Trigger warning:
Mentions of child abuse, and violence.
If sensitive skip second POV.
You're a rich girl, and you've gone too far
'Cause you know it don't matter anyway
You can rely on the old man's money
You can rely on the old man's money
It's a bitch girl but it's gone too far
'Cause you know it don't matter anyway
Say money but it won't get you too far,
Get you too far
Elodie Sash, 13
District 11 Female
"Mom, can you bring me something to eat?" I call from my bedroom. I'm a very hungry girl with lots of work to do, and I haven't time to make something myself. This book is too good.
"Elodie, I'm busy. No." says mother from the other room.
I almost laugh.
Furrowing my brow I look at the door with an amused expression. I turn over onto my back and let a high pitch scream erupt throughout the whole house. Mother runs into the room to see what's happened, and when she walks in and sees me on the bed I smile.
"Oh good," I say. "You're up. I'd like a turkey sandwich, please. Hold the tomato, light on the lettuce, heavy on the mayo." I say as I flip back over to my stomach and open the book back to where I last was.
"Elodie, I told you no." says mother from the door.
"And I told you I want a turkey sandwich!" I say glaring at her from my bed. "Had you not sent Merida home early we wouldn't be in this situation right now. Would we mother?"
"Fine, I'll make it for you in a second." she says.
"I'd prefer right now," I say back. "Cut the crust please," I say as I get up and close the door.
I hear mom shuffle down the stairs and walk towards the kitchen. I smile to myself for the battle was won, but the war is far from over. I've been trying to get mom to get Merida here as a live in for forever. It's the best of both worlds. I never have to do anything boring, like chores, again and Merida has a nice paying job and a wonderful house to live in.
Damn, it's easy being me.
A few minutes later mom knocks on the door holding a sandwich on white bread. I smile as I take the sandwich and close the door again and walk over to my bed. I open up the book, and it's just getting good. It's the part where the hero goes and takes on the villain to save the princesses life-
A knock at my door interrupts my thought process and I'm forced to get out of bed to open the door. Staring angrily at the door I open it to see my mother standing there again.
"Elodie, my boss is here, he needs you again."
"I would rather eat glass than listen to this man try to teach me what to do in the state of crisis."
"Elodie, he needs to appeal to the younger children.
"I'm sorry mother, but he isn't doing a very good job now is he?" I say very frustratedly. I don't get to read my book. This was the best part and I just was not wanting to have to listen to Mr. Eldape gripe on and on about how something can happen any minute.
Let's be real, if something awful did happen, I'd be one of the first saved anyway. Mom has one of those big fancy elected positions in the District, and because of that, she has the big bucks. Daddy is a huge professor that teaches seminars about how to make your life better or something so he rolls in the dough too.
"Sweetie, do you like the life mommy and daddy provide for you?" asks mom annoyed
"I'd like it better if I could get back to my book," I respond in the same annoyed tone. She rolls her eyes and looks at me pleading.
"Elodie, please, I really need you to bite the bullet on this one."
"Oh my gosh, fine!" I say as I throw my hands up in the air and walk towards the living room in a huffy anger. "Why must I always be the one to make the sacrifices?!" I whisper to my mother as we are walking the halls to get to the family room. "First it was Merida, now I have to talk to- Mr. Eldape!" I say with a smile as I walk into the living room. "Such a pleasure to see you again! And so soon." I say widening my eyes and giving my mother "the look".
"Yes, I wanted to run something by you, Ellie," he says happily. "I want the safety to appeal to all the ages."
"Yes, because nothing says appealing to a 13-year-old like making a successful fire drill happen!" I say with fake enthusiasm. Though he doesn't seem to notice at all.
"THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO!" says Mr. Eldape so excited. I roll my eyes as I sink back into the sofa. This is going to be a long afternoon.
But I'm only human
I bleed when I fall down
I'm only human
I crash and I break down
Danny Calison, 14
District 11 Male
I was born in the dark.
I've never believed in a happily ever after. Mostly because I've never seen happy. I was born into sadness, born into the brokenness of a drunk that got left behind for another woman, and born into never being able to live.
Denise wouldn't let that.
I call my mother by her real name, because, well, she isn't a very good mom. Since I was 9 the beatings happened. Dad got diagnosed with a severe brain cancer, and he didn't want his kids to see him go out like that. Him and my mom were never married, so he just left.
But he survived.
I've never understood how parents could just leave their family. Like I didn't come from him. Like he didn't sit with my mom as she was pregnant with me for so long, or he didn't see the day I was born. How someone can just take those emotions and leave is something that I'll never wish on anyone.
He knew what she was doing. He didn't care though. I was a stain upon his name. I was a piece of gum that was chewed up and spit out by my father. I never knew what it was like to be loved because him or my mother never allowed me to feel anything but anguish and pain.
