-THE NEXT DAY-

You woke with the sun. Throwing on clothes (from the picture before) and threw your knapsack over your shoulder. You had filled it with only a few provisions: rope, socks, matches, water bottle, a small hand gun, a dagger, and some ammo. All of this fit in a small little sack that was easily portable. Finally, lacing on your boots and throwing on your shades, you walked out of your room and up the stairs into Coin's office. There she was waiting with Cid and Marcus standing on the side. Looking around you saw two others as well. One was tall and dark, his skin the color of mahogany, his eyes were a gentle brown. The other was a lean red-head with bright, blue eyes. Coin cleared her throat.

"This is Demetri, and Frank…they will be your escorts." She said. Demetri was the dark one and Frank was the red-head. Demetri nodded his head solemnly and Frank walked over and shook your hand jovially.

"I'm sure we'll make a good team," he said, throwing his semi-automatic over his shoulder. You nodded slowly and then looked at Coin.

"Alright….we'll need a ride then…" you said, holding out your hand. She bit her lip and brought out a set of keys, but ignoring your hand she gave them to Demetri. Squinting your eyes, you nodded for the others to follow. Coin handed you a file with everything in it, and bade you a, somewhat indifferent, farewell.

You walked out up into the outside, the sun hitting you smack in the face. Letting the light wash over you, you continued to walk across the barren land over to the hovercraft shed. It was a large building with several different sized hovercrafts. A few engineers were working on them with torches lit and helmets on. Walking over to the nearest hovercraft, you jumped on and planted your butt in the nearest seat. You wanted to take off as soon as possible. The others claimed in after you; Frank took the wheel while Cid sat next to him with an excited air. Marcus slid in next to you, his arms silently folded across his chest. The hovercraft rose in the air and took off with a sudden burst of speed. With your hair whipping behind you, you lulled yourself into silence, your mind on the mission.

Everything was eerily silent as the landscape slowly changed from barren to a lush green. Marcus cleared his throat and brought out a map of lines and dots. It was of District 2. "Alright, so I suppose we might as well start to plan out our routes." He said, unfolding the map. You nodded and scoot closer to him, starting to feel that familiar sense of excitement.

For the next 3 hours, you planned your way in and out of the District, noting it's strong spots and it's weakest. After the first hour Demetri and Cid broke into the conversation, adding in their own thoughts as well. Frank ran the hovercraft, but was still adding in whenever he could. Pretty soon the sun was starting to drift downward, covering over them. Frank slowly drew back the wheel on causing the hovercraft to drop slowly. It slid down under the canopy of trees and touched down on the ground with a slight thud. Everyone filed off, you were already looking around seeing what there was to offer. The trees surrounding the area were perfect climbing trees, so they would allow some advantage. Picking up a rock and chucking it caused a sudden burst of birds to fly into the air. Perfect hunting options. Nodding to the others, you dropped your knapsack and picked out the matches. Starting a quick fire, you immediately began cooking a small pheasant. Marcus helped season it while the others put up the fort. A stump nearby allowed a good place for the maps and files, while the nearby Oak tree made a perfect bed.

Sighing with relaxation, you sat down and tore off a chunk of the meat. The juices ran down your throat, making you sigh with delight. Everyone ate in silence, enjoying the few moments of relief. However, it was becoming dark and there was no way you would let a bright fire give away your position. So, with a heavy heart you stamped it out. Unrolling a sleeping bag, Marcus handed you one as well with a smile. Nodding with gratitude, you threw it on the ground and looked up at the sky. It was a midnight black with millions of little bright lights. Leaning your head against a tree, you allowed yourself a little respite. The stars twinkled in the distance, taking you back to a memory you wish you could forget…

You were sitting with your mother underneath the big oak tree in the yard. It was that time of year where everything was still and quiet, as if mother nature itself was preparing to grow. Everything in District 4 was watered down or covered in sea salt. However, your father had managed to scrape a patch of green for your house. A single tree in the back yard, and a small vegetable garden on the side was everything that was yours. Your mother had an arm around your shoulders, her soft blonde hair was carelessly thrown over to the side. Looking into her eyes was like looking into pools of water, they were so blue…Dad suddenly walks through the house and into the back yard. You smile up at him, and he gives you a small one in return. There's something wrong. You could see it written across his face…something wasn't right. Your father's usually gentle, brown eyes were transformed into fearful ones. His lean body quaked with an unknown threat. He rubbed your head father-like and then bent down and whispered something in his wife's ear. Her beautifully oval face went sharp and cold, her blue eyes had a glint of ferocity. You looked up, concerned, and pulled on your dad's hand. Smiling gently he told you to stay in the yard. Your mother gave you a warm look and said that they just had some business to do…but they'd be back soon. Nodding, still slightly concerned, you leaned back and looked at the sky. Stars were starting to come out, each light glowing bigger than the next. Before you knew it, it was as black as velvet, and your parents still hadn't come back. Sitting up, you had gotten up slowly and had walked into the house. It was a very open house with large windows and white carpet. Feeling yourself tiptoe, you listened to the quiet, being careful to detect any noise what-so-ever. A sudden cry caught your attention, you sprinted to the end of the hallway to your parents room. Peaking through a crack in the door, you saw the back of a man, and his hand was holding a gun…pointed at your father. His eyes looked up at the man with disgust, he was already sporting a gash on his forehead. He whispered something to the man…something that obviously wasn't appropriate because the man hit him on the side of the face with his large weapon. Your father's eyes turned to the door, they looked at you. His mouth formed a word: Run. But then you heard a bang, and he was hitting the floor…face first. You covered your mouth, almost betraying a scream. You ran as fast as you could through the house, your bare feet scraping against the flooring. Just in time, you flung yourself into the vegetable patch, concealing yourself behind a few stalks of corn. Just then, two men came out, their faces angry and hurt. Each had a gun. The one on the right motioned the other in a weird gestured. The man laughed and then place a weirdly shaped object on the door, tying it to the handle. They walked away and got into a vehicle. They glided away slowly and silently. Curiously, you came out from the stalks of corner, only to be blown back by a rush of wind and wood. Every bone in your body screamed as if on fire…a ringing pelted your ears with pain…your eyes flashed with red and yellow…

"Juliet..are you alright?"

A voice brought your attention back to the present. Cid was sitting next to you, his goggles hanging around his neck. He raised an eyebrow, his small lips turning down into a frown. He looked up at the stars with you and relaxed against the same tree. "I used to watch the stars as a kid too…" he stated softly. You turned your head towards him, his eyes were gentle…for once. He was suddenly a kid again, running and playing….you jerked out of your reverence. That was a different life; and it was no good reminding the kid of something he can never get back. You straightened up and cleared your throat obviously. Cid raised an eyebrow, his eyes reverting back to the calculating boy you know.

"Don't worry Juliet, I'm fine." He stated, getting up and walking back over to his sleeping bag. Watching him walk away, you suddenly felt a pang of regret. However, squashing it you closed your eyes and focused on the mission.