So last week Corky outsmarted his Pets parental unit and taught poor Buttercup a lesson. We also learned of the restrictions making life for the Residents harder, and not just the Seam. Even Madge was feeling it...
Thank you for the encouragement, the funny comments, and the reviews. Special thanks to my friend whose birthday is today Norbertsmom. I do not own the Hunger Games
The cold was unrelenting and the snow hadn't stopped. Everywhere in the district people looked forlorn. The bleak exterior matched Madge's interior. The restrictions were horrible. The businesses were suffering, people of the Seam were hungry because of the restricted time frame to purchase goods, and every day someone new felt the fury of the Peacekeepers and Capitol. Whippings increased. Infractions tripled due to rules set by the whims of the Peacekeeper in charge of the unit. The prime directive seemed to be to install fear and to kill the spirit of District Twelve.
The white uniform of the Peacekeepers was now synonymous with suffering and terror. The only time the residents got any amount of peace was when the snowfall was so bad the Peacekeepers had to stay within the Garrison for safety.
The restrictions didn't allow people to leave their homes after four in the afternoon. The only industry that didn't stop was mining. The quotas for coal increased as the weather worsened. Peacekeepers were sent to collect the miners to ensure they made it to their shifts. They were herded like cattle across the district.
Everyone suffered and it was visible on their faces and the way their shoulders sloped and in the way their belts tightened due to hunger. The demand for tesserae was high. Madge had seen even the most stout of Merchants send their children to collect.
She sighed aloud and closed her book. Not even the words of William Shakespeare soothed her soul. Her pale blue eyes scanned outside her window. A light snow was falling and the window was starting to frost over. Madge was restless. She pulled her blanket closer to her shoulders.
Madge hated her new reality and the desperation, the isolation, the constant cold and darkness that winter brought. Since the Hob, there hadn't been any school either. There was no way for her to communicate with the other rebels. Her father restricted her from leaving the house with no explanation. Darius told her that it was best for her to stay inside since things in the district were so dangerous. Madge was so frustrated. She wished to get into an altercation with the Peacekeepers. She wanted to punch or bite someone or scratch one of their eyes out.
She understood violence begat violence, but it was apparent the only way to stop the Capitol was to repay their restrictions with brute force.
The inability to do something caused her to feel paralyzed once more. The door opened and she didn't even bother to glance over who was entering.
"How's the book?" Darius asked.
Madge didn't reply. Truthfully, she was upset at Darius and her father for not allowing her to leave the house. She'd become snippy and was giving them both the silent treatment with the occasional slammed door whenever they found her trying to sneak out.
"Come on, let's take a walk."
"Oh what a privilege. You're letting me go outside."
Darius didn't comment, all he did was hold up her coat and boots. Madge grabbed them. Honestly, she needed the walk outside. The house was starting to close in on her. She needed the fresh air.
Darius slipped on his coat, hat, and gloves. Together they made their way outside. The frigid air burned her cheeks, but Madge was glad for the feeling. She adjusted her scarf. They walked side-by-side, not saying anything until they reached the edge of the property. There was a small path that led to the Seam. The house employed many workers including some from the Seam who used the path every day.
It looked like an enchanting winter wonderland. Snow frosted trees lined the road. It looked innocent. Nonetheless, from watching the Hunger Games she knew the Capitol had the ability to put cameras in trees. Though with the snow and the harsh temperatures some of the devices might become damaged. Still, she didn't want to take a chance. Madge moved away from the trees to an open space. She stood rubbing her hands. So many things weighed on her mind.
"My naked weapon is out. Quarrel, I will back thee," Darius quoted Romeo and Juliet when Samson and Gregory instigate a fight with a Montague. Darius pretended to draw a sword and lifted his hand up above his head. He swished the pretend sword around. His breath came out in big fluffy puffs.
His actions caused a small smile to play on Madge's lips. Darius knew how much she loved the book.
"We have no quarrel, and I no weapon," Madge said, trying to imitate the way Shakespeare wrote.
"Alas, but you do have a quarrel. You have rebellion on your shoulders."
His mention of the rebellion reminded Madge of her stalled efforts. "How can we have a rebellion if we can't even move around the district." Madge moderated her voice so as not to yell. "I can't even get out if the house!"
