What You Thought You Knew
I am 12 years old. I am from district six. The one that all you know about is that they have morphline addicts. But, we are the district that produces medicine, and "enhancements" for the Capitols' people. If you were to look at me, you would see a frail, tiny, scared girl. With brown curls falling loosely over her shoulders. That is all anyone sees in me, but that's not your fault, because I have never even grown close to anyone since I was little, since the scientists decided I would be perfect for their experiment.
The Capitol people want to enhance their strength, sight, smell, hearing, and speed, with complete ease. So they of course have the courtesy to test on lab mice first. But when all they do is fall in comas for a few days they decide its safe enough for us. The scientists want children that are tiny, and don't have a lot of strength and speed to begin with, and they found six year old me. They took me from my family, and started the testing.
Of course I was scared and I missed my family, but they told be I was safe there, and that they were only going to make me better. But now, I know better. The first thing they did was inject this pale green liquid into my body. The first thing I screamed in pain, it only took ten seconds for me to black out. Then I was in sort of a deep sleep, but the pain was still there, for an endless three days. Even though I was only six, I wanted to be dead, I had lost all emotion. Even now the only one I have managed to grow back, is hatred. I hate the Capitol.
That was the first test, and I wish I could tell you it was the only test they did on an innocent child. But, I'd be lying. It wasn't. These have been happening to me once a month since then, I am unusually strong, fast, and smart. I have an amazing eye sight, sense of smell, and great hearing. But, this is just the beginning of my story.
Tonight everyone, well almost everyone. Everyone except me has got to be having a hard time sleeping. Tomorrow is the day of the reaping, where they decide who goes to fight to the death at this year's Hunger Games. I am not nervous at all. You cannot believe my desire for wanting to volunteer as a tribute if I don't get drawn, but I am making myself wait until I'm older. Then I will have years of "enhancements" to throw in the Capitols face. The last thought I had before I fell asleep was, It doesn't really matter to me who gets the death sentence. Little did I know what tomorrow had in store. We all get dressed up for this stupid thing which I don't understand at all, since not a single person from here is happy about it. But they tell me to put on a nice dress and shoes that have been laid out for me. I don't argue because my only other option is the hospital gown they make me wear to bed. They send me in with the other 12 year olds to wait. They go through the usual reading. They call the name. A girl, 16 years old, walks slowly up to the stage. I think I might have felt a little tingle in my stomach, but it is quickly gone. I thought maybe I should volunteer this year, but I quickly decide against it. I don't care. I know I should. I know I should feel something. I know this person. I know this girl. She...is my sister.
After serious thought I decide I it would be best to go see her at the justice building. After her family, well I guess they are mine to even though I haven't seen them in eight years, I go in. She looks shocked, but she remembers me. I tell her I'm sorry, even though I don't feel it. She gives me a hug, and says she has missed me. I wonder if that is true. She said it meant the world to her that I came, and she would try to come home. Is it possible to grow feelings back? I'm not sure, but I'm not trying. The last thing I need is someone to loose, but I don't think I have a choice in this.
I return to the research building, I look in and see a little brunette girl with her hair pulled back, and couldn't have been more than nine years old. When I asked her name she cringed as if she thought I would hit her. When I didn't she whispered. Grace, I smiled as my name was called to go back to my small confined white room.
I left, and I never saw her again. I can't honestly say I thought I would, I guess part of me was somehow hoping she would make it back. But in the end, I guess I'm glad she's gone. I have no one left who can hurt me, well emotionally anyway.
My next solitary class starts in 15 minutes. I usually take 10 minutes, walking slowly just to have more time out of my small room, I could get there easily in five minutes with a brisk walk. I'll just leave now.
On my way to class I walk by the room, where all my painful "enhancements" took place. I slow as I near the much too white door. I see my "doctor" and a nurse, with dirty blonde hair pulled back with a thin grey ribbon, and a navy cotton uniform. Navy, medical research, she is not to be trusted. I stop to listen, I can easily focus my hearing to understand their conversation clearly.
"This is Ell's last one. If it works, it should give her the ability to ignore pain."
I shudder, the ones that don't work mean days of pain, with no benefit. Then my eyes widen, when the word last sinks in. I hear footsteps, and easily round a corner before they reach the door. After this test they won't need me anymore. What will they do? I don't want to find out. I start taking coins from people, just a couple so they won't notice, and hurrilly make my way to the kitchen. The kitchen staff has a 15 minute break between cleaning breakfast, and starting lunch. I look at the glare on the keypad, and guess the correct order on the second try. Once inside I fill my pockets with these thin pre-wrapped bars. I've only ever eaten one before, and it took me all day to finish it. I fill my pockets with one of each of the endless flavors. My time is dwindling. I run back to my room as fast as I can. I stash it all in the middle ceiling tile above my bed. I look at the digital clock on the wall. I'm already two minutes late. I sprint to class, still being three minutes late. I use my one pass I get per month, not worrying, because I know it won't raise suspicion. Before lunch the same nurse comes and gets me. I lay on the bed, and try to relax, it will make it hurt less, at least that's what I tell myself.
