The Field I Happened To Stumble In To (OPEN)

Bump.

As the mockingjay flies away the beautiful area feels whole. Not becasue of the loss of the mockingjay, but because of the person sitting next to me. Wait, the person sitting next to me?

"It is beautiful here, isn't it?" says the girl who sits next to me. I smile, and nod. Because this place was one in a kind. The place that only District Eleven could hold. There was no darkness in this place that I was sitting in. The mockingjays that fluttered around, the multicolored flowers that were in the bushes scattered around.

I sang a few more clear notes. The mockingjays created harmonies and fluttered around. One of them landed on my shoulders and and sang some more notes. The mockingjays sure made sweet harmonies. They were so beautiful. All animals were. The flowers emitted a scent that almost made me swoon it was so sweet. I smiled just from the harmony that his whole place made.

"It is beautiful, and the mockingjays make the music that brings it together," I tell her. "You should sing a few notes, like this." I sing a short little tune, the one I use to tell my dad that it's time to wake up. The mockingjay repeats it, and talks to the others. I smile at the stranger, and I notice that it's a girl, about my age. "I'm Alexy Vecting, 16 years old. What's your name?" I ask her, trying to be friendsly to the person who feels the same way I do about this beautiful place. Right now, I feel like this girl and I would make great friends.

I see a girl following a Mockingjay. They're creating a beautiful melody. She doesn't look like she honestly even knows where she's going. Well I don't know where I'm going either but that's different. I'm following someone who's already lost. Or at least looks lost. I can tell she doesn't notice I'm following her and the bird. We end up in a place obviously neither of us are familliar with. By we I'm not including the Mockingjay. I don't say anything, still not wanting to attract attention.

I see another girl arriving, admiring the flowers. I stop to do the same and realize how beautiful they are. Normally I never really stop to look at the scenery. No matter how beautiful it is I'm normally sweating my butt off working in the fields all day long. Luckily I get a break for the weekends and a lunch break every day. I take work off my mind. It's a Sunday. I shouldn't think about work until tomarrow. I smile, and I can tell I am still out of view from the two girls.

The sun is shining through the tree tops causing me to become very sweaty. I feel like I'm in the fields again. Why does work keep coming up in my thoughts? I ask myself. I shake it off and take off my coat. Why was I wearing that thing on such a nice day anyways? I walk, still conceling myself in the bushes. I hear the two girls starting a conversation. They both comment on the birds and the beauty of the place. During their conversation I discover their names. Trista and Alexy. Nice names. Really unique. I decide to go over and join them. I slip out of the bushes obviously making a lot of rustling sounds, and walk over to join them.

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Alexy hears my rustling in the bushes as I come out. She turns to Trista and motions me towards her. She introduces herself. "I'm Alexy." She says. I already knew that from my accidental evesdropping. I respond anyways since she doesn't know my name. "I'm Matthew." I say, hoping that I'm making a good impression as a potential friend. I smile. A friendly smile like, an I'm not going to hurt you, kind of smile.

I look at the other girl, Trista. I give her the same I'm not going to hurt you, kind of smile. I don't want them to know I was listening in on them- even though it was not intentional. I decide to ask her what her name is, even though I already know. "What's your name?" I ask. Man that sounded childish. I think to myself. I give myself a mental facepalm. I seem to get way too nervous around girls. I mess up what I mean to say and it comes out as some of the most ridiculous things you can say to a girl. I mean it sounded like I was a little kid when I asked the question like that. Or maybe it's just me and how I'm thinking of it. How else was I supposed to ask it? Another mental facepalm. Gah, what the heck I'll just go with it.

I see that Alexy must have realized I was having a mental battle. Again. I push that out of my mind, which I seem to have to do a lot. Trista didn't answer my question but I hear Alexy's first question. About the Mockingjays, "I've only done it whistling, but yeah it really does." I respond. I smile. She sings a few notes and I copy it with a whistle. The Mockingjays copy both sets of notes. Another smile.

