Deanie's POV #1
The water brushed against my knees as the waves grew higher as I walked deeper in the ocean. Although I was wearing a full body swimsuit, I could still feel the coldness of the water. What little difference this body suit did in the spring. Its freezing in the water this time of year. Being as the water just melted the last of the ice from the toughest winter, the water needs time to warm up. I don't have the time for the water to warm up, actually I'm always fishing all year round. I mean my district is the fishing district, district 4. Seeing as that I'm homeless it doesn't surprise any workers that I'm taking part of their haul. They let me take as much as I want anyways. They are the only people that actually care for my well being thats why they leave me alone, while others get me in trouble. I could hear people whispering my name in disgust right now. 'Deanie is such a mistake to this district.' It didn't bother me, because today is the day of the reaping and everyone is now spending time with their loved ones. Mourning for their children that have already gone or spending time with their children while they can. I'm glad I don't have a family to care for, or disappoint.
With the suns rays beaming off the water like a magnifying glass, it was hard to focus on the fish beneath the water. I had to try anyways. Although I didn't have the sunglasses like the other fishermen had, I didn't need them to block out the sun. I had my other senses. I raise the trident in my right hand ready for a fish to be nabbed. The trident is easily carried in my muscular arms, but today they feel weak. They always do on the day of the reaping. My thoughts trail away from the fish as I think about the Reaping. I hope my name gets called today. Since I am 16 my name is put in five times. I can put extra in, but I don't need to if I've got fish to hunt and berries to pick. Although I want my name put in more. It would be a way out for me, either win and be set for the rest of my life or die and be out of this shit place. I haven't decided yet. I find my self looking into the distance of the ocean. Watching the gaurd sharks do their job. You can't see them unless the sun hits their scales at the right angle. My eyes are blinded for a second. Then memory floods back towards me like a tidal wave.
I run with my mother holding her hand. I was ten and she was still holding my hand I never liked it, but now I find it comforting because she is crying and is in fear. My father waits at our door in the distance and my mother runs faster. I tumble over my feet but my mom just roughly tugs me up. There is a look in my fathers face that I've never seen before. Fear? Terorror? I don't know but I'm scared.
"What happened?" He grabs my mothers shoulders and pulls me beside him.
"The peacekeepers-" Her sobs stop her. "I was at the docks with Deanie when," she looks behind her. "They were linning people on the ground with the guns ready." She clears her throat. "I went up to one and smacked the gun out of their hand." She escapes my fathers grasp. "He looked at me as if he was happy I'd done it, then they all trained their guns on them and shot them." Her head shakes and searches some more. "I just grabbed D and ran. I lost them after a couple minutes but," Her head darts all around us. "We need to leave."
My dad looks at my mother with thoughtful eyes, after a minute he speaks coarsly. "Remember our plan?"
"Yes, but what about Deanie?" I look up at her. "She's not a strong swimmer." She grabs my shoulders close to her. "We can't leave her in this hell hole." She waves her hands in the daylight. "Not in this disaster."
"Yes we can." He looks deep in her eyes. "We leave her in our house and once they barge in they will find only her and swipe her memory and take her to Panam." He looks down at me. "Hopefully turn her into an Avox."
"Then she will become one of them." She has hatred in her eyes.
"It will be better than dead." He spits at her. "Come on we're wasting time." He grabs me by the hand and shoves me into the house and kisses my cheek and runs off with my mother trailing behind.
I jump off the bed and follow my parents out of our sad excuse for a house and follow behind them. I hear a gunfire in the distance and my parents begin to sprint faster. I can't keep up. They reach the dock and dive straight into the water. They don't seem to care that its shallow. I sit on the edge of the dock waiting to see my parents leave me. The waves seem calm today and the sun seems less bright against the water. I watch the sun rays bounce off the water more than I watch my fleeding parents. The water is calming me though, it seems to be drying away my tears that have been planted on my face since my mom smacked the gun out of the peacekeepers hand. My parents are way past boarders now. I follow the suns path with its usual hit of the water, when I see an unusual reflection in the water. Its a shark. Only ten feet away from my parents and its coming close to them. They can't see it. I want to scream, but my throat is caught. Whats wrong with you Deanie? Use your voice. As I open my mouth to let them know about the dangeer, the water is filled with red. The water is splashed and thrashed in a feeble attempt to escape. They're gone now. My parents are gone. I'm alone. I have no family or friends. Only myself. A hand claspes on my shoulder as I stand looking at the remains of my parents.
