Authors Note: Wow. it's actually really difficult to find time to write! Hahahaha! This one's a little bit longer!
How are you guys? All well I hope! Have you seen "Catching Fire"?! How handsome was Finnick and how cute?! And oh my, Mags /3
Sorry for the seemingly slow phasing I'm still trying to get into the groove of things, It'll get better I promise!
Anyway, enjoy! Criticism and reviews and what not are appreciated! Thank you!
(Oh, and tell your friends! -shameless advertising here :L -)
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING. I AM POOR. HUNGER GAME OR GLEE ARE NOT MINE.
"Urgh! Take that! And that! And that!" Loud thwacks of friendly wood echoed from two small figures underneath a grand ash tree which was resting at a top of a slope. Surrounding this tree in its solitude was rows and rows of golden wheat which went for miles. They swayed together as the wind whistled to lean them in one direction to another. Small hands gripped tightly on a make shift sword, a meter long wooden stick with a small twig tied horizontally to its body; the little arms bended and flexed as she swayed her weapon. She raised her arms above her head pointing towards the warm sky of yellow, orange and red. She takes a deep breath through her nose, puffing her chest up preparing herself to deliver a deathly blow against her enemy. A little boy about the same age is sat on the ground with his own blade in hand, his right wrist angled to the left, bracing himself from the incoming attack.
"Prepare to meet your end!" The feisty young Latina exclaimed. Her dust stained dress whipped dramatically and her hair blew back as the wind whorled around her.
"My name is Noah Puckerman of District Two! I'm not scared of you! My broad sword of iron will defend me from your attacks! I shall be the victor! The playmate retorted.
"Oh yea? Well take this!" Thin arms equipped summoned all strength and came surging down against the other piece of wood, whacking it out of its owner's firm grasp.
"Whoa..." Awed with herself, the little girls eyes shifted from her friend to his sword which flew and fell a few yards away.
"Ow Tana, not so hard!" Complained the little boy who rose to his feet and dusted the dirt off his light brown shorts, also smudging the remaining soil into the hem of his polo shirt in the process. He rubbed his palm to ease the soreness inflicted by disarm. This took Santana out of her trance and smirked at Noah, a smug look graced her lovely features proud of her triumph.
"Man up Puck! How are we going to be Head Peacekeepers like Papi and your dad if you can't even hold your sword?" Chided the smaller frame, Santana turned her attention to Noah's weapon which was still lying on the ground and walked towards its direction to retrieve the thing. She picked it up and handed it back to her friend.
"Thanks, you're right. I'll do better next time. We should practice our argyle skills tomorrow; we can have a race and also see who can climb the fastest!"
Brows furrowed momentarily as the tanned girl tried to decipher what her friend just said and her eyes rolled in recognition of what he meant. "It's agility Noah, not argyle. Those are what granny's make."
"Oh right-"
"Santana? Mija!" She turned her head towards her house which was at the bottom far end of the plains. Santana squinted and upon catching her mother's tiny figure she waved her arms wildly and her lips curved into a wide smile. Shortly her mother waved back and beckoned her to come home, bringing her play time to an end.
"They're home love! You're Papi's home!" Her mother yelled. "Ok Mami! I'll be right there!" she shouted back.
The little girl turned her sights back to Puck "Papi's home, do you want come over for supper? I bet he'll have some freshly baked banana bread or maybe chocolate cake from the Capitol!"
"Nah, it's ok! I gotta get back home to see my Dad too! I'll see you tomorrow at school. I'll bring some chocolate milk for us for lunch!" replied Puck as he started to walk towards his own house.
"Alright! Bye!" Santana waved him goodbye and Puck disappeared into the plains on his way home.
Santana hears her mother call for her again beckoning her home; she enters the thicket of wheat and walks away from the ash tree. The sun was starting to set and she could feel the winds blowing grow colder. Birds too were aware of the day nearing its end and were making their way back to their nest.
"Santana? Where are you?!"
"I'm coming Ma-"
"Santana?! Santana?!" Hearing a certain edge in her mother's voice she starts to quicken her pace.
"I'm on my way Mami! I'm not very far now!" The little Latina barked, making sure that her mother heard her reply. "She probably just didn't hear me…" She thought to herself. But she hears her again and this time she was sure that something's not right.
"Santana! SANTANA! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
She breaks for a jog, eager to get home to get to her restless mother. "I'm coming Mami! I'm nearly there-"
"THEY'RE COMING SANTANA! THEY'RE COMING!" She can see the roof to her house and she moves her legs faster.
"WHO ARE THEY MAMI?! WHO'S COMING?!" Santana shrieks, her stomach drops and she starts to sprint to her house going as fast as her tiny legs could carry her.
"SANTANA!"