But I won't let them get in my way anymore. My happiness is something that comes before everything now. I've planned tonight for years. Everything has to be completely correct for me to get away with this.
And I will get away with this.
All the lashes. All the beatings. All the times my mother looked me in the eye and hit me over and over again. Each time landing in a new spot. Maybe sometimes hitting a place that hasn't fully healed from the last time.
Tonight is the night for vindication. Tonight is my happily ever after.
Gripping the butter knife from the kitchen I walk through the hallway of my house. Denise normally blacks out around this time of night, and it's okay for me to leave my room. Denise sits slumped over on the couch. A pool of vomit lies on the side of her mouth as she snores loudly filling the whole house.
I walk over to her and slap her in the face hard. She looks up at my confused, and then hatred fills her eyes. "Barry! How dare you lay hands on me!"
"I'm not Barry, Denise," I say to her. "I'm your so called "son", Danny."
"Oh, it's you." she says angrily. "You want to act all crazy, let me show you where you get it from!" she says getting up and gripping the belt she beat me with earlier that night.
"Go to hell." I say as I take the knife and jump up stabbing her in the head. The knife, however, is dull and it only leaves a slash mark at the top of her head. Blood falls down her eyes as she falls to the side gripping her face. She's screaming, but the belt that she had was just sitting there on the floor.
There's poetic justice seeing the bully get bullied. As I pick the belt up and feel the power it provides in my hand, I flash back to all the times I was beaten, sometimes almost to death, and now I know how intoxicating this feeling can be.
I lift my arm and bring the belt down on Denise's stomach. She screams in pain as she lurches into the fetal position. I hit her a few more times, and then get on top of her and wrap the belt around her neck and tighten it.
"Why….are...you...doing..this?!" she says gasping for breath as blood is still falling from the wound on her brow.
"I wouldn't expect you to know, Denise." I say. "You never saw me. I was born in the dark." I say tightening the belt and delivering the last few moments of her life. I hope they are painful, and I hope it's as much of a struggle as she is letting on.
"Enjoy hell, "mommy"." I say as I watch the life fade from her eyes.
This is the happiest I can ever remember being.
I look at the clock and see that it is 3 in the morning. I take the corpse of Denise by the arms and drag her body to the outside and down a long street that leads to the alley. I make it to the dumpster and heave her inside and close the lid. Looking at the dumpster I smile.
"This is the start of a happily ever after," I say smiling and walking down the street back towards my home.
And don't you know, don't you know
That it's wrong to take what is given you
So far gone, on your own
You can get along if you try to be strong
But you'll never be strong
'Cause you're a rich girl
Elodie Sash, 13
District 11 Female
"I knew he was the killer!" I scream as everyone in the room looks at me crazy. "What have you never seen a girl get excited about a book?" I ask dismissively as I get up and walk out of the library with my face still in the book.
As I walk out of the library someone runs into me and makes me drop my book. "WOW!" I scream. "Would you like to watch where you're going, idiot!?" I say looking up and seeing the most beautiful human boy I have ever seen. "I mean, hey." I say with a smile.
"Oh dude!" says the boy. "My bad." he bends down and grabs the book off the ground and smiles at me. "Here you go, kid!"
Kid?!
I frown as he hands me back the book and then walks off to the library where he meets up with a girl that is a lot older than me. All the money a person can ask for and I still can't get a boyfriend.
I walk back to my house down the long road, and continue having my nose locked in the book. When I get to my front porch I walk inside and drop my book bag and jacket on the floor. I take off my shoes and socks as I walk and watch as Merida runs behind me to clean up.
"Your mother hired me full time, Ms. Elodie. I live here now."
"Well, I'm glad to know she's done something right!" I say as I walk upstairs and close the bedroom door. "Merida I want my food up in twenty minutes!" I scream from my bedroom. I flop down on my bed and smile as the detective in the story is so close to figuring out who the killer is. The author did a really good job in letting us see the kill as it happened, and then later revealed the relationship to the victim. If you were really reading though you would have seen the foreshadowing and subtle hints that they left. All great authors do that.
A few minutes later and Merida has brought up a grilled cheese and tomato soup for me to eat.
"Thank you, help," I say as she sets it down on my bed next to me as I have yet to look up from my book.
"Is there anything else I can do for, Ms. Elodie?"
"Give Pepperoni a bath," I say as I flip the page and pick up one slice of the grilled cheese and place it into my mouth.
"Yes, Ms. Elodie." she says as she leaves and closes the door.
I set my book down and look at the place that Merida was last standing. Am I being to rude to her? She is really always going out of her way for me, and she does have a good heart. Maybe I should stop bossing her around?
