District 11
Seia Loom, 14
Five years ago
I run through the gardens, my woven basket strapped across my back, past my father and brother as they bend down in the grass. My father yells at me to stop running, a hint of anxiety in his voice that I wouldn't understand until later. My brother, Altor, ignores my antics as he continues with his work. We've never gotten along, both of us bringing out the worst in each other. Although we've stood up for each other numerous times when others try to bring us down, it doesn't change how we see each other. He thinks I draw too much attention to myself, such as right now, and I think he needs to learn to think with his brain instead of his heart.
I don't slow down until I reach my first tree. I scurry up the side of it, feeling the breeze lift my black curls off the back of my neck as I near the top. I examine the first apple I come across, checking it for any holes, and double checking it's ripe before picking it from its leaves and placing it in my basket. I do this meticulously, one after another after another. I come across a few that seem to have become the home to some worms, and drop them on the ground. Once all that's left is unripe apples, I climb down from the tree and move onto the next one.
As I reach the next one, I hear my name called. I turn to face Jacaranda, a wide smile plastered across her face and a full basket of oranges in her arms.
"Jacaranda! Hey." I jog over to her and hug her gently, careful not to damage any of the fruit.
"Hey Seia. Did you just get here?" She brushes a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Over her shoulder, I see a peacekeeper glance over our way. Even with a helmet covering his face, I know it's not a pleasant look he's giving us.
"Yeah, I did. I should finish soon, before I get in trouble. But I'll meet up with you after?" Jacaranda nods. With a small wave, she walks away from me and towards the front of the farm, most likely to deliver her harvest.
I breathe and jog back to the apple tree. I don't have to climb up far before I reach the first ripe apple. Just as I go to pick it, a large gunshot makes me nearly jump out of the trees.
I peer through the leaves towards the direction of the sound. A group of peacekeepers stand in a circle, looking down at something that I can't make out through their bodies. Keeping their distance, workers have also begun to huddle up, seemingly fearful of whatever's happened. I see my brother and father looking around frantically for something. My brother points towards the apple trees and I realize what, or who, they're looking for.
Even though I'm not done, I climb down the tree and set my basket down against the trunk. I keep low as I get closer to the commotion, avoiding the eyes of my brother and father. As I get closer and closer to the cluster of peacekeepers, I start to hear mumbles from the people around me.
"She had one in her pocket-"
"I can't believe, the poor girl-"
"They're murderers-"
My thoughts become jumbled together as I see the body. I see her hand first, extended out. I see her face next, and I gasp. It causes a peacekeeper to turn around.
"Get out of here!" He yells at me. By now, my brother has spotted me and runs at me. He grabs me, positioning his body between mine and the peacekeeper.
"Of course. Let's go." He drags me off, keeping himself positioned so I can't see anymore. I don't fight him. He doesn't know that I saw it all.
I saw a hole through Jacaranda's chest, her still body staining the brown dirt with red. I saw the orange laying a few feet away from her hand.
That's all it took for my world to fall apart.
Present Day
My mom and I walk side by side along the small little dirt path that loops around our neighborhood. The sun shines down on us, almost mockingly. Our one day off a year of slaving away in the fields, and it's the nicest day of the year. It must be an apology for the downfall we had yesterday. It's like saying, "Hey Seia, sorry for not being there for you when you almost slipped and fell out of the tree. Hope you'll forgive me." Apology not accepted, sun.
My mother and I don't talk, and that's how we both like it. I usually take these walks alone, wanting to clear my head, but today my mother insisted she join me since we never get to spend real time together. She's right about that. What she doesn't know is that I secretly love her company. She gives me a sense of security, if not a temporary one.
Ever since I watched my friend get murdered for a mistake, I've been so scared. Scared of the same thing happening to me, or one of my family members. That fear quickly manifested itself into hatred. We're all being played like pawns, played by the Capitol to serve. The illusion that it'll get better if we do what they want, that's gone for me. But most, if not all those in my district still believe it. Even my own family. It's so frustrating. It'll never change, why can't they see that?