She can feel her lungs burning and her muscles are starting to ache as she pumps them, "Faster!" She thought "Faster!" She's been running for ages and it seems that she wasn't moving. It's as though with every step she takes towards her home it was shrinking further and further away from her.
"SANTANA HELP ME!"
"I'M RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN MAMI!" Her right foot gets caught on her left and her body is skidding on the ground, scratching her knees and ripping her dress. She gathers herself together kneeling on her wounded knees; she steadies herself and her trembling lips. The little girl wipes the threatening tears brusquely with her right arm and stands on her legs, her knees are numb and despite the open gash she starts to jog again.
"HELP ME!"
It startles her and finally panic erupts from her chest and she's sobbing, she's breathless and exhaustion is slowing her down. The fern is closing in on her and they're cutting into her arms, painting her skin with fine lines. But after stumbling through wheat after wheat she reaches the last barrier separating her from her mum. She stretches her arms and pushes herself out and that's when she hears an ear piercing howl like a beast in agony as stakes plunged in its flesh and through its skin.
Beads of sweat littered the sides of her temple. Brown eyes filled with confusion, fear and anxiety swiftly moved from left to right. A split second of disorientation and the helpless eyes turned sharp with rage, aggression and ferocity; replacing the previous emotions. She stood abruptly from her bed and made her way out of her room; the sensor of her door registered her movement and slid open sleekly.
"Fuck sake." Santana gritted through her teeth. The deep hum of the train was the only noise which filled her ears. She inspected the tiny goose-bumps that rose from her skin, thinking whether if it was caused by the cold which travelled from her barefoot and up her spine; or from the seemingly pleasant flashback of her childhood turned into a bitch of a nightmare. She enters the cabin to the kitchen-bar room, not bothering to turn on the voice activated lights she remained silent and guided herself through the compartment. There was the moonlight shining through the line of paralleled windows which lighted her path. Santana opens one of the cupboards and reaches for a glass; she then makes her way to the centre counter where a glass jug of water was waiting for her. She pours herself a drink and downs it all in one. Her eyes caught the shining of the oven which showed her the time.
"June 9, 2111, 4:12am" it said in dimmed white lights. "Well that's 17 minutes more sleep than last night." She said to herself.
It's the same routine every day.
It had been less than 24 hours when Haymitch announced their departure for District 10, the industry of livestock. This is the final destination for her and Haymitch until she returns to back to District 2, her "home". Santana chuckles bitterly at the thought, it sounds funny in her head. She has no home. If she had to name a place then she would say it's District fou- no. She meant this bullet train. This hovering soulless bleak mansion was the closest thing she had to one. But then again, the longest she actually stayed in this automobile was a week and that was because the engine overheated during their travel to District 7 from 4.
It was big enough to accommodate six families and have room for at least three dogs and a cat. The architecture was exquisite if she was being honest. The design and the installed technologies were modern, it had 8 bedrooms all with en-suite bathrooms, a living room, kitchen-dining room, and an entertainment area and of course a function room to drive it. However, only five rooms out of twelve were actually being used. Three of the bedrooms; one for her and Haymitch and the other bedroom- the master's bedroom were converted into her training/office room. Plus, the kitchen-dining room for food and the function room. The rest of the area remained as it was when Haymitch first bought the vehicle. It's a pretty wasteful investment if you ask her, but she's not complaining. As much as she hates to admit it, she's a freeloader. Without Haymitch she would have probably ended up in a brothel.
They still had at least sixteen hours left to travel until they arrive at District 10, then probably another two hours of hiking, swimming or crawling whatever the hell that alcoholic had waiting for her.
Santana's not sure how but Haymitch has friends all over Panem, as in legitimate friends and they've all been incredibly hospitable. What surprises her even more is that they all seemed genuinely happy to see the homeless smelling and looking drunkard; and if possible even more fucking ecstatic when he drops the bomb on them that he and this "pain in the ass" will be staying for half a year with them. They always end up extending their stay too! All because their host insists that they should hang around much longer! At first Santana was embarrassed for his audacity but she eventually got used to it.
She remembers the first district they moved to, District 4. It was where she met Finnick Odair and good old Mags. She was nine and it was the district they stayed in, the longest too since Mags guilt tripped them into staying every time they said goodbye, claiming "You wouldn't want to be the cause of death of this poor heart of mine now would you, dears?"
Her lips curled up to the memory as she sat by the window, staring aimlessly out the train while blurs of trees blocked the silver lit sea by the moon.
In their company she almost forgot the purpose for their unholy pilgrim.
Almost.
It was hard to believe that Haymitch, this walking hepatitis was the victor of the Second Quarter Quell, reaped at the age of sixteen. The closest person she had to a family.