Danika Clementine, 16
District Eleven Female
TheAmazingJAJ

I live in a world of orchards and fields, the sun warming my skin and the wind playing with my hair on blessedly cool days. If I lived somewhere else, I suppose District Eleven would seem like a paradise. Who wouldn't want to live in this land where the sun always seems to shine and the crops blossom in the dark, rich fields?

I don't know what I would say if I met a person like that, but I know what I would show them. I would show them the workers who toil to keep those crops blooming in the sunlight, the torn skin on our backs from the whips of the overseers, the cruel scars that mark our bodies, one for every time we failed to get away with a lie.

Or, perhaps, I would show them nothing at all. Sometimes, it's simplest to not get involved in matters that aren't my own. It'll spare me a whipping, at the very least.

I'll keep my head down.

I looked back at my home, a mixture of sun-baked bricks and concrete that my parents had scavenged when they were young and brave enough to head out after curfew. It was small, it was tiny, but it managed to fit the four children that they brought into the world. The bricks were stained with the dust that blew throughout Eleven, that coated our clothes as we walked back home. Every home may be yet another copy of the thousands of buildings that workers had constructed to fit us all into this section of Eleven, but this was my house. I knew every crack, every brick, every facet of this house.

"Danika, do you know what I should wear tomorrow?" Korey said, poking his head out past the screen of our window to call to me. One of the few windows that weren't broken on our house, the dust matched the tired brown of our home. "I think I'll wear a blue shirt this time. I asked Mom, but she had to leave for another night shift before she could tell me what to wear." Korey let his lip droop in dismay, as if the hardest thing in his life was deciding what to wear to tomorrow's ceremony.

I shook my head, amused by my foolish little brother. "You haven't even washed that nice blue shirt that you have lying on the floor. Wear the red one this time."

"But the blue one isn't that bad!" protested Korey. "It's only a little dusty around the waist, and the red one is itchy! Do you want me to itch all throughout the reapings? What if I break out in welts? What if the cameras see me itching?"

"They won't." I stood up from the warm oak of the bench in front of our home. The bench was a wedding gift to my parents, and they had turned it into a place to sit when you needed to calm down. My siblings only were sent there when they got mad at each other, but I retreated to the bench as a place to embrace some quiet instead of living in the noise of our home. Eleven wasn't known for its nightlife. "Korey, you're going to be standing with Mom and Dad while Brielle, Orchid and I are in the pens. You won't be seen, not until you're twelve."

A long, coal-black snake slithered past me as Korey stuck his tongue out of the window. "Fine." He disappeared back into the window, and the snake passed by quickly as well. Marked with a line of gold that wound around its stick-thin body, the snake continued into the tired streets. Past the pebbles and dust that lined our unpaved road, it turned back, flicked a bright-red tongue, then disappeared into the wilted grass of another yard. I didn't bother it, and it didn't bother me.

I took another look at the street, then opened the front door to head back indoors. Curfew was merely half an hour away, and I didn't like staying out when it could mean being caught by a strict peacekeeper with a chip on their shoulder.

Yes, I was more careful than that. I was the only child in the family who hadn't been whipped by an overseer for a reason, after all.

"Did you have any supper?" My father asked as I walked into the living room. I nodded my head, remembering the dry, thick pieces of bread and spread of vegetables that we had tonight. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough to fill the family up and let us sleep for the night without that gnawing feeling of hunger in the pits of our stomachs. "I didn't notice you at the table."

"I ate before after getting home," I replied. "I wasn't sure if I would have to go in Mom's spot tonight after she was getting over that cold."

Dad grimaced. "She shouldn't be out there… but she's gone and worked another night shift anyway. If Death showed up tonight, he'd have to wait until your mother finished her shift. I married the most stubborn world in the world, Dani!" I smiled, and Dad grinned back at me. "I'm working tonight as well. Make sure your siblings are ready for the reapings tomorrow, and we'll see you there. And take care of your hair, Dani!"

We both dissolved into laughter, knowing full well that my father was the last person to think of taking care of his hair. After all, Dad didn't have to do much other than massage his bald scalp in order to take care of the three strands of hair that he sported. With the wiry mess of black hair that almost touched my shoulders, I had to brush it out every day to make sure it didn't get too tangled.

My sisters paraded into the room and demanded that Dad said goodnight to them, and he gave them both quick hugs before heading down the street and to the truck that would pick up the night workers. Mom had taken an earlier truck to the orchards, where she'd stay the rest of the night.

Most nights ended like this.

My family is made up of hard workers. We finish our shifts, get the food on the table, and take care of each other. We don't fight much, or do anything much at all other than work. There are days where we barely get to speak to one another, let alone take care of our little brother - who, with only a few hours of work in the fields, had the best part of the day to himself. Sometimes, I could hear Brielle mutter things about Korey burning the house down or shocking himself to death while we were gone - things I had never thought about when I left for work and came back in the evening light, but things that I now worried about as well.