First it was Jacaranda. A few months later, it was Henry, an old man who had been working in those gardens longer than any of the peacekeepers had. Then it was Freya, a woman who had just given birth to her fourth child. I stopped learning names after her.
My mother and I arrive back at our house, although it can barely be called that. The two bedrooms barely fit the four of us, and the one bathroom definitely doesn't. I keep thinking Altor will finally have it with me and move out on his own, but that hasn't happened yet.
"Go get dressed. We'll all walk to the square together." I nod and leave her outside as I slip into the house and slip into Altor and I's shared room. He's laying on his bed when I walk in, flipping through some old newspaper. I ignore him as I walk to the dresser and pull out a yellow dress that has been around for who knows how long. It's faded yellow color used to be as bright as the color of a lemon, but its brightness is gone. Like my own.
I take it and go into the bathroom to quickly change. The collar feels tight around my neck, the sweat from our walk not exactly helping. But it'll do.
Despite my instinct to leave on my own, I oblige by my mother's request and wait for all of them to be ready. No one says anything as we walk, which is fine by me. It's my brother's last reaping, so I know my parents are more concerned for him. I know both of our odds are low, neither of us have taken out tesserae, but a slim chance is worse than no chance.
I don't let it bother me. The reapings are yet again just another game, a game that can't be won. If you get reaped, if you don't, it doesn't matter. You don't come out better either way. The only winner is the Capitol. That's how it is and how it's always been.
As we check in and section off, I see the fearful faces on the girls staggered around me. I don't understand how they don't get it. Until you let it go, you're feeding the Capitol's power.
Whatever. I've given up trying to help those around me. It just pushes them further away from me. It's no wonder I don't have any friends I can rely on anymore.
I close my eyes and let the reaping proceed without paying much mind to whatever's happening on the stage. This is how I stay until I hear my name come out of the escort's name. After I hear those words, my eyes shoot open. Shock overtakes me and I find myself unable to move my eyes away from the ground. My fists clench as does my jaw. With no other choice, I make my way up to the stage.
You've got to be kidding me.
Harrison Jones, 17
Day of the reaping's
I dance around my brother's jab to my face, parrying his fist simultaneously and continue to step around my opponent in our outside gym, always keeping on my toes.
"Not bad Harry," he smirks.
He knows I hate it when he calls me that.
I can feel my sweat begin to drip down my shirtless torso under the morning sun as we exchange blows with each other.
"You know, when I'm mayor, I'm gonna make this compulsory for every kid in District 11," I mentioned, wiping the drip from my forehead.
My older brother's face slowly turns to amusement at my words.
"How many times I gotta tell you bro? You're not smart enough to become mayor," he scoffs.
My brother has always been good at mathematics and science which is why he wrongly considers himself intellectually superior to me. I feel my temper begin to bubble inside my veins, causing me to leap forward and seize him with an underarm hold kind of in a half head lock. Now that he's taken off, guard I manage to sweep his left leg with my right by swinging it backwards, in a move that in the original language was called an Uchi Mata I believe. Now that we're both in a position where we're hopping on one leg, I use the remainder of my fury to reach down and take out his remaining leg with an ankle pick. He is instantly swept to the ground with me now above him, my fist raised, curled up so tightly in anger that it almost hurts. However, I am able to contain myself, I saw my temper getting out of control so I controlled it. I take a deep breath and calm my mind.
My fist turns into an open hand, a hand to welcome him back to his feet and he gratefully accepts it. I can't believe he still looks down at me like this. I need to take a shower to remove my sweat along with my stress. Stress is never good for a politician, it's something you have to learn to control along with your temper. As the hot water runs down my body I feel my stress and anger get alleviated with it almost immediately. When I am finished I dry myself off with a towel and find a bright yellow shirt, dress pants and shoes that my mum left for me to put on for the reapings on my bed. After I've finished getting dressed, I inspect myself in the mirror.