Alexy asks Trista and I both a question. I have no reason to ask Trista her name anymore. Alexy basically just gave me an excuse. I feel kind-of uncomfortable answering the question but I do anyways. Not word for word of course. "Well," I say, with a bit of nervousness to my smile now, "I kind-of... Followed you and the Mockingjay." I look down at my feet, embarressed. I sit down next to Alexy. The ground's not too hard or too soft, like the fields. I look to Trista for her answer.

I still feel nervous sitting with them after answering that question. It must have sounded like I was watching them. I was just nervous. I say while trying to hide my feelings of the current situation. Trista seemed to like the harmony that Alexy and I were making. This brings a smile to my face. Definately will make good friends. I think to myself. "Sorry about that." I say, appologizing about watching them, "You know for not coming out right away."

There's silence as Alexy and I wait for Trista's response. Trista finally realizes that she's the only one that hadn't answered the question. She seems to have been in thought about the question. She speaks up and answers. "I was looking for somewhere quiet to relax when I found this place and Alexy." I nod to agknowledge her response. I begin to have the feeling we all met up here for a reason. We didn't plan it. Heck, we didn't even know eachother before that.

I set down my jacket I had taken off earlier. Not really thinking either of the girls are about to start up a conversation anytime soon, I try to. Of course, I have like zero experience talking with girls so instead of coming out as, 'So how are you guys?' it came out more like "Uhm, howareyou?" I look embarrased for sure.

Before I had given my explanation I was sat there once again looking at Matthew and observing his reactions with my eyes. I could still sense the nerves and embarrassment inside him as he sat there. It seemed there was something he wanted to say but it looked like he was having trouble actually saying it. My heart kept telling me that I should encourage what he has to say and put him at ease however I didn't know what words would make him feel at ease since I still hardly knew anything about the boy except the fact that he seems quite shy around people. It seemed like his mouth was finally opening and I heard his voice as he addressed me and Alexy together. "Sorry about that. You know for not coming out right away."[/color] I didn't truly know how I was to respond to him so I shot him a smile and put all the unsaid emotions into it instead. I wanted to get across to him that it was ok that he was watching us and he shouldn't be so embarrassed around us as we are friendly and I will definitely accept him as a friend without question and I am sure Alexy will aswell as she seems like that type of girl. I saw that Alexy had a happy expression on her face and she let out a small giggle at the boy. It seemed I judged her character well after all. There was a small silence between us like the many that have already occured today while we have all been in the field. Making friends sure can be an awkward process sometimes, I thought to myself as I waited for someone to break the silence. I knew it wouldn't be Matthew so I though hopefully it would be Alexy as I really couldn't think of anything to say at that moment and I did't want to ruin the mood of the area we were in by saying something that is completely off topic and random. It looked like I was saved anyway as Alexy was looking towards Matthew as if she was about to give him a response to his nervous apology. Not that he really needed to apologise anyway but it is definitely polite to accept one when it is given to you and the girl next to me seemed to know these manners and was employing them at that very moment in time.

"Matthew, it's ok. Dude, I'd be intrigued if I saw you chasing the mockingjay, and I'd probably follow you, too. And I know that you probably thought it would've been awkward to just walk up on a couple of girls who were having a conversation. It's ok,"

I watched as Alexy also shot the boy a smile and I shot one towards her in a kind of gratitude for responding instead of making me have to think of what to say to Matthew. I hadn't noticed when I was studying her leg that she was watching me do it without saying a word to me until she finally decided to speak and I barely made out the words 'old injury' as she spoke in terms of an explanation as to why she had looked in pain. I wondered why her voice was so quiet at first and then I remembered that Matthew was sat beside her and I decided that maybe she didn't want him to know about it. It made me feel priviledged to have been let in on her secret and it made me glad that she trusted me enough to whisper just those two words to me. However it also made me wonder what kind of injury would be so bad that it would keep giving her pain and even more it made me curious as to how she got that kind of injury in the first place. All these questions had then been placed on my mind and I knew I had to get answers to them when I could. I made a point to ask her more later when it was just us two together. At least that way she wouldn't have to whisper to me like she just had done and would be able to speak freely knowing I was the only person who would hear her words. Maybe later I can convince her to let Matthew in on it too since maybe seeing we trust him with our secrets will make him realise that we accept him and want to be in his company. It might bring him out of his shell more. Now he is our friend we should really be looking for ways to help him build up his confidence. I had seen her faint smile and I give her one back to say that I understood what she had said. After that time I had been thinking over my explanation and giving it to them honestly, telling them how I had just been looking for a place to relax. That was when I spoke to them with the words of my explanation and eagerly awaited their reaction to it.

