CHAPTER 2
It was a long but dark walk to the fence, why he took me here I have no clue. But when he passed through the fence I followed gripping my weapon tighter than ever. We moved quickly, apparently whatever it was couldn't wait another minute.
We reached a small pond where I often capture animal's drinking water. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The moon was reflecting on the water but it was reflecting something else as well, the water was showing all different colours, yellow, and white, orange, blue and a sort of pinkish. It was breath taking.
"I thought you'd like it" Ryder better not get any ideas that I like him or anything "I thought it was pretty cool"
"It reminds me of the lights in the Capitol" I said dazed, I have never talked about that whole experience with anyone "When they were celebrating us going into the games, I was on the roof with Kaleb, that was when I first learnt of his feelings, the lights were so colourful, so many people. And they were all celebrating death." I shook myself out of it wiping the tear, the memory of all those people wanting us dead, and how they risked our lives for entertainment.
"Yeah it's beautiful isn't it?" my face hardened as his arm moved around my waist and his hand landed firmly on my hip. I brought back my elbow sharply jabbing him in the stomach, his arm left me and went around his own waist.
"Yeah… you might not want to touch me again. Ever." I demanded "I do have a boyfriend and he won't hesitate to kill you"
"Duly noted" Ryder gasped standing up straight again "But he isn't here, and I am" Ruder came closer to me again. I glared at him daring him to come a step closer "I get it" He held up his hands and stepped back "You have trust issues. But don't worry you will learn to like me, I grow on people"
"What? Why would you want to hang around me? Be friends?"
"Because you're an awkward person and need someone to stick up for you when your boy toy isn't around. And I need a new friend, my last one didn't cut it but I have a feeling you will be a rollercoaster"
"You are making absolutely no sense" I turned around making my way back to the District; I hope dad hasn't noticed me missing. I'd hate for the questions to fire off.
"Come on love, you know you want me!" I laughed aloud and continued walking.
"No, I don't!"
"Come on Anna, we will be safe in here" we were in the arena; we were being hunted by all our friends who we had left dead in the arena. They wanted revenge on us; they wanted me to pay for living when I wasn't supposed to. Kaleb squeezed my hand tight and led me inside the cave which was much like the one we stayed in when we were in the arena. I gripped his hand tighter as we entered. There were growling sounds inside but Kaleb kept walking.
"Kaleb I don't want to go in there" I tried to pull my hand away but his held mine there as if they were glued together. "Kaleb you're hurting me!" Kaleb swung me in front of him and pushed me up against the wall kissing me roughly.
"I love you" The cave transformed into his bedroom and we were on his bed kissing each other hungrily "I love you so much" I opened my eyes as he pulled away getting the shock of my life.
It was no longer Kaleb on top of me, it was Ryder. He was smirking at me with that annoying smirk.
I shot up in my small bed sweating like a pig and feeling dirty, why would I even think of that? I love Kaleb, he was my world now. I looked out the only window in the house and noticed that it must be at least lunch already. I stretched out my arms hitting something solid.
"Ahhhhhh!" I fell on my ass on the floor looking up at the grinning Ryder who was in my bed.
"Well you're not exactly the most attractive in the morning either love" I groaned and threw the closest thing I could find at him. "What's on the agenda for today?" Ryder sat up looking down at me expectedly.
"Well I am going hunting, I don't know about you"
"Okay, when are we leaving" I sighed loudly and put my head in my hands "Come on, what else am I supposed to do while you're gone? There is nothing to do around here other than shovel dirt or pig shit"
"Fine, be ready in 5 minutes" he was ready in 2. I tried to leave earlier without him but he was persistent. Much like a dog. We travelled through the District unnoticed by others, well from what we could tell we were unnoticed. Ryder was humming loudly and bouncing around up until we got to the fence. He froze in his step looking hard at the fence.
"How do you know if it's on or off?"
"My father taught me-"
"Of course he did" Ryder said sarcastically, I lashed out and punched him in the arm, he thinks I'm nothing but a daddy's girl and it annoys me!
"Just listen for the hum" I growled. Ryder was about to say something back but I shushed him listening for the familiar hum of the electricity. Unfortunately for me it was humming meaning we couldn't travel through just yet. I sighed loudly and looked up at the sun trying to figure out the time, I looked north then back at the sun realising that the fence should be off again soon.
"I hear it!" Ryder yelled excitedly, I reached over and slapped my hand over his mouth, this was also usually the time when Peacekeepers came out to 'Patrol' the fence, and by Patrol I mean be guys and talk about chicks and crap on. I would know because I have been in this situation before and heard some of their conversations, just for my own amusement.
"Who's there?!" I gripped my bag tightly to myself and made a run for it. In a situation like this it's every man for themselves. Ryder soon caught on and ran after me "I see them!" That same voice shouted.