I suppose that's partly the fault of the older children for not having the time to care for Korey, but who could blame us? It's hard to keep working when your muscles ache but you need to finish the shift or else you won't get paid. It's hard to carry another crate of fruit when the sweat is getting into your eyes but the overseer is right behind you and if you drop it you're going to get a bad whipping. It's hard to work ten hours a day at least, knowing that it'll make you a few meagre sesterces.

But when you finally make enough money to get dinner on the table, it's all worth it.

As I tuck my hair up into a bun that won't get caught on anything, I remember my first shift. It had been filled with older workers annoyed that I could not lift the things they wanted me to, whispering at me to calm my shaking hands as I reached out for the highest fruits on the highest trees, and hiding the fruit I spilt as my small legs tried to keep at a pace that the overseers wanted me to stay at. I had wanted to go home desperately and used the meagre pay to buy a loaf of bread from the bakery before running home. Perhaps it would get Mom in the mood to listen to me rant about work.

But when I got to the house and handed my mother the bread, I saw the tears of gratitude and pain in her eyes. I was growing up, just like my older sisters who were now working long shifts and complaining about all of their struggles to me. With my help, with my silence and hard work, I could make them proud.

I kept quiet then, and made sure that I didn't complain about my aching limbs and my sore head whenever I took the long way home.

I still do. I try.

My sisters talked to each other and teased Korey while I comb my hair, then take the brush. Brielle, then Orchid go through the same ritual of combing the knots out of their hair before putting the brush back, making sure to clean it every time. It had been a rare gift from our mother, an apology for the mess of hair that we had inherited from her.

Soon, we all quieted down and headed to the room that we shared. Korey leapt into his small mattress and busied himself with the broken toys that he jealously guarded against us all while we settled into our own beds and found a comfortable position to sleep in.

Long after Korey started to snore and Brielle and Orchid stopped whispering to one another, I fell asleep. I always did - it was good to be the last one awake, the last girl to toy with her thoughts of love and loss and everything in between while I listened to the sound of soft, steady breathing.

Well, except for Korey's snoring.

And what would become of me? I wondered as I started to close my eyes and pull the thin cover over my body. Tomorrow would be another day, another chance to bring home food for the family and save up for my own future. Would I earn enough when the reapings were over and the fruit still needed to be harvested? Would I be able to see Cliff by chance, if we were on the same shift or managed to head for water at the same time? Would we have enough time to murmur a few words and remind each other that we had our whole lives ahead of us, a future with one another?

But as always, before I could answer any of the questions I sought the answers for, my head hit the pillow and I fell into another long, restless sleep - punctuated by shouting peacekeepers and rumbling trucks, populated by the many workers who I had seen whipped before my eyes. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

I dreamt of leather whips and bleeding backs, of coal-black snakes and mockingjays.

Sebastian Mathas, 17
District Eleven Male
matts0688

I open my eyes to complete darkness. It's always dark in my room, my mom got dark curtains for my bedroom when I was little because I've always struggled to get to sleep but it's too dark to be time to wake up. "Bash!" I hear. It sounds like Autumn's voice. She's my big sister and my best friend but clearly our friendship is being tested if she expects me to get out of bed in the middle of the night.

I roll over and ignore her, hoping that she'll give up. "Bash!" I hear again, this time closer. Then I hear my doorknob jiggle and the door slowly creak open. I swear I have the squeakiest door in Panem. But this isn't the time to worry about that. Soon enough hear a few quick footsteps, feel my mattress tilt and the feeling of a body beside me.

Now I know what you're thinking and no this isn't one of those brother-sister relationships gone wrong. Any time my big sis has to tell me something that might upset me, she lays on top of the covers while I'm in bed. I've always appreciated it as it helps me take the news more calmly. "Bash I hate to remind you, but its reaping day" she half whispers.

Oh hell, I forgot. Every year I dread the reapings even more since they fall on the busy time between harvest and planting. I've been responsible for our 20 acres of land for the past 5 years since Dad bought 40 more from the neighbours in an effort to bring more food to the table. It's going to take me hours to get the chores done and I do not plan to make mom pick up my slack. I tell Autumn I'll be dressed in a minute. She was nice enough to help me so I don't want to make her wait any longer.

Weeds have grown up in nearly every row beans and the corn needs all of the gates opened up so it can be watered while I'm gone but all of that is done in record time with my big sis helping. I swear, for a girl she's really tough and hardworking. I don't mean that girls are any less than guys but none of the ones in my class seem to have to do half of the work my family does.

I look at my watch and see it's still the middle of the morning. I decide to call up my friend Shannon. He's in the same grade as me and on the football team but he's not quite as athletic. If it's ever a competition between me and him at anything though, I let him win. I know he likes the spotlight more than I do.

