Today is going to be alright. Thats what I my mother told me to say every morning. Today is going to be alright. I use to believe it. Until the day she died. Now I merely say it to keep her memory alive. Today is going to be alright.
"Sparrow!" my dad calls, "Come here!". I walk to the kitchen for breakfast. I look at my breakfast. Toast. Again. But we don't have much money and I'm not one to complain, so I just thank him.
"Where are Jonas and Quil?" I ask.
"Fields" he replies.
"Thats three days they've been working in the fields at dawn."
"Well they need to put in extra hours to fill all the tesseraes," he reminded me. "in fact, after you leave for Miss Hunter's, I'm going to the fields as well".
"Oh...Right," I say putting on my boots. "Thanks for breakfast dad!" I say as I run out the door. I can't believe I forgot all about the reaping tomorrow! It's been looming the whole district for weeks. People have been talking about last years a lot lately. The tributes were slaughtered within two days. The careers didn't even think twice. Some even laughed. Just laughed and laughed like it was all a game. Calm down I tell myself you do NOT want to have another panic attack. Ive always had terrible panic attacks ever since I was little. They happen a lot around the reaping and the Hunger Games. Last time I had one I cut off all my hair with a shard of glass. It's barely grown back to my chin.
"Sparrow!" I look over my shoulder. It's my brother, Jonas. "Where you headed?"
"Miss Hunter's"
"Can you give this to Tatil?" he hands me a note.
"Sure"
"Thanks sis." He messes up my blonde hair then turns and walks back to the fields. Tatil is Jonas's girlfriend. She's nice, but a bit boring. To be fair I don't know her well.
As I walk through town, I notice everyone getting ready for tomorrow's reaping. The stage is getting set up and the civilians are trading what they have for their child's dress or for a decent celebration meal. Suddenly, I run face first into a Peacekeeper and drop the grain I'm holding and my brother's note. The Peacekeeper starts yelling at me as I pick up my stuff. When I have all the grain picked up, the Peacekeeper slaps me, HARD. This is not unusual in District 9 for Peacekeeper to slap some one, but when it happens the people are outraged. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tatil looking at me, terrified. I run up to her and give her the note. Before she could ask if I was okay, I start running towards Miss Hunter's.
I run as fast as I can. Which, is very fast. My mother always said that you can outrun anything but fate if you run fast enough. So I have practiced running everyday since I could actually walk. I've gotten very fast if I say so myself. When I get to Miss Hunter's house, I set down the grain and call for Miss Hunter.
"Hello?" I call.
"Sparrow?" calls an old, frail voice.
"Hello Miss Hunter."
Why hello dea... Oh godness your cheek is bloody." I feel my cheek. I didn't notice it was bleeding until now. " Here let's get you washed up" she says. She then brings me a bucket of water and a cloth and starts dabbing my cheek with it. " Those Peacekeepers are just awful!" She exclaims. She was fighter when the revolution that started the Hunger Games happened. She has told me stories of life before Panem. "It will leave a mark, but it is better," she says, "now let's get to work!"
At around dinner time, Miss Hunter told me I could go. As I was walking out, she caught my arm.
"Sparrow" she said "Good luck tomorrow".
"Thank you" I say. "I'll need it".