A sudden sound tears my eyes away from Atticus to District 5's power plant. Without a pause, I leap from my knees and stand in front of Atticus' body. The hefty steel door opens to show a little girl, seven years of age, her straw colored hair cascades in waves down her back, a few freckles dot under her eyes like stars on a cloudy night, and instantly I know it's my little sister, Abrielle.

"Sage! Sage, come quick!" Abrielle shouts.

Abrielle lets the door slam and walks cautiously toward me, staring at the blood that covers my blouse in a mist. I sink back down to my knees to appear less threatening.

"Atticus had… an accident." I lie. Abrielle doesn't need to know the whole story, but she does know her mother and father are not safe enough to take care of her, so most of her days she lives at Sage's house.

"He's going to be okay, Abrielle." I nod my head reassuringly and force a smile.

I outstretch my arms to hug her, but she backs away and points at my hands.

"These are my reaping clothes. Sage told me to be very careful."

"Well, your dress is quite pretty. You look like an angel." I say softly.

Her dress was Sage's little sister's before she got reaped and died in the Hunger Games about five years ago. It's white, and falls to her knees. The bottom is lined in delicate lace, as well as the short sleeves. The waistband tightens around her, displaying her tiny figure. The neckline scoops, and a bow lays weakly there.

"You do look pretty, Abrie." Atticus sighs.

Our eyes shoot over to him, resting in the weeds. His eyes are still closed, but his hand snakes through the grass and touches Abrielle's hand. Abrielle holds his hand, despite that it's caked in dry blood.

"Is everything okay out here?" Sage calls out.

The heavy steel door slams shut and Sage hustles over to Atticus. Sage has always been a protector of my siblings and I, ever since the first day of second grade.

He was a student teacher that day, quite tall, but muscular from previously working in the power plant. He had olive-brown skin, hair and eyes the striking the color of charcoal. They were the type of eyes that hypnotized you if you looked to long. I had seen him before, slumping off to work on those chilly autumn mornings before the sun had came fully over the horizon, but on that first day of school Sage looked much more intelligent and professional with his rolled up white dress shirt and black satin tie.

"Where are all your books, Miss Ariana?" Sage had questioned politely.

I was very bitter on the subject of mother and father not buying me the appropriate materials needed for school. I knew we were short on money, but I hated the nasty looks thrown my way by other girls and boys because I was the only one not prepared. I got beaten that morning by mother for riskily questioning one last time if I could go to the square before school and purchase at least one book I needed for the upcoming year. The question earned me a couple ruthless hits, so I was not ready to answer even if he was a respectable teacher.

"Did your mother and father buy you any supplies?" Sage softly questioned once more. He knelt down to meet my eyes. I shook my head.

"Well, that can be fixed. Why don't you come sit behind the teacher's desk with me and we can share my copy?" He suggested.

In front of the entire class, Sage laced my fingers between his and led me to the front where he sat me up on one of the tall stools and opened up the book for me. The second he began to read, my suspicions confirmed that he was someone I liked. His voice was so soothing as he read us tales from his book. His voice changed at different characters, and he would pause at very suspenseful parts. Sage really had a passion for what he was doing, and it showed.

Finally, Sage set his book down and told us all it was time to practice our penmanship for the remaining minutes until our real teacher returned.

"Are you very good at letters?" Sage asked.

"Mother and Father don't like to practice with me much." I mutter. I rub the bruise on my shoulder. "They do like to hit me," I consider saying.

"That's quite alright. Could you sharpen this pencil? Then I can practice with you." Sage comforted.

I took the pencil and strolled across the room, feeling very happy inside because Sage offered to help me while the other children had to practice on there own! I never get help like this at home! Half way to the pencil sharpener, I can feel my ankle totter a little to the side and before I can catch my balance the hard floorboards are slipping beneath me. I slam onto my hip, my breath coming in searing gasps, and I look up to see a girl with blond pigtails falling perfectly at her shoulders and a new pink floral dress staring down on me with a sneer.

"Felix," Sage stood up quickly from his desk. "That's enough."

A loathing so powerful rose inside of me at that moment. I was so exhausted of being beaten every hour of the day. My bruises seemed to nearly be radiating the outrage bubbling in my veins. I was not going to cower anymore, or let one single tear drip from my eyes. That was the moment I changed to who I still am today. I needed to regain power, all the power that my parents proved I never had as they viciously beat me more and more and more. I gripped my hands onto her shoulders and drove the girl over her school desk and she toppled onto the floor. She wailed and shrieked, called out for anyone to help her but everyone simply stared. Her mouth gaped open like a fish as she dramatically attempted to draw in breaths, but the wind was clearly knocked out of her. Sage snatched the neck of my shirt and dragged me away from Felix.

"Wait for me in the hall." Sage said flatly.

Everyone stared, but I didn't let any emotion come to my eyes until I entered the hallway. I slid down the grainy brick walls and buried my face in my hands. I lost Sage for good now. He will punish me, and scold me, and never look at me quite the same again. I knew I couldn't be happy for long. I stared down the hallway to Atticus' fifth grade classroom and begged silently for him to emerge and hug me and tell me everything was okay.

That didn't happen, of course.

Instead, Sage came out to the hallway and told me to follow him. I swallowed my guilt and sulked down the hallway after him, through the double doors that I entered my poorly built, ancient schoolhouse and onto a table outside. I slide to the seat across from him as he pulls out a piece of chocolate and an apple, rare delicacies in District 5 as well as my household, and sets them in front of me.

"It's okay, Ariana. Eat this, you look like you nearly about to whither away, and tell me about what's going on. I'm not completely upset with what you did, though it was wrong, I'm more surprised and confused. We'll work on controlling your anger later, but right now just talk to me, okay?" said Sage, sounding concerned.

I didn't want to. Really, I didn't. The bruises usually speak for themselves, but even if people asked I never told them the truth. Even at that young age, I knew what my parents did was an embarrassment. When I looked in Sage's eyes they looked so comforting, so I poured out my weak, little heart to him. Everything I could remember. The more I let him in on my life, the more I felt like a sponge being squeezed and all the water dripping out. I felt lighter, much lighter and happier after I told Sage about my home life. He sat there very patiently, holding my hand when the stinging of tears almost made me stop, and not even noticing my voice cracking when the lump in my throat got too big. From that day on, Sage was like a second big brother to Atticus and I, and eventually Abrielle. He walked us home, delivered us food, and gave us extra tutoring for school. Sage was my dry land in a raging hurricane, my life jacket in the ocean, and he wasn't going anywhere.

I snap back to reality as I see Atticus being lifted gingerly of the ground by Sage.

"Where are you taking him?" I ask alarmingly.

"I'm just taking him to the Medic Alcove. Just to clean him up a bit. Don't you pretty girls worry, we'll have him back before the reaping, okay?" Sage calmly answers.

I don't say anything, just nod. I wasn't very scared when I held Atticus in my arms, even when blood trickled out of him. However, seeing him carried away just chills me. Abrielle snatches Atticus' reaping clothes off the grass and hands them to Sage for Atticus to change into before the reaping.

"I love you, Ati." Abrielle whispers into Atticus' ear.

I swear I see him smile as he is carried away.