CHAPTER 4

We had been out here for 3 days now and we finally managed to find a safe enough place to stay; a small open space where the trees leant inwards so we were covered from anything in the sky. I went out and caught a rabbit and a squirrel before returning to see Ryder with a small fire. He still hadn't talked to me since both our outbursts 3 days ago, all we did was walk, and we didn't even know where we were. It was pretty dark out but we could still see a bit. For the past 3 days we haven't eaten at all, my stomach was rumbling nonstop and my body was weakened, I was barely moving along in a straight line.

"Ryder, please talk to me" I begged for the hundredth time, dumping more wood on the fire and cooking the rabbit "I don't mean to treat you like that, I admit I did judge you at first but now that I know you a bit, your aright. You're not a bad guy and I really am sorry" Ryder looked at me with a grin.

"I knew you'd come around, I am pretty awesome" Ryder pretended to flip his hair back like a girl, I couldn't help but laugh and shove him away.

"You would make a great gay friend"

"You think I'm gay? Ha! Trust me honey, I am all for the vagina!" Ryder winked at me and scooted closer. I didn't move and let him put his arm around me because it was cold, he was my friend and we are going to get my dad back, Ryder would help me and we will succeed. We both had a stick poking at the fire making it bigger so we were warmer "I'm so bored"

"As opposed to all the fun we have at home?"

"Want to play a game?"

"I do. It's called let's see whose stupid enough to light a fire and get themselves killed" Both Ryder and I turned at the voice; we didn't think anyone else would be out here. I had my spear ready to throw and Ryder had his axe "Oooh, weapons, what are you gonna do? Throw them and hope you hit me?" We couldn't see her, it was too dark and she was behind some trees I'm guessing "Put them down and I will come out" Ryder easily dropped his axe, dagger and sword.

"What are you doing?" I exclaimed, was he an idiot? What if she was a murderer?

"She said drop your weapons?" Ryder was confused; he didn't know what he had done wrong.

"You don't listen to someone you can't see, are you crazy? Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Sorry" Ryder bent down to pick up his weapons, we were too busy arguing that we didn't even notice the girl had come out but we did notice when she had her sword against Ryder's neck.

"Leave them" She warned.

"Annabella?"

"Yeah?" I kept my gaze on the hooded figure, I couldn't see her face yet because she was watching Ryder with her other arm outstretched so a sword was also pointing at me.

"I still can't see her, so do I listen to her or not?" I sighed and rolled my eyes. I dropped my spear to the ground but kept my other weapons on me.

"Yes, she has a weapon to your throat you idiot" I groaned. The girl chuckled; she followed Ryder with her sword as he got up giving me the opportunity to make my move. I dropped to the ground and kicked out her legs. The surprise made her drop her swords which Ryder quickly picked up pointing at her.

"What do I do now?" Ryder whispered to me. The girl chuckled and charged at Ryder, he threw her sword on the ground probably hoping she would stop but she didn't, I grabbed my bow and swung it over her neck so her neck was in the middle of it, I pulled it back so the string was pressing on her neck and her back pressed against my front "Good job," Ryder picked the girls sword back up and swung it around "I was just about to do that myself" I rolled my eyes at him as he dropped the sword "I meant that"

I pulled back on my bow making her stumble backwards; I swiftly manoeuvred the bow from around her neck and swung it back around my back.

"Don't try that again" I growled.

"Yeah!" Ryder chanted, both me and the girl glared at him making him back down.

"Do you always get your girlfriend to fight your fights for you?" She sneered. I gave her a disgusted look, me and Ryder, together? Give me a break.

"Yes"

"He's not my boyfriend" I grumbled ignoring Ryder.

"Seems like it to me"

"Why do you care? Jealous?"

"Shut up" we both yelled at Ryder. I breathed deeply and went over ripping her good from her head; I walked back a few paces to get a good look at her.

