District Nine's Auvita Farrow's POV:
Marcia couldn't whistle, it was one of the many things that made her a bad lookout as I snuck through the hops fields that carpeted my home sector in the grain District. I'd grown up around hops my whole life but only recently had discovered what a good earner stealing it would be. The other thing about Marcia was her bright red hair, it matched my own and made us a recognisable pair when the peacekeepers came looking.
Of course it was also what drew me to the miserable little ten year old about two years ago when up till then I was doing perfectly fine on my own. But there she was sitting on the steps of the community home weeping, I usually avoided that place where they traded you hard labour for barely edible food. But it had been my third day without eating and so I'd dragged myself down to the fields and harvested grain for the day before being passed a meal token for my work.
So there I was with my meal token in my pocket, ready for my crappy meal and I spotted her.
"Whats up orphan?" I cry as I come towards her.
"Don't *sniff* call *snillf* me that *sniff*" she sniffed.
"Why?" I say "You're sitting outside this dump crying so that must be what you are, what did they die of?"
"Mom died giving birth to me" she sobs "and Dad died last week, he hurt his leg at work and it never really got better. I don't have anyone else, my neighbours already have too many kids so they won't take me in, I haven't eaten in days and I'm so hungry and now they tell me I need a token or something to eat here." she begins to cry, great tears streaming down her face. This drew me to her even more, we had similar stories, my Mom had died trying to give me a baby brother and my Dad in an accident in the fields. I did something I had sworn I'd never do to anyone, I took pity on her.
"Take this" I say holding my token out to her "You earn one for working a day in the fields and they're good for a hot meal and a bed in a stinking dorm with a hundred other kids if you want it."
"Don't you need it?" she asks and I shrug in reply, her face lights up as I pass it to her and she wraps me in a bear hug "thank you so much .. urm?"
"Auvita, but call me Ari"
"Thank You Ari, I'll never forget this" she scarpers inside and with a little smile I follow her feeling the other token in my pocket, some peacekeepers can be really stupid you know, they don't watch their token pile that closely.
When I'd tried to lose Marcia that night she'd insisted on following me "the bigger kids scare me" she'd said "and it does stink in there, where do you usually sleep?"
"Wherever I can find a spot" I say ducking under a hedge that separates two of the fields "at the moment it's here" We shuffle into the small gap between the fences and I sit on my blanket looking at her.
"Can I stay?" she asks "Just one night I promise"
"Just one night" I told her "I don't need a hanger on to get in my way"
Of course it hadn't just been the one night, two years later and the two of us were still very much a team. In that time we'd met up with others who weren't big on the backbreaking labour in exchange for food system they had going here and had devised their own way of working things. Tonight that meant that Marcia and I were on collection duty while Grant waited back at the shed, probably napping like usual.
After I'd collected enough hops for the night I meet back with Marcia who was waiting up a nearby tree, she jumps down and joins me walking back to the shed.
"You got a good sized bushel there" she says as she takes half of it from me to carry, "we should get a good payout."
"Yeah if Grant keeps his half of the bargain" I reply "Last time he kept some of the money from Humber as a finder's fee"
"What did he find!" she exclaims "the bottom of his nose." She giggles "get it, coz he's always"
"Coz he's always picking his nose" I smile "Yes I get it Mouse" I ruffle her hair with my spare hand "Can't wait to get a bit of cash" I say "buy some bread or something, I'd love to buy some bread."
Marcia wrinkles her nose like she does when she's thinking "we had bread two nights ago" she says "and stop calling me mouse that was one time!" I smile, remembering when I decided on her nickname, the scream of fear she'd made when a little field mouse had run into our hidey-hole was so funny I just felt it needed remembering.
"I said buy bread stupid" I reply "haven't given the baker any money in a while have we mouse"
Marcia is about to protest her nickname again when we round the corner to see the shed, it's lit up and there's voices coming from inside, loud ones. I can see several silhouettes through the grimy window, one of them is defiantly Grant with his shaggy long hair. I'm about to go investigate when I hear the noise of a gun blast and spot the Grant shaped figure slump to the floor.