"You should go home." I look up at a peacekeeper. "Before anyone see's you." He walks away from me. I stand alone for a minute until more peacekeepers come. Then a run to my home. My only possesion.
The reflection bounces at my eyes and I snap back to realality. Stupid sharks. Stupid world. I hold the trident in front of me. I caught enough fish today I'm good for now. I'll do some fishing tomorrow. I have to get ready for the reaping in a couple hours anyways. Everyone has to show up to the reaping, unless you are deathly ill. If you don't its punishable by death. Maybe I should do that instead of wasting everyones time. I shake the thought, then people will just think I'm a coward. I sling my trident over my shoulder and walk out of the water towards my shack. I made my home in one of the many abandoned fishing sheds. Sometimes I think the fishermen just kept it up so that I can sleep somewhere that isn't on the street. I honestly think they just kept it up because they didn't want to waste their time on something that small. I like the first one better.
My shack is small but it is my only home. I ran away from my original home that night, thinking that the peacekeepers would burn it down. All they did was board it up and left it for nature. I could live there, but its too close to other people in this district and it homes to many memories for me. I like this place though. Its free and its not too big. I have enough room in the corner for a cot and I have a laundry basket that I found litering the water, that holds my clothes. I don't have many clothes but I have nice ones for the reaping and my everyday clothes. Of course I have my school clothes, but I don't go to school much. I mean I don't need it I can just fish. I riffle through the basket and find my mothers dress. Its blue like the colour of the ocean, and it has tints of silver in it that sparkles at certain angles, like the skin of the shark. I drop the clothes on the cot and strip from my whole body swim suit. I quickly slip the dress on my chubby belly and straighten it out. I don't understand how my belly is big but everything else about me is thin. I have long legs and long arms. Although they are muscular. I grab the brush and begin brushing my hair and leave my hair down and wavy. My mother always told me that my brown hair had the waves of the ocean. Then she told me that my light green eyes were the seaweed underneath the waves. I don't look at myself in the mirror, I just storm off to the main square to get this over with.
I walk up the main street to get to the square. I'm happy because nobody is looking at me and nobody is talking or whispering about me. Today everyone is an outcast. Today everyone is talked about. Today everyone is quiet.
"Hey!" My thought is caught short by the tall muscular blonde. "Hey De." I know who it is without seeing him. I turn around grudgingly. His short blonde hair matches his tan muscular body. My lips are straight.
"Hi Finnick." I hate this man sometimes. Or should I say child.
"Whoa." He puts his hand on his chest. "Your welcoming commity is too much for me to take." His smile is so cocky that I want to punch him. I hold my hands.
"What do you want?" I look at him cold. "Your first time here in months and you want to speak to me."
"Yea." He wraps his arm around my shoulder and lays a kiss on my head of waves. "You are the only person I can tollerate in this place."
"Still," I say walking without moving his arm from my shoulder. I did miss him, I have to admit. I haven't really seen much of him since he one the games four years ago. He was only 14 at the time. He's 18 now and has completley filled into his looks. "I haven't spoken to you one on one since I was 12."
"Well I want to fix that." I still wonder at his height. I'm five foot ten and he still has another foot and a half on me. "I mean I do miss hanging out with you." He stops and faces me and becomes serious. "Sure we spoke before I left for the games, but we didn't hang out much after your parents." He pauses. "You know."
"Yes I do know." I slap his arm away from my shoulder and look him in his eyes. "I just don't think we should do that." I don't want to build a relationship with someone, that I know is just going to leave me once the reapings are over. "I have to go." before he can say anything. I storm off to the square.
