Here's to sweet irony.
Jenna, we are now tied on Reapings
Here's to me beating you.
You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew
Dove Henderson, 12
District 10 Female
The earth makes sounds that are highlighted with vivid color. You look at the world around you and you see the white door of your closet, or the brown dresser right next to the opening of your room. But I see the color of a windy day, I see the sound of a baby's laugh, I see the sound of danger.
My name is Dove Henderson, and I have synesthesia.
It's a not so rare, but not some common, condition where you see the colors of the sounds you hear and the numbers and letters you see. My favorite number is 10 because it's pink, and my favorite sound to see is a baby's laugh because it's bright yellow.
It can be overwhelming at times, and more often than not, I catch myself looking at people whose sounds catch my interest with the color. The other day there was a lady that had a unique teal color to her voice. It was one of the prettiest shades I've ever seen. I said hello to her just to see it more times.
I know this sounds weird, but I almost look at this like my fail safe. It's a compass for safe passing. If someone has a red voice I typically stay away from them. The darker the hue of the red the more dangers I imagine them to be. I've never seen someone who is sweet have a red hue to their voice. It's always been, skeevy people.
District 10 isn't exactly the shining example of medical advances. For a long time, I thought there was something wrong with me. I thought that because my condition I was so weird, and when I read a book that was supposed to have black letters they came out in a rainbow font, or because when I was learning to add or subtract the numbers would always be a different color, I would cry endlessly trying to figure out why no one understood this but me.
It all changed one day a Capitolite came into my parents store.
My parents are exotic bird sellers. Hence, the name Dove. My brothers name is Eagle, and my younger sister's name is Canary. We're just a dashing bird family. Anyways, they sell exotic birds to the Capitol, they were also the people that drew up the idea of a Mockingjay for the Capitol. They never actually achieved the experiment, but we get money from that, so I suppose that's a step in the right direction, right?
Capitolites from all over would come to my parent's shop in hopes of getting the newest and coolest birds. Since traveling to the Districts wasn't an easy feat or a cheap one, there has always been food on the table for us because of the money these people have.
I was reading a book, one of the first books I ever read a matter of fact and was screaming about the rainbow colored font. A woman walked in and just so happened to overhear me, and from there explained to my parents that I'm not crazy.
I don't remember her name, or even remember her face, but somewhere out there in the Capitol, there is a woman with a green Parakeet named Banjo that I am forever grateful too.
Most people rely on sight or even verbal communication for their main sense, and in a way, I guess I use both of those, but I consider my hearing my best asset. If you want to know a judge of character, see the color they talk in.
Hating my condition isn't worth it anymore. Life is too short for worrying about things you can't control.
Instead of crying about the hand life dealt you, put on a poker face and see if you can bluff your way around it. My entire life I hated everything about myself. It took 11 years for me to realize that I have a gift that most people can't ever understand.
It's special.
I'm special.
It's nine in the afternoon
Your eyes are the size of the moon
You could cause you can so you do
Feeling so good, just the way that we do
It's nine in the afternoon
Kyle Timmons, 17
District 10 Male
This party is off the hook!
Everyone from the school is in this place and we are dancing the night away. I know these other richer Districts think that they have it going on, and they probably do in most aspects, but no other District can throw a party like District 10.
There's something about our spirit that just puts everyone in the mood to have a good time. Whether it be the moonshine we pass around like it's salvations water or the fact that the girls come out in daisy dukes when we throw these shenanigans, we just love to have a good time.
Tanya is next to me and has been staring at the guy over by one of the haystacks all night. Tanya, being my girlfriend, is the absolute love of my life. So much better than my last girlfriend Sheila, but I mean, Sheila was nice. In a total lost her marbles kind of way.
My friends don't think that Tanya is someone that I should be dating because she was caught in the janitor's closet of school with another boy. She said he was having a seizure and I believe her. However, my friends are less convinced and see her as a trollop.
I don't let people talk about my woman that way, though.
"Babes," says Tanya in her sweet voice. "I'm going to go...over there," she says as she walks over to the haystack where the guy is. He smiles at her and stands up as they walk out of the party. I wonder what that is about.