"Run quicker!" Ryder over took me with a panicked look. We soon reached the tiny river that ran behind our homes and jumped in with all the weeds. I quickly rubbed the mud all over my face and body digging myself down further, Ryder was in the river holding his breath and watching the Peacekeepers closely.
"There's something over there" The peacekeepers pointed to where Ryder was lying down, oh no. They can't catch him, this is my entire fault. Wait, no, he wanted to come along. I didn't ask him to! "Just wait till we catch these kids, to the Capitol they go" I picked up a giant rock and waited till I was sure they wouldn't see me and threw it in the opposite direction. The Peacekeepers immediately took off in the other direction and Ryder and I didn't waste a second, we shot up running towards the fence.
"Wait! We're going back?" Ryder asked surprised.
"Me and my dad need to eat!" approaching the fence I listened hard not stopping my running then when I didn't hear something I dived through the small gap and continued running, I wasn't taking the chance in being caught so I just hope Ryder is behind me. I ran past the trees and over the logs until I reached the pond where Ryder took me. I skidded to a stop and bent down with my hands on my knees huffing and puffing.
"That was so cool!" Ryder puffed next to me. I laughed and shoved him, Ryder fell over and looked at me seriously for a bit then cracked up laughing "You almost have as much crap on your face as Effie does on reaping day" I started laughing with him wiping at my face "You should clean that off" next thing I knew Ryder was running with me over his shoulder then we hit water. Ryder had jumped into the pond, the pond wasn't very deep but it went to my shoulders.
"Jerk!" I looked over and splashed him, this was a terrible idea, Ryder splashed me back and it turned into a full out splashing war. It was nice to finally have some fun, not to have to worry about anything and just enjoy everything. Ever since the arena I haven't had that much fun, or been able to laugh very much. The only fun I have had was with Kaleb but that's not the type of fun I can share with others, especially my dad.
"So? Are we going to start my hunting lesson or what?" I looked at him like he was crazy but he kept his determined look so I nodded. Ryder started stripping and I freaked covering my eyes "What? We can't hunt in wet clothes!" I removed my hand and looked at him, "We will get a cold" Ryder was left standing there in his shorts; he had even taken his shoes off.
"I'm not undressing" I stood my ground folding my arms "I'll be fine, I have hunted through rain and storm, and I don't get sick" I picked up my bag that I dropped when Ryder tackled me, and opened it for Ryder to put his clothes in. I waved Ryder to follow me as I walked towards my secret hiding spot. "Bow? Sword? Knives? Spear? Axe?" Ryder looked at me like a Psycho.
"Uhmm, whatever is easiest"
"Nothing is easy, just pick one" I got out my spear and swung it around a bit like a ninja would with their nun chucks. Ryder looked at me impressed. I do admit I was trying to show off a bit.
"I want the axe"
After about 3 hours of trying to get Ryder to take it seriously and actually learn to use the axe we decided to head home. Now 'try' was the key word there, he failed, badly. If he was chosen at the reaping he would die. He was hopeless at hunting and hopeless at being stealthy.
After leaving Ryder with his clothes at the fence we went our separate ways, Ryder to his house and me to mine.
I walked back home and ran through the door eager to see dad but what I did see was Roddick sitting at my kitchen table.
"Hello Annabella, I am afraid we have it under good authority that you have been hunting outside the fence" I knew why he was acting like this. It was because I didn't come back to him. Because I love Kaleb and not him, he did confess an attraction to me before I left but I also told him not to wait for me. He looked tired, like he hadn't gotten any sleep at all for weeks, he was slumping in the seat and growing a stubble that made him look a lot older than he really is.
"Roddick, you know I do, you-"
"You heard her boys" I never even got to point out that he buys my catches sometimes before my arms were grabbed and I was forced out of my own house and through the District, lots of people stopped to stare at me, wondering why they had me but one look from any of the Peacekeepers holding me and they would scurry along. I struggled in their strong grip trying to break free but failed. I knew what was happening, it has happened to me before, this wasn't the first time. I tried to struggle more using the strength I had built up in the games but I still failed, with four of them holding me, this wasn't going to end good.
I was tied to the whipping post and my shirt ripped at the back, I heard a snapping of a whip before I even felt it, my back stung like it was on fire, with every whip I felt my skin tear apart and the blood trickle down my back. My screams alone were enough to draw people from their daily business to come see what was happening. A lot of people gathered around for the show, some crying, some watching with blank expressions and some closing their eyes. I screamed out as another whip caught my back. Cutting deeper than the rest, there was no room on my back for new whip marks so they went over some of the ones that were already there.
"Stop! Stop right now! She didn't do anything!" I turned my head and saw Ryder struggling against some Peacekeepers. We made eye contact for not even a second before he took off. The whips were breaking up my back, I could feel my blood dripping down my legs.
