After The Reapings

The reapings were now over, and I was still in district 7, luckily. I walked along the path that lead through the forest, hoping to find Errik before he left for the Capitol. I had no such luck, as the trains had already left the station.

As I walk around the forest I see a boy, I hide behind a tree and see if he noticed me.

I heard someone walking through the forest near by, but when I looked I couldnt see anything. "Hello?" I called out, hoping it was a human and not an animal waiting to kill me.

"Hi.." I say, peering out of the tree, "What are you doing?"

I saw another guy step out from behind a tree just off the path. "I was just looking for a friend, before he left for the capitol. What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Im just randomly walking around, I have nothing to do.." I told him

"well we can always hang out at the treehouse, im sure there will be some other people there. I could really use a good distraction." I suggested to him.

"Sure, maybe sometime later though.. I got to go." I tell him, and run to the training centre to train.

I watched as the boy made his way towards the upper district training centre. I continued to walk along the path towards the tree house, maybe I would be able to meet up with Jasper and Greta.

I walked back to the place I saw that boy, I wanted to see if he wanted to hang out. I sadly couldn't find him, so I just walked around the forest.

Preston Prescott


I walk around the forest, looking for a good tree to chop down for my parents'. They needed the wood for their factory. I knew of a few good trees, but one was my spot. The other was the spot where all the teens in the district hung around. I was only there once, and I will never do it again. They all thought I was a monster for killing 2 boys with an axe. It wasn't my fault, I was forced to. I creep around, holding the axe. I see a boy hanging by the perfect tree. He was younger, so I could scare him off.

"Kid, I'm chopping down the tree, and I'm not going to hesitate to chop you down with it if you don't move." I say, holding the axe up in the air. Where were all his friends, usually, kids that looked the boy's age hung in groups. This guy was different.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to get in the way of your tree killing, go on. Kill nature." I said, looking up at the boy, I wasn't scared of him. I got out of the way anyways. "What, are you supposed to scare me? Hell, I have seen more scarier things than that." I taunted him, looking holding his axe up.

Preston Prescott

I shake my head that he moved. It got me angry, because, I was hoping he didn't move. I walk upto him, and hold the axe. I look him straight in the eye, and say, "Shame. Because it looks like I'll have to kill a third human. This one being out of choice, the others from force." I grab his neck, and take the axe out, behind his neck. I push him to the tree, smiling, "Looks like I'll have to kill you.". I tie the boy to a tree, and convescate any of his weaponry to untie himself. I begin chopping down the tree. Swing by swing. Chop by chop. "Sorry about me doing this. I just need the tree's wood. I didn't want to be in the position you are in with my parents." I say to the boy, chopping the tree. About 10 minutes later of me rambling to him, the tree falls. I cut off the branches and the skinnier part of the tree, and chop the big trunk into about 10 pieces. I put the pieces in a large wagon with the rest of the wood I've collected. "Listen, kid. I need help collecting wood for my parents' factory. I'll let you go, and give you some of the pay I get from the reward for what wood I got, which should last you a day or two of food without breaking a sweat. Or, I'll just leave you here." I say, persuading him to help me. Usually, people couldn't say no, because I'd camp out here until people beg me to let them leave.

"Please let me go." I say in the sweetest voice I can, in the back of my head I was cursing, Damn, this guy is pretty fucking serious. I don't like him. I just couldn't understand him, he seemed oddly weird.

Preston Prescott

I look at the boy, "Are you going to help me, or not? If you pull any tricks, you won't like it." I say, walking over to him. I pick up a sharp stick from the ground, and start cutting the knots. "My parents would like you if they knew you helped me. That's why you are going to. Because you want to leave, I want to have friends." I cut the rope and grab the back of his neck. I give him a smaller axe. "Chop any trees that have a number of branches, and cut off the branches, put them in the wagon." I say to him.

I take the smaller axe, roll my eyes and start chopping down the trees, thankfully I was quick at this, due to me helping out a lot in the forest. Within 5 minutes I had at least 15 branches. "Well why would I care if your parents like me? Nobody really likes me anyways." I said, I started to get quiet. My shyness started to kick in.

Preston Prescott

I sigh and confess and tell him why my parents need to like him, "Nobody likes me either. My parents like to see people helping me, but they can make me kill you. That's why I need you to like them and them to like you. You could get easy pay.". I take the branches he got and put them in the wagon. I take the axe I had and chop down a tree. It was a skinny tree, and would have no reason to use for wood. "Want a few apples. There are a few on this tree." I say, getting quieter by each word I said. I got shy because I wanted to prove to my parents that not everyone I am friends with is evil and deserve to die.

I look at him, "Oh, really?" I asked. He wanted to shake things up a bit, he gripped the axe in his hand, and threw it at a tree, far away enough to not hurt anyone, and got a good chop in it. He cut down the tree and carried it back, putting it in the wagon. "Sure, I'd love an apple." I climbed up the tree and grabbed an apple, and jumped back down.

Preston Prescott

I look at the boy and smile. He was very cool looking, "You're pretty cool, just like my parents would want me to be. They'd like you." I say, crunching on an apple. I bet this guy knew I was just a guy who needed a hand. I needed more than that, I needed a friend. I had to have someone to hang around with. I only had 1 friend, my imaginary friend. I doubt that counts though.

"Thanks, you are too." I replied. I started getting back to work.

Preston Prescott

I look at the boy, "Thanks, and sorry about tying you up, self defense habit." I say and let out a laughing sigh. This guy was cool and all, but I wonder what he thought. "So, how are you?" I say, cutting the outer layer of the trees and branches. This was required so the factory workers would not need to. It made their job easier. "And i'm Preston. Who might you be?" I say, curiously.

"Oh, its okay!" I tell him, leaving out a chuckle. "I'm mighty fine, I am Tristan Planks, I help out in the forest a lot, so I don't really like hanging out with kids my age, I usually hang out with adults, I feel like I fit in more with him." Answering his questions

"Ah, Tristan, what a nice name. Say, would you by any chance, want to hang here for a bit, I mean, I can't bare to watch the games now that Daniel is dead." I say, staring at the ground, but then look up. I take the axe, and lay it in the wagon, and rest my bloody neck on the bark. My parents made me steal an axe since they broke mine. The PeaceKeepers saw and they whipped me for about 3 minutes. I rub my neck, and stare at my hand, the moist blood dripping onto my shirt. "Does it look bad?" I say in a scratchy voice.


(Pretend Preston has had a scratchy voice this whole time.)

"Ah, I think I could stay here a bit. But I don't think that will get any worse, it is healing slowly. But I wouldn't touch, scratch or itch it right now, I have something for that in my first aid kit. Hold on" I answer him, I looked in the kit, sure enough it was. "It might sting a little, but it'll heal." I assured him. I put the ointment on his back and spread it.

Preston Prescott


"Thanks, but ouch!" I say as he spread the ointment on my neck. "You steal 2 axes from the PeaceKeepers and you get this." I comment, resting my head on the tree. This guy was definitely my parents' best friend. My parents wished they had a son like this kid. I wished I had a brother like him. I let it sting for a few more seconds, and then sigh in relief. "Its smart to bring a first aid kit around." I say "If you can afford one, I mean."