"KYLE!" screams my best friend Bill. "Your song is coming on!"
"Aw HELL YEA!" I scream as I run out into the middle of the dance floor.
I instantly have everyone form a dance circle, and as always, I am the first person in the middle dancing and throwing my body around. I get the crowd hyped enough that when I switch out with the next dancer they're ready to go without any hesitation.
After the song ends I turn around and still see that Tanya isn't back with that guy yet.
"Hey, Bill," I say as I see him there. "Have you seen Tanya?"
"Last I saw her she was with you?" he says as one of the girls at the party sits down on his lap. "As you can see my friend I'm a little busy here." He turns back to the girl and smiles at her. "Now where were we?"
I walk away from my friend and walk over to the haystack that Tanya was last seen at. I look around for her and that guy, but they are nowhere to be seen. I decide to walk out towards the field and see if they're there, but I get distracted by the size of the moon tonight.
"It's beautiful, ain't it?" I hear a voice from behind me.
I turn around and see a pretty blonde girl with a red flannel and daisy dukes on. She's rocking a mighty fine pair of boots too, I have to admit. The girl has swagger.
"Yeah, it sure is," I say as I look back up at the sky.
She comes and stands next to me and points up at the sky.
"That big spoon looking thing is the big dipper. It's one of my favorite constellations to go and look for. Rumor has it, that back in the dark days, people that were slaves would use it to guide them at night. I think it makes it that much cooler."
"My name is Kyle," I say holding out my hand.
"Claire." she says taking it with a smile.
"Pleasure mam."
I suddenly remember why I came out of the party in the first place, and also feel a smidge guilty about being alone with a girl that isn't Tanya. I begin to look around again and see a small glimmer of light in the forest that is outside of the fence.
"Excuse me," I say as I walk towards the fence and see the light grow stronger and stronger.
When I get to the forest edge I begin to hear noises that sound like kisses. When I walk further into the woods I see Tanya with the boy from the haystack. She has her top off, and the boy is down to his boxers. I clear my throat as I see them and she pulls apart instantly.
"Kyle!" she says. "This isn't what it looks like. He...uh...I was giving him mouth to mouth!"
"You lying horn dog," I say bluntly to her. "Tanya, you are a disgusting girl friend. A mighty fine looking woman, and a great kisser, I'm sure you can attest, right man?" I say with a wink and a nudge towards him. "But an awful person. I wish you two the best." I say as I exit the forest and back towards the fence.
"Kyle!" she says. "Don't leave."
I take her hand off of mine and jump the fence and walk back towards to where I met Claire. She was sitting down in the same spot we were sitting and still looking up at the moon.
"Back so soon?"
"Do you want to dance?" I ask her point blank.
She looks at me up and down and then smiles.
"Took you long enough to ask," she says sticking her hand out as I grab it, and help her up to her feet.
You can own the earth and still
All you own is earth until
You can paint with all the colors
Of the wind
Dove Henderson, 12
District 10 Female
Today is wilderness explorer day. Having such a vast amount of wildlife in District 10, it's so much fun to run around and see all the different sounds that can appear in the forest.
I don't have many friends in this District, but my one friend Ally is so interested in my condition. Wilderness explorer days are her favorite because she just gets to hear all the colors I see things in.
"Recap!" she says excitedly. "Cows are?"
"Black," I say
"Horses?"
"A weird yet very pretty auburn color." I say "But that is all we covered last time. Come on, I want to show you my favorite spot!"
It's only over the river and through the woods. You hope over some boulders and then boom. There you are. It's a tiny stream where a bunch of different fish is, and not that many predators to take them out. The fish do a little song when they communicate, though, and it makes the prettiest sound wave I've ever seen.
I forget that Ally isn'
T as familiar with this turf as I am. So when I hop over everything in the area with ease it takes her a minute to figure out where to get her footing.
"Wait, Dove!" she says patiently as she climbs over the last boulders.
