Fire. Fire was a symbol, a relic, a spark of hope for so many. Not in district twelve. In district twelve, everything burned. The houses burned, the people burned, the dirt burned, even the dirty filthy water burned. In district twelve being the girl on fire was just another euphemism for being dead. Thick sooty layers of coal dust darkened everything it touched and with just the right spark… the whole district would burn. Standing here atop the cornucopia staring into the molten silver eyes of the other half of her soul, listening to the dying screams of Cato below them as mutts ripped him to shreds; Katniss Everdeen swore on the grave of every child the Capitol had killed in 74 years that the whole world would burn.
Reaping day shone bright and clear with morning bird chirping their derogatory tune as Katniss Everdeen made her way swiftly and purposefully down to the edge of the district. No one was usually up this early in the morning, but Katniss was willing to bet there was more than one terrified child or parent already awake, fear gnawing at their stomachs like a hungry beast and starvation not far behind. It didn't matter though, anyone who would chance a look at her down in this part of the seam would look the other way. They all had to make a living somehow, and everyone knew about the accident that had killed Katniss's father, just like they knew of her mother's collapse. Everyone starved down here and those who didn't, were just as guilty as Katniss herself in one way or another. It was the only way the Capitol had left them to survive.
Katniss was listening for the electric hum of the fence long before it was in sight and was confident it was off by the time she reached it ducking smoothly between its wire terraces and into her beloved woods. She quickly reached her stash with her bow and arrow on silent leather shod feet. She was the huntress. It ran through every drop of blood in her veins, every beat of her heart, every breath in her lungs. The first squirrel fell neatly from the tree and Katniss retreated her arrow from his eye cleaning it. Two silent rabbits passed from wildlife to sustenance un-aware of the lethal predator watching them.
That was when the dear crossed her path. He was broad and nobel, aware, yet confident in his superiority. He was perfect. She raised her bow, breathed in and out, and spun as a leaf shifted behind her to train her gaze on a crisp shock of coal black hair and olive skin. She screamed her frustration knowing the dear had already fled and loosed her arrow into the tree to the left of his head. He could have been any boy from the seam, they all pretty much looked just like her. Rough tanned skin with undertones of earth and olive green, dull grey eyes, black hair and broad worker's bodies. Only people up in the city had the pale perfect skin, blue or green eyes, and blond hair that her mother and sister shared. The women up there had thinner willowy bodies that were all grace and curves instead of blocky muscle, but most of them lived a life style that could afford such luxuries.
"God Damn you Gale." Katniss shouted throwing a stone after him.
"Come on Catnip, what were you going to do with that wiry old buck anyway drag him up to the courthouse steps for every visiting peace keeper and camera man to see?" Gale said not the least bit afraid of the arrow or the rock both of which had conveniently missed his skull.
"I could have chopped him up and sold him around, I don't know, but he would have been something and tomorrow when all the extra crews are gone…"
Tomorrow. It was a word that hung in the air so thickly between them that Katniss deflated and stopped yelling at her older friend. There was no guarantee there would be a tomorrow for either of them.
"Tomorrow…" Gale said nodding and kicking a rock with his foot.
"Come on Gale I didn't mean… I mean you can't honestly believe…"
"No Katniss you know as well as I do. The odds are not in my favor." Gale said stepping ever closer to her. "48 times Katniss. That's more than anyone in twelve. People get chosen all the time with only four or five names in. I have 48. We both know I likely don't have a tomorrow. Not one like today." He's standing directly in front of her now and for a half second she fears she can't breath, but then his fingertips brush her skin and suddenly she's panting for air.
His calloused fingers pry the bow gently out of her hand as his other hand cups her cheek. "I have wanted to do this for a long time Katniss. I know you're not ready to hear this yet, and if I could I would wait, I would wait until the day I die if I had to, but you and I both know that day isn't going to be far enough away for you to be ready." He was so close now his breath was like a warm glow on her forehead and the heat radiating off of his chest warmed her chilled face.
He spoke into her hair line once more, "You are my everything Katniss. I love you, and I will always love you, no matter what happens in those games, no matter what I do… know it's for you, know it's because I want you to have a better future. One where you feel like you can love freely with out fear of the Capitol stealing that away from you."
"Gale your name hasn't been chosen and it won't be. Remember Jeffery Tanner from a few years back? Took Tesserae out on a family of eleven every year and never had his name pulled. You'll be right here beside me tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that." She tried to assure him, but he was too close. Her throat was closing up and the warmth radiating into her, the smell of him, the feel of his gaze on her face, sent a chill down her spine that had nothing to do with the brisk weather.
Gale shook his head, "I hope you're right Katniss, but even so this can't wait anymore. You're not a child anymore a fact that everyone seems to be noticing." He said a hint of frustration in his voice. "You will know how much I love you before the reaping today if it's the last thing I do." His voice was fluid as dark chocolate, but hard and firm like the muscles of his back she couldn't help but notice the last time they had swam out in the woods together. His calloused fingers lifted her chin so that their silver eyes met and he bent down and kissed her softly. It was light and caressing at first, but as the initial blast of rational thinking was pulled apart by his soft firm lips Katniss began to sink into him.
They kissed in silence for several moments until the sounds of the woodland animals coming back into their vicinity reminded them of where they were and the importance of what they were supposed to be doing. Gale was the one that pulled away looking down and studying the woman now pressed against him in the circle of his arms. She was in fact not a young girl anymore. Her sixteen years combined with the hardships of the seam had built her into a strong beautiful woman equally feminine and brutal and Gale loved it. More than that though, he recognized it. It was what he saw every time he looked in the mirror.
"Katniss, you are perfect." He whispered softly before pulling her fully against his chest and tucking her head and shoulders into the circle of his arms. Slowly, Katniss still stunned in his arms, he reached for the bow leaning up against the tree behind him, took an arrow from her quiver, and with a strong controlled breath loosed the arrow from the string. It hit something with a solid thunk and a large crash announced that his pray was dead.
Katniss spun around in shock to see the dear she had aimed at earlier lying in the clearing a handful of yards away one of her arrows sticking out of its eye. "For tonight, when I'm gone. As a thank you for taking care of my family when I'm gone." He said a hand resting on her shoulder.
"And if you're not gone?" She asked still staring at the dear.
"Well my dear, I suppose you'll have a decision to make." He said teasingly and went to retrieve the deer leaving her bow leaning against the tree once more. Katniss felt like her world was turned upside down and backwards as she watched Gale's muscles ripple as he picks the buck up and slings him over his shoulders grinning at her and jerking his head towards the trail to their spot up on the bluffs. Katniss shakes her head and gathers her equipment following after him trying to shake the sick feeling in her stomach that comes with the line of dark blood spreading over his back from the deer's empty eye socket.