It takes me five minutes to reach the square and it takes another ten minutes to get registered. I am told to line up with a row of other 16 year olds. Every kid that I walk past ignores me and continues looking forward with red puffy eyes. I bet they want their parents to hold them. At least you bastards can turn around and see your parents standing in a group at the back. If I ever want to see my parents I have to fall asleep and relive the nightmare of watching them be chewed apart infront of me. I can't waste my thoughts on these people. I stand in my spot between a girl with a long dark blue dress on and flats that make her look even shorter. The boy on the other side is the same height as me but wears a black shirt with black pants. Why on earth would someone wear all black on the hottest day of spring. Maybe he's hoping to die of heat stroke before his name gets called.
I look around to see everyone around me is still, and in their spots. Oh no. Its starting. I look up on the stage to see all the past victors sitting on chairs, quietly. I make eye contact with Finnick and quickly look away to watch the mayor walk up on stage with the Capitols anthem playing him on. He reaches the microphone and starts his speach about how Panem came to be and how significant these Hunger Games are everyear. He announces how this year is the 69th and he announces the names of the past victors and points to them. The mayor then announces for District 4's escort, Smuil Lanty to call the names from the two glass bowls up front. Smuil walks on stage in the weird capitol apparell. He wears high heels that match his green hair. Then he wears a tight jumpsuit that is light blue in colour. I don't understand their fashion. A smile is planted on his face as if this is a happy occasion.
"As you all know." He looks into the crowd blindly. "One boy and one girl will be picked from each of the twelve districts." He pauses. "To fight to the death in the arnea, so that they can be showered in money and food and be happy for the rest of their life." He looks past everyone. "May the odds be ever in your favour." He walks to the girl's bowl and picks a white slip out of the bowl. He clears his throat then announces. "Alice Pulmet." A cry is released from the crowd.
I recgognize that name from somewhere but where. I look all around me to see who the tribute is but see none. I stand on my tiptoes to see over all the heads and see the bob of a head down the aisle beside me. It can't be her. She limps slowly up the aisle. Who in their right mind would pick her. She just turned twelve a few months ago. She has no right foot. It was amputated when a fish hook got stuck in her ankle and her blood got poisoned. All she has is a crappy prostethic leg. She can't possibly walk let alone run. How do they expect her to fight in these games. They can't pick on a little girl. Before I realize what I'm doing, I am out in the aisle running up past her and in front of her. I race up to the podium and boom into the microphone.
"I volunteer as tribute."
Mailey's POV #1
I swing my sword in a long ark above my head towards his skull. His shield comes in contact with my sword with a loud ring. I jump back with my sword in my hand not wanting the tip to ricochet back at me. My arms still vibrate from the block. I look up at Bear with a mocking grin.
"I'm not done yet." I throw my sword and squat down to the groud in one solid motion. My legs come around and kick his feet out from under him. I jump to a standing position and grab the sheild away from him. He lays flat on his back with both his arms and legs extended and breaths heavily. I look over at his hand and see him reaching for my sword. My foot presses against his wrist. "Trying to be sneaky are we?" He looks up at me sweaty.
"Uncle." He gasps. I release my foot from his hand as I pick up my sword. He sits up holding his wrist in his hand.
"Guess who owes me a knife." I yell to Massy thats climbing the ropes.
"I'm guessing the boy that is pouting like a baby." She calls down the rope.
"You keep guessing right." We give each other a smile. Then I turn to Bear. "You'll get better." I grab his non injured wrist and pull him to his feet. "Come on lets get ready."
We walk out of the training room and into the quiet of the street. Usually this time of day everyone is out, but not today. Not on the day of the reaping. Everyone is spending quality time with their loved ones for the moments they can. While they can. Some are just mourning the ones that they have lost. I mean they do it while they can becuase it doesn't matter who you are. You have to be at the reaping wheather your son or daughter has already died, you can't escape it. Unless you want to die. then don't show up. It doesn't bother me. Not one bit. Not like I talk to anymore people. I only talk to Bear, Massy, My parents, and a couple other people from the training centre. People don't usually have the time to get to know me becuase either I'm at school learning about how to build weapons or just training at the centre just in case my name gets called the day of the reaping. My name wont be called though. I know that for a fact. I'm 15 now and I only have my name in four times. I could put my name in more times to get more food, but me and my parents have a pretty steady life. Why be greedy when I have all that I need. I'm fit and I have food and shelter, thats all anyone needs at this time.