Marcia screams and I throw my hand over her mouth "dump the grain" I whisper as I see a man peer out of the door, he isn't a peacekeeper like I'd feared but a District man who I didn't recognise. "We have to go" I say as I grab Marcia's hand and begin to run from the shed, I knew where I needed to go now, but not where that actually was. Luckily I wasn't far from someone who did. We arrive at Teff's home half an hour later, sweaty and exhausted, she opens the door and lets us in "Grants dead" I say, before she's even closed the door behind us "some man shot him"
"Crap" she says "do you know who?" she looks panicked, which is an emotion I'd not seen in the usually calm older woman before.
"No, but he was kinda old, tall, tanned skin, greying hair"
"That sounds like Korn Jackson, He owns a couple of patches of land over by the railway. He's been threatening something like this for a while, says we've been poaching grain from his patch"
"Have we?" I gasp "have I?"
She shrugs "probably we get it from everywhere" she says "but to kill Grant, he's just a stupid kid."
"We need to tell Humber" I say "Do you know where he is?"
"Yea but don't go now, you two need some rest" She says, putting on that motherly voice she knew I hated.
"I'm thirsty" Marcia whispers "can I have some water please?"
"Sure thing hun" she smiles "Do you want one Auvita?" she steps towards the sink and pulls down two glasses.
"No" I reply, reluctantly letting go of Marcia's hand which I hadn't realised I was still holding "I need to know where Humber is. I need to tell him about Grant."
"He's out at the brewing shed out near the community home for a few days" she says "but please don't go tonight" but it's too late, I leave her house as quickly as I'd entered it.
"Wait here for me Marcia" I say, as I'm closing the door behind myself "You know I'll be back for you later"
"I know" my little sister promises and I run back into the night. It might not be the best of circumstances but if I can get this message to Humber tonight then he'll know I'm trustworthy and I may be able to get more from him in the future, then me and Marcia will be safe and protected and fed.
District Nine's Pleb Solvent's POV:
It was a week before the reaping and I dreamt about the fire again, I'm moving slowly through a large wheat field as I feel the heat approaching me. Breaking into a run I move towards the horizon where I can see a line of trees that must surely mark the end of this field. I move my feet as fast as possible, speeding towards the tree line doesn't help however as it just seems to stay unattainably far away from me.
"Pleb" the call of my name comes from inside my dream, I turn to its source while still running towards the trees. My Mother stands there reaching out towards me.
"Mom!" I call "Mom I'll save you" I cry.
"Find your brother and sister" she cries and I watch as the fire silently consumes her, once again she is pulled from me by the blaze.
I'm still running though now I'm looking for my siblings, I start to become aware that I'm dreaming but this just adds to my fear, what if I never wake up? What if I have to live it over and over again.
"Pleb" I see my brother Flax suddenly in front of me between myself and the trees.
"Run" I cry "Save yourself"
"Save your sister" he cries and in a moment he's gone, consumed by flames that disappear as fast as they came.
"Flax!" I scream, I fall to the ground and feel the flames closing in, this time I'll die too, I'll be consumed by the flames that haunt me.
"Pleb!" It's my sister this time, not her too, not this time, please no, why won't I wake up.
"Pleb wake up" my sister calls "Pleb, Pleb, Pleb!"
I jerk awake and sit up in my bed suddenly causing Pattie to jump back in fright "Pleb?" whispers my sister, you were having a bad dream weren't you.
I nod not really remember much except the fire that was chasing me, but it was a pretty good guess that I was reliving the fire that took my mother and brother from us.
"I couldn't save them again" I whisper to Pattie, not wanting to wake our father whom I could hear snoring across the room.
"You saved me" she tells me as the sun peeping through the curtain shines a cruel light on the stretched out burn scars that cover the top half of her left arm. "You ran into our burning farmhouse and pulled your two year old sister from the flames. You're a hero, my hero" she leans over and kisses my forehead "Please go back to sleep Pleb, it's still too early." A cockerel crows as if to prove her point and she tiptoes back over to her bed.
My twelve year old sister is right, it's too early to get up but as I close my eyes again images of flames flicker across my eyelids and I can't deal with my dreams again. I eventually decide to sit up and slide my feet from my bed. The floor creaks as I move towards the door of our one roomed shack on the edge of town but Pattie or Dad don't seem to notice as I head outside.
As usual the first thing I notice is the burnt out ruin of our old farmhouse, it sits over the other side of the field from the collection of shacks where we live with the families who used to work for my father. I wish they would tear that old ruin down though but Dad refuses, I think he still looks at it and believes we can rebuild from the ruins, we still own it unlike the fields that father had to sell to give us enough money to eat and build our new little home. They say he was robbed the men in the fields, that the landowner paid way less than what the fields were worth and that father in his grief was tricked.
