2 Weeks Later

"Fern, what are you doing?"

I ignored Axel, staring right into the dummy's face. The knife is my hand is limp is my hip. Without warning, sword slices through the dummy at a n angle, cutting it cleanly into two foam pieces.

Johanna grins, sword in hand while I blink. "You're welcome."

I give her a look. "I was going to win that staring contest, you know."

Axel bursts out laughing. "That's what you were doing? I thought you were studying the dummy, or something."

I roll my eyes, smiling, before walking across the Gym to set the knife down. "It's getting late, and mom and Pine want a little fire for the fireplace. We used up the last bit of wood, and I have to get them some more."

Johanna nods, her spiky black hair bobbing along with her. "It's Friday, I'll let you skip the video tonight.'

"Thanks Johanna," I say kindly, nodding to my old mentor.

Axel smiles warmly at me. "Can I tag along?"

I try to suppress my excitement. "Sure."

We get on our jackets and head out the door, rushing down the steps to my backyard were the axe is stuck in a stump. The sky in District Seven is nice near nightfall, a clear navy with speckles of stars shining through the clouds and the last purple glows of the sun floating on the horizon.

"So," Axel says, smiling again. "Staring contest with a dummy, huh?"

I let out a sigh, but my expression is still happy. "Yes, and I'm telling you, I was about to win that little staring contest."

He winks, lounging in the grass. "Sure."

I laugh, grabbing the axe and setting a piece of the wood on the stump, swinging down the tool, and listening to that familiar clatter of the wood when it cuts perfect in half.

I only realized Axel was just watching e on the fifth log. I turned to him, shaking my head. "What is it?"

"Your hair. It has got to be the most vibrant shade of red that I have seen," he says, smiling and making my cheeks turn just as dark as my hair.

"You flatter me," I say sarcastically, grinning.

I pick up the axe without even looking, just turning back when I let it hit the log. Instead of the crack, I just hear a crunch. I whip my head down, and scream at the top of my lungs before my throat closes up. It's Pepper, her bright eyes, and dark pony-tail. She's laying there, on the stump, her head severed form her body, body pooling around her, and coating the axe.

I drop the weapon, tears running down my cheeks. Axel is holding me within two seconds, his strong arms wrapped around me protectively. "What is it? What it is Fern?"

"It's Pepper!" I shriek, shoving my head into his chest. "I cut her head off!"

When I turn back to the stump, she and the blood are gone, with just the log in to halves laying there. That just makes me more upset.

"I did it again!" I scream. "Why can't I get the Games out of my head!"

He just hugged me tight, shushing me softly, letting me cry. When I finally calm down, he dips down, trying to catch my eyes. 'Hey, hey... Fern, it's alright. Guess what that means?"

"What?" I hiccupped, wiping my cheeks.

"You have a heart," he whispers softly.

I stare at the grass, my look turning into a glare. "No, I cut her in the head. And Tide, and Shimmer, and Morgan, and that girl from District Eleven."

He sighs, sitting down, pulling me with him. "No one said that there weren't a few little things going on, but I know that you have a heart."

"How?" I muttered angrily, ripping a piece of grass up from the ground.

He turned to me, those beautiful grey eyes just matching my blue ones "Because I know you."

I tackled him with a hug, thoroughly stunning him.. "Thank-you."

"Anytime, anytime Red."

I have had this in my head forever, and I just had to write it even if it is really short, it's something, and it gets us EVEN CLOSER to the rebellion So, I hoped that you liked that chapter and will review even if it has been forever.

Thanks! PLEASE REVEIW!

~Meghan