"I think we should start getting dressed." Bear always wants to be early for stuff like this. Every single year its the same thing. He gets dressed an hour before reaping and sits at my house playing with my knives.
I look at his dark brown hair and his sea blue eyes. They look back at me. Its hard for him to look back at me because there is a big height difference. I'm five foot four and he's five foot ten. He better not forget though that although I may be short, I can kick his ass anyday. "You should cut your hair." I stand on my tiptoes and ruffle his hair. "Its like a jungle up there."
"You can't boss me around young one." He giggles like a niny.
"We are the same age Bear." I begin to walk up towards my house. "And remember I can beat you anyday." He follows beside me as we walk in silence past the rows of mourning houses, with all the shutters drawn it makes it seem like a ghost town.
We both stop infront of his house. "Can I change and then come to your house?" He asks like I will say no.
"You are always more than welcome." I look down at my black shirt and black shorts and think that I should have a bath. "But I'm going to bathe first." I look somemore "And maybe change my clothes."
"Okay see you in an hour." He runs up his porch steps waving to me.
"It starts in an hour." I yell up at him.
"Oh yea." He opens his door. "I'll be there in a half hour."
"Idiot." I mumble under my breath as I walk away.
I slowly walk down the sidwalk with my hands in my pockets. I look up at the sky and it seems really cloudy today. I guess the weather just likes to match peoples moods. My eyes wander to the mine in the centre of town that you can see between houses. Since district 2 is the Masonry we need the mine to extract the metals for the weapons. It was empty today, nobody worked on reaping day. I look over at the house beside me and see a black scorched marks on the brink and sidewalk. I cringe at a memory.
My short blonde curly hair bobs at my ears as me and Cleasy run through the alleys. The sun is baking on both of our bodies and our hair is plastered to our foreheads but we don't care. It's summer. I hold Cleasy's hand as we traverse around trash cans and wooden crates from the local stores. Daddy said they were having a firework show tonight to celebrate the winning victor of our home district. Cleasy wanted to see the display, she wanted to see how it looked. Cleasy was probably ten at the time I was only six.
"Come on." She whispers in my ear. "We have to be quiet." She stops me at the corner of an alley as a heard of peacekeepers run past us with their guns in poised at their chests. Her eyes follow the peacekeepers. I look at her face and know exacltly what she's going to do. "Lets follow them." She steps out of the alley.
"No." I grab her arm and hold her back. "Mommy said to never look upon a peacekeeper on their business." I pause and begin to whisper. "We shouldn't even talk about it."
She looks at me thoughtful. "Then you stay here." She begins to leave but I hold onto her sleave. "I will be right back." She puts a light jog as she hides in the shadows of the buildings. I follow behind her and catch up to her. We jog together in silence as we see the peacekeepers filing into a house.
"I think we should leave now." I tell Cleasy but she doesn't listen to me, she walks away from me and stands infront of the house's side window. She moves closer to the side of the house and peers around the corner to the front door. I hear screams in the house followed by glass breaking. I look in the window of the house and see that the house is on fire. I grab Cleasy's sleave for her to see but she slaps my hand away and continues to watch the few peacekeepers at the front door. I look into the window again and see the fire getting bigger "We sho-" She puts her hand on my mouth.
"We got to be quiet." I nod and begin to be quiet. A sudden burst of bodies come out the front door. I hear a woman scream inside and all the peacekeepers are leaving her. What are they doing? I think to myself. They are suppose to help people. I back up from the window about to run when the windows shatter and fire escapes them. I see Cleasy on the cement with blood ozing all over her body.
"Cleasy!" I scream and run by her side. I turn her over and see the right side of her face black. She looks up at me through brown eyes.
"I love you." I look at her body and she is crisp.
"Help!" I scream frantically. "Someone help me." Cleasy is still in my hands and her eyes are closed. "Cleasy!" I shake her and glass falls off her body and hits the ground. I put her down and look at my hands and see blood. My body hits the ground and I faint.
