This is for the Down with the Capitol monthly challenge. I plan on continuing this story, but no promises on quick updates. Anyway enjoy!
Foxface POV
"Sissy! Sissy! Wake up!" I awoke to my little brother, Tertuis, bouncing on my bed. He's only five and is just the cutest little thing ever.
I opened my eyes only to find the sun shining in face. Normally by now I'd be out digging and sorting through Panem's trash. My name is Rufa Celer and I live in District 5. We are Panem's trash site. We recycle the stuff that we can and bury everything else in the giant landfills of course we have to sort everything first. That's usually where the kids and teenagers come in. I'm fourteen. Most of us go digging before and after school. I usually get up long before the sun so that I'm the first one there and I can get a trash pile or two from the Capitol. Usually that's where you'll find all the old food. No matter where the trash comes from you can always find something useful, if you know what to look for.
Around here we can take anything that's going into the land fill, but you're not aloud to take the stuff that is going to the recycling plant. Of course people will take a thing or two when the peacekeepers aren't looking. It's kind of like a game. Take whatever you want as long as you don't get caught.
That's where I would be normally, except today isn't a normal day. It's the Reaping day. This "holiday" would be kind of nice if it didn't mean that in just a few short hours two kids from our district would be on their way toward the Capitol and imminent death.
Anyway, Tertius was still bouncing on the bed so I sat up, grabbed a hold of him and started tickling him. He laughed and it was the sweetest sound I had ever heard.
"Stop…stop…I…can't…breath!" he managed to get out between fits of laughter.
"Oh just give the kid a break" my nine-year-old sister, Nuntia, said while trying to hold in her own laugh. My little brother's laughter was so contagious. I stopped tickling him and got up.
"Where are mama and dad?" I asked her.
"They're in the kitchen," she replied. We had a four room house. My sister, brother and I slept in one room, my parents in another. Then there was the bathroom and the kitchen/dining room/living room. Then she continued, "They are making squirrel for dinner, the butcher gave mom a discount. He said it's because she's having another baby, but I think he felt bad that we weren't going to have anything special tonight. Mom had enough money to buy me a new ribbon to match my dress. It's purple. See?" She showed me the ribbon then continued on talking as I got dressed for Reaping. She practically never stops talking.
All three of us went out into the main room. Mama gave us each a piece of bread with something red on it. "Mama? Is this what I think it is?" I asked almost not believing we actually had it.
"Strawberry jam!" My sister and brother shouted together as they dug in. I followed their example. When we were done we gave Mama and Dad each a big hug.
Then just like that it was time to head out to the Reaping. The quickest way to the town was across one of the full land fills. It was just a big grassy field now full. Clumps of wild flowers were dotted here and there. District 5 could actually be a very beautiful place sometimes. Everyone from other districts had this impression that we lived inside a dump filled with piles of trash, but landfills were different. Eventually they got filled in and housing or something gets built over it (when it can be afforded).
As we cross the landfill Tertius slips his hand from mine and runs to a clump of flowers up ahead. He picks one and comes back.
"Look what I have!" He says to me. I look at the flower in his hand. It's puffy and white and looks more like a cotton ball than a flower. I smile at him.
"It's a dandelion. Did you know that you can make a wish on them?"
"No."
"It's true. You just take a deep breath and blow all the seeds away as you make a wish," I told him. "But you can't tell the wish to anyone or it won't come true." Of course I didn't believe in any or this anymore but it was a fun thing for little kids to do. It's always nice to think that your wish might come true.
"Oh I want to try!" His face scrunched up in thought for a moment as we continued walking. Then he closed his eyes tight, took a deep breath, and blew. All of the little white seeds went flying everywhere, all but one which clung tightly to the stem. He opened his eyes and frowned when he saw that one was still stuck there.
"Oh well. Better luck next time buddy," I said while messing up his hair. Instead of dropping the stem and smiling, though, he held onto it for dear life. Then with his free hand he took mine and we headed off to the Reaping. The whole way I couldn't help but wonder what he had wished for that would get this reaction out of him.
When we got the town square I told my family I would see them after the Reaping and went to the fourteen-year-old section. I wasn't able to find my best friend Rosa before mayor started his speech so I just stood in a clump of boys and girls I didn't know that well. Nobody paid attention to the speech and pretty soon out escort, a guy named Stein, came practically prancing up to the podium. He said the usually stuff about how he was so "glad" to there and then went to girls bowl.
"And our lucky girl is…Rufa Celer!" I froze for a moment, shocked, before making my way to the stage. The crowd moved to let me by. I could feel my fire-red hair bounce as I walked. I focused on my breathing as I took my place on the stage. I couldn't even bare to look for my family, because I knew I would burst out crying. I didn't hear the boy's name, didn't even look at him as we shook hands.
We were escorted into separate rooms in the justice building. I sat down on the old couch and buried my face in my hands. Then I heard the door open. Rosa came in with a couple of our other friends. They were all crying and hugged me tight. It was all I could do to keep the tears from spilling over. All too soon their time was up and they had to leave. We said good-bye knowing very well that this would probably be the last time we ever saw each other.
Next my family came in. Tertius ran up to me bawling. I picked him up, sat him on my lap, and gave him a big hug. Nuntia came over and sat on my left, my mother on my right, and my father stood off to my mother's right, just beyond the arm rest. They said how much they loved me and I said the same in return, just barely able to keep from crying. After that we sat in silence for a moment. Then Tertius took my hand and put something in it.
"What's this?" I asked looking down. It was the dandelion, with the one seed still clinging to it. Then I just had to ask. "Ter, what did you wish for?"
He looked me directly in the eye. There was no smile on his face and tears filled his eyes.
"I wished that we could play happily together forever like we did this morning." And that was when I lost it and the tears flowed freely.
I hope you enjoyed it! Please review! Criticism is welcome, but please no flames!