No Longer the Arena

This is a response to Arianna's writing prompt/challenge!  :D  This is Peeta's {from The Hunger Game} perception.  :)

  I swished my head back and forth as I searched for Katniss.  Where had she disappeared off to?  Was she going against me?  Had she decided only she would have a chance of winning the Games?
  I quickly pushed the thought away from my head.  Why would she only want to win the Games?  It would do District 12 a great deal of good for us both to win, maybe they'd actually have pride in us and themselves.
  I began to venture out into the woods, happy the weather had cleared up.  Katniss was most likely hunting, making the best of the cool air and sun.
  I didn't dare call out her name, didn't dare go anywhere near where I knew the others might hide.  But I did know that I was well, which was a very nice change compared to how ill I had been before.  I could finally move fully.
  Wandering in the woods wasn't my cup of tea, I would've much rather been gathering food, and knowing where that part was.  I didn't know if Katniss had ever been near these parts of woods, but I did know that I hadn't.  Worry began to settle over me when I saw before me an area that wasn't wooded.
  Where in the arena was this?  I'm pretty sure someone would've found this area, but it seemed completely untouched.  I walked a little more into the space, and I could definitely see the trees begin to let up, a road beginning to grow.
  "What the heck," I muttered, not recognizing I was even speaking.
  The road continued to grow, and before I knew it, I was in a normal part of Panem, I believe.  I looked around hesitantly.  Was I hallucinating?  This couldn't have been real, this didn't look like any of the districts, not even the Capital.  It was nice, but strangely so.  Nothing like District 12, nothing like the Capital.  It didn't look like anything in Panem at all.
  I took a few more cautious steps, but nothing blew up, I wasn't captured in a constricting net, I felt oddly safe.  So, I walked a little longer.
  Before I knew it, a person was in front of me, but it wasn't Thresh or Cato, and it DEFINITELY was not Katniss.  This must've been a dream!
  "Who's there?" a girl squeaked.
  I walked a little closer, unsure if I could speak.  I saw a girl that looked to be about my age standing there, holding some sort of rope with an animal-was that a dog?-on the end of it.
  The girl looked startled.  "Who are you and why are you here?"
  "I-I'm Peeta Mellark," I stuttered, surprising myself with the few words I could utter out.
  The girl looked at me with a confused expression on her face.  "Who are you, though?  Where did you come from, why where you in the woods?"
  "It's a long story," I told her.  "Would you mind telling me where I am?"
  The girl chuckled lightly.  "Ah, are you a traveler who got lost?"
  "You could put it that way, I guess," I mumbled.
  "Well, you're in Adams, Tennessee!" the girl gushed over-enthusiastically.  "Welcome!" She stuck out her hand and I shook it gingerly.
  "What's the date?" I queried.
  "July 17, 2012," she replied nonchalantly.
  What? I thought to myself. It was most definitely not 2012 the last time I checked.  We had only heard of such times in school.
  "Why do you have that funny look on your face?" she giggled.
  I batted my eyes, open, close, open, close, hoping I would open my eyes to see Katniss standing over me, waking me up from a crazy dream.
  "I have to go," I grunted. "Goodbye."  I walked away, then, down the rock-like surface of the road.
  "Wait!" the girl called, running back to her house and shooing her dog into the door.  She caught up with me and started walking along with me.  "So, Peeta, I'm Heather."
  I stared at my feet.  "Hello, Heather."
  I wasn't caring about this girl's name, I was caring about how I could get back to Katniss.  She didn't need to be worried sick about me.  Heather rambled on and on about whatever it was she was speaking about, but all I cared was how to get back to the arena, even if it meant that I might die in there, I needed Katniss and Katniss needed me.
  I turned on my heel quickly, leaving Heather behind.
  "Hey!" Heather yelped at my quick turning, making her feel lonely.  "Stop goin' so fast, you need to slow down and enjoy the scenery!"
  I sighed.  "I can't, I know where I need to go, and I need to get back.  Goodbye now."
  Heather's hand brushed up against my arm as I walked off, and I felt her warmth, her distaste for me leaving, but I couldn't stay here.  I needed to get back to the arena, and I needed a way how.

~~

  So, I hope you enjoyed!  I might actually continue this, but I don't know.  Thanks for this awesome prompt, Danielle!  It was so much fun to write!

~Carolyn