Serenity Jasper 16

1 month before the reaping's

Sunday - 1am

The freezing night air of District 9 grips my skin tightly as my feet prance as silently as I can through the darkness, being cushioned gently by the soft grass. I can hear the hushed voices of the Mueslis not far behind me.

"Where is that girl?"

"She has no idea how dead she is."

Their voices are growing louder and louder, they can't be far behind. All I can do now is thank the darkness for concealing me.

Despite how dark it is, I can just make out that I've reached the edge of a field and come to a kind of weak metal fence. Quickly, I scamper over it, attempting to make as little noise as possible. Unfortunately, the sounds of the metal wiring rattle through the silent night as I haul myself over it. All of a sudden, I found myself on a rail track with two still cargo trains parallel to each other. I am able to take refuge behind and catch my breath.

What have you done Serenity? You've gone way over your head this time! What were you thinking? Gambling with the local mafia? These are the only thoughts that I can find racing through my head but they are almost drowned out by the sound of my heart pounding in my chest. All while I rub my freezing arms, wishing I didn't lose my jacket during the scuffle.

I need to get to Morris's house and crash there for some time. He will help me. I know it. Even the Mueslis aren't going to mess with a Peacekeeper… I don't think. Besides I can't put my family in any kind of danger, this is my mess I've gotten myself into.

The voices of my assailants seem to die down a bit as they rattle around on the mental fence. Finally, I can start breathing normally again. My left hand slowly finds its way into my scruffy brown bag and I pull out my winnings from tonight's misadventure. Well, if I do make it out of here alive my family can't fault me for what I've brought them…

Saturday - 8am

With my mouth clogged up with toothpaste, my heart sinks when my hand groggily turns the tap to reveal no water again. Mum and dad must have not paid the water bill… again. This is the reason I'm forced to do what I do, well that and I would be lying if I said my hobby didn't bring me joy. I glance briefly up at my reflection in the mirror to see my auburn eyes against my pale skin staring back at me. I give myself a cheeky smile before I head into my little brother Harper's room.

"Come on Harper, time to move," I announce, tapping his door with my knuckles. When there is the usual no response I push my way in and nudge his shoulder.

"Come on."

I am only met with a groan but eventually, he is up. After breakfast and helping him to tie his shoelaces, making sure to double-knot them, I'm finally able to get him out the door and we're ready to head to school together. My heart is skipping at the prospects of my adventures tonight, I can't tell if it's mostly nerves or excitement but it doesn't matter to me.

"Why are you nervous?" Harper asks me bluntly. Caught off guard, I glance down at his big, blue, child eyes staring up at me.

"What?"

"You're pacing your right leg… you only do that when you're nervous," he points out, while observing my right leg. I immediately noticed and stop, he pointed out something that even I didn't realise about myself.

"It's just… school stuff," I lie. His eyes are fixed on mine but I keep my poker face and only send him a cheeky smile.

"You're not going gambling again tonight are you?" He questions.

"No… of course not," I chuckle.

"But I saw you slip some money out of Dad's wallet again earlier…" he continues.

"No, I didn't and do you remember what will happen if you tell mum and dad?"

"You'll sign me up for tesserae when I'm twelve," he sighs, his eyes diverting to the ground in defeat.

"That's right," I smile, rubbing his hair.

Of course, I would never go through with the threat, but I need to keep him keep quiet, so I can bring money home for the family by my own methods to keep everyone safe and happy (especially me).

The day passes as any other day would. I'm let out of school early to go work on the fields. My body almost works on auto pilot, guiding my right arm around to trim down the endless wheat fields. This continues until my arm begins to feel fatigued as the sun finally dips over the vast meadows, illuminating the fields in a kind of warm orange glow.

"Time to go to work," I say to myself as I dig my scythe down in the dirt.

This is the point where I head to "The Dens". It is in the downtown area in the most rundown part of District 9. It is accessible by a staircase leading underground and inside everything is drowned out by the loud music and flashing lights however I am still able to spot Novak sitting in his usual corner, downing a shot and as usual allowing it to trickle down his thick, scraggly beard.

