𝓕𝓲𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓵𝔂 - (𝓕.𝓞𝓭𝓪𝓲𝓻)

11.

vol i
☼ chapter eleven ☼

As dawn breaks, Theia is preparing. She's found a suitable tree to use, with some springy branches that aren't snap-able.
Using her long knife, she begins to whittle some forked stakes, carefully placing them around the ground of the tree, making sure they're secure enough. After sliding the toggles underneath, she ties some wire and connects them to the branches, proceeding to place the bait sticks in.

Sitting down, she begins to tie the snares. She's had to cut her climbing rope into pieces; the wire wouldn't be strong enough for what she was aiming to achieve.

Milo begins to stir—she had let him sleep; he needed it after the chase he had endured yesterday. It was nice to not be alone; she had been isolated for days without the presence of another human being. He certainly made good company, and neither of them had any intention of harming the other. Besides, the odds were stacked against them either way. They would come for Milo, so she just needed to make sure that she got to them first.

Spreading the snares around the stakes, she ties them one by one to the branches. She begins to pull, adding tension and setting them into place. Carefully, she moves away.

She can feel inquisitive eyes on her, and she turns to smile, saying, "Good morning."
Milo smiles back. "Morning." He's gesturing to the branches, asking, "Have you set a trap?" He recognises it; he was sure he had seen it used back in District 12 by hunters.
She nods, grinning. "I've set multiple."

Looking around, she starts collecting. "All I have to do now is camouflage them." Milo quickly joins her; he wants to be helpful. The two of them cover the traps with leaves, soil, and smaller twigs, disguising them into the ground.

He's asking multiple questions, and she sits there, explaining patiently. They would lure the boys to the tree, letting them think that they were catching them, then climb up as fast as they could. The two pursuers would try to follow and find themselves stepping into one of the snares, their bodies hoisted into the air, hanging tightly and unable to escape.

Milo can't help but be stunned at the plan she has come up with and the traps she has managed to set—all to help him. He would have never been able to think of something like this.

She's giving him more of her food supplies this morning, even if he refuses them.
They sit and converse while they eat, waiting for the sun to finish rising. Theia learns that he's from a place called the Seam in District 12 and that both of his parents are coal miners, working to support him and his two siblings. It's a hard life; living in the poorest area, they're barely getting by. She has a lot of empathy for them.

He's curious about District 3, having only heard rumours and stories of what it's like. She has to let him down gently; her home was not the technological utopia that many would have thought it was.
There's so little communication between the districts that none are aware of what each other goes through or lives like; the Capitol made sure there was no chance of unification between them.

~

Once daylight had set in, they set off, following tracks that had been left the night before. It's not long before they can hear the familiar, deep voices in the distance. Theia holds a finger up to her mouth and ushers Milo to the side.

"We need to get their attention but not be in close range of them." It was risky, but perhaps she needed to finally light a fire.