She walked off and found one of the exterior metal benches. Brushing off the snow, she sat down.
Darius calmly approached and haunched before her just like he did whenever he was addressing his child. "Your father is working on lifting the restrictions."
Hearing this marveled her and hope stole into her bones once again.
Darius sat next to Madge. "Your father's not a bad man. He is just in a tough position and he does the best he can. He loathes the restrictions just as much as you do, and is working hard to find a way to lift them."
"How is he going to accomplish this? The Capitol is not a forgiving place."
"You're right the Capitol is not a place where forgiveness is doled out. But it is a place of greed and your father is using that to help him. Merchants have to pay taxes to stay in their business and the taxes are due soon. If none of the merchants have enough money to pay their taxes, the Capitol will not get their income."
"Do you think it will work?"
"Yes, I do expect it will work. The Capitol feeds off of several things. The main being The Hunger Games, followed by the excess of material possessions, and money. But they wouldn't have any of these without power. The power the President has over everything and everyone drives the entire system...it drives all of Panem."
As he spoke, it dawned on Madge that the system wasn't really that strong if it resided in the arms of one person. It reminded her of a hive that they once had in their backyard. The exterminator told her that if the queen was killed, the hive collapsed. If any of those things Darius had mentioned were off kilter then the balance of power could easily be tipped. Madge turned her attention back to Darius who was still speaking.
"Your father understands this and he has to walk a fine line. Many Mayors don't last very long in their positions. I've seen it happen in my own district. If they don't conform to the Capitol, they face harsh consequences. Your dad doesn't want anything to happen to you or your mom."
Madge had never thought of it that way, that her father was trying to appease the Capitol to keep them safe. She always thought that he was a Capitol man in full support of everything President Snow commanded.
"It's just, I know of the whippings, the beatings, and the imprisonment in the stocks, and I know my father doesn't do anything to stop the Peacekeepers."
"I know that you're mad at your dad, at me, and at the system, but you can't show it," Darius said.
"What do you mean I can't show it?" Madge pouted.
Darius sighed before speaking, "When I was a Peacekeeper I had to hide what I really felt because I knew we were being observed. When I first arrived at District Twelve I was scared because Peacekeepers have very strict rules to live by and if you broke them you could be executed. Living here gave me a sense of security, but still, in the back of my mind, I knew the Capitol was always watching. It wasn't until I was released as a Peacekeeper then I was able to show more of myself."
Madge found this interesting. She had no idea what his life was like when he was a Peacekeeper. She knew that as one he was amiable with all of the district residents, but Darius always upheld the law.
"Today, with all of this chaos, I know I'm being watched. You know yourself the house is bugged. The way the Hob was incinerated and those people treated is an indication that we are all being closely monitored."
"So you think someone is spying on us?"
"Honestly, understanding how the Capitol works, there might be more than one informant."
"So what do we do?"
"We do what Shakespeare said, be the model players on the stage we have been given. I'm going to have to be a devoted employee and loyal to President Snow and the Capitol. And you have to be the dutiful daughter, the quintessential teenager."
What Darius told her made sense and it caused her to change her attitude. She knew were being watched, she'd found a few listening devices in the living room. She had to act like a normal teenager and that was something hard for her to do because she wasn't very social.
Her best friend's reaction to everything was a scowl. Katniss was a hunter and during the summertime, she always had blood stains on her clothes. Katniss was awesome, but she didn't exactly scream 'come have a conversation with me.' Amongst the people she knew, the only one who could be considered social was Peeta, but they didn't sit with him. Madge didn't sit at a table with popular people. Nonetheless, she had to make an effort and if she had to act flirtatious in order to confuse and befuddled the Peacekeepers and the Capitol, she was going to do her part.
"Let's go inside, it's freezing," Darius suggested.
They were making their way around to the front entrance when they saw a group of people leaving the mansion through the kitchen.
"Guess I have to start flirting with Gale," Madge muttered.
"Gale Hawthorne, I think he's off the market," Darius said.
"Please," Madge said. He was the only person she could flirt with and it wouldn't be considered wrong because of his reputation. He was known as a ladies man. He had lovers across the district.
