Peace. Wonderful peace of which no one can touch or tarnish. That's how it was every time Gale allowed me to drift off to sleep after an unsuccessful day out hunting. It was hot, but under the thick shade of trees, you could almost feel the freshest of breezes. The ground was soft, the air was cool, and for a moment I could feel myself drift off into the same sort of peace my father's voice would lull me into at night.
I feel Gale's steady breathing, and I know he's only lying down with me to help keep the illusion of it all. I could just hear his voice on any other day, reminding me that the fire wouldn't cease just because we dozed off under a bunch of dead trees. Peace wasn't the sap that would drip down to our side, and we'd quickly lick from the dirt before it stuck to each grain. Yet peace came like a cool breeze, and there were days he'd allow me to believe the heat would never kill it.
The truth is that nothing was ever peaceful. Not in my life or the many lives before me, and with the Hunger Games soon approaching, though they always are approaching too quickly, we are all more disgruntled than ever.
Four month away. It's not yet the anticipation, but the process of trying to tell myself that for now I shouldn't worry and I shouldn't think about it. But that only seems to make it worse. Every time I look at Prim, I think of it. Every time she talks about simple kid stuff, I think of it. Every time she brushes her soft hand against Lady, I think of it. It's even worse when she smiles, because in that divine innocence I can only see the horrors that might await for her and soon she'll be robbed of that. Not only do the Games force each district to send two children to fight and die, they gut out every sliver of peace any of us could ever have. That's why he sometimes lets me doze off. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I feel that I can almost touch my father's face again.
All too quickly, there is a rustle in the woods and Gale nudges me conscious. His eyes are observing through the trees, and he firmly holds my arm in case we have to bolt at any second. For the most part, he'll drag me until my legs shake awake. Yet this time seems different. His eyes survey all around us, and I can tell he's waiting for another twig to break before he sets off running. But the quiet seconds pour through, and we remain still, the throbbing in our ears muffle out the sound of someone approaching.
"Oh yes, hello!" said a bright voice behind us.
Before I can even turn my head to see the man's face, I see Gale hurdling his body towards him, tackling him down to the ground. I hear the sound of a frightened yelp as I dash up to my feet. Gale is holding him still by his shoulders, and I see the look of terror on the man's face.
"Run!" Gale bellows back at me and before my mind can even registers how much the man looks like a surprised, innocent woodland creature in the clutch of a bear; my feet take off running faster than they can touch the ground.
My head glances back at them, and suddenly, I feel myself slam against something and I stumble to the ground. I stagger up as fast as I can when I hear the groans of a person breathe out from under me.
I pause for a moment to stare at the girl with hair as red as fire, but when she opens her wincing eyes, my mind slaps me back into a run. When I figure I'm far enough away, I slide under a patch of ferns and look back to where Gale is. I see his brute arms shaking the man, and the man lifts his quivering hands in front of his face. I squint hard to see, but I can guess the man is saying that he is harmless.
I catch the fire-haired girl slowly make her way to where Gale is, and I'm suddenly possessed to move closer, just in case they team up on him and he needs help. I reach behind my back, and groan to myself. My bow and arrows are still lying where I was resting.
"Oi, get off of him!" shouts the fire-haired girl to Gale, and I see him dart his head back to her and he pauses.
I silently move behind a large tree, and now I'm in better position to defend or attack, with a rock cradling in my palm. Although I'm not the best thrower, I knew the moment I saw the stone that I'd make it count no matter what.
Gale slowly loosens his grip, his eyes still holding the girl's stern gaze, and the man exhales a thankful sigh.
"Ah, now that is much better. None of the tackling and choking and yelling and threatening, but you are quite good at each one."
I see Gale look back to the man and he gives him a confused look. "Who are you?"
"All this for that?" He pleasantly smiles, and motioning inquiringly if Gale could get off of him, and reluctantly, he does.
The man somewhat springs to his feet in a joyful manner, and Gale flinches back as he reaches towards him for handshake
"Hello, I'm the Doctor." With a wide, friendly smile, he grabs the ends of the strange tethered cloth that's wrapped around his neck, and bounces on his toes. He points to the fire-haired girl, "This is Amy, and we're in need of some help, if you fancy."
The way he talks, if I was standing where Gale is, I would also share his confused expression.
"The Doctor?" Gale quietly repeats, and slowly glances to the girl as she walks up beside her companion.
There is something wrong with Gale, I have never seen him this nervous, and the man must sense it. He steps a bit closer to Gale to catch his attention, and he smiles that strange smile.
"Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you."
Almost immediately, the man nudges the fire-haired girl, "Say something encouraging." His whisper scolds her and her eyes silently scold back.
"You just said that we weren't going to hurt him, that's about as encouraging as it can get, yeah?"
As they continue to quietly argue, I'm the only one to notice Gale slowly slipping away. They both turn to watch Gale bolt down the hill, yet they don't pursue him. The pair look at each other, and in the moment it appears they're about to break out and scold each other, a twig snaps from under my foot, and their heads dart to where I'm hidden. Before I know anything, the man gives an awkward wave in my direction, as he pleasantly smiles at the bush.
"Hello, I'm the Doctor! This is Amy!"
The fire-haired girl immediately shoves her elbow in his side, and I hear another round of angry whispering, until finally she rolls her eyes at him and looks away.
It amazing how quickly his kind smile returns when he glances back at my direction, "Hello, yes, sorry about that. She's Scottish. Quite impossible. But regardless of her, we need some help, if you'd be so kind."
I see her lean towards his ear and the expression on her face bled sarcasm, and his reaction confirmed it. This time their quiet banter is coupled with him shaking his arms in the air, just loud enough to be heard. "How do you expect us to ever get out of this godforsaken forest if you can't act feminine and nurturing! Girls trust girls! So will you please be a girl so we can find the bloody TARDIS?"
She rolls her eyes at him and releases an exasperated sigh as he stretches the elastic bands that wrap around his shoulders. The fire-haired girl shuffles uncomfortably in place, and then her eyes stare blankly at me. I realize she must have finally found me under the cover, because her eyes suddenly soften. She stares for quite some time at me, and my mind starts to think of things she would say to lure me out from hiding. Among all of the trust-deeming words I think of, she doesn't choose either of them.
"We're as harmless as this moron's stupid. We really could use your help. At least tell us your name," He squints at her, silently telling her to add what nice people say, "Please."
And before I can even feel my held breath escape my lungs, I stand up past the thick, "My name is Katniss. And you're not from around here, are you?"
