Katniss is in trouble again.
Mother is shouting at her for bringing mud in. Katniss fidgets by the door. Then runs out. Out to the woods, where she is not supposed to go without Father. Mother calls after her. I sit and watch as Katniss yet again disobeys. She is pretty my big sister. And brave and fast. Everyone admires her. Sometimes she takes me berry picking. She calls me her little duck.
It's late evening when she gets back. Mother and Father have been looking for her for ages. It's late and supper is cold. Mother yet again yells at her. It's snowing. Bright white snow. Mother puts me to bed. I wait one hour, then another until Katniss creeps in. I move over and she crawls in next to me.
'Why do you always run away?' I whisper.
'Hard to say, I just like the woods, its quiet there.' She replies.
I turn to face her. I want to ask if we can have a picnic sometime.
'I want show you the woods. They're different, but… it's just so... quiet. Peaceful.' Katniss whispers before I have a chance to ask about the picnic.
I shake my head. I hate the woods. Father took me once. They are dark and scary. Wild animals. I would rather stay home with Mother. I can tell I frustrate Katniss, my wild older sister. Who lives and breathes the forest. She belongs in the leafy canopies with the wild animals growling below her…
That's a scary thought. I want to ask if she is ever scared when I find she has fallen asleep.
The next morning I wake very early. Katniss is creeping around gathering up some things. I realize she is trying to sneak off somewhere. The woods obviously. Suddenly I want to follow her. I can't be scared forever can I?
Once she has crept into the next room I gather my shoes and wrap. I hastily dress and follow Katniss silently out into the early morning. The sky is still dark. Its cold. I soon find that weaving through the houses trying to catch up to my big sister in the dark is not very easy. I am also scared. I keep thinking something or someone will jump out at me. I follow her until she ducks under the fence. I crawl under the gap tearing my wrap as it catches onto a wire bit. My knees get muddy and my hair tangles. But still I follow her.
Katniss moves swiftly through the woods. It's hard to keep up. We walk a long way. I suddenly stop after realizing that Katniss has disappeared. The sky is turning a rosy soft shell-like pink. I turn and find Katniss by a shimmering body of water. The colours of the sunrise dancing on the surface. We both stand for a while not saying anything simply gazing at the water.