I turn my head away from the house and its ash. My eyes focus on a peacekeeper that is pacing the entrance of the mine and I feel sick to my stomach. In an instant I run to my house just a block away and slam the door behind me. I stand with my back against the door and breath deeply. I haven't thought of Cleasy since her birthday. I open my eyes and walk into the living room.
"Hey honey." My mother embraces me in a hug. "Your dress is hanging up." She comes back from the hug and looks me up and down. "And you might need a bath." I laugh at our same thoughts.
"Ok." I turn to run in my bedroom. "I'll be out in a minute." I peek my head out the door. "Or a couple more." The door shuts lightly behind me. I look on my bed to see a white dress on my bed. This was my grandmothers dress once upon a time. I think to myself. I can't dirty it up. I strip off my shorts and shirt and feel my belly. Its not too big but its not too small, thats what I like and I can feel my abs. I quickly wash up then I put the dress on. I look at my face in the mirror and my brown eyes match my straight dark black hair. My hair just naturaly grew darker since I was six. Since the dress is white it makes my face stand out. My mom walks in and gasps.
"You look so lovely." She grabs the brush out of my hand and brushes my hair. "I think this year. You will keep it down." I roll my eyes.
"But its like a million degrees." I look at her with puppy eyes. "I will be sweaty."
She gives me a wide smile. "Since when do you worry about being sweaty?"
"You're right." I let her brush my hair and then I saunter to the living room with my mother and sit in between her and dad. Dad wraps his hand around my shoulder as mom holds my hand in her lap. The quietness makes me think about my sisters changed face. I cringe and my mom holds my hands tighter. The knock on the door frieghtens me out of my thoughts. I rise from the sofa and swallow my tears. "I'll be alright." I give them a big smile and answer the door.
"We're coming Mailey." My dad yells as I open the door.
"Hey." Bear hands me a yellow flower triangle shape pedals and he walks down the steps. He is wearing a white shirt with black pants. "We are going to run late if we don't hurry."
"Yea." I look behind me and my dad waves me to go. "I'll see you when I get there." I look at them and say "I love you."
Me and Bear walk down the street quietly. "How many times is your name in?" I ask him.
"Ten times." He kicks a rock. "Somebody needs to put the food on the table." He looks up at me. "Since dad is gone." I look behind and see mom and dad walk hand and hand, no smile just dread. I look forward and we don't talk the rest of the time.
I stand beside Bear in a row of people our age. The fifteen year olds. The Sixteen behind us. Then the seventeen and so on. Then in front of us is the fourteen then in front of them is the thirteen and so on. Then there is the stage. The stage has the past victors sitting on charis and on the stage is two glass bowls, one on each side of the microphone. They hold the names of this years tributes. Our mayor comes on the stage while the Capitol anthem plays. Once its over the mayor has a big speech on how the these Hunger Games shows the generosity of the Capitol and the history behind it. He then allows for district 2's new esort to take over the audiences attention.
I look at her walking towards the microphone. She is a small thing. With a bright pink dress that is cut off just a few inches above her knees. She doesn't wear high heels like everyone else does, she wears pink flats that match her dress. Her hair is flat and layered with every colour from the rainbow. Her nails match her hair but her lips have the colour of red. Her face is surigically pale to have her colours to stand out.
Our escort walks to the microphone and announces herself in her terrible accent. "Hello ladies and gentle men." She looks into the crowd with a smile plastered on her face. "My name is Sundy Trunmet." She breaths in the polluted air. "As you all know." She flips to the next card. She's not very prepared. "Each of the twelve districts are to come forth one boy and one girl from their district." She loses her smile and doesn't make eyecontact with anyone in the audience. "These 24 tribute are to fight to the death in an arena." She pauses. "As you also know. There can only be one victor." The cards are stashed away and Sundy begins again. "May the odds be ever in your favour." Her long legs walk towards the girls bowl and she pulls out one white piece of paper.
"The girl tribute for district 2 is." She looks into the audience. "Mailey Parner."