1Author's Note: Well, I'm going to give it a shot! I really enjoyed this book so I thought I would try to write a fanfiction. This takes place about a half of a year after Peeta and Katniss had arrived back from the Games. Please let me know what you think so far. I know it isn't very long, but if you like it and I get reviews then I'll write more. =] thanks.
Cupcakes
Disclaimer: Although I would love to claim the ownership of The Hunger Games, I cannot. The story unfortunately belongs to the lovely and brilliant Suzanne Collins. I am merely using her wonderful ideas.
Chapter I: A Single Shot
I didn't let a sound escape from my lips; nothing on the face of the planet could have been as quiet or as poised as I was there. Not a leaf on the tree quivered as I loaded my bow with a new arrow. My fingers were light as feathers; they grazed over everything I touched and everything in my view seemed to be moving in a very dramatic slow motion. With my bow loaded, I crouched down farther on the limb and focused in on the aged buck.
He was huge.
His antlers sprouted wildly on either side of his light-brown colored head; it was amazing how easily he could graze without getting his antlers tangled in the high grasses or the low branches. The buck's whitish tail twitched with every sound his delicate ears received, so I was careful to stay very silent. He was so calm and collected; he was so vulnerable.
What a beautiful animal.
I couldn't help but feel a bit of remorse for the poor thing as I pulled back on the string and let loose. I aimed straight for his heart. Never had I missed, and this was not a time for an exception.
The graceful buck jerked back from the grass very suddenly and moaned painfully. His eyes began flitting back and forth wildly as if they were searching for some sight of help and his legs shook violently underneath him. It was pitiful how helpless the poor creature was with blood running out of his chest and foam beginning to form in his mouth; thankfully the blow had hit his heart straight on and he quickly slipped out of consciousness and crumpled to the ground. His head rested peacefully among the lavender.
You would think that after having been forced to be around so much death and mayhem I would choose to stay away from hunting and all other violent activities, but sadly enough that was not the case. The Hunger Games, as oddly as it may seem, traumatized me at first, but I got over it and it made me stronger. It was hard for me to get back into my daily activities, especially with the Capitol on my tail- our tails, but after all of the nonsense had "settled", I let myself return to normal.
Normal never was the same though.
Things had changed. Peeta and I were constantly monitored by the Capitol; sometimes they left us alone, but that was rare and out of the norm. Everyone wanted to know what Katniss and Peeta were up to, so naturally the press followed us, and the Capitol hated it. They hated us. They hated everything that we had done to them.
Those first few weeks of threats and the fear of being taken in and made into and Avox were so frightening. The fact that Gale never would look at me the same again didn't help the complicated situation either, and for a long time Peeta wouldn't look at me either- unless, of course, we were in the eye of the public.
My heart was broken because of my excessive indecisiveness; I was very depressed at first because I couldn't figure out who I loved and who I liked. I was so confused and shocked from figuring out that Peeta loved me, that I didn't even know if what I had felt was real, or if I had simply been acting.
Gale and Peeta often proved to be a source of aggravation for me, so I ended up avoiding them as they were avoiding me. I hated the situation, and I knew they hated it. I couldn't let my feelings stop me, though. I had to adjust because I had a family to tend to, a new home to furnish, and a new life to put on track; I just didn't have time to care about the frivolous topics in life anymore. I had to do it for my delicate little Prim, and I didn't like it very much.
That's why I ended up returning to my passion: hunting. Hunting was how I vented my anger and it was the only place that I didn't have to worry about being followed. I despised how I had to find an outlet for my anger, but what was a girl to do?
However, no matter how far back I pushed my thoughts of Gale and Peeta into my mind, they always returned to me very unpleasantly. Whenever I went grocery shopping (which was rare because we had new "servants" which did most things for us) I would nearly cry when I had to purchase bread, especially when I passed Peeta's family's bakery. Now, every time I went hunting the feeling was bittersweet. I thought as time passed, my feelings would become more clear, and they did- sort of.
I knew I loved Peeta, but did I love him romantically, and did he still love me? I couldn't tell because Peeta hadn't spoken with me very often after I had crushed him. I also knew that I loved Gale, but did I love him more or less than Peeta? I hadn't progressed very far over the past year. Not very far at all.
I sighed heavily and decided to push back the depressing thoughts; I had to keep going no matter how tough things were. I jumped down from the branch that I had been perched on and landed softly on my feet.
I pushed a stray hair out of my eye and tried to be proud of my kill. He was such a gorgeous buck; I really couldn't believe that I had killed him with a single shot. Then again, I had killed the boy from District 1 with a single shot.
My body involuntarily quivered at the memory, and my heart ached for my darling Rue. She was so innocent- just as the buck had been.
Stuffing the bow in my pack, I made my way towards the buck.
I stood over top of the animal with my legs on either side of it and put my arms around its shoulders. I can do this. I remembered what my father had told me long ago and tried to lift with my knees, but the huge animal just wouldn't budge. I pulled and tugged and grunted loudly, but the stupid animal just wouldn't move.
I stood back, panting heavily with sweat spilling down my forehead and chuckled bitterly. There was no way that I could take the buck home because I was too weak, and it was just too heavy!
"Great... just wonderful." I said quietly with an edge in my voice.
I placed my hands on my hips and tried to think, but there was just now way for me to get that buck home.
A quiet, almost pained laugh sounded from behind me, and my heart began racing wildly. I spun on my heal and pulled out my bow defensively, which I quickly loaded, and aimed in the direction of the sound. My mind was racing. Who had followed me? How had they found me? Why were they here in the middle of the woods? What were they going to do?
"Who's there?!" I asked with fear obvious in my voice.
I never would have expected to see the person that stepped out from the shadows, but I had to have been seeing correctly- I mean after all I had just shot and killed a buck with a single arrow. My eyes were perfectly fine... but then... why was he here?
A/N: Please review; I know it isn't very good and I apologize, but I tried at least. Let me know what you think so far. Is it Gale or Peeta? Have you figured out who I'm for yet?