*****Hey everyone! So this is my first fanfic ever! I would really like it if you would read it, it kind of takes place in District 3, right before they do the naming ceremony. This is what happens, to the people who were not chosen. I would really like it if you could read and review! Thank you and enjoy!
A twig snaps, I turn quickly, my heart is pounding from having to run so far, fast. I see my breath in the cool, fresh, crisp morning air. I turn back around just in time to see a snow white rabbit hop out of a shrub, and away from me. Then there is another rustle of leaves behind me. I turn, and I hear a familiar voice "Callie, you are supposed to kill the rabbit, not let it get away" I roll my eyes, "I would have been able to kill it if you hadn't snuck up on me like that. You almost gave me a heart attack." He steps out of the protection of the hedge, the shadow of the tree leaving his face, those pinkie red lips that once touched mine, that smile so amazing, that wonderful auburn hair flowing just above those hazel eyes that make me melt when they look at me, no, into me. I didn't realize I was staring, until he said " take a picture, It will last longer." He gives me a smile, and I give him a friendly shove on the shoulder "what do you want? You obviously didn't follow me out here just to watch me fail." He takes a step closer, and just that movement alone sends a warm shiver inside me, "You are so right. I came to watch you fail very miserably and freak out" I give him a stare " fine, you caught me, God Callie, you have no sense of humour. I came to tell you that your dad is out of his coma, and the doctors are saying they don't know how long he will be concious before he goes back under. He wants to see you." My eyes well up with tears ,I hold them back and pull him in a hug, " thank you Hale, thank you so much!" That alone is enough to trigger them, I feel the warm , salty liquid roll down my cheeks and down to the dirt ground.I run as fast as my legs will allow, jumping, ducking and dodging tree branches and stumps. I don't even look back to see if Hale is close by, if he is following. No, my mind is focused on getting to his side, talking to him, hearing his voice. Finally I make it to the small shack I have learned to call home. I race up the front stairs, and straight through the door to his room. To my surprise, he is sitting up in his bed, eyes open, book in hand. He looks up when I walk in, and smiles a smile that lights up his whole face, his blue eyes, his scarlet grey hair to long and falling into them, teeth as white as the snow that falls once every year. I go and sit by his bed side, grab his hand, and stare into his blue eyes, eyes that I see any time I look into a mirror. "Callie, I was wondering when you were going to get back from hunting. My God you are getting more and more beautiful every day, and you look just like your mother. Why are you panting so hard? Did you run all the way here?" I give a half-hearted smile as I answer, trying to be slow and understandable "Hi daddy, its good to see you awake, and alive. Some of us were wondering when you were going to wake from that terrible sleep. Hale came and told me you woke up, and I ran as fast as I could. I just wanted to hear your voice before you fell asleep again." He looks at me, like he wants to remember me, and never forget. " Callie my dear, I will be just fine. Wipe that worried look off your face. Would you be a dear, and go fetch me some of your mothers wonderful soup and a glass of water." I turned and walked out of the room. My mother is in the small kitchen, slaving over a hot stove, " mother, I'm home. Father has asked for some of your soup. Is it ready yet?" She turned to me, a sad look in her eyes, "yes my sweet, I will get you a bowl full right now. I assume he wants water as well?" She turned and grabbed a glass and bowl, not waiting for an answer. "Is anything troubling you Mother?" "no my darling I am just a little tired that's all. Now bring this to your father." I turn and walk out of the room, not bothering to ask any more questions. When I walk into my Fathers room, the sight of him sitting there, sickens me, knowing he might go back under any second, knowing this might be my last moment with him, but also knowing I have this time to spend with him. I go and sit by his bed side, pass him his soup and watch as his hands shake when he lifts the spoon to his mouth. When he finishes, he says he is tired and only wants to rest his eye. But I am sure that when they close, they may never open again. So I put my hand in his, and I watch him take every breath until, there are no more breaths to be taken, and his moving chest has settled down and moves no more. I feel my eyes welling up, and this time I don't even try as I let them roll down my face. I place my head on his arm and cry, cry all the pain and sorrow I have inside of me, I cry away the questions I wanted to ask him before it was to late. Then, as I am crying, I hear him walk in the room, and over to my side. I feel him place him arm around me, and pull me to him. "Its not fair Hale, he doesn't deserve to die! Its not fair!" "Oh Callie, he loved you, your mother, your brother, and your sister, and he left you all because he knows you can manage without him. I know you can manage without him." As he says those last few words, I can feel something inside me, something I have never felt before, a feeling of hope, of faith, belief.
My mother walks up behind my father, and then there are a few people after her, then my brother and sister and then finally I go. But I can not do this alone, so Hale has placed himself at my side, hand in mine, whispering to me saying that it is all going to be okay. I already know that. I know that me and my family will be fine, when my father was in a coma, we were fine, this is hardly any different. He is asleep, the only difference is that this time, there will be no more waking up for him. He will get put on a nice bed made out of the finest materials in our little abandoned town, and then get covered up, so nothing will get in, or out, and then he will be placed in our little boat and pushed out on the lake and burned. It is the only way the people here know how to give a proper good-bye. As we sit down and wait for the little mass to start, my brother and sister start to fight, "Tammie, step away from Andy. Andy, let go of Tammie's hair. You act like you are both five, but your not, you are both nine." They finally sit still but not before Tammie whispers to me "If we have to act our age, then you should act yours. Just because you are 14 does not mean you get to boss us around." Then the mass started, and everyone when silent.