"Look what the cat dragged in," he remarks as I take a seat opposite him on the table.

I give him a mischievous grin and immediately down a shot, the liquid stings its way down my throat almost causing me to spit it out! However, I manage to swallow it along with my pride. I know my face is telling a different story though, grimacing intently.

"What was in that? Snake venom?" I ask, half sarcastically.

"Yes." He answers with a straight face.

"Personally, I wouldn't have started with that one."

"Yeah well you can't win anything soba, we both know that," I laugh.

Finally, we begin playing and after five games I've already made double what I left with. If only mum and dad knew how good I was they would be giving me money to do this but unfortunately, I'm forced to go behind their backs just because they would say its "unethical".

After I reveal my latest full house Novak slams his shot in frustration, spilling it all over his lap.

"You're just too damn lucky Serenity!" He growls.

I raise my eyebrow and sweep all the chips back to me. I should probably call it quits here with Novak because I know how he gets when he's drunk and angry. While I'm collecting my due fees, my eyes find their way around the club until they suddenly fall upon two identical-looking men in smart suits in their own game of poker.

"Who are they?" I ponder, turning back to Novak. His attention is brought back to the room, as he wipes the latest drops of alcohol from his mouth.

"Them? Oh you might want to stay clear of them… they are the Muesli twins. They own the muscle in this town."

"The district mafia?" I ask. He nods cautiously.

Without a second hesitation, I push up out of my seat and take a final shot, slamming it back down on the table. It might be the alcohol getting to my head but all I'm imagining is how much I could make if I win a game against these two.

"Wait Serenity! Seriously don't do this," Novak exclaims, taking a hold of my wrist with his rough hands. I glare at him in annoyance and force his hand off me.

"They're too dangerous," he pleads.

"Coming from the guy that stabbed me the first time we met," I retort. His drunken eyes sulk in embarrassment.

"Look, I will continue to apologise for that…"

"And I will continue to bring it up," I smirk.

With that, I march over to the Mueslis table and promptly take a seat opposite them, staring them straight in the eye. Whenever I'm faced with new potential threats I always figure out their bluffs straight away, poker has taught me that. One twin is extremely gaunt-looking and has a particularly mean streak about him, like he wants to rip my head off right on the spot. The other slightly chubby one is mostly hidden under a hat but he looks more intrigued by me than anything.

"Do you need something, miss?" The chubby one asks.

"I'm in," I announce, clicking a waiter with my fingers to bring me another shot. The brother bursts out laughing exposing his crooked teeth.

"Double or nothing," I say confidently.

"You've got some nerves kid… I'll give you that," he says with a grin.

"We don't have to take this Falcon… get her out of here," the meaner brother chimes in with his cheeks turning redder by the second. Falcon turns back to me, still amused.

"No… I wanna see what this kid's got."

With Falcon dealing the first hand on the table, I observe the two gangsters to discover their tells when they are bluffing. Falcon fiddles with his hat and his skinny brother glances to the floor briefly… that must be their tells! They are also eying me up because they undoubtedly want to know my tell but they won't find it because I don't have one. That's what makes me so effective.

With that, I am able to win 3 of the 4 hands with the skinny brother folding almost all the time and Falcon lasting a little longer. The only time I managed to lose was when Falcon had an extremely good hand.

"Well looks like you owe me," I announce with a victorious tint in my voice while downing another shot. At this point, I've lost count of how many I've had.

The two criminals just glare at me under the intense music with their piercing eyes, like wolves watching an annoying squirrel but they won't manage to get the better of me.

I confidently lean back on my chair and swing my arms behind my head.

"But I'm a reasonable girl… let me give you a chance to win your money back… one last game."

Two of them glance at each other briefly then back to the cocky girl sitting in front of them and of course, they can't help but accept.