I look around now to see their reactions and check if any of them had actually caught my explanation. Matthew is the first who seems to acknowledge that I spoke and he shows this by a simple nod of his head. I would expect gesture rather than words from someone who seems as shy as him so it doesn't really surprise me when I recieve it. I wait a minute without speaking before Alexy shows me she heard by opening her mouth and speaking to me while looking in my direction to show who she is talking to. "Another thing we have in common I guess." I know exactly what she is referring to by this comment and I give her a massive smile in reply to it so she knows I get what she is thinking about. Since we have met for the first time today we have found so many things that the two of us have in common. The first being the fact that we are both pretty friendly personalities which is what started us talking to each other in the first place. A second being that both of us could see the true beauty and nature in the meadow we stumbled upon and admired the scenery for what it is. Of course the third is that we can both find something special in the song of a mockingjay and can find time to just sing to them and listen to them as they repeat what they hear from us. From that I can gather she is a sensitive type of person the same as me though it seems on her it is much more of a strength as I can get oversensitive which can make me weaker instead of stronger. Now there is one more thing to add to the list, the fact that both of us just stumbled into this place by mere chance and it was coincidence that has brought me and her together and also brought Matthew into our group aswell. I am starting to feel as if this place wanted us to meet here for some reason even though that is impossible. I am brough out of my listing by hearing Matthew speak very quietly to us as if to make sure only we could hear even though we are the only ones in this field anyway.

"Uhm, how are you?"

The question he asks us both is simple enough but I am still having to deeply contemplate what to say to him in return. To be honest right now there are a stream of emotions going through my head that have been brought about by several things that have happened. There is the amazing scenery that has made me happy and has treated my eyes and nose to their beautiful colours and smells all day since I arrived. Even now at night their beauty remains. In fact, if possible the glow the stars give the scene makes it even better to look at than it was in the day. My ears have also been treated several times to the heartwarming notes of the mockingjays. It has touched my heart and made me so feel happy and comfortable where I am. Lastly there has been the company around me, Alexy and Matthew. Those two have given me the most precious thing I have gotten from today and that is two new friends who have so much in common with me. How am I supposed to put all that into just the one short response that the other two will be expecting. It seems almost impossible to me to convey all that so briefly. Now I hear that Alexy is doing what I have done so many times today and just gone for a general reply. "Good, really good actually." I watch as she looks back at Matthew and then turns to the other side of her where I am sitting. As she looks at me I see she is giving me a huge grin and I am thankful for it. It is almost like she is encouraging me to think of something and just say it. She is almost telling me that they will understand what I have felt without me having to say it all out loud. Maybe she has felt all this too while she has been here. I copy the general response style so that I can at least say something and not go into too much emotion and scare them with my deepness. It will probably be what they are expecting anyway. At least I hope that it is because I am already starting to say it so there is no changing my mind."I am really good too. It is great just being here." There is little time to observe any responses before I hear Alexy speak again.

"You guys know that we have to best friends right?"

I initially respond to this statement by showing the girl the wide smile my face had almost instantly curled into. She has just said what I had hoping for all day. I had wanted confirmation all this time that I was going to able to be good friends with these two and Alexy has just pushed it one step further. I can easily see myself becoming best friends with the two of them as both of them seem the exact type of people who I believe will make perfect friends. They are exactly what a friend is supposed to be like. They seem to appreciate me for who I am and don't want me to be anybody else. They listen to what I have to say and more importantly they both enjoy the same things I do and we can sit and enjoy nature together and sing to the mockingjays while we all have fun as best friends. It is an all too perfect plan for the near and distant future and it is hard to comprehend that all of this that has happened in the space of a day is all due to the fact that all three of us happened to stumble upon this particularly beautiful field of district 11 and started to talk to each other. There is something about it that makes it seem like we were supposed to be here all along. It is like this place has been set up particular for one purpose and that is to bring us together as best friends and create an extremely strong bond between the three of us. There are no words needed to respond to her statement as I belive my smile said it all and I hope Matthew also understood it like I bet Alexy will. Even if thousands of other people start to come here it will always be our place now and anyone else will never truly understand why it has suddenly become so special to just the three of us. It is like we are leaving out old lives behind and starting an entirely new one even if this is the only thing that is going to change form yesterday to today. Although she has just now spoken it is Alexy who speaks again and cuts through my thought.

