It bugged me, not knowing who my birth father was, but as Mother said Grayson Welkin raised me making him my father no matter what a blood test said. What she didn't know was when Marcus visited District Five briefly to pick Mother up to tour the arenas, I asked him if he knew who sired me.
"I know you're Rook, sir."
Marcus gave a sideways smile, "So your mom said. Well then you know it's not me. I think I'd rather not get in trouble with your mom by telling you."
"She doesn't know. But from what you just said, you do."
He sighs. "I know the father's for all four of you. His name is Grayson Welkin, boy. That should be the only father you'll ever need to know about."
"Please?"
For a minute he checked around to make sure no one was within earshot. "By blood, you are Grayson's son."
"And my brothers and sister?" I ask hopefully.
"None of your business now is it?" he answered curtly. "If they feel a burning need to ask, then I have answers ready. But there are no answers for no questions asked. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Good," he says. "Now I may not be everything my reputation suggests, but if you ever tell your mom what I've just told you, then you will find out just how real some of those rumors are."
Not knowing Marcus as well as my mother, I'm not sure if he's serious or just playing with me. In that moment I chose to side with caution and believe him. I then say goodbye to Mother and then take my siblings to school. Little did I know that Marcus was demonstrating part of his reputation on my Mother in front of the town.
I knew that Marcus and mom were planning on staging something in front of the district that would serve as a reputation check for both of them. I don't think Father knew just how far it would go. We probably should've known something was up when she told Father to take another shift that day.
News about what happened got back to the school before we even got out.
"Whoa, slow down Nat," I say. "What happened?"
Nat, a friend of Res found us quickly as we were getting ready to head to our last class.
"My class was coming back from touring the plant when we heard the whip being used. When I went to investigate, that official from the capitol was flogging a man for not moving out of his way fast enough.
"Got about twelve slashes and probably more if your mother hadn't intervened, everyone else was just watching. She screamed at him to stop but he punched her across the face."
Anger boils up inside of me. I don't care if he's rook or helping the rebellion, no one hurts my family, "He hit my mother?!"
"Yea, she lost consciousness for a little bit. No one could do anything since that official threatened to shoot the first person to come to her aid. In the end he said he was taking your mother on a tour of the arenas."
I don't wait for school to end and I rush back home. Before I get to the road to the Victor's Village I overhear Blane Peaks and go to investigate.
"I had no idea," a man says.
"That's because you're like the rest of the district," Blane snaps. "You'd prefer to be mad at her for being the rich capitol butterfly rather than admit that the Capitol is hurting her again and there's nothing anyone can do about it without being killed!"
The man looks away ashamed. "So, she steps out of line one of her kids goes in?"
"Yea," Blane answers curtly. "Same goes for Pepper and me with our kids. Why do you think Falon chased you away when you know she forgives faster than anyone?"
"What have they done to her?" he asks.
Blane stares at him for a moment, "It's the Capitol. Use your imagination."
Just then Father walks up, "Is it true?"
"Depends on what you've heard," says Blane. "Officer Panthra punched Falon across the face and then took her on a tour of the arenas. She won't be back for the reaping. I'm sorry."
"What are you doing here Kyle?" Father asks.
The man looks uncomfortable, "Would you tell her I'm sorry when you see her next? I don't think she wants anything to do with me anymore." With that he leaves.
Not until I got home and saw how much blood was on her shirt did I know exactly how hard he hit her. In the end there was no getting all the blood out so we tossed it in the trash. I've never seen Father so angry before.
Every day we watched the news of the Capitol searching for any signs on where Mother was or how she was doing. But there was nothing about her or Marcus and that worried us. All the while I wonder why the arenas?
At the reaping, they keep Mother's seat open, but they know she's not going to be there. When Anna draws the name "Orrick Storms" I go pale. That's one of Res and Drite's friends.
On the lead up to the games, Drite talks up both tributes along with Anna and Alara. Days pass and still no sign of Mother. The commentators don't even mention her except to say she's absent.
The girl, Poppy, died in the bloodbath as she was trying to escape with supplies. Res watches the games over with us as we root Orrick on.
"Put the fire out, put the fire out," says Grandfather.
Res turns to him, "It's got to be cold in there, sir."
Grandfather looks grave, "But it's how the careers find you. They watch for smoke so they can start hunting you. It's late, you two should get to bed."
Reluctantly we obey and Res goes home. When I wake up the next day I learn Orrick was killed. No one from the Victor's Village went to school that day.