She looked younger than us about 16, she had big blue crystal eyes, pale skin, freckles on her cheeks and long brown flowing hair that looked perfectly smooth yet messy. She didn't look even the least bit scared of us. Considering it was Ryder holding the weapon I wouldn't be surprised if she made another runner.

"Name?" she kept her mouth shut looking at me like there was a joke I wasn't in on. It looks like I'm going to have to be tough on this one. I stormed over to her and crouched snatching her own dagger from the holster on her thigh, I held it against her cheek "Name?" I said more forcefully.

"Plutarch Heavensbee" She said sarcastically. I laughed; I had to admire her courage. I gave her back her dagger and offered her a hand up.

"What are you doing? She tried to kill us!" Ryder screamed.

"I'm Annabella Hawthorne" I said as she grabbed my hand letting me help her up.

"I know who you are. I barely recognized you without the blonde hair and scar on your face" my hand instinctively went to my scar on my face from when I 'died' "Abaigael Mason"

"Ryder" he stuck his hand out with a smirk, I think I saw Abaigael blush as she took his hand and shook it "Sorry about earlier, I didn't want to hurt you" He puffed out his chest trying to act tough.

"You screamed like a girl and held my own sword against me the wrong way around, there's nothing to be sorry for" Abaigael chuckled picking up her swords and putting them in their holsters across her back. She was wearing black tights that tucked into her army boots that went up to her knees, a tight faux leather sweetheart neckline top that went just above the ending of her ribcage and a sleeveless hoodie that was tight on her and zipped up half way.

"Where are you from?"

"Nowhere, everywhere, take your pick" I looked at her confused, what did she even mean? "Come on, it's not safe out here, they have Peacekeepers searching for you everywhere" she put out our fire stomping on the ashes and beckoned for us to follow her. It was difficult to see with little light left in the sky but we managed, just. We stuck to the trees being quiet with every step, Ryder and I hadn't run into anyone yet and we had been so loud but apparently there were Peacekeepers all over the place.

It took a fair bit of time but we eventually reached a stream, Abaigael just stopped in her tracks and looked around making sure there was no one anywhere. Ryder and I saw it before she did, she went to step out of the bushes but Ryder grabbed Abaigael bringing her to the ground under him, he had his hand covering her mouth and his body hovered over hers keeping her from view. I crouched low watching the man pass by dressed in white holding a gun, we waited until he disappeared from sight before getting up. Well I got up, Ryder stayed on top of Abaigael both just staring at each other. I felt bad for ruining the moment but the Peacekeeper could come back at any moment. I cleared my throat making Ryder and Abaigael jump up and into action.

"Right umm, uhh, yeah. Never touch me again or I will cut you" Abaigael threatened Ryder. Well I think someone is in denial.

"Why would I?" Ryder defended placing an arm around my shoulders. I sighed, had he not learnt from this already? I jerked back my elbow making contact with his ribs, his arm left my shoulders and Abaigael put her hand out for a sneaky high five which I gladly gave her.

"Come on" Abaigael waved us to follow her; she walked behind a bush and banged her foot in a weird rhythm. She stepped back then disappeared. Ryder and I rushed forward to see what had happened to her. We saw the ground was lifted up and she was down a hole beckoning us down. How do we know this isn't a trap? She did kind of attack us. Ryder eagerly jumped down face planting when he landed. I chuckled and followed them down. The tunnel was low and only fit one person at a time so we had to go single file. There was no light at all so I had to feel a head of me to know where I was going.

"I see the light!" Ryder said dramatically.

"Please, go towards it" Abaigael murmured. I chuckled at her, she so liked him, and he liked her too. I could tell.

Abaigael pushed against what sounded like a solid metal door and entered a big open area with heaps of people in it. It was a cave under water, it was under the river, like those air bubble caves people find under sea.

"Annabella?" I turned around and looked among the sea of people. Who said my name? "Annabella" a blonde haired man emerged from the crowed heading towards me.

"Peeta?"

DUN DUN DUUUUUH

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