"That's enough!" I turned my head and saw Ryder running toward me with my dad right behind him, catching the oncoming whip with his hand, that must have hurt dad like hell but he didn't show it, he didn't even wince. Dad pulled the whip and it came right out of the Peacekeepers hands. Unfortunately they had 2 whips, now I know why some whips were harder than the others. There were 2 whips wielded by two different men.
"Get out of the way Gale" Roddick threatened. Dad stood his ground coming across as not to be messed with. He would be punished for this, we both would be.
"Point that whip at my daughter one more time and she nor I will be the ones on the receiving end of that thing" Dad growled untying me and picking me up into his arms.
"Is that a threat" Roddick gripped the whip tighter.
"That is a promise" Dad held me tighter to him and walked off copping a whip in the back on the way out, not that it even phased him but he wasn't going to just let them get away with this, dad threw me over his shoulder and picked up the whip he threw away and snapped it at the Peacekeepers catching one of them across the eye. Ryder made sure we got away safely following us to our destination.
I wish I was as tough as dad. He carried me all the way to Kaleb's house, they weren't home yet but Katniss' mum was home and she was the best healer this District had. Mrs Everdeen fussed as soon as we entered the door getting dad to lay me down, she immediately got to work removing the material and cleaning the wounds. She had ran out of supplies to knock me out so all I could do was squeeze dads hand and bite my tongue trying not to scream. It failed, I did scream though they were muffled screams, barely audible but dad could still hear me.
"Daddy" I sobbed squeezing his hand.
"It's okay baby" he shushed me.
"Gale do you want me to look at your back, that cream needs a minute to settle before I remove it then the wounds will be closed and almost healed" Dad nodded but didn't let go of my hand. I could feel my back healing already. All those supplies that Katniss buys from the Capitol really do come in handy sometimes, "I need to look at your hand as well" Mrs Everdeen said. Dad looked reluctant but Ryder stepped up promising to not let go until he came back. I gladly took anyone's hand that was thrust at me, anything to try and take the pain out on others.
"You're okay, you're going to be okay"
I sat up slowly careful not to do much to my back while Ryder still held onto my hand, keeping to his promise to my dad. It had only been a half an hour and my back was much better not fully healed but better.
"I wonder where your dad went" So do I. I squeezed his hand and smiled up at him.
"What is this?" I let go of Ryder's hand and faced the voice. It was Kaleb, he was back! I jumped off the table to go hug him but collapsed in pain instead. Ryder wrapped his arms around me keeping me up right "I've got her" Kaleb violently shoved Ryder out the way and lifted me back up on the table.
"Don't be rude" Katniss scolded her son "Katniss, nice to meet you, and this is my husband Peeta and our daughter Eliza"
"It's an honour, really, I can't believe I am actually meeting you, I'm Ryder" Ryder shook her outstretched hand and then Peeta's "I'm Annabella's friend"
"What happened?" Kaleb was looking at my exposed back and lightly toughing my back with the tips of his fingers "Who did this?"
"Some guy named Roddick, he caught us hunting" Ryder returned to my side talking to Kaleb.
"Us?" Kaleb stood up to Ryder puffing out his chest.
"Kaleb!" It was Peeta's turn to scold his son.
"Well, I'm back, so you can go home now, we don't need your help" Kaleb growled.
"Kaleb stop!" I pushed him back from Ryder and kept my arm on his chest "I was accused of hunting in the forest but Roddick and he had Peacekeepers swarm me and take me to the whipping post, I don't know how many times they got me before dad showed up and stood between me and the whip, he caught it with his own hand and carried me here, receiving a whip himself"
"I'll kill them!" Kaleb growled getting up and storming to the door.
"Kaleb no!" I got up from the table groaning in pain, needing to lean back on the table for support "I broke the law, it's okay"
"No it's not" nearly everyone in the room chorused "Annabella, you didn't do anything wrong honey" Katniss brushed back my hair "I have been through the same thing before, me and you are a lot alike"
"Please don't say that" Kaleb groaned returning back to my side "Because if that's true then I will be worried all the time" the cream on my back was numbing my cuts and mending them, I was grateful Katniss was able to afford the Capitol medicine "And no boy ever wants to think of his girlfriend like his mother" Peeta snorted trying to cover his laughing. I placed my hand on Kaleb's cheek and looked into his sweet eyes.
"Anna run!" we all jumped at the voice outside. Everyone rushed to the window at once, everyone except me because it hurt to move.
"Oh no" Katniss gasped.
"No way" Ryder and Kaleb growled.
"What? Whats happening?" I fussed, all hell broke loose then, everyone ran off in different directions talking so quickly I couldn't understand them. "Someone answer me!" a minute later Katniss returned with a big bag, like the one I had in the arena but she was shoving supplies in it. Peeta returned no later with another shoving more supplies in it "Answer me"
"It's okay Annabella, everything will be fine" Kaleb grabbed my head in his hands and placed a quick kiss on my kips, then turned to Ryder. "Will you go with her? Will you keep her safe?"
"Of course"
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