Written for Starvation. Prompt: Toast.
A little insight into smaller acts of Rebellion and what started the Hunger Games, told from Mags' point of view.
Noralie Lemmans is still just a baby when she first sees defiance.
It comes in the form of her brother, Seal. Seal is sixteen, eight years her elder and her oldest sibling out of six. He's big and tough and overprotective and Noralie's idol. He's the one who gave her the nickname "Magpie" (He says she's just as smart and loud and pretty as one) and calls her Mags for short. He's the one who makes Mags the center of his world. He's the one who their parents say is "Trouble". Of course, Mags doesn't fully understand the concept of trouble, so she loves him all the same.
Even after he sets the mayor's cat on fire.
The cat was hairless and tan, with wrinkled skin and unclipped claws. To Mags, it was something to be feared, something horrid. It's favorite past time was jumping out from behind trash cans and fences, attacking anyone who was unlucky enough to pass by.
Its owner, the mayor of District Four, is no better. He came from the Capitol two years ago, replacing what Mags calls "Nice Mayor". Nice Mayor used to give Mags and the other District children candy, and was always smiling and laughing. In contrast, the "Meanie Pants Mayor", Mayor Valden, came from the Capitol. He had bright blue hair like the ocean near Mags' house, and a scary plastic face that held a scary plastic smile. Mags new that the smile wasn't a real one - not like the smiles that she saw on her parents or friends or Seal's face. It was a mean smile. A smile that liked it when people got hurt.
Mayor Valden and his cat weren't much different.
The trouble with the Mayor seemed to start at the same time Mags begun to here the word "Rebellion". When she had asked Mommy and Daddy what that word meant, they just got sad looks on their faces and told her that it was something for grownups only.
Mags didn't like things that were for grownups only - she knows she is a big girl now and should get to do the things her older siblings did, like going out into Town by themselves and drinking special drinks and using "Adult Words".
Mags is watching the television when - to her surprise - she sees Mayor Valden. He is sitting at the familiar podium that lies inside of the Justice Building in Town. His blue hair is waving wildly, flying into his face, as he pounds hard against the wood.
"This Rebellion is unacceptable!" he roars in front of the many people standing below him taking pictures. "It is pathetic and pitiful and I can guarantee every Rebel out there will be squashed before they can even say uprising!" A cruel smile lights his face. "We can only hope that District Four does not go the way of District Thirteen."
For a moment, the television switches over to a video feed of a completely demolished city, all blackened and burned with fire and smoke rising from the crumpled buildings. It reminds her of burned toast - all dark and smoky and dead.
It scares Mags. She knows that buildings are where people live. She doesn't want the people to turn to toast too. She doesn't want them to die.
Hastily, she shuts off the T.V. and runs into the kitchen. She knows that Mommy and Daddy are out at work, and her brothers and sisters are all playing out on the front lawn. Only Seal is in the kitchen, buttering a piece of toast. He has a twisted and angry grimace on his face, and the knife he is holding cuts hard into the burned bread. Mags' stomach curls as she thinks about what she saw on the T.V..
Seal looks up as she comes in. For some reason, his face flashes with panic for a moment. Then he relaxes, turning back to his toast.
"What do you want, Mags?" he asks, not looking at her.
She gives a small frown, thinking about what Mayor Valden had said on the T.V. only moments ago. "What's a Rebellion?"
The knife freezes for a moment on the toast, and Seal's eyes grow fiery. "That's nothing for you to worry about," he grunts. "It's a big kid thing."
"But I am a big kid!" she protests.
At the same time, a strangled meow comes from the cabinet under the kitchen sink.
Seal mumbles one of those Adult Words under his breath, then kicks the cabinet. "Mags, go play with Kitten and Laurel," he says, his voice commanding. Mags misses the hint of panic in his voice.
"No!" she shouts, standing defiantly in front of him. "I'm a big girl. I don't have to do what you say. What's making that noise."
Another whining sound comes from the cabinet.
Seal groans in frustration. "Get out of her Mags! Right now!"
Mags shrinks away at his angry tone of voice. He has never been mad at her before.
Afraid, she scrambles out of the kitchen and outside. However, she doesn't go to play with her siblings. Instead, she looks through the window.
Seal is leaning heavily against the counter, a light sheen of sweat on his face. He grabs a towel and some matches, then opens the cabinet that was making the noises. Immediately, he darts the towel into it and picks something up.
Mags can't see what it is, and she can't hear anything. Slowly, she inches closer.
Seal takes the thing into the backyard, and she runs into the house and behind the window looking out into their backyard. Seal struggles with the towel wrapped thing, and then gets a look at it.
It's a cat.
More specifically, the Mayor's cat.
Mags watches with wide eyes as Seal dumps something onto the cat, then strikes the match. She can hear it's yowling from inside.
In one swift movement, Seal drops the towel then sets the cat on fire.
It immediately engulfs into flames.
At the sight of the burning cat, Mags screams. She screams so loud and long that her throat starts to hurt and Seal looks up in surprise. The flaming cat screams and writhes on the grass, unable to put out the fire. After a minute, it stops moving.
Mags still screams, even as Seal comes in and wraps his hand around her eyes and sets her down on a chair. When he uncovers her eyes, he stuffs a piece of the toast she had seen him making into her mouth. It muffles her screams.
With wide eyes, she watches him as he shakily takes his own square of toast. He's still sweating and his breathing is shallow. He washes his hands.
She knows without explanation that what she has just seen is Rebellion. That that is why the buildings on the television were turned to toast and why Mayor Valden was so angry.
She's not so sure she wants to do big kid things anymore.
A small whimper escapes her mouth, and she looks up at Seal with wide eyes. He sighs.
"Shut up and eat your toast, Magsy."
She reluctantly does as she is told.
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