"Now that's something a mayor could wear," I mumble to myself.
Next, I slowly head downstairs again to re-join my family. My mom gives me a quick, almost formulaic hug, wishing me luck for the day, her curly hair briefly brushing against my chin.
"Harrison," I hear my father's voice call in.
His tall frame appears in the door frame to the kitchen, his liquid teal blue eyes that match mine are glaring at me.
"Uh uh," I reply, with a slightly dismissive tone
"You're helping me on the fields later after the reaping, remember?"
I turn to him, preparing myself for a confrontation, which causes my heart to begin racing a little; however, I manage to get the stress under control again. As a politician, I will need to stay calm in confrontations after all.
"Sorry, I've got reading later," I say sternly.
"Like hell you have," He growls.
"Where's reading ever gonna get you huh? Farming is all us Jones are made for, you need to give up this pointless dream."
"Keep telling yourself that," I reply smugly.
I turn my back on my family and begin putting my shoes on.
I am quick to dismiss his comments in my head and decide to go to the reaping with my friend Vera. She is pretty decent company but the main reason I'm doing it is to escape my current family drama. They will never be able to comprehend the power of my political genius.
"See you at the reaping's," I say to grandma Jones, my great grandma. She's the only one that really has any faith in me.
My hand tightens around the doorknob and I swing it open as fast as possible. Then I head out into the blissful District 11 sunshine. Vera lives only a couple of streets down from me so it is a quick walk to her place. Still, everywhere I go I could see improvement even in this short walk. Nothing is ever perfect but through my influence I could make District 11 on the same level as one of the career districts or District 3.
Vera is waiting for me outside her house, perched on a wall. Her striking green eyes are already observing me with her usual lustful smile, I only send her a condescending smile hidden as something pleasant in return. I've given her enough non verbal clues in the past that I don't return the feelings she clearly has for me but she never seems to get it.
"You always look dashing when you dress smart," she greets. "Yellow suits you," she continues.
"They say a good leader should have something to be recognised by. For me it could be bright yellow," I chuckle.
As we stroll towards the reaping square our conversation turns quickly to politics.
"So what would you do that's so different to our current mayor," she asks me, half playfully. She knows about my dreams to become the mayor but like my family she doesn't take it that seriously.
However I take all questions regarding my premiership seriously.
"Firstly, I'd make a big move to increase production in order to get ahead. That way I can increase taxes and spend it on improving our district. I would even push to build an academy for the next generation."
Her eyes light up with slight shock, she has always been strictly against anything to do with the awful culture of the Capitols inhumane hunger games after all and we've all known about the career academies for some time now.
"You want us to be an active part in their crimes against humanity?"
I shake my head.
"You misunderstand. I just wanna give our children a fighting chance."
She just shrugs.
"Rebellion is growing again all throughout the districts. The current regime doesn't have long and everyone knows it. I'd rather throw my cards in with them."
I stop and turn to her.
"Vera, you know there are ways to end the regime peacefully. Those people you're putting your faith in are just corruptible human's like the Capitol, there's no reason to trust them anymore than the people you're against," I affirm, in the best politician's voice I can muster.
She raises her eyebrows in a kind of mocking way.
"So we shouldn't trust things that's created by humans? So logic is not created by human's?" she questions.
"Logic is human made, yes…" I reply.
"So we shouldn't trust it?" She continues.
"No…that's not what…"
We both begin chuckling awkwardly.
"Ok maybe you got me there," I admit.
We stare ahead at the people gathering around the reaping square. Here we go again…
Cant believe we're almost at the end of the intros! Just District 12 to go! In this chapter. In this chapter Seia was written by Team shadow and submitted by Loveableheart and Harrison was written by Nautics and submitted by Paradigm of Writing! Thank you both so much for these two hope we wrote them how you Imagained!