Prologue.
It was amazing how most humans couldn't find the simple beauty that surrounded them, even with the constant reek of blood in the air, there was always nature, no matter how many people were turned on by the gun squad, of the amount of bodies that rode carts to the crematory sheds, where they would burn all of today's murders up in one ceremony, the relatives of the deceased would have the option of taking a scoop of the ashes home, and pretend that their loved one is in whatever jar or bottle they had lying around. My name is Rue, Rue Stenberg of District twelve. I was born with the curse of open eyes. A curse that was such sweet sorrow, I was popular amongst my district because I could always spot something pretty and sweet just when you thought all was lost, here I was again, pointing out the sweet smelling morning glory that grew in the orchards, of the fresh poppy tulips that sprung out of the brush of the thorn bush. But the sweetness was just my outer shell, I had secrets that you couldn't imagine, murders that I'd witnessed and never spoke of, people escaping the district and moving their families from possible death. My name was Rue, like the flower, I was small and bright, yet shy around people, I could stay up all night, my soft curling lashes open, looking up at the stars, and then close during the day, and put my observance behind so I could work.
Remy tosses next to me, she was only eleven, a year under me, Her father had moved in with us a year ago, although he'd been around since before I was known to be in my mother's womb, my father was brutally murdered for taking a plum, they had come into the shack we dwelled in and broke him into pieces, his blood still stained the walls, under us was Tyler, our brother who was only six, he had golden brown eyes like me, but dark skin and thick brows like our mother, Anise and Juniper were my favorite, both born with wide eyes and infinite thought like myself, they were shy yet once you got to know them, they were beautiful, inside and out. And the youngest was Greg, a toddler, I hadn't really been around to nurture him as much, I was busy trying my best to bring more money into our house.
Remy stirs, but by her readiness I can tell she had been fake sleeping for some time now. She looks into my eyes her glossy eyes examine my face. I can tell how nervous she is, her big sister partaking in the reaping's wasn't something she fancied. "Don't wake the babies." I whisper, knowing how loud she can be upon her slumbers end. I slip onto the cool floor of the sub-house. The board's creeks as I climb over my parents couch, they were probably out picking in our garden, Remy and I usually went to get ashes this time of day, we used the post humans to fertilize the area of a garden, the walk would give us some leisure from the busy house. My parents had started taking seeds from the fruits we harvested, the rotten ones were always given to us, we already had some people coming by to buy and trade for our tomatoes, our squash and cucumbers had started ripening, pretty soon we'd go into business, and my parents would need me even more.
I open a small chest that had been pushed into the corner of the wall years ago, bugs populate the lids and webs crowd the inside, but I can still make out the faded dark blue dress that sits inside. Remy, short and more womanly looking than me joins me on the floor, her usual plastic daisy is already pinned into her hair. I slowly move the dress out, brushing the dust from it, this used to be my aunts, she'd hung herself when I was still young and hadn't left from the warm amber shack's yard, and it was hard to understand back then, why anyone would rather die than go on living, Remy parts her pink lips, taking the dress from me. I slowly look back in, I spot a small discolor in the stained wood base, the shape is that of a flower, more examination, a quick brush of dust, reveals a beautiful necklace, a clover is carved roughly on the base, the lace is made of twigs and small plastic yellow flowers. "Rue." I smile, making out the build of them. Remy is already making her poppy seed bread by the time I'm dressed, I press my hair into the curly hairdo my mother loves, moving into the cracked, full body mirror. Remy looks from over the orange fire she cooks on. "You look amazing." She says this casually, like she does all the time. I smile, my sister had always been my friend, and I couldn't imagine a life without her. In fact, I couldn't imagine a life without any of them, my mother, the kids, my step father, this was my beautiful life, a place I wasn't yet ready to leave.