Katniss's POV:

I sit against a tree and begin to twirl a leaf between my fingers. Hunting in the wilds outside of District 13 will never be the same as it was back in 12.

I push the thought of my old home out of my mind and I realize that the sun is hanging low in the sky. My time outside is running out. I grab my bow and trot into a more wooded area. I take a deep breath and slowly pull an arrow from my quiver, noticing a faint rustling in a nearby tree. I steady my bow and hold my breath as I take aim, but the animal darts from the tree like a swift shadow. My arrow whips through the leaves, hitting nothing. I don't think it left; I think it just jumped to another tree… but which one? I find nothing as I strain my eyes, scanning the treetops for the animal. Other than the sound of my own breathing, the place is silent. I guess the animal did leave.

I sigh and lower my weapon. I'm about to retrieve my arrow when I see that it's nearly dark. I look back towards 13's gates in the distance and decide against searching for my lost projectile. The last thing I want is to get locked out when the gates close for the night.

I trudge through the shrubs, making my way back towards the District. I accept the fact that I won't have any game for the day, so I don't bother being quiet. I'm frustrated that I couldn't get a good look at the animal; then at least I would know what to look for next time I go hunting.

For about fifteen minutes I drift in and out of deep thought as I draw nearer to the gates. I finally come into the clearing that surrounds the District. As I approach the gate, I see something reflecting the faint light of the sky. I kneel down in front of it, staring in perplexity. It's obvious that it was deliberately placed here where I would find it- leaning against the gate facing head-up. After a moment, I slowly pick it up and return it to my quiver. I feel a chill run down my spine as I look over my shoulder.

The next morning I wake up, and for a moment I think it was a dream. But it wasn't. Maybe I should've looked for footprints…

During mealtime I tell Gale what had happened.

He looks at me skeptically. "Maybe you left it there before you went out."

"I didn't, Gale! I had six arrows when I left. I lost one- five. Then when I got back it was leaning against the gate- six. Someone was following me."

"Katniss, you're the only one who goes outside."

"Fine, then something was following me."

"It's probably your medication."

"You're not listening to me!"

"Alright," He puts down his fork. "So you're sure what you shot at wasn't a person?"

"Of course."

"Well… maybe it was a large bird and you really did hit it. And then as it was flying away the arrow fell out and landed against the gate."

"Now that's just ridiculous."

"Well that's my explanation."

We eat in silence for a few minutes until I remember something that irritates me. "There's another meeting today, something about the Capitol, right?"

"Yep," He pushes his plate aside. "Something weird is going on."

"You mean other than the mutated people?"

We stand up and walk over to drop off our plates.

"Well the thing is," he says, "They haven't done anything."

"What do you mean?"

"Beetee thinks that they had something planned, but they have done absolutely nothing."

I think for a moment. "I don't think I'm going to this meeting."

"Why not?"

"I'm not in the mood to discuss something that isn't happening."

He huffs in mild amusement. "Well then I guess I'll see you later."

I kneel in front of the gate, scanning the ground for any footprints that I didn't make. I run my fingers over the soil; it's damp. It must have rained last night- eliminating my chances of finding any decent tracks. I stand up and make my way into the forest. Damp soil isn't going to keep me from searching.

I like walking through wet foliage because it doesn't crunch and make noise as much as it does when it's dry. I wander through the forest, not even sure what I'm looking for. An animal, a person, a ghost… I just want to figure this out. After what seems to be ages, I finally come across some traces. Some large stones seem to have been upturned. I kneel down and examine the evidence. Only a few stones are turned over, not giving me much of a trail to follow.

A deer probably wouldn't have turned them over, and it definitely wasn't what I shot at the other day. The only creatures I can think of that would climb that high into a tree are squirrels or raccoons, but those are much too small by comparison.

For a long while I ponder and debunk almost every possibility that enters my mind. I'm on the verge of frustration when a faint commotion breaks my thoughts. In the distance, I hear harsh rustling of leaves and the echo of a sound unlike anything I've heard. I swiftly snatch my bow and rush towards that area, but am disappointed when I arrive. Whatever was happening has clearly stopped. The place is silent, but some low-hanging branches are still swaying. I stand perfectly still and listen. Then, something on the ground catches my eye.

I'm torn between remaining still and inspecting the object on the ground. If I break my stance, I could ruin my chance of seeing whatever thing I've been searching for. After several moments of stillness, I decide to investigate. I kneel down and pluck the object from the ground, and I find that it's a white scrap of cloth about the size of my hand. I run my fingers over the silk-like material. It's warm. I turn it over and clench my jaw at the sight of something that's all too familiar.

The Capitol's seal.

My eyes dart around the area frantically. I stuff the cloth into my pocket and set an arrow on my bow, ready to pierce skin. I should get out of here. I scan the area one last time and run back towards the district. The others will be quite interested in my find.

?'s POV:

Has she been looking for me? I'm still not sure what she is, but I think I like her. She's a lot like the White-Coats who I've grown to hate so much, but she's different. Though she did shoot that pointy stick at me… I wonder why she was mad at me. Surely she's not mad anymore, right? Should I reveal myself? No, better stay hidden. Why is she just standing there?

A few moments later, she kneels down and picks up the symbol I tore off my clothes. I hate that symbol. It was on everything back at that place. Everything, even the paper. I got so angry that I ripped it off of my shoulder. I must've made enough noise to draw her over here…

All of a sudden, she arms herself with her pointy stick again. Maybe I shouldn't have given it back to her…

Now why is she running away? And why did she want the symbol?

After I'm sure she's gone, I slowly lower myself from the trunk of the tree where I was hiding.

"What are you?" I ask, knowing I won't receive an answer. I savor my voice. Speaking is a privilege that I apparently don't have. Back at that place, the White-Coats would hurt me every time I spoke… it must be a bad thing. But I like speaking…

I stretch the wings that helped me stay so well-hidden, and my real question forms in my mind. "What am I?"

Katniss's POV:

Back in the meeting room, everyone is pelting me with questions.

"What do you mean it's fresh?" Beetee asks as he examines the cloth with a powerful magnifying glass.

"It was still warm when I picked it up," I say. "Someone had been wearing it."

"Why didn't you look for who it was?" Gale is slowly pacing behind Beetee.

"It could've been a trap, and I didn't know how many people were there!"

"She's right, Gale." Beetee puts down the cloth. "She needed to get out of there. And this cloth is made of a silk polymer- definitely clothing."

"Well then we need to get some soldiers out there." Gale stops pacing and looks at Coin expectantly.

"Not so fast," she replies. "Katniss is right. There could be a trap waiting for us."

"Then what are we going to do?" I pick up the cloth and begin to fiddle with it.

She thinks for a while. "We're not going to ignore this. We do need some soldiers out there, but we need a plan."

"And we need to act quickly," Gale says.

Everyone's quiet for a few moments.

"Alright," Coin finally says. "You need to stay inside, Katniss. You're too valuable to risk right now."

I'm about to protest, but I see Gale and Beetee nod in agreement. I Sigh. "Fine."

"Alright," Coin claps her hands together. "Here's what we're going to do."