Black Swan

Part 6
*

(Sorry it's so long! But I like this chapter!)

We both froze still together. I slowly broke away from Peeta and looking into his eyes, it was like a signal I guess. We both had weapons next to us. And we could both use them well!
"Don't worry" I mouthed to Peeta, he nodded and his hand slowly crept towards the spear. The noise behind us shifted slightly closer. I snatched up my bow and placed an arrow on it. I was up in less than a second and pointing the arrow head towards where the noise had come from. I heard Peet behind me scramble to his feet clumsily.
"Who's there?" I shouted confidently,
"Yeah who's there?" echoed Peeta trying to sound all brave, he failed..
"Don't shoot!" said a voice that most defiantly was a boys.
"Give us a reason not to.." Said Peeta gaining some confidence.
"I'm on your side, I'm a good guy!" I heard a scuffling behind a large maple tree and then saw a flash of black hair.
"Peeta drop your weapon"
"Ok.. What? He might kill you."
"Please Peeta, trust me" I dropped my own weapon and turned to face Peeta who had a deep frown on his face.
"Please" I repeated taking hold of Peeta's spare hand and placing it on my warm cheek.
"Ok. For you" he dropped his spear and took my hand in his. We walked together around to the tree. There was obvious deep breathing behind it.
"It's ok, we won't hurt you if your with us" I said "Peeta I'll be fine don't worry" Petta released my hand and let me walk toward the body. I got to where the figure was and he looked up at me. He was mine and Peeta's age (16), he had jet black hair, green eyes and a pale face. He was good looking.
"Peeta come here" I called, Petta was at my side in a instant,
"What's wrong?" I asked the mysterious man.
"I'm from Crookside, I came here for help."
"Crookside? What's that?"
"It's a village like yours" he stood up and was much taller than me and slightly taller than Peeta.
"But this is the only village.." I said to myself.
"No, we need your help."
"Why?" demanded Peeta,
"People have turned up... In black hoods. They have been taking our people from plain sight!"
"Why should we help you?" Peeta snapped. I think he was protecting me from something.
"We knew that this was still in use as a village. I thought there might be people to help us"
"What!? You knew about this village. People have died from starvation here. While you lot have been happily living in cozy houses with your family! While we starve, freeze to death! You could of helped us." I shouted not liking this new person. I was acting like a child that didn't get a toy, I pushed passed the new comer and left Peeta with him. I ran into the forest memories flooding back to me of my parents. That village could of helped us but were to scared and selfish, I thought to myself. It was true of course.
I found my self at a clearing that hit me like a punch in the stomach. This is were Dad took me every Sunday. I slowed down when I got to the huge oak tree that stood in front of me. I ran my hand over the carved bark.
"Here lies John Haynes.
Husband and father.
He was a great man"
Said the carving. I had wrote it when I found Mum and Dad were gone.
I looked up the tall tree and started to climb, I knew where all the foot holes were as I climbed this tree all the time. I sat on a thick branch and started to cry.
"Imogen! Where are you?" I heard Peeta's voice call from deep in the forest. I didn't want to speak. All I could manage was the song of a nightingale, my favourite bird. They didn't live here so I was hoping Peeta would guess it's me.
A few minutes later I saw Peeta run through a blackberry bush covering himself in cuts.
"Imogen come out!" he called. I whistled again and he span around looking for me. Once again I whistled the nightingale song. He looked up at the sky then into the oak tree. I was hidden by a layer of leaves so I decided I should probably just go down to the floor.
"Don't worry i'm up here" I called down. I made my way quickly down the tree and onto the lush grass. Peeta spotted me and ran to me holding me in a hug.
"Don't you dare do that again." said Peeta his warm breath on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what cane over me"
"As long as your ok?"
"Yeah i'm fine. Where's he gone?" I asked looking around Peeta for the selfish pig. The blackberry rustled and the boy came out of it hardly get any cuts, un like Peeta.
"This is Jack." said Peeta turning to him,
"What does he want?"
"He wants us to help him battle against the capturers"
"But how? Most people are to scared to come out of there houses. A fight would be impossible."
"Maybe your right... Maybe we should just let them take every single one of us one by one" said Jack walking towards me.
"They're not all bad" I say quietly grabbing hold of Peeta's arm.
"What do you mean? They are all bad people that will do anything to kill you."
"Peeta's my capturer" I say honestly to Jack. He just darts him eyes from Peeta to me. We stand there in silence awkwardly.
"What do you mean?" Jack asked me
"Peeta is my capturer. I persuaded him to change"
"That is not possible... You can't be friends with a capturer, let alone date them!"
"Don't tell Imogen what she can and can't do." hissed Peeta protectively.
"I shall say what I want to her."
"Peeta it's fine, don't worry, he just doesn't understand us"
"I understand completely. This.... Friend of yours is only pretending to like you. He will surely kill you or make you one of them"