Who am I kidding? Where's the fun in that! Why else do you pay people to do things for you if not to be rude about it later?
A knock at my door gets my attention away from my conscious and back onto real life. Mom walks into the room and sits down on my bed.
"Honey, Merida is about to go on off time." says mom very soothingly.
"What the hell is off time? She's a servant. They can have off time when they're dead!"
"Honey, she needs a break. She'll be back on the clock when you wake up for breakfast tomorrow."
"Mom, you single handedly make my day and then ruin my life all at the same time. I hope you're pleased with yourself."
She frowns to herself and walks to my bedroom door. Before she's able to leave though I clear my throat and look at the plate and bowl of empty soup on my bed. She rolls her eyes as she comes over to my bed and picks it up and leaves the room with it.
"Good night, Elodie." says mom. "I love you."
"Yeah yeah. Good night. Tell Daddy I love him." I say as she looks sad and turns my light off.
I walk over to the closet and grab my pajamas out of the closet and nestle myself into bed. I don't bother to set my alarm because Merida always wakes me up anyways. I wrap myself in my blanket as if it is a cocoon and smile as I look up at my ceiling with all the glow in the dark stars on them.
"Good night, life." I say smiling. "I love you."
I'm only human
I'm only human
Just a little human
Danny Calison, 14
District 11 Male
The reapings are always a somber topic in our District. I never have seen anyone from District 11 make it significantly far in the games. So as I stand in this row of other 14-year-old boys they all look a little dazed and sad.
Nothing can bring me down today. Not even getting reaped...at least I don't think. I have done something that I never thought I would do in my life ever.
I woke up without Denise.
"Welcome citizens of District 11. It is I, the greatly revered and devilishly handsome, ALFONSO!" our escort says as he walks onto the stage.
"Someone kill me." says a boy next to me and everyone stifles a chuckle.
"Today we will get to meet the lucky little children that will be representing the District in a battle of great honor and courage, and most importantly, will provide FAME AND FORTUNE!" he says dramatically as he raises his hands up in the air. "Why is no one clapping at that? I worked on that all damn week!" he says as he stomps his foot angry.
"Let's just move on then." he says. "Let's find out who our lucky young girl will be." his voice is now in that dramatic announcer voice he had on at the beginning of the reapings.
He walks to the back of the stage and grabs a name from the bowl. He digs his hand slightly in the middle, but not really in the middle? He's doing something weird with his hand is what I'm trying to get at. He smiles as he finds the perfect name and brings it back to the front of the stage.
"The little girl that will be embarking on this daring and EXCITING journey...is….ELODIE SASH!"
A yelp breaks out from the younger girl section, and everyone in the audience melts in sorrow as a 13-year-old girl walks out of her line. "I KNEW IT WOULD BE A YOUNG GIRL!" screams Alfonso as he jumps up and down in excitement.
The girl arrives to the stage and looks like she'll wake up from a dream at any minute. Her face is slowly showing signs of crying, but she's doing very well at holding herself together as our escort basically cheers for her death. He holds the mic up to her face and she glares at him. "I'll literally shove that where the sun don't shine if you don't get out of my face."
He throws his hand up in a surrender looking fashion as he walks up to the boys bowl and digs his hand deep into the bowl. He comes back with a smile on his face as he looks at the envelope and then looks back at the audience.
"I would just like to thank you all for being here today." he says as he wipes a fake tear. "It mean sos much to me to be able to get support from all of my fans." he begins to open the envelope and then gets excited again.
"Please welcome to the stage, the daring, the crazy, the hopefully older than 13 so I have a chance at a victor, DANNY CALISON!"
My heart skips a beat as I realize he just said my name. The boys in front of my begin to separate and I take a deep breath and try to control myself. As I walk up to the stage my heartbeat begins to slow, and I realize that even under these circumstances...I'm still happy.
He holds the microphone up to my face and I take it in my hand.
"For even people who were born in the dark can always step into the light," I say boldly. "I will see you guys soon."
"DISTRICT 11 YOUR TRIBUTES! DANNY CALISON AND ELODIE SASH!...and ALFONSO!" he throws something from his pockets and smoke appears on the stage as he runs off and towards the justice building.
"What a cow." says Elodie as she walks slowly side by side with me.
I would first like to start off with gratitude. I have almost 300 reviews and I have yet to finish the reaping. The amount of dedication my readers have for this story is beyond me and it blows my mind. It means a lot to know people want to read your work.
I liked these two. I chopped this chapter out in about 45 minutes because they were so easy to write. Don't be so quick to judge by one scene though. Every character here is so good, and I wouldn't have accepted them without some chance of developement.
Keep it classy,
Caleb