I watch the sun rising over the fields and hear foot steps behind me, I recognise their sound and as suspected I spin around to see Quent walking towards me "You're up early" he says "want to get a few more hours in the fields?" he smirks.
"Yeah sure" I laugh, not asking him why he's up, unlike most normal folk Quent seemed quite happy to survive on about five hours of sleep a night which left him rather a lot of free time.
"I keep dreaming about fire" I admit still focussed on the ruins "I can't sleep"
"Come for a jog then" he suggests "clear your mind"
"Sure" I reply as we set off away from our homes and into the acres of grain that fills our district we keep running till we reach a fence. Not the fence that surrounds our district that I've never seen but a smaller one, one that separates our farm from the neighbouring one. As suspected on the other side of the fence stands Trish a wide grin on her face. Pulling aside a piece of the wire fence Quent pulls himself through and immediately starts to make out with his girlfriend.
"Oh come on" I say "I don't want to watch that"
Trish groans "Why did you come then Pleb" she almost snaps at me.
"Calm down" Quent says "I caught him staring at the ruin so thought some exercise would do him good."
"Sorry" Trish yawns, "It's just far too early for me"
"Don't worry about it" I say "Actually I was quite enjoying that run, I'll leave you two alone"
"You don't have to" Trish protests "stay a while"
I shake my head, "see you later Quent" I say as I set off around the edge of the fence taking the long route back.
The run does me a world of good and I arrive back home as Father is boiling some water to make a hot Barley drink he enjoys, Pattie still sleeps in the corner but she seems to be waking up herself too.
"You didn't go back to sleep" she says as she see me standing by the door.
"I couldn't" I reply.
"Dad pours some of his hot water into a jug "go wash yourself up before work" he says "I'll make us some porridge"
"Sure thing" I reply and Dad smiles as he passes me the jug, our eyes meet for a moment and I can see the sadness that remains deep within him. He too probably still dreams of the fire that haunts our lives and that I don't think we'll ever escape.
Head Gamemaker Otho Whites POV:
District Nine appears on my screen like a breath of fresh air after the dirt and grime of District Eight, though the people look no less clean and healthy here. Their escort Lush stands out like a golden statue in amongst the browns and greys of the people bellow her and for a moment I get a sense of pride about how by providing the games we bring the wonder of the capitol to their drab lives.
But there are more practical things to be getting on with of course like the reaping, Lush wastes no time in reaching into the female bowl and pulling out a tiny little slip of paper.
"Auvita Farrow" she cries and after a few moments of silence a scruffy looking kid emerges from the crowd. She has a hard look in her eyes, ripped clothes and doesn't appear to be wearing any shoes, but her red hair blows in the wind and I can picture her cleaning up very well. She betrays her confidence a little by wobbling as she reaches the final step but composes herself as Lush asks for volunteers. Silence.
"Boys then" she calls as she leaves Auvita alone, the young girl looks behind her to where Kasha Blackwood her mentor stands and the older girl smiles at her new tribute. I can see the fire in young Kasha's eyes though, after coming second last year I know she's after a victory this year, but I don't think this girl has it in her.
"Pleb Solvent" calls Lush. There is a female cry from the crowd as a tall young man steps towards the stage. He looks smarter than Auvita in a slightly too large white shirt and shiny black shoes. He's shaking however and despite his effort to look smart looks nothing like a victor to me.
The two tributes shake hands and are led away as the main feed cuts away, I turn to the cameras in the farewell rooms.
Auvita starts by talking to an older woman who I assume to be her mother for a moment until my pad updates with her data and tells me she's orphaned. A lady from the Community home then probably I assume. A young girl follows her in and cries for a while as they hug before they are separated. I assume there will be more visitors for the girl but nobody else comes.
In the boys room, I simultaneously watched him say farewell to family, a father and a sister and then to two friends. They all cried.
I yawn as I turn back to the main feed where District Ten is appearing, 'Almost there Otho' I think, and then the real fun can begin.
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A/N: Thanks to dakota77 for Pleb and PenMagic for Ari, hope you liked your tributes.
I'm wanting to submit tributes to some more stories so if you're writing one or know of any good ones (I like reliable people who finish their syot's best) then please send me a PM.
