FEARLESS ( CATCHING FIRE )

ONE.

Luka inhaled fast and heavy breaths as he had stopped running in his tracks. His hands were resting on his somewhat dry knees after miles of running. He was still in the middle of what he would like to call nowhere. No sign of life, not even an animal or the blow of leaves could be heard where he was at. Some would say that a moment like that was peaceful, but to the Chaxon boy, it was only memories of the loneliness he had after his games. Nightmares from the horrible events that occurred in the Hunger Games three years ago haunted the boy even now.

He used to think that running away from the rest of the district would help him escape reality. Today wasn't like that. It was too lonely and quiet for Luka to think straight. All he could think of right now was the moment in his Games where he just stood still and watched the other tributes kill one another as violently as possible.
Especially the careers who were the last ones to go down. They had turned against each other and didn't even flinch or showed any signs of mercy, they never did.

Luka stood up straight and exhaled once more before jogging his way back to the central of District six. It didn't take more than half an hour with the pace he was keeping. The closer he got, the more crowded the central got. That might have only been in his imagination, but even before his games, Luka always saw the central as crowded even if it actually wasn't. The boy had an odd imagination, but that didn't stop him from dreaming. But sometimes dreams became nightmares, and nightmares became reality. And in this reality, Luka was none other than himself. The boy who was once known to spread smiles on every face he met, and helped the ones that were having a bad day.

But now, he was just like any other member of the district. Only the rest of the previous victors could possibly understand how guilty and empty he felt deep inside. The only ones who would ever understand how he felt were the people who had been through the same thing.
Right now, no one really cared about the boy, and he was honestly fine with that. He had a family who loved him and did their best to try to understand him, and it made him feel better. He had an amazing girlfriend who completely understood what it was like being one out of 24 to get reaped. Rheal understood Luka like no one else could.

He always smiled when he thought of her, so he was smiling now. He thought of all the amazing moments they've had together, and so he started to make his way to her house in the Victors Village. Hers was pretty much placed in the middle on the left side whilst Luka and his family had one of the last houses further away and on the right side. Their house number was the same as their district number. Six. Easy to remember and easy to get to. The district was known for its fast transportation after all. It was their job and duty to transport things to the Capitol even if they never really got to visit it unless it was for preparation for The Hunger Games.

The grass underneath Luka was wet from the snow melt, but he didn't care. All he had ever cared about was his job, his family and Rheal. Those were the three most inportant things in his life. He cared more for them than for himself. Some had told him that was nuts, not thinking or caring about hinself the way he cared for others.
Maybe that's what made him so strong in the end, because he wasn't selfish.
The boy kept walking his pace until he finally reached house number three on the right side of the village. Rheal's house.

He could see her parents by the kitchen window, cooking new recipes like she usually did. No sign of her father, but Luka was sure Richard Quinn was in his home. His hand formed into a fist and he knocked on the door three times with it. He heard the floor boards cracking as someone came to open for him. Just like he thought, his girlfriend's father was home and welcomed Luka in with a smile that the boy returned. "Luka!" The old man bursted out. "Always nice seeing you in my home." Luka's eyes wandered around the hall and saw glimpses of the dining room as well as the kitchen. Richard noticed his gaze. "Rheal is in her room. You know hiw to find your way up, right?" He spoke in a whisper like tone and winked. Luka smiled wider before taking his shoes off and walked to the stairs in front of him.

He followed the blue staircase as long as he could, being careful not to step on any toys that were in the way. Once he reached the top, he took a left turn and saw the light from Rheal's room shine in the hallway. He heard voices from inside and wondered if she was watching the victors tour in reprisals. As he got closer, he just stood there. Admiring the beauty within the girl named Rheal Quinn. He forgot for how long, because soon enough Rheal stood up and walked towards the door. That's when they both saw each other and both of them smiled.

Rheal took one step further, and Luka finally stepped inside her room. They hugged, and Rheal had to stand on her toes to be able reach up to her boyfriend's shoulders. Wrapping both his arms around her waist, Luka lifted her up which made her giggle.
When they eventually let go of each other, their hands tangled together automatically. It got quiet again, but not for long as the girl was quite eager to know of his memories today, as well as any other.
"It's a work in progress." He replied simply, keeping his voice as natural as he could. But he was a bad liar and practically everyone who knew him knew that he couldn't lie.

"I get it if you're nervous about the reaping. I am too. It is completely understandable for anyone who has their names in that poll." Rheal spoke and looked into his light chestnut brown eyes. She raised her right hand to his cheek and gave it a few strokes with her thumb. "But we're both going to be fine. Okay?" Luka nodded and then closed his eyes to take a deep breath. When he opened them again, he felt a bit different. All he saw was his girlfriend and it was like he forgot everything when they were together. Little did he know that her words would turn out to be a lie.