Downtime (Cameo)

Faith Campbell

It was luck that Faith always woke up in own bedroom at the very top of the farm house she called home. The run-down place only held two bedrooms, but when Faith discovered a ladder that led to the attic it didn't take long to convince her dad to allow her to call it her own. So since Faith was twelve she no longer was forced to share a room with her much younger half-sister. The attic window gave off the best morning rays, and filled Faith's room with beauty every time at the crack of dawn.

When the sun rose, so did Faith, every single morning unless taken over by sickness. It was a daily routine of sliding on one of her dresses, and filling her face with makeup. Morning chores always consist on the farm, so immediately Faith went to check on the pregnant cow. Taking care of the animals was what Faith did best, even if it was a chore, Faith enjoyed her work with the animals.

After the animals were all fed breakfast, and given there daily check-up, Faith was joined by her Father. Ever since Faith turned nineteen and finished school, though she still studied healing, Faith lost track of the week days. "You know it's Saturday." Faith's father informed as she brushed the pregnant cow. "You should take the day off."

The day off wasn't ever told to Faith, who was constantly found on the farm or in her book. "Really? I could use time to study." Faith said, pulling her light red locks into a pony-tail.

"The day off as in have fun." Her Father explained, knowing that his daughter barely toke a break, especially to have fun. Faith nodded, a big smile spreading across her face at the offer. She put the brush down, and kissed her father's cheek before going back to her room.

Though Faith was told to have fun, she still slipped her healing book into her bag along with a towel, and a snack. It was getting cold out, so Faith figured the lake would be the perfect thing to enjoy before it was covered in ice. Before heading out she put on a bikini under her dress.

The lake was pretty empty, probably because everyone enjoyed there last day the weekend before when it was actually warm enough. Emptiness was perfect though, reading in quiet, and for the fact Faith preferred no one seeing her in her bikini. Faith laid out her towel after slipping off her dress in hope to get some sort of a tan before everyone in the district became pale from the winter. Hearing a splash, she peered out of her book to see a shirtless guy swimming. This made her slightly nerves, but she kept her eyes glued to her book, peaking at him every once in a while. For some reason she couldn't help gazing from her book to see what he was doing.

The dark-blue eyes of Faith's jumped down to her book when the guy shouted "Nice day for october, isn't it?"- Assuming he caught her staring, her pale cheeks turning slightly pink. Faith didn't mean to stare, but sometimes her eyes had a mind of their own and locked onto something, or someone. Realizing he asked a question, Faith nodded her head, slapping her forehead when she told herself he couldn't see a head nod from that far.

Maybe this was the type of fun her dad was telling her to do, so without thinking about it Faith slipped her book back into her bag and decided to introduce herself. Faith was a very shy person, but did admit she was starved of happiness. The guy was out of the water and drying by the time she got her stuff together, he looked very much in shape, which tied nots in Faith's stomach, but she continued on. Wrapping the towel around herself, she walked up to the gentlemen.

"October's always perfect." Faith decided to start off with, just in case he didn't see her nod, and to have a good enough reason to walk over. "Hi, I'm Faith." Faith introduced extending her hand like she did to everyone she first met. Following with a subtle smile, and swopping her long hair over one of her shoulders, which she didn't do for every stranger she greeted for the first time.

As soon as Jack introduced himself and asked if he was being disturbing, Faith had to quickly respond, not wanting to seem mean. "Oh no, I just." Faith wasn't sure what to say, and bit her bottom lip. "wanted to make a friend I guess. Ever since I graduated i've been so caught up in the farm, and studying." Faith realized she was rambling and stopped talking, her face going back to the slight tint of pink.

Faith could get the indication when Jack said he had to put clothes on, throwing his shirt over his head to cover up his torso. Faith turned around, which she preferred to get herself together, so that Jack could change his bottoms. For some reason Faith was even more shy now then a few months ago finishing up school. She wasn't sure if it was the lack of communications from the outside world, or that she was standing in-front of an attractive guy.

Facing the other way was the perfect thing for Faith to get over her shy, awkwardness. Missing the first comment about being done, Faith finally turns around after hearing pants come up and a thank you for not looking. Faith was beginning to criticize herself for being stupid and walking over, disturbing this guy's peace. "Of course." Faith said. She could understand privacy, and if anything appreciated that Jack wanted it.

