Ok. So I have decided to change this entire story, and do it the RIGHT way.
Here we go.
All I see is coal. Men, carrying shovels, and flashlights, the reward of hard work showing on each of their faces. I look around, and see familiar faces from the Seam, the part of District 12 I'm from. We mine coal, hence, the coal mine. I stop and talk to another miner, who also hunts in the woods. Illegally. This miner and I, whose name is Brine, grab our mining tools and helmets, and go down the elevator, further into the earth. I turn to Brine, and say" Have you heard?" "Heard what?" "We haven't met our Quotas for the 4th time these past 6 months.
That's just bad news for the mines." Brine shakes his head. "I know. I overheard Harmer talking about sending a team down further. That's not safe. As far as I know, there is no coal to mine that far down, so why risk our lives for nothing?" I sigh and put my helmet on. Brine does the same." You know how greedy these Capitol people are. I want my family to have food on the table, so sign me up."
We both board the elevator. I pull the switch, and go deeper and deeper into the mines. I learned in history that way back when, the people who resided here also mined coal. That explains why our miners have to dig so deep. They are sent in extremely dangerous mining sites. The elevator stops, and lets us off. Brine grabs a torch off the wall, and holds it in front of him. "I'll lead the way." I nod, and follow behind. We walk about a half mile, when Brine stops, and props the torch up against a rock. He takes his tool bag out. He puts the dynamite on the opposite side of the rock the torch is on. I grab my pick, a bucket, and a coal lamp, for a closer light.
Brine and I take positions. I hit one wall of rock repeatedly. A few pieces fall. I moves father down, and repeat the action. Like before, a couple pieces, then a steady fall of black rocks, otherwise know as coal. It fills my bucket in minutes. "Brine, Brine! Come here!" I shout. Brine drops his pick, and runs over. He opens his mouth to ask what the problem is, until he sees the bucket full of coal, and the wall covered with it. He grabs my shoulders and shakes me.
"Amour, do you know what this means? This is enough coal to fuel the entire district for months! All on one wall! There are at least 4 more like this. We have to go deeper." I shake my head sadly. "I know, but nobody will know where we are. It's not safe. I want to go back to my family. We should just tell Harmer. Let him figure this out." "Why? So he can claim it all for himself? Amour, this is OUR discovery.
I'm not telling that princess anything. He grabs his bucket and boards the elevator. I stare behind him, thinking hard before I grab my bucket and pick. Miners never desert one another. I reach the elevator, and pull the switch. "I don't think it's made to go this far, Brine. Maybe we she should turn back. I feel like something is going to happen." Don't be such a wuss, Amour. This could make or break our family's lives." I roll my eyes, but stay on the elevator. I stop the elevator. We get off, and head in opposite directions. I stop, and turn around. "We have 2 hours before our shift is over. Make this quick." All right, all right. Grab my bucket." He strikes the wall until handfuls of coal falls down.
We continue like this for an hour. We stop and wipe the sweat off our brows. "Okay. That should be enough. Let's go." He grabs the bucket, and gets back on the elevator.
I get, and pull the lever back up. Nothing happens. Sparks fly out of the gear box. I frantically pull the lever back and forth, willing, and praying to this fake god to work.
"The elevator isn't working. There is no way out!" " What?" Brine drops the bucket, and takes the lever. "There must've been a shortage!" "How do we get out of here?" "I don't know, why are you asking me?' "What about our families?" Neither of us have the heart to answer. We slump down into the broken elevator wall. "Wait!" I jump up, a brilliant idea popping in my head. "Can't we climb the rope?" "What rope?" I look up. His eyes follow mine. "Are you mad? We can't climb that."