I sat so still during the mass, I felt like if I moved, something might go wrong, or I might miss something. When the mass ended I felt a tug at my arm and looked up to see Elie, my best friend. I stood up so fast that I thought I might fall, and I get pulled into a huge hug. I cry and cry and cry. Her calm voice trying to help me. After a little while she whispers "Its time to let go and forgive. Now go, its time , the boat will not move until you are there." With that, I walk to the lake.
At the end of the ceremony, I had people coming up to and telling me how sorry they are. Then Hale came over to me "You look just like him you know, with your long scarlet hair, your clear blue eyes, you rosie red lips, the way you smile like he did. You look just like him, only more beautiful." I can't help but blush, and then he leans in a kisses me, softly, a feeling I have felt many times before, but now it brings me life. I pull away and look up at him, "Thank you. For everything. Helping my family when he was in his coma, teaching me how to hunt, being there for me. You really are my best friend, my hero." Then I walk away.
Tammie walks in my room that night, her eyes wet from crying, I am not asleep yet , I am sitting in my bed reading my fathers book. "Tammie" I say, "Are you okay?" She runs to my bed, and into my open arms, and I comfort her, "Why Callie why did he have to take him?" She asks through sobs. "That is a hard question to answer but, I think its because he needed to go and help God, to watch us from here, because he knows we can get along without him. Don't worry my deary, we can do this." I try to comfort her with my both lied down on my small little bed and fell asleep, Tammie in my arms.
That morning, I woke up and got dressed. I grabbed my knife and bow, and my hat, boots and coat, and go out to the forest, were Hale is waiting with his brother Phatima. Phatima is tall, taller then Hale, with green-brown eyes, the colour of lilly pads in the summer, and his hair is short, and blonde and he is tanned very unlike Hale. It is hard to picture them as brothers. I walk over to them "I hope you weren't waiting for me long out here, I am sorry that I am late." "No no we just got here ourselves, Phat here couldn't find his bow. But that's okay, lets just get hunting." Hale had said in his matter of fact voice, the one he uses when he wants to get things done. We all started walking when I stopped dead in my tracks, Hale turned to me "what's wrong? Why did you stop? Is everything alright?" I quickly tell him to shush, as I do this, he realizes why I stopped. In the next tree over, a few branches above were we were standing, was a big, black, wolf. Lucky for us, he didn't see us yet, and Phatima quickly drew his bow. Before I realized what was happening, the wolf turned his head and looked right at me. I slowly looked at Hale who mouthed "Run" and so I did. I ran faster than I ever have before. I didn't even look back to see how close he was to me or if he was on my tail, I just kept running. Finally I looked back at the sound of my name being called in the distance "Callie, Callie, stop running, he killed it, Phatima killed it, there is enough meat to bring home for both our families to eat for a few meals plus have some hide left over to use or sell." I almost collapse in his arms. I don't know if it was from running or just sure surprise. With that I fainted.
I woke up in my bed, Hale in the chair to my left, Phatima on my right and my mother and Tammie at the foot of my bed. All eight eyes staring at me with that same look of fear in there eyes. I slowly sit myself up "What is wrong? Why do you all looked so worried? Is everything alright? You are all so pale" Hale was the first to speak "We were all just worried that you might never wake up like your father. I'm glad to see you okay." I couldn't help but blush and I tried to cover it up by rubbing my eyes but I am not sure it worked to well. My mother and sister left the room and I didn't even see them leave. Phatima stood up to go but I grabbed his arm before he could "Thank you for killing that thing before it killed me" I said it with a smile and he looked over at Hale. I couldn't see the look that passed between them but Phatima gave me a slight nod and a faint smile and walked out of the room. I turned to Hale " what was that about?" I asked him. He didn't answer right away but he saw the look in my eye that said I wanted an answer so I got it "I was just really worried about you. You know that I you are my best friend and..." He led off and I got impatient but I understood that I was not going to get a straight answer so I just gave up. But I did know what I wanted to make me feel better "Come here" I whispered to him as I moved over on my bed and patted the spot beside me. Hale hesitated, but came and sat next to me, legs up and everything. I put my head on his shoulder and he put his arm around me. We sat there for a second till I move my body in a way that was a little more comfortable for the both of us and I looked up at him. His eyes were fixed on me and when I looked at him, he gave me a smile. I lifted my body up every so slightly and turned my head just a hair, and I kissed him, just a quick little peck on the lips, but it was still a kiss. Then I put my head back on him, this time on his chest and closed my eyes. I fell asleep almost instantly, the beat if his heart, the sound of his breaths, they were all I needed to hear to put me to sleep. I dreamed. I dreamed of everything. When I woke up. Hale was gone, and there were eight eyes staring at me with a look of shear terror. And then I realized what had happened, and I freaked out.