Hiding in the Dust[open]

Once again Charlie was chased out of the house after school. Her cousin Madison decided a black eye would suit her boy like face well. Charlie had it though, she sat in the driveway feeling the rain take over the late afternoon sun. Tears no longer came across her chubby cheeks. Whenever she cried her eyes became crystal blue, and she hated that everyone could tell of her pain. Charlie's eyes maintained a dark blue.

It was when she heard the front door of the big victorian house, she was suppose to call home, that Charlie darted off. Not looking back, or even knowing who it was. Whenever it was even a slight sun shower the fence was off, so Charlie knew her escape was available. With nothing more then a tiny pocket knife, and her trusty lighter, the small girl slid under the fence and into the wilderness.

She was used to going beyond the fence, doing it whenever she needed a sacred place. Which she needed a lot, often not even going to school for it. The time spent was swinging through tree, swimming, picking food, and stealing people's meat in their traps. But today Charlie just kept running, unsure of where she was going.

After hours of running, with no food or water Charlie became famished. The cold rain wasn't of help either, the skinny pale twelve year old now seemed skinnier and paler. The smell of food on a hot fire caught her nose, and with no control of her body she followed the scent. It wasn't until she realized she was only a few yards away from this person that she jumped down to hide, peaking through to see who this person with food was.

Peaking through heavy amount of twigs and leafs Charlie could only spot the fire. It could be anyone, and that was no risk to take for food. As Charlie was about to panic she heard a gentle female's voice, offering food. Charlie popped her head a tiny bit out of the bushes, to see who this person really was. No one to be too afraid of Charlie thought.

Charlie didn't like people much, scared of most. In normal cases she would take off running, but her stomach rumbled and she had no clue where she was. It toke Charlie a few minutes to tangle herself out of bush, and she cautiously toke a seat a few feat away. Charlie's eyes remained on the fire.

Charlie looked at the food for a second, then accepted it, trying her best to slowly eat her food. Her mother once told her that eating fast on an empty stomach could make you throw up, and sick. Charlie also just wanted to seem not as desperate as she actually was. After a few minutes of listening to the fire crackle, and woodsy noises Charlie finished her food. It didn't take much to fill her stomach.
Charlie's tiny fingers doodled in the dirt below her. Eventually she brought up the courage, and looked up at this person. "Are you one of those wander people?" She quietly asked curiously.

Charlie could tell this girl really thought about what she asked. Shaking her head no, Charlie could tell this person in-front of her was very similar to herself, she didn't know what she was. This actually made Charlie feel a little more comfortable.
"I ran away." She whispered, almost ashamed. Returning her gaze back onto the ground, where she continued to doodle.
What was she doing out here, what were either of them doing out here, charlie wondered. And how long will this last.

"Charlie" She replied. Suddenly she heard a sound from a nearby bush that frightened her, probably just a rabbit. Anything that frightened her she got curious about though, she got up to investigate.

A rabbit trapped, she was used to seeing these around but never this far. Bringing out her tiny knife she unleashed the dead rabbit, a good piece of meat. Eximining it for a second Charlie then showed her found treasure to her newly found friend. A fat rabbit good for a big meal, could probably even last Charlie a few days.

"People put traps around here, it's not safe." Charlie explained. After many years of stealing traps she knew much about not staying near it. You never know when the person may come to get their meat.

An eyebrow on Charlie's dirty face went up at the question and exchange deal. Charlie hasn't spoken this much since her cousin Cameo was sent off in the hunger games, then again cameo was the only person that could get her to speak. Still Charlie was intrigued by this new person Chrysanthemum.

"I live in district twelve." She began, almost as if she was going to say nothing else. A few seconds later "I go beyond the fence often." Charlie wasn't sure if she should be admitting this type of stuff, but she continued. Remembering the reason she ran she looked down at the floor. "I just felt like running this time." She said half-lieing.

Charlie broke her eyes from the floor to give eye contact for the very first time. "What are you running from?" She asked knowing there had to be more to this story. Keeping eye contact with people made Charlie uncomfortable, so she quickly returned her light eyes onto the fire.

Maybe Charlie and this new person Chrysanthemum were even more a like then just runaways, they both gave obvious open ended reason to their being here.