"Don't say that about Peeta. He changed his life and put himself in much more danger because of me. You have no idea" I snapped anger filling me up. Peeta saw this and pulled me closer to him.
"Come on Imogen." Peeta said, I held on to him and we walked away back into the forest leaving Jack behind.
I picked up our weapons and my bag when we got to the stream and splashed some water on my face.
"Let's go check the snares" I tell Peeta who just nods and follows me back to the traps. All four snare have got some sort of animal stuck in it.
2 rabbits,
1 turkey,
And a squirrel.
"Good job Peeta! You got a turkey and a squirrel" I beam at him. He nods again.
"What's wrong?" I ask moving closer to him,
"Maybe I should go.." he says
"Go where? Oh not this again!" I say dropping the kill and hugging Peeta tightly.
"It's for your safety. I'm jus going to get you killed."
"Peeta. You said you would stay with me. You better not leave me now."
"Imogen please-"
"No Peeta! Since you came mine and Zaya's life's have been better. So has yours, you don't have to hunt if you don't want to. Just please don't leave us alone"
"Imogen it's for the best." Peeta said. Is this it? My first friend leaving me already, am I that bad? Peeta kissed the top of my forehead and started to walk away.
"Peeta! Peeta, don't leave me here alone!" I called tears starting to stream down my face. Peeta kept walking away from me, from a life we could of had.
"Peeta..." I whisper as I loose sight of him through the trees. One last try Imogen
"Peeta Black if you go so do I." I've made my mind up. Life is so much better with Peeta. I can't go back to the starving life we had before.
"Peeta I know your still there. If you abandon me. Then-then.. Real friends would fight through the bad together!" I shout.
"Peeta. You leave. I die." I scream, my eye sight was now blurry from tears and I was finding it hard to breath because of ragged breaths. I heard footsteps. Peeta has left me. I pull out my knife and start to cut at my right arm watching the blood pour to the ground.
"Imogen, what are you doing?" shouts Peeta'a voice, it's far away. I don't stop, my arm is now painful so I start on the left one. Both my arms are now covered in blood. I sit at the stump of the tree and shove off my boot. I cut my right leg then my left. I closed my eyes then rested my head against the tree.
"Imogen.. What have you done?" said Peeta's voice now next to my ear, so that it tickled when he breathed,
"You have to stay or I go"
"Come on"
"No."
"What? We need to clean your cuts before they get to bad.
"It's nice here. And when i'm better you'll leave me again."
"I won't Imogen, I promise."
"Cross your heart?"
"Cross my heart" I hear the faint sound of his fingers running across his chest. My body is lifted up so I open my eyes to find Peeta carrying me toward the stream. He props me up and I walk into the stream bare footed. The pain my ankles were feeling soon faded.
"Peeta look away." I say, I might as well have a full on bath!
"Why?"
"Because unless you want to see me strip, look away."
"Well I wouldn't mind." he teased I shoved him gently "ok I'm not looking." he says and I believe him. I pull my top over my head. I have a thin vest on underneath which I'll keep on just in case. I'm more worried about my other half really. All I have on is a small pair of leather shorts. I pull off my trousers and feel naked standing there in the chilled water showing off my skin. I crouch down and bathe my arms gently, then my legs. I wash my skin over and over again and watch bits of mud glide through the water freely.
"Peeta we should probably wash you. You cut yourself climbing through that blackberry bush." I say rubbing my fresh cuts. I turn around and Peeta's staring at me,
"Seriously Peeta, I told you to look away" I laugh not entirely caring.
"I couldn't help but have a look."
"Haha. Come on your tops completely ripped. I'm sure your skin hurts."
"Hmm I guess" he pulls off his top and sits next to the stream. I rip off a piece of my trouser leg and bathe it in the water.
"Here" I started to dab at Peeta's cuts, they were small but deeper than mine.
"Better?" I ask in a baby voice, he laughs at me and takes my hand.
"What?" I ask trying to pull away from him but he's staring at my pale closely. "Peeta let go your hurting me" I complain, he doesn't.
"What's this?" asked Peeta showing me my palm. I look and see my oldest scar placed right in the centre of my hand. The scar is a pattern of dots and swirls.
"It's nothing just a scar..."
"A very detailed one." he says suspiciously.
"Don't worry about it." I said pulling my hand away from him and placing it back in the cool water,
"What happened to it?"
"If you must know. It got placed there." I say standing up and pulling my top back on but not bothering with my trousers.
"And...?" Peeta pushes.
"Well it was a punishment. Before capturers, our villagers lived happily but had very strict laws. I got caught stealing, we were so hungry, Zaya was nearly dead because of starvation. I dropped the bread home before the guard came to the house. They tool me to the town square and branded my hand with an iron." I hold out my other and and there is a small scar which says THIEF. "That the sign for crime. Three of them. You die" I say simply.
"What have they done to you Imogen, what have they done?" asked Peeta pulling me onto his lap and cradling me like a baby,
"Lots of things. But it's ok now I have you." I say wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him passionately.