Triton Clifford, 17
District Four Male
I like to stand in the shallows when my friends and I go out swimming.
Not that I'm scared of the water. No teen in Four is or would be afraid of water unless they almost drowned in it several times over - and I'm pretty sure that most would still go diving back under the waves after their limp body is resuscitated on the beaches, laughing all the way. But I've never been the most confident swimmer, preferring to watch and snicker as others mock fight in the deep. So when Seamus and Rodney challenge the girls to a ducking contest out in the deep, I decline the offer of playing and instead stand in the shallows once more, watching everything. It's easier to watch, to observe instead of taking part in things. I can evaluate situations, plot my strategies, and never go in without a plan. That's how people die in the Games, going into a battle without a thought of how they're going to win. No, I'll stay in the shallows, watching from the sidelines instead.
I might not be on the greatest highlights of the Games, but I won't be the one to die on national television.
Marlene comes running out of the water and barrels into me, both of us falling into the sand and instantly spitting out mouthfuls of the bright, gritty sand out of our mouths - and onto each other.
Marlene is the first to laugh, hauling me up onto my feet and falling back into the water to get all of the sand off of her body. "Panem, I've got to look where I'm going more often. No, Seamus, you and your boyfriend haven't won yet just because I had to get my sunscreen! You have to wait a bit before claiming victory!"
A sharp retort from Seamus, whose blonde hair is plastered to the sides of his tanned, sharp, angled face, causes Lumi to snort in disbelief from where she's lurking near the edge of the waters. It's only a foot or two deep from where she is, but she still manages to seem under the surface of the water. All except for her face, her dark eyes watching the arguing couple push at one another, unaware of Marlene running to surprise them with a well-aimed tackle. Lumi snickers as all three fall into the crystal-clear water, and I move closer to her. "How's the game going?"
"Eh, the boys will win as usual. You know Marlene always fights dirty and we end up having to forfeit the game," sighs Lumi, who fails to look despondent about her imminent loss. I smile and walk over to her to cheer her up, but her failed attempt at melancholy is a trick - she leaps up and knocks me into the water. I sputter and push away from Lumi, the water in my eyes until I brush it away with my now sand-covered arm.
"I guess I better be more careful next time," I say as Lumi bursts into laughter, the dunking game between Marlene, Seamus and Rodney forgotten. "But I gotta get back home soon. The Games are only in a few weeks. I have to keep working, keep practicing, you know?"
"Who'll care for your fish?" Lumi asks as we begin to walk the small path back up to the central village of Four. "I mean, I could do it if your mother doesn't have the time to care for them. My fish are doing quite well, and I'm as capable as anyone else."
"I mean, if you want," I say, smiling a little as we continue past one of the overturned fishing boats and towards the cottage that is nestled among the brightly coloured homes of Four. They're all different colours of red and blue and yellow and green and white, each one a beacon of love, of safety for those who call it home. When fishers come back from their time in the sea, they first see the colours of the village before anything else. They're brighter than the faded sands of the beaches, the tall, dark cliffs surrounding the villages scattered around Four, and the dark, tulmultuous sea.
"You know, some of the fishermen are talking of leaving Four. They've found a few little islands at the edge of their ranges, islands not known about by Panem. They're asking others if they want to leave." Lumi looks towards me with worry, her dark tan turning a little pale at the thought. "You wouldn't do that, would you?"
"Never."
"Good. I wouldn't want you to leave. It wouldn't be the same without you."
"Even when I'm in the Games?" I ask, picking up a stray stone, rubbed smooth by the sea. I finger it before throwing it into the street, the stone skipping before resting on the pavement. Four only have a few paved streets, and we're close to the Hall of Justice, the only place that the Capitol actively upkeeps.
"Well, I wouldn't be disappointed if you didn't step forward in a month," Lumi mutters while looking away at the houses above us.
"I would. I've put so much effort into this, Lumi. I'm going to come back. I promise."
"I hope." She lifts her fingers and traces my arm, her hand lingering over the solid muscle before tearing away like it's hot. She nods a hurried goodbye and breaks into a run, her light blue t-shirt fluttering in the breeze.
I start running as well, liquid dripping down my cheeks as I hurry towards home. If only I knew how to be more social, more inept with others. Maybe I would be if Mom and Dad had stuck together, instead of splitting up ages ago and moving to different districts. Maybe if I had a father who was here, instead of in District Two, and a sister who could talk to me, be friends with me, I wouldn't be this helpless.
But instead, I'll just run until these stubborn tears go away.
A/N: People on discord are encouraging *cough cough yelling at me cough cough* to finish this author's note so here we go! This is the first of twelve intros, and I'm happy to report that I have the energy to do more soon :DD Keep submitting, and we'll have our roster by the 10th of February! Try to go for those non pov slots, those need a bit of love lol
How was Triton? I hope I did him well, and thanks to the lovely AmericanPI for the first confirmed pov slot! I hope you love your boi!
Anyways, that's all I got for you because I am lazy as expected XD review, submit, and so on and so forth! I'm excited to write this batch so far :DDD Until next time, TheAmazingJAJ