"The three of us. We were all brought together, and we all apparently love this place. So we should come here every day. We can meet up, and talk, and do whatever, because this place is out of the Capitol's reach."

The first part of that statement made a direct impact to me. Hadn't I been thinking about why we we were all brought together just minutes ago? Could it be that she is somehow able to detect and read what is on my mind and verbalise it? It is just to wierd how she is able to think of the exact same things as myself. It looks like she believes that we have all been brought here for a reason too. Even having things in common doesn't beat how much we think alike at the moment. We certainly are an odd assortment of people but inside I know it doesn't matter one little bit. The different parts of our personalities just mean that there is even more that we can talk about when we meet together which brings me to the second part of the statement. It would be great to meet together her every day, just the three of us, the field and the mockingjays. Of course because of the Capitol it will have to be after school on school days or we could all get in trouble and even though I can sometimes be a rebel I am certainly not a troblemaker and the others dont seem the type ever, especially Matthew with his shy personality. I absolutely love it when she says that this place is out of the Capitol's reach. It makes this seem even more like a natural sanctuary built just for us. People from the Capitol may be able to come to this place if they really want to but the true nature of it could never be revealed to someone who doesn't really know what true beauty is at all. Those who find beauty in material goods and maintaining a perfect appearance. Those who believe that nature means nothing and it is only riches that make a person who they are instead of personality. That is exactly the opposite of what this place is about and those who live in such a small world will just see this place as another field in a lousy district and will never truly be able to reach it and make it anything to do with them, not like it now is to all three of us who are sat here right now. There may be others in the districts who can understand it but never will that understanding come from a spoit capitolite. Then I am drawn to Alexy as she speaks again.

"Wouldn't that be cool? Capitol people, like Peacekeepers and, if possible, the president, will not be allowed. This place is a place to escape."

That statement is almost too perfect to describe what this field is all about to us. Peacekeepers could always come to this place to try and shoo us away and take us somewhere else but we would still come back because we would not allow them to desecrate the one place that is special and sacred to us. The president of Panem. If a peacekeeper was here and caught Alexy talking about the president like that then they would surely punish her for her actions but in front of me and Matthew she can say whatever she likes in freedom as I know I would never tell anyone that could punish her and I am pretty sure that Matthew wouldn't either. We all know that he is the most evil person in all of Panem to let things like the hunger games exist here that kills so many innocent people who are all too young to die. They are also evil to be able to sit there and not do anything when the people in the districts of Panem, especially the lower ones, are starving hungry and there are bouts of disease everywhere that claim too many lives to count. This place truly is where we can escape from everything we see in Panem. It is a place to escape from the persecution we face every day in district 11. When reapings come it will be where we can let go of our fears of being sent into the games ourselves. Here among the nature and the mockingjays we can truly be free of everything that holds us back and we can dare to dream for a bright future as friends and plan all of the things that we want to do as adults, not thinking that we may not even reach adulthood safetly. That must be what this place has been designed for. We were meant to come here together so all of us can be free and feel as if we can fly as high as the mockingjays and make it seem like we can fly over the boundaries of Panem and make our future anywhere we want. It is only a pity that we have to leave sometime and then our minds will be back in Panem again. "I would love that. I really would." It is such a small comment but I seem to know that the other two will understand what I am really thinking of. Once again I look up to the stars and at the sparkle that gives a glow to the other nature around. There was a time when I used to believe that the stars were the spirits of people and would look up every night in amazement at how many there were. Of course these times have passed but the stars still hold a special meaning to me

"Look at the stars. Aren't they amazing?."