Not Doing my Job, Yet Again. <<OPEN>>

I leave the brothers--for that's what they clearly are--to themselves to discuss whether I was a friend or neither and turn back to my sketch. Sitting in the quiet shade of the trees and bushes, I fill in more color, add in rays of light filtered through the leafy canopy, and lay more detailed layers of leaves into the branches. I hear much movement somewhere off in the distance to my right, but no matter. There are countless people in these woods, trying to make a living. It's either a young beginner who unfortunately met a panther or something big and wild; or two hunters, fighting over a catch. I shut the noise out and continue to work. That is, until the clamor softens and disappears. I hear metal, I think, sliding out of sheaths or sliding back in.

Finally, I'm satisfied enough with my draft. Perhaps I can sell the final version to make up for the venison I never got. I'll bet Joy never failed to bring home a good dinner as well as supply the Capitol's hunger for meat. It's always about Joy. She's amazing, she's wonderful, she's swift, she's beautiful, she's smart, she's the joy of many people's lives... well, she's not exactly the joy of my life. I like her and all, but sometimes I wish she would just give me some space.

I pack up my sketch pad and pencils and rise. Before shouldering the bag again, I stretch, a little bent from staying in the same position for so long.

There's a clamor really close by. It sounds like a little fight. How long did that go on? Did I really work so hard that I didn't notice it's near proximity to me? Man, if someone had just come up to me then, I could have been in big trouble. I thank whatever lucky star is out to protect me and shoulder my bag. Then, I check to make sure my bow and quiver is slung on my shoulder, my dagger from Grandpa in my boot, and my hunting knife in its sheath at my hip, before I turn to leave. At that moment, I hear rustling and a few voices.

"Leave? But we can't mess with her if we leave."

Oh dear. These people probably either had a huge squabble with 'her' over some game or they wrestled with something ferocious, like a mountain lion. I glance around nervously. I hope there aren't any mountain lions or anything else dangerous around here.

True to my training to stay put when there's something dangerous nearby and back away slowly, I freeze.