Doe In The Meadow | Peeta Mellark

ten

"A girl, huh?" I questioned Peeta as he walked past me on the balcony outside my room, and walking to the ledge, leaning his arms over it.

"Haymitch thought it'd draw some sympathy from the crowd." He shrugged. "I guess there's been some rumors circulating of our alliance, amongst other things." He told me, causing me to raise a brow, with a smirk.

"So people think we are more than an alliance?" I asked, feeling him tense up from across the platform.

"I guess so." He shrugged with a sympathetic smile.

"Well then, let's milk that shit." I smirked, placing myself beside him, as We looked out at the city below, fixating on all the buzz the Capitol was causing. The light polution was insanity, but it was beautiful in its own damaged way. "Hey, Peeta," I began as he turned to me. "Thanks for the friendship. You've made this somewhat as enjoyable as it could be."

"So have you. I really have never had friends before. So it's nice." He smiled. I stood there for a moment, deciding what to do next but before I could, my arms already left my sides and wrapped themselves around Peeta's neck. "I admire what you're doing." He muttered into the top of my head, causing me to smile to myself.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I sighed. I could feel him nod, wrapping his arms around my back. After a couple of moments, we pulled apart and he walked back inside. I watched him leave my room and listened for the door to shut. I then turned back to the city and crossed my arms, gazing at the stars above.

Tomorrow was it. We were getting thrown into the games like a dog fight. I was ready, but I was terrified. And now, I needed to protect Peeta. I knew Katniss would as well, but who knew how long that'd last. And I wouldn't put it past her to kill me the first chance she'd get.

***

I sat on the aircraft with Lando next to me and Katniss and Peeta across. Katniss continuously glared over at me, untrustworthy of my intentions. It was understandable. Girl from the Capitol and what not, but it was getting old, fast. "Arm." A voice broke my train of thought. I reached my arm out, hesitantly, and then was injected with the tracking device.

"Love the privacy." I muttered sarcastically, as the guard scoffed, tossing my arm down onto my lap, and moving on to the next tribute.

When the plane finally landed, we were divided into seperate rooms where I met with Sid. He helped me gather my uniform and I noticed the hair pin was subtle but described my look perfectly. Two little antlers. He clipped it onto the back of my head, and hugged me. "Thank you for this." I told him. "For everything."He nodded and I turned from him.

"You're going to do amazing. All my faith is in you, and don't forget who you are, Arizona." He said as I looked straight ahead, in an attempt to muster up as much of my courage as I was able to.

"Never." The words left my mouth as my fingers fidgeted with the sleeve of my shirt. My heart rate was speeding up and a lump in my throat began to form.

"Twenty seconds." A voice said over the loud speaker. I took in one final breath and then walked to the tube, stepping in, with it sealing my fate behind me. Sid smiled sadly at me and the tube began to rise.

Before I knew it, I was standing on my own platform, looking around at all the other tributes. We all stood our ground in the arena as the man counted down from fifty. It felt a lifetime, but didn't compare to those final five seconds were terrifying. Everyone began preparing.

A shot rang out and running commensed. I looked to see Lando headed towards the axe. I was going to shout, but before I could stop him, Cato tackled him, slicing a blade across his throat, in a swift manner. I halted in my tacks for a brief moment, smacking my hand to my mouth, and feeling tears swell in my eyes. But I knew I had to keep going.

This was a bloodbath, and I needed to get to safety as quick as possible, once I found my katana. It didn't take long until I noticed my sword sitting alone, so I let my feet do all the work. I reached it, finally, noticing the tributes had been too preoccupied in killing one another, and I snuck into the bushes, realizing I hadn't seen Peeta. Lando was dead. Within only a matter of mere minutes, he was slaughtered in an instant. Peeta was the only other person who was a friend to me. The only other person I could trust. Otherwise, I'd be completely alone.

A cannon rang out and I looked to the sky. It was followed by seven more. Eight. Eight tributes dead already. Lando was one, I just hoped Peeta wasn't the other.

Hiking through the trees, cutting down branches in my way, I could feel the sweat soak through my clothes. The sun was already getting low and I just wanted to find a place to rest. I noticed there was a ditch near a large tree, so I rushed to it and climbed in, covering myself with a blanket of fallen leaves and dirt. As it grew darker, the fallen tributes appeared above the synthetic sky. So many had gone already. 13. Thirteen in the first eight hours.

I woke up in sweats. Breathing heavily, almost forgetting where I was. When I remembered, I scrambled to my feet as I realized I needed to get moving. The sun was just barely showing but I can't risk sleeping for so long.

I began my path through the forest once more. I felt something go by me rapidly and I turned to see a bird brush by my ear, nearly taking the whole thing with it. I reached up in pain, and looked to my blood stained fingers. I began to feel at my ear a little more, realizing a chunk was missing from the top of it. I clenched my teeth, holding back the scream I so desperately wanted to let escape my lips. But I couldn't. I looked at my fingers again and felt tears trickle down my cheeks. Another bird swooped past me, but this time, turning back around and hitting into my shoulder, knocking me to the ground. I quickly scrambled to my feet and began doing the only thing my mind could come up with in the moment, run.

I ran for what I assumed to be about ten minutes, when I noticed a group of people laughing and setting up camp. I ducked behind a shrub and stared. Cato was one of them, along with Glimmer and a third girl. And then I saw him, the face I had been searching for.

What the hell was Peeta doing here?