"No seriously, I think he's into Delly Cartwright," Darius said.
His words were heard by Jackson who was walking out with his cousin Carlton. They were delivering supplies. With the restrictions normally all three boys split up to make deliveries, however, the delivery for the Mayors Mansion was so big two of the boys were needed. They had obtained a special permission for this and the boys carried the permit with them just in case they were stopped by the Peacekeepers.
"Ugh! Why does Gale have to be so cute?" Madge bemoaned as she walked inside.
Jackson narrowed his eyes as he walked out. Carlton put his hand on his shoulder as they headed toward town.
"You gotta calm down," Carlton said.
His cousin's words helped Jackson regain his composure. They walked from the Mayor's Mansion past the tree that stood in front of the large house. The cold helped cool him down. Last week, as he and Carlton made deliveries, he had overheard at least four girls gushing over Gale Hawthorne.
It rankled him to know that even though he had the wealthiest business in town, he didn't have girls chasing him. Yet the son of a dead Miner had women panting all over town. It wasn't fair and the more he thought about it the angrier he got.
They were crossing beyond the border of the homes to the main street where all the businesses were located. Today was the day the people of the Seam were allowed to come into town.
He spotted Gale by the shoe shop. His brothers were walking around the back. Carlton grabbed Jackson and shoved him down the alleyway that was around the corner of their store.
"Jackson you got to get over this. I know its hard but, really I don't think anything is going on."
Jackson glanced at his cousin darkly.
"It's not as bad as it looks."
"Oh really," Jackson questioned. Gale Hawthorne was loitering outside of the Cartwright's.
"Well for one, he is standing outside of the shop and his brothers are going around the back corner. He could have gone to the back to see her. Two, you know his brothers are good friends with her brother. They protect him when they go to school."
What his cousin said was correct. Gale was standing outside instead of going around the back into the living quarters. Also, Andy was always protected by the two younger Hawthornes. They never left his side and it was hard for his crew to do anything.
"So."
Jackson mulled over what he wanted to say. He hated Gale Hawthorne and guys like him who thought it was okay to cross boundaries. There was a reason the Seam and the Merchants were separated. "Hawthorne gets all of our girls to like him, the Mayor's daughter and-"
"Delly," Carlton supplied. "The girl you've liked since you were a kid.
What Carlton said was a half-truth as a kid he was friends with Delly. She was a sweet girl and he liked her because Peeta shared his sweet snacks with her and she shared it with him. However, as he grew up he realized Delly wasn't in his same class of people. It wasn't until Gale began to hang out with Delly that he discovered her value.
"Amongst others," Jackson kicked a mound of snow.
"Those other girls don't mean much to him. Besides Katniss is his girlfriend, not someone I'd cross."
"Katniss is his girl but…"
"But?" Carlton raised an eyebrow looking for an explanation.
Jackson breathed out a deep breath. "What if he convinces Delly to leave with him? It's happened before."
Everyone in town knew the story of Katniss Everdeen's parents. Her mother was swept away by the singing miner. Her mother was supposed to marry the baker, yet she left everything for someone from the Seam.
"I personally don't get why you're so hung up on Delly Cartwright. She's not exactly a beauty queen, but if that's the girl you want, I'm not going to get in your way."
Delly Cartwright had the business in town that could potentially make money. He wanted something of his own, something not connected to his family. Her father fixed the Peacekeeper's boots first. It was a steady income.
"I just don't know how to convince her."
"There's a way around that," Carlton said.
"Someone from the Seam shouldn't be able to have access to our women," Jackson complained.
Neither of them realized their private conversation was overheard by the shadow lurking in the corner.
The Citizen also agreed that there shouldn't be mixing between the residents. Though presently there were more pressing issues. There were rumblings of discontent, and discontent brought about rebellion.
It was the Citizen's job to find out the root of this anger toward the Capitol.
The Citizen slowly moved away.
Jackson was leaving with Carlton when he saw the shadow slinking away. This wasn't the first time he had seen the shadow. He made a mental note to himself to find out who was listening in on his conversations. For now he had to concentrate on getting Delly away from Gale's grasp.