Thank you: TheBigLew21 for Arine!

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Arnold "Arnie" Hayse Jr.

District 12, Male, 15

Clonk, clonk, clonk was a sound Arnold Jr knew too well. He had spent most of his childhood in the dust-ridden dump they called a mine, he'd been working himself up the rank since the age of 9 which really impressed him when he thought about it.

The thought of a teenage boy being the assistant manager of a mine was laughable to most people, but Arnie had been living it for 6 weeks. He always had the same strategy, keep his head down, and stick to the goal. As of right now, he was patrolling the mine, making sure everything was of high standards.

He did a lot of mining himself but as it was his break time, he liked to help out any way he can to prove his worthiness to those who might doubt the teenager. He was a quiet individual; mostly stuck to the task he was given and didn't question it. This had earned him a lot of much-earned respect over the years from his colleagues and higher-ups.

Suddenly, something started dashing left and right through the mine and a couple of men, who he recognized as 2 supervisors from the left side of the mine. They both had their pickaxes held high as if they were ready to stab something, he looked back at the running black figure that was almost about to pass him and then the 2 men.

Just in the nick of time, he managed to scoop it up, a second later and the thing would've been lying on the ground of the tunnel lifeless.

"I don't know how it managed to get in. Marcelo and I tried to get it, but it was too fast!" The left guy said quickly and attempted to take the animal away from Arnie.

"It's fine, get back to work." He murmured and spun around to walk away from the 2 men, the animal tightly secured in his arms.

Once he made it out of the mine, he figured he had around another 10 minutes of break. He didn't like breaks, it made him uneasy to be doing nothing when he could be helping feed his siblings. Still, though, his boss insisted, and if his boss insisted then Arnie would do it.

He opened his arms and let his eyes adjust to the light so he could see the animal more clearly. It was fluffy and white with unusual black spots. Its ears perked with the sound of every noise. Arnie hadn't seen a cat for a few years, it wasn't common for people in 12 to have pets because of the poverty and if you did have a pet, you'd have a fish or maybe even a snake.

Cats were hard work, work that the people in 12 couldn't afford to waste on as they were trying to provide for the survival of their own families and didn't have the attention or understanding needed for these animals to live long. This cat looked young, more like a kitten, he thought while he looked at it more.

He had always had a soft spot for animals and this kitten was no exception, he chuckled a little as the kitten liked his cheek and that chuckle soon turned into a hard laugh, probably the most he had laughed since his mother had died 6 years ago of childbirth.

Life had been tough since his mother had died, his father had fallen into a deep depression and he hadn't been any better. He wasn't depressed but had fallen into a state of silence and dedication, he had set his mind on something and that one thing was supposed to keep him going. That was to provide for his family. He didn't care about his own mental state or physical well-being.

He wanted his sister and the twins to be provided for, to parade in food and eat until they got full but what he knew he had to do was get them away from his abusive Father. He almost had enough, he thought about how nice it would be. They would live on the outskirts in a home Arnie had bought for them. It would be peaceful and quiet. Arnie would go out for work every day while they played outside.

It would be picturesque, heaven, utopia. The world he imagined for them was so close, it would just take a few more months of work, and that utopia would be theirs forever.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I loved writing it and I'm putting a lot of effort into this SYOT. One more chapter and we'll get to the goodbyes/train rides! Quick check-in for the submitters so I know who is reading:

What's your tribute's favorite color?

That's all from me, stay safe.

-James