As the game progresses they clearly should have folded when I went all in; however they had tried to call my bluff but of course, I don't have a tell. The look on their faces when I revealed my royal flush was the best thing my drunken brain has ever experienced. I feel a victorious grin crawl across my face which does nothing else but anger them more.

They don't say anything after this. Only silently stare at me with vengeance. As I am bagging up all my winnings I begin to feel nervous for the first time. There are people in suits enclosing all around me from the darkness, concealed by the loud music and the drunk customers. The music appears to be getting drowned out as my eyes move frantically around the room.

The skinny Muesli brother rises slowly from his seat and leans forward.

"You picked the wrong night to piss us off sister," he growls.

Suddenly a man places his hand on my shoulder from behind. My heart shoots awake in fear from my drunkenness. My senses become clear again for the first time in hours. I swing my bag right across the man's face, stunning him!

This buys my legs enough time to make a dash through the club to the exit. A woman leaps up and tackles me from behind, however I manage to swing her into a table, tearing my jacket off simultaneously and much to the annoyance of the customers whose drinks end up smashed all over the floor.

"Sorry!" I exclaim to them.

The skinny brother appears again directly opposite me now with a gun pointed directly at my face and an evil smirk on his. All of a sudden a beer bottle is smashed across the back of his head, a full bottle at that. He sinks to the club floor and Novak emerges from behind him with a now broken bottle.

"Go!" He tells me.

I feel bad about getting him involved in this but I need to get out of here! I can't take on the mafia.

I sprint back up the stairs and burst through the doors back into the night. My drunken state doesn't really know how to navigate the empty streets of the town but after about half an hour of running I quickly find myself wading through a field. I come to a stop for a second to catch my breath, placing my palms on my knees, trying to contain my nausea. All that can be heard around me in the dead of night is the sounds of cicadas in the fields. Until slowly but surely, voices begin to pick up in the distance.

Sunday - 2am

I managed to follow the railroad back to the town and then I scampered my way to Morris's house. I clasp a flat rock in my hand and launch it at his wide, peacekeeper's window.

The young Peacekeeper's eyes look a mixture between tired, consumed, and annoyed when he comes out to meet me until he sees the state I'm in.

"Serenity… what have you done now?" He asks, glancing down at the bag of money around my shoulder.

Staying with him for some time is probably my best bet and maybe this will all blow over. I really hope Novak is ok…

Ricky James, 17

Eleven years ago

I sit in the back of class, burying my head in my book as the teacher rambles on about the "Great War" or whatever they call it. I've heard the lecture so many times throughout my time at school that I could probably recite it in my sleep, even if I don't understand it.

Despite finding the subject boring, I have a jump of anxiety when the teacher dismisses us for the day. I take my time packing up my belongings, letting the classroom clear out before I think it might be safe enough for me to leave. I can see my teacher glaring at me, probably wanting me to get out so she can return to her home as quickly as possible. I wish it were that simple.

By now, I'm hoping they would give up waiting for me. Maybe they assume I wasn't here today, or I snuck out with the crowd. Whichever it is, I hope and pray that they're not there.

As I walk through the hallway and reach the exit of the school, I can feel a glimmer of hope rising up through me that I'll make it through one day without them harassing me. But as soon as I reach the doors and feel the sun shining onto my skin, a force pushes me to the ground. The shock of the drop sends pain throughout my side.

"Ow." I say to myself, feeling my body clam up. I see the three of them standing over me, their bodies casting a shadow over mine.

"Did you think you could avoid us?" Veronica, the girl who pushed me, spits at me. I try to crawl away, but she places her foot on my ankle and pushes down hard enough to keep me in place. I try not to make a noise, I try not to show my weakness.

"Oh look at him, cowering away from you." Tammie says to her two sisters, laughing in unison. I avoid eye contact with Linda, as she I feel my blood start to boil, exhausted from the three of them doing this to me day after day, my pleas ignored by adults and told to "man up". I hate them. I hate everyone.