Shannon answers the phone "What's up Bash?" He's the only one that calls me that outside of my family. I answer "Chores are done, wanna play some catch before the reaper comes?" Yeah, we have our own slogans to make fun of the reapings, that's just the one I choose at the moment. "Abandoned lot in 10?" He asks. "Make it 5!" I say. We're oddly competitive in who can get ready faster. I take off my farm clothes and slip on some black shorts, a blue tank top, tie my highlighter yellow shoes as fast as I can and I'm out the door.

A few feet before I turn the corner I hear "Think fast" and a football is flying down at me from 20 ft above. I grab it with my right hand, toss it over my left shoulder and say "This may be the first time you beat me here". We laugh at our competitive nature then throw the football around for an hour or so before we realize it's only 30 mins till we need to be at reapings.

"The evil harvester needs his crop of children in a half-hour," Shannon says. He always finds the oddest ways to say it. "Meet ya at the park in 20," I say.

I run home as fast as possible, travelling the third of a mile in nearly a record 2 mins. I see mom in the hallway so I give her a quick hug and say I gotta change. I get to my room and strip off all of my athletic clothes in seconds as I grab khaki short out of my dresser drawer and a navy blue and white striped polo shirt off the hanger in my closet. I know this might not be the most up to date fashion but it's as fashionable as I care to be for such a dumb and sad ceremony.

I put on my clothes quick enough to know I have a few minutes to talk to mom and Autumn. "Who wants to come with me?" Autumn is 19 so she doesn't have to be there but she's supportive. Mom says she has to help dad with the farm, but Autumn says "sure bud!" Her other name for me, I hate when she says it because it makes me feel small but I never tell her that for what reason I don't know.

We half walk, half jog to the park because I forgot I was meeting Shannon there for a minute. After 10 minutes we arrive there and Shannon is already there shouting "You're on a roll". Likely meaning this is the first time he's beat me to a spot even though I was on time both times. We all three walk over to the reapings, Autumn trying to comfort us about how many people are in the District and how neither of us has taken tesserae. It helps a little but I still hate it. Autumn parts with us and stands back as we head to the section for 17-year-old boys. Soon I'm at the front and nearly scream at the Peacekeeper as I get my finger pricked. I hate needles. Soon after I pile into a crowd full of my classmates, I see some fake lady with literally lime green hair and charcoal skin giving a speech about how merciful the capitol is and how great the hunger games are. The anthem plays and I just want it to be over. After what feels like hours she says "And now for the tributes of this year's Hunger Games! Ladies first"

She says a name, and a girl goes up on stage, I don't pay attention to the name or what she looks like, I want to remember as little of this as possible so I don't have to think of her dying. "Now for the boys."

"Sebastian Mathas!"

I black out. Well not really, I move but not voluntarily. My legs take me up to the stage without me telling them to somehow. Next thing I know I'm shaking hands with a girl who is no longer faceless as I hoped. Her loose grip and tells me she might take a while to warm up and her cocoa eyes staring off in the distance tell me it may take every ounce of charm I have to convince her I'm not the enemy. Everyone in 11 knows we have little to no chance if we turn on each other.

I give her a friendly smile and we're taken off our separate ways. Two peacekeepers tightly grip each one of my biceps and are nearly dragging me off stage, I don't resist because I know it's pointless. Soon we arrive in a building I'm unfamiliar with. It's dimly lit and has few windows, likely to make sure tributes don't try to escape. The peacekeepers leave the room and shut the door, I sit on the only chair in the room not knowing what to expect. I've never heard nor cared to know what happens between when a tribute is reaped and when they start training. I didn't even want to know about the training but I remember hearing about it in school.

Soon, I see the door open abruptly and I'm alarmed until I realize Autumn is running at me full speed with tears in her eyes. I get up immediately and give her the tightest hug I know how to give, seconds later I feel her tears drenching my shoulder and hear one word whispered quietly in my ear "Win". I loosen my grip on her to look into her eyes and she follows up with "I know you can do it! You're the fastest kid in the district and you may not be the smartest kid in school but you have more common sense than anyone I know". I nod my head, the only thing I resent out of that is that she called me a kid. Just as I'm lost in that train of thought I head a toddler's voice shout "Bashan!" I see my 2-year-old nephew Luka run up to me and give me a hug. He has no idea what's going on but he always gives a large hug when he sees me.

Next walks in my oldest sister Rosalia, Mom, Dad and Shannon. They all give me a few words of encouragement. Shannon saying if I can't win, he doesn't think anyone from 11 ever will again and dad handing me my dog tag chain with my name and address on it while saying "Do whatever you need to win but don't forget who you are or where you're from".

Wise words that I needed to hear. I start giving Dad a hug, then move over to mom when I hear the door open and immediately the same two peacekeepers grab me tightly by the shoulders and push me out of the door. I know enough to know where the next stop is, they're taking me to the train and I won't ever see my family again. No, I can't think that way. I have to do whatever it takes to make it back home to them.