"Who's that?" Faith asked, when Jack agreed to her friend comment and told her he had one good one. It seemed that he was trying to make Faith more at ease, but for some reason her shyness has only grew worse from months ago. Still Faith was determined to at least attempt to make a friend, and the best way to do that, she learned, was to ask questions.

Apparently Jack had the same concept, because Faith lightened up a bit when he asked her a question. "Yeah, it's for healing." Not many people knew what a healer was unless they knew one personally or went to one, so Faith assumed to explain. "Like a doctor. But one that uses natural stuff." Once again Faith felt a little silly, because she said natural stuff.

Thinking Jack probably thought she was weird, her eyes gazed back to the floor. "Sorry." Faith began with an innocent laugh. "You probably have stuff to be getting to." As much as she wanted a friend to talk with, and laugh with, Faith was becoming overly nervous just because she was talking to someone she didn't know. Why did she even walk over to someone just to make an idiot of herself?

"No, I don't think so." Faith said, after searching through her brain to remember the name Devroux. Faith knew a few people in school, but not very many, especially now. For some reason she became so stuck at home, eager to know everything about healing, and help her father who was growing old fast.

A ray of light came from Faith when Jack continued talking about her book. Healing was the one thing Faith could easily talk about. "You're welcomed to read it, if you want." Faith offered, but then realized she had a better idea. "Or you can go to my farm when ever you get hurt, or sick." Faith was only stuck practicing on the farm animals, who she healed perfectly. People used to come to her in school, she was almost like the school nurse, but Faith practically disappeared after graduation. The only person she continually helped was her young half-sister, and a strong guy would be the perfect person to practice her new skills on.

A huge smile came across Faith's face when Jack said he has a few hours and asks her to sit. Faith instantly follows, the towel, still wrapped around her, making the perfect cushion on the floor. Faith agrees with Jack about talking to someone, before deciding to come up with a conversation, with a question that was stuck in the back of her mind since he said the word. "What's a wrangler?" Faith asks. Believing she knew everything about healing and doctors, Faith had to know of this job and what it consist of.

A nod and giggle came from Faith when Jack asked if she knew what she was doing when it came to healing. Healing was something someone started from a young age, and by the time they're twelve they know the basics. "I've been practicing healing for a while." Faith secured, "I've been taking care of the animals on my dad's farm for a while. They're doing great. Healthy." Faith felt she was rambling again and bit her bottom lip, smiling a little.

Faith shook her head no when Jack asked if she really didn't know what a wrangler was. When Jack explained it, Faith felt silly again, there was a lot of horse trainers in District 10. Every type of farm animal inhabited Faith's family farm, but they only owned one horse. So knowing what a wrangler was, wasn't important with an old horse that was trained since Faith could remember.

As Jack continued explaining his job, Faith realized a connection they had. The love for animals, Faith also spent all day taking care of the animals on the farm. "What do you do now that you're not doing that job?" Faith asked, not wanting to ask what happened for him to stop. It could be because of a physical accident, or something deeper then that, so why he quit wasn't the question to ask.

Faith's heart lights up when she hears Jack share about his twins, calling them my twins, Faith only assumed he was the father. Jack did seem like he was reaching the age of having kids. Where the mother was, was something Faith felt she shouldn't ask about. Doing her best to stay away from questions that have the possibility of having deep, dark answers. Faith loved kids so much, so hearing about Jack's just made her want to know more about them.

"That's really sweet." Faith commented, before Jack told the second reason of an injury forcing him to take a break. Apparently during Jack's absence on the farm he was replaced, which gave Faith an idea that she decided to save for later.

Jack asked about Faith's studies for healing. "I used to be trained by healer around here, she taught me everything I know. But she passed away." It was the saddest death Faith ever had to go through, especially believing the said reason of death was a cover-up. Faith's tutor had a lot of traffic as a healer, finally convincing the district natural sources was the way, and when a healer gets more traffic then doctors, keepers don't like it.

"Now I study to learn different types of plant medicines." Faith explained, "besides that i'm like any other healer." Any other healer was kind of an play-on-words, on account not many healers occupied the district. "I wish I could find another healer to follow around." That was one thing Faith desperately needed, something about a book just never taught her the same. "College is just to expensive, finding an older tutor is like getting an intern job."

"I'd love to hear more about the twins." Faith encouraged, after all young kids, especially babies, were the reason Faith ever became a healer.