With a swift kick, I manage to get Veronica's foot off of my ankle. Before any of them know what's happening, I get up and sprint towards my home, leaving my backpack behind, not wanting it to slow me down. I hear them yelling as they pursue, but with a few quick turns and avoiding line of sight, I manage to lose them. Somehow, yet fortunately for me, they haven't figured out where we live.

I fly through the front door and slam it behind me. Safe within my own home, I find no tears forming, as they usually do. Instead, I feel nothing but anger. Hatred for the women that continue to harass me with no consequence. Hatred for the people that do nothing to stop it. Hatred for this damned country.

"Ricky?" I hear the soft voice of my mother before I see her head poke around the corner. Her eyes show concern. Without saying anything, I fall into her embrace. Surrounded by her loving embrace, I know everything will be okay.

Present Day

I stand in front of the cracked mirror that rests unsteadily on my wooden nightstand, adjusting the collar on my shirt in preparation for the reaping.

Although I find myself not too concerned with my own name being drawn from the bowl, I do find glee in knowing one unsuspecting female will be chosen. She'll be thrown into an arena she's not prepared for, and die within minutes, like they do every year. And every year, the District is better for it.

I run my hand over my dark hair, feeling satisfied with my outfit, and join my mother in the kitchen. Although she remains strong, I can tell this event worries her each year. My sweet mother, who deserves the world but the world refuses to provide. It must be the fate of the James family to suffer under the hands of others. First it was my father, dying without the District giving him a second chance, leaving his wife with a newborn son. Then it was my mother, raising that son while working what little jobs she can get as a woman. Then it was me.

"Don't worry. It's not good for you." I tell her to try and cheer her up. It works, if only slightly. I take her hand and together we make the walk from our little cottage into the square. As we walk, I try to ignore the second glances from some of the peasants we pass. Linda's rumor must have spread quicker than I thought. I scowl at a few of the bystanders, causing them to look away, afraid or embarrassed. I don't care which one.

We reach the square and I give my mother a tight embrace before joining the line to check in. The kids that line up behind me leave plenty of space between us. I ignore it.

The trend continues as I check in and join the group of other 17 year old boys in the district, carefully ensuring I'm as far away from the girl section as possible. Unfortunately for me, my favorite trio of the female breed are now too old to be reaped. Another thing this District has denied me of, watching them suffer on live television.

I ignore the escort as she steps onto stage and gives her speech, as she does every year, not bothering to give her a second of my attention that she doesn't deserve. I only start paying attention again when she pulls a name from the girl's bowl and sentences someone to death.

"Serenity Jasper!" I feel excitement coursing through me as I watch a tall, pale 16 year old girl makes her way onto the stage. With her long blonde hair and the stupid look she wears on her face, I find today to be my lucky day. Although she's not Veronica, she looks enough like her that I know I'll enjoy watching her die on television.

I can already see it now. The girl hopping off her plate after the 60 second timer rings, trying to run into the cornucopia to grab a weapon, and being skewered by a Career who has been training for this moment since he could walk. The thought is so distracting that I don't hear my name called until it's read out for the second time.

Annoyed, I find the crowd parting for me with ease as I make my way up to the stage. As I come face to face with this girl, I find myself hating her more than before. And in that moment, I decide, no matter what happens, Serenity Jasper will die at my hands.

Hi everyone we're back with District 9! We're really trying to get past these intros now. Also I wanted to say thank you for all of you that are reviewing, we really appreciate your engagement. From looking through the reviews I think I need to clarify something about Taliesin. He was not intended to be schizophrenic, the voice in his head was meant to be a metaphor for his subconscious talking to him. I should have made that more clear in his intro so sorry about that. Also the blog is now up! People on discord have had a sneak peak but its also on our profiles (if your not on the discord community I highly recommend joining, its a really nice atmosphere and everyone is very lovely). Lastly thank you to Paradigm of writing for Serenity (who was written by Nautics) and wiifan2002 for Ricky (who was written by Team Shadow). I should also preference this by saying that Ricky's character was created to be sexist, we don't endorse discrimination in any way. Sorry that was a long authors note but there was a lot to say!