Rainy Days
Johanna Mason hated rain. She despised it, loathed it, absolutely positively hated the very thought of it. She hated how it made everyone stay inside. She hated how it made the ever so annoying bugs come crawling under the floor boards. She hated how it made everything so damp and moist and hot and uncomfortable. But above all, she hated how everyone else loved the rain.
Her father loved the rain. Her mother loved the rain. Sweet little Jonathan loved the rain. Meira loved the rain. They let her stay inside while they were all outside splashing around in the goddamned rain. Except Darrow Elwood. It seemed he had made it his life's purpose to drag her outside whenever it rained. She absolutely loathed Darrow for it, and as a soliloquist, she made it very clear to him that she detested him for dragging her into the rain.
"C'mon, Jo! It's not going to rain forever!" Darrow called up to her, already muddy from the unpaved roads that joined District 7's many wooden shacks. He splashed some water up to where she was sitting at the window. She ducked instinctively, before remembering Pa had installed glass there a year ago. Darrow laughed at her stupidity, causing her to want to chuck a rock at his head.
"And I'm glad it won't rain forever," Johanna muttered, turning away from where Darrow was, once again, covering himself from head to toe in mud. The rain seemed to wash it all away as soon as he covered himself in mud, but he just continued covering himself with mud. The idiot.
Pa and Ma were both outside as well, catching the rain with some jars. Rainwater would make a fine substitute should the water ever run short. Jonathan was playing in the mud right alongside Darrow and Meira. Meira, ever the peacemaker, waved Darrow away from Johanna's window, beckoning him to help with Jonathan. He seemed to have made quite a mess.
"You sure you don't want to come out and play, Jo?" Meira asked. Johanna's best friend since log camp, Meira was the exact opposite of her in every way. Quiet, respectful, always thinking before she spoke. Whereas Johanna made it her life's duty to be unprecedented, Meira chose to be the most well-mannered girl amongst them all. Sometimes, Johanna wished those traits had passed onto her brother.
Darrow came up to the window again, slinging his arm around his twin sister. They looked almost identical, save the gender, both with blond hair, green eyes and a certain tan to them that only could come from years of logging. It was how all the Elwood's had looked, and probably how all of them would look.
"C'mon, Jo, the entire district's out in the rain 'cept you!" Darrow called, making sure to slur his speech the way Johanna hated it. She defiantly shook her head for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. Rolling his eyes, Darrow finally gave up, choosing to find his other friends. Meira clicked her tongue, going back to play with little Jonathan.
Johanna watched from inside her house as her family (and Meira) got soaked in the rain. She could see in the distance Darrow splashing his friends with a large puddle and getting splashed back. It was the district's day off. It was much too rainy to be out in the forests cutting trees and the entire district chose to spend their time playing in what saved them from work. Not her, though. She'd read her book and perhaps later…
She wasn't even able to finish her thought before a rock all but shattered the window behind her. It seemed Darrow had came back. And he brought company. She slammed her book down on the table, storming outside.
"What is your problem?" she screeched, shoving him into the mud. His friends snickered at his misfortune, before she pointedly gave them a glare that sent them scattering off. Instead of fearing the almighty Johanna Mason, he had the nerve to smirk at her instead.
"I got you to come outside," he laughed.
"Well, I'm going back in," she retorted. She was about to enter the house when something hit her in the back. It slowly dripped down her back. Mud. Disgusting, filthy, rain soaked mud.
"That's it!" she screamed, picking up a pile of mud herself and chucking it at him. He returned the favor. Anger turned to joy, and Johanna spent her day making sure Darrow would never pull her out of the house again.
~/~
She reached her hand out into the rain, letting it drip onto her hand. From the Victor's Village, the roads were paved and not a single drop of mud could be found anywhere. She pulled on a heavy overcoat, one of the unwanted luxuries the Capitol had provided, making sure to cover her face with the hat. No use being seen anytime soon.
The road to the cemetery was quiet. No one went out into the rain anymore, especially not after the accident. No more playing in the mud. The shutters all slammed close as she approached. She was used to it by now. It was technically her fault after all. No. She wouldn't ever blame herself for it. It was the Capitol's fault, every last death they caused.
The gravestones were lined up one after another. Mother's. Father's. Jonathan's. Each had the name engraved, the lifespan engraved and finally a little anecdote. The mother, the father, the sweet little brother. The Elwood gravesite was right next to the Masons'. Neighbors forever, alive or dead.
Linton Elwood. Elen Elwood. Meira Elwood. Darrow Elwood. Her best friends since forever. Mutilated. Nothing left of them except a rock.
The gravestones were clean, not a smudge on them. Darrow would turn in his grave if he could see how clean they were. She took a fistful of mud, and covered each gravestone with it. That's how they'd want to be remembered.
That's how they would be remembered.
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