She runs over to me as I sit down on the mushy grass. The stream is flowing very quickly and the fish are singing such a beautifully decorated song today. She sits next to me as I stare at the water in awe.
"What does it look like?" she asks me.
"Well, they all have different pitches," I say. "Each of the different pitches makes a different sound, and they all blend together really nicely."
I point to the fish that is farthest away from me and smile. "That fish has a dark purple hue that comes out when it makes the noise." I point to the one that is closest to us, "That one has a tan looking color that's fun to see the blend with the others."
I move down the line quickly describing what the different fish are and what they do.
"Dove, you're so lucky," she says. "I can draw, but I can only imagine what you see. Every time I try and draw though I get stuck on what you could potentially see and then just freeze."
"Well, it's just color." I say.
"It's easy for you to say." she says joking.
"Hey, Ally." I say
"Yes?"
"I know that it's not easy being my friend," I say. "I know people make fun of you as much as they make fun of me because of it. I just want to say thanks. Because you really make living in this District worth it."
"Thanks, Dove," she says smiling. "You do too."
We sit there and I lie down in the grass and look up at the sky. Sometimes, if the fish are loud enough, the soundwaves dance through the sky. Today is one of those days as I watch the soundwaves dance I see Ally has gotten her sketch book out and has begun to draw.
I stay still and let her finish the sketch as she continues to draw. 30 minutes later she clears her throat and I know she's done.
I sit up and look at the drawing she made. It's me lying in the grass and watching the soundwaves dance around me from the stream. It's not exactly as I see it, but it's surely close.
"That's amazing, Ally!"
She smiles and flips to the next page and starts to draw a really accurate picture of the fish. Ally will certainly have a career as an artist when she's older.
"Promise me that even when we are old with families we will still take days like this to just relax," says Ally
"I promise," I say back.
Back to the streets where we began
Feeling as good as lovers can you know
We're feeling so good
Making up things we shouldn't read
Feels like the end of history as we know
It's just the end of the world
Kyle Timmons, 17
District 10 Male
Claire and I fell asleep in the field.
Not too worried about my parent's opinions of the matter. They're used to me staying out all night, but I am concerned about how I looked to everyone else if I didn't come back into the party after Claire and I left after the dance.
It was nice to just lie there and be. There was no pressure, there was no physical pressure, just two people making a genuine connection. It was nice.
"Reapings are today," she says as she stretches and stands up from the ground. "You nervous?"
"Naw, there's so many people in that bowl. What are the odds right?"
"May they be ever in your favor," she says with a wink. "I had a great time last night."
"Me too," I say with a smile.
We walk to the square and we get in line for the reaping. We get our finger pricked and walk to our designated areas for our reaping zone. She walks to the eighteen-year-old section, and I quietly do a "yes" under my breath because I pulled an older woman.
"Hello District 10!" screams the escort into the microphone. "I'm so excited to be here today! Let's get started shall we?" She walks back to the female bowl and pulls a name out of the direct middle and walks back to the microphone.
"The female that will be representing the District of 10 is...Dove Henderson!"
The audience sighs as twelve year old walk up to the stage. She whispers something to herself, and when the escort puts their microphone to her mouth we hear, "I saw red when you spoke. I knew it."
"Okay, moving on!" says the escort cheery.
She walks back to the male section and pulls a boys name out of the middle of the bowl also. Walking back to the front of the stage she opens up the envelope and reads "Kyle Timmons".
My heart drops as the moment my name escapes her lips the world starts to go black. The world turns and with a loud thud, I fall backward.
"Kyle?" ask the escort.
Well, there you have it. These two were fun! Very original tributes IMO, and I know Dove got a little condition heavy, but I promise I just needed the grounds for it all for the rest of her development.
Speaking of Dove, Readers Castellan wrote a story called "The Resurrection Games: Dove's Tale". It's a reboot of one of my tributes who died in the 70th games Glass Glade and Reader rewrote Dove as a Victor. It's just really pleasing to my eyes. So go read! She's also writing one for Dante in the same story
Opinions? Predictions.
Keep it classy,
Caleb