I wake two and a half days later in the bed in my room. That's faster then usual. I take the food, and put it in a burlap sack I had taken months ago from the floor of a storage room, I had discovered. The doors been locked ever since. I go to leave the room, knowing they've been watching my stats, and know I'm awake, when I open the door I trip on a wire they placed a few inches above the ground. I catch myself a full foot above the ground. Good, my reflexes still work fine. I stand up to see the nurse standing over me, I glare at her with unforgiving eyes. She sprays my arm, with what I'm not sure, but it stings, and my hands start to tingle, and my left pinky starts to twitch.
"Good, it works." Says the nurse much to happily. "Tell yourself you feel no pain."
I do and immediately I feel fine, and my skin immediately feels normal, actually I feel better then I usually do coming out of getting a new ability.
"Put this on your arm, it should clear it right up." She says still miraculously smiling, as she tosses me a vile of some sort of black substance.
I go back to my room and apply the cream to my arm. It looks ugly, but whatever, I need my arm healed. I tell myself it hurts, and leave it that way, the cream has helped dramatically, but the ache reminds me I'm still alive. I sit on the corner of my bed, staring into a small mirror. My greenish eyes staring back look lost. I hear a ring, and a voice tells me I am to report to my "doctor".
I walk the short distance neither fast nor slow. When I reach the door I don't knock. Knocking would require either respect for him, or fear of him. He deserves neither.
He looks up at me as the door opens.
"Good Morning Elle, you must be famished." He says slyly as he pushes a plate of crackers towards me.
"Good Morning." I grumble back Ignoring the food even though I'm staving after the days without eating.
"Alright, let's get down to business. We both know your barely human any-"
"I'm still human." I say flatly.
"What makes you human though? Hmm?" He says with a smirk. You have abilities that no human has, and when was the last time I saw you smile? Oh yes, Never."
"You've never exactly given me a reason." I say still looking into his cold eyes.
"You never even smiled even when your sister sneaked in to join you."
I glare coldly, not sure what to respond.
"We could never kill a person, but we don't even know what you are anymore. You have an hour."
I get up to leave, and he stops me,
"Don't you at least want someone to walk you to your room?" He says sarcastically. We both know he just wants someone to walk me there and lock me in.
"I would appreciate that." I respond with half a smile confusing him.
I spin on my heal and walk out the door. Followed my two huge men, who are frankly quite stupid.
I wait until we are far enough down the hallway that my doctor won't hear. I spin, and hit them both behind the necks, they fall to the ground. Good thing I've never shown anyone I can do that, or they would have sent me with more guards. They probably each way 200 pounds, but I still drag them across the hall into the men's restroom.
I run around the corner to find little Grace, still small, but a several inches taller then the last time I saw her years ago. They did a good job making sure our schedule's never ran into each other. I'm about to leave, but I know I can't.
I turn to grab her shoulder when she tries to twist my arm.
"Well, I see you've had a couple enhancements." I say almost cheerfully, and her eyes widen. "You know about those?" She asks, and stops fighting me.
"All too well. You have to trust me. Just come along." She turns and follows, too easily. She trusts too easily.
I take her too my room, and start to pack my bag, when I hear the door twist. I throw the bag back into the ceiling, and adjust the tiles. Just as my doctor walks in.
"There you are Grace."
"I saw her in the hallway, I made her come here." I stumble out, I already know I'm in trouble, might as well save her.
"Where have your accompaniment's gone, Elle?"
"They had to use the restroom."
"I well that explains it." He says flatly, it's obvious he doesn't believe me, but then again, I wouldn't have believed that either.
He pulls out a small sleek black gun.
"Any last words?" He asks.
I turn to Grace, who's trembling in the corner of the room.
"Remember me Grace. Don't let my death be in vain. Make it count, stay strong. Make them pay for it." I say, with a smile. I know I can't outrun a speeding bullet. I try though, and fail. All I say was red. And my last thought, I get to see my sister. Then it's dark.
Epilogue
Grace grew to be a faster stronger, better version of Elle. When she heard her last one was coming, she didn't wait for it. She took the food from Ell's room, and gathered more. She turned the place upside down, and destroyed everything. She was ready to leave, except for one thing. The doctor. When she found him, she held a small silver knife to his neck, then with a grin she says, "For Elle." His pale body crumpled to the ground, dark eyes staring back, with almost a slight grin on his face. She went to District 8 and up there, when she got too her thirties, led the rebellion there. She was so good with words, that she worked her way up the ranks, and eventually had the title. Mayor Grace Paylor.