirt, one of Finnicks old ones cause I outgrow my own clothes, has sticky stuck to my body and it's making me feel more dirty than I already am. I'm breathing heavily, so I use a moment to take long deep breathes, but it's like my heart keeps speeding more up than down. I take a brief look over to the other side of of our wooden house, to see Finnick and Gale sleeping soundly on their beds without any care in the world. I thank god that I didn't woke them up with my screams and trashing around, because I'm really not in the mood for their pity. I run a hand through my messy hair and quickly decides that I need some fresh air. I very slowly gets out of my bed and tiptoe toward the door. I grab a jacked, a pair of over-used, hollowed shoes, we always sleep in our clothes at this time of the year, which means I already have pants on. I put my shoes on my feet, double-knot the shoelaces, take one of our hunting knifes just in case I meet a threatening animal, and walks carefully out of the door.
The air is slightly cold, I'll guess it's 4 or maybe 5 o'clock in the morning, so I starts to trembling like a scared chihuahua would do in freezing cold rain. I remember Effie had one of those, and trust me, it was so damn annoying! A tiny smile forms on my face when I think of Effie. My loving, joy full, Make-up covered, manners-crazy Effie. I'll give everything just to see her again. To see my family. But I can't, not now, not ever. I pull my jacket closer to my body in a attempt to get some warmth and it actually works a little. I miss my family and friends, of course I do, but I guess I've got use to this life after 4 an a half years.
I make my way to the lake, I mentally cross my fingers for that the water is warmer than the weather, to take a "shower". The birds has begun to sing their usual happy morning songs. It is early March so many of the smaller woodland critters, who have slept all winter, are beginning to come out from their hideouts, so I know I'm not as incredibly alone as I feel. I get to the lake after 5 minutes. I stand for a second, taking in the view. I really love this place. I always find it peacefully to be here and that's the reason I always come here everytime I need to think or just wanna be for myself. I breath in the fresh morning air and I can already feel my whole body relaxing.
I dip my hand in the lake water, to feel the temperature, and it's a little cold, but I've tried worse. I strip down to my underwear before hanging the rest of my clothes on a branch. Yes, I have experienced to get my clothes stolen by curious animals, raccoons, or get it hidden away for fun by the two monkeys I'm sharing a house with because I use to lay it on the ground, so I'm being on the safe side. I quickly dig into water and wash all the dirt and sweat off of my body. I swim over to the waterfall and places myself under it, letting it splash on me, like if I were in a ordinary shower. After standing there for a good hour, I swim back to where my clothes is. The air is nicely warm now, so I sits myself on the grass near the water and lets the air dry me off.
"Peeta." A voice say, scaring me a little. I don't have to look at the person to tell that the voice belongs to Gale. We still don't have a "brotherly" relationship like I have with Finnick, but it has differently gotten better over the years. He sits down beside me on the ground and looks out to the lake like I do. He speaks after a couple of minutes in silence.
"Peeta, I want you to go hunting with me today. But only if you want to." I turn my head to look at him, to see if he's messing with me or if he's serious.
"Really? Do you want me with you?" He looks back at me dead serious and nod his head.
"Yeah, but if you aren't interested, I can just do it myself.." He begins to stand up.
"No, I want to!" I say excited and jump to my feet. I grab my clothes and quickly puts them on. Gale gives me a shocking expression, but soon recovers and smirk instead.
"Okay, lets go then." We begin to go into the deeper part of the forest. It's not often he lets me come with, but when he does, I always get this good, funny feeling in my body, cause I like helping bringing food to our table. Gale stops up and tells me that we are at a good hunting place. I stand completely still, not making a single sound, while Gale takes his bow and arrows from a hole in a nearby tree. He gets the bow ready by place an arrow on it. When he had found a target, Gale pulls the bow string back and aims it steadily. He release it, and takes down a fat squirrel. He nod his head, a sign for me to move, so I run over to dead squirrel and take the arrow out without even wincing.
"That was a good shot, Gale. A bullseye, like always." I say happily and hand it to him. But instead of taken the arrow, he smiles down at me and pushes his handmade bow into my arms. I give him a confused look, when I see the still placed smile on his face. I've never in my wildest dream, thought that I would get that kind of smile from Gale. Proudness, that's what it shows. I turn my lips into a big smile, when I realize what he's trying to tell me.
"You..you're going to teach me today?" I can't describe my happiness right now.
"That's what I promised you, and I think you're finally ready." He say. He motions for me to stand 10 meters from a large tree, before helping me placing the bow correct in my left hand. He hands me an arrow and I lay the sharp end on the tree-part of the bow, the feather end on the string, and holds it steady with my fingers. I pull back the string, gently at first and then harder as it strains my forearm. The pressure in my triceps is so intense, that I can't hold it back much longer. I let it go, and the arrow flies far away from the tree, or as Gale calls it, my target. I wince in pain from my arm, but I won't let it stop me from trying again. Gale approach me and gives me another arrow and I try again, but with the same result.
"You need to concentrate more on your target, Peeta." He say, unimpressed.
"I'm trying!" I say, frustrated. Gale looks at me dead in the eye for a second, but soon his expression softens. He gets down to my hight, takes an arrow again, and places it on the bow, still with me holding it. He lay his hands on top of mine and helps me pull it back. He lets go, tells me to take a deep breath, and release it. I do as told. The arrow flies and digs itself into the X formed shape Gale made with a knife before I started, on the tree. I smile in victory.
"I did it! I hit it perfectly!"
"Don't get too excited, Peeta. Maybe you were just lucky. It takes more than one day to learn how to shoot." Yeah, he's probably right. I nod my head.
"But listen to me. We are going to work on it every day from now on. You are going to come with me hunting, and I'll let you have a go with the bow everytime. Okay?" I smile again and I nod happily. He chuckles and let me try again, and again, and again.
Day after day, I become better and stronger. It wasn't nearly after a half a year, when I shot my first animal, and let me tell you, Gale and Finnick was extremely proud of me for the rest of that day.
I just wish I had known the dangerous side of hunting.
****
So. Gale teach Peeta how to hunt, like he promised. I can already feel a bromance between them. Or am I the only one.
This chapter is dedicated to mypeetaforever. I hope you liked it, my friend.
Thank you to joshhutchersonlover2 for helping and supporting me on this book. I love you Deanna.
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