It was the chill that woke me. Well that, and a soft nudge I had felt on the small of my back. Another touch confirms that it's not an animal, which had happened more times then I cared to remember. It's Anna's foot. The damned Capitol must have turned the power off again. She shivers and I draw her close to my body. She almost feels too warm. I kiss her forehead. No she's not, thank God.
The last thing we needed was illness. We wouldn't just lose an extra pair of hands to help with the harvest, we could lose her as well. Medicine was rare here. The amount we had was mainly homemade. The rest, which was sent from the Capitol was often expired due to extreme rationing. Both kinds were risky. Sometimes more deadly than the illness itself. She couldn't get sick. I cared about the mess of blonde curls beside me to much to bear that.
A knock sounds at my door as the 1st bell chimes. Ronan. It's time to work. With a small yawn I get up and tiptoe across the room. I put on my tightest jeans and a pair of boots. No point in changing my shirt, it was warm enough. My gaze catches a pair of sneakers. No point of inviting any snakes to go with me. I pull back my auburn hair into a ponytail, and walk out of my bedroom to my awaiting twin.
"Took you long enough." Ronan was never one for patience. "Happy birthday to you too." I reply, feeling around in my pockets.
I find the wrapped bundle I was looking for, and toss it to him. With a skeptical face he unwrapped it. A small pebble tumbles out into his expectant hand. His eyes search mine, asking for reassurance that it really ok to take it . He knows how much I would have to trade to get even a small pebble of amber like this. I nod, giving him the confirmation he needs, and he turns a loving gaze to the rock that's in his hand. My brother, the tempest, calmed with a pebble.
"Here." Without looking up he hands me a package of my own. Unwrapping it, I find a small ball of clay, and a painstakingly carved wooden flute.
"Anna found the clay." I was good at sculpting, and could make a few pennies off of it. But I loved music much more.
"Where did you get the flute from?"
"Made it."
My brother, the worst carver of all time, managed to make this. God only knows how many times he tried to get it right. The second bell tolled urgently from outside. We were late. Putting our new treasures aside, we raced out. It was time to work the greenhouse..