Frozen Warnings by Nico

Frozen warnings close to mine
Close to the frozen borderline

Pre-Reapings Part Eight

Venice Durante, 18, District Four

I gasp as I am suddenly awoken by the sound of something falling beside me. I sit up, startled, and just as suddenly a smile spreads across my face when I see the very book I was reading has fallen out of my hands and onto the floor.

I get up and frown, retrieving the book from the floor to see that I have lost my spot yet again. I lean up against a nearby bookshelf as I pick through the pages to try and have a guess at where I left off. The last thing I remember, a delivery runner had arrived at the house and Mr. Jackson had been just about to open the door...

Ah, I smile as I find the page and fold the corner of it back before closing it again. There is only a few more chapters left, but as eager as I am to finish the read I know that I have already spent far too much time in the story and far too little time actually taking care of the library. I blush at the thought of my father coming in and seeing me, asleep in the corner with a book in my hand, as if I had never grown up at all.

It's true that I probably haven't, not that I would very much like for him to see that. I am far more responsible than I used to be, but that isn't to say I still don't love to lose myself in a book for an afternoon. My father used to say that I caught the fantasy bug as soon as I first stepped foot in the library, and I suppose he would be right. I have loved reading for as long as I can remember. Everything from a nice, faraway fantasy novel with knights and kings to a history book that many would claim was far more fantasy than anything I read about dragons.

"Um, excuse me?" The voice behind me makes me jump and I spin around to see a young boy with a bored-looking expression and a messily written note in one hand.

"I'm so sorry," I blush. "What can I help you with?"

"I need to find something about," he begins, glancing down at the sheet of paper in his hand. "Photosenses. It's for school."

"Photosynthesis?" I try, holding back a laugh but unable to keep the smile off of my face.

"Sure, whatever," he rolls his eyes, seeming if possible even more eager to leave the library. "Do you have anything on that?"

"Of course, follow me." I lead him up to the rather small section that we have on science-related topics. Truth be told, it is the smallest subject area that we have books on even though it has always been an area that I found passion in. I've read every book we have about the topic at least twice, probably more if the book had any sort of grounds or applications that I could relate to.

I scan the titles for a few seconds before pulling a small book on plant life off of the shelf and handing it to the boy. There is another, much larger, version that would probably better suit whatever project he has but I think the short version will do the trick for him. He thanks me quietly and I lead him down to the checkout counter where he leaves a stack of two coins, his name, and a promise to have the book returned by the end of the week.

I jot down the information in the registry we keep under the desk and place the coins in the safe beside it. I don't really see the point in having the system in place in the first place since no one has ever even tried to steal from the library. Every time I have brought up the topic of taking it down my father keeps up the same argument. That the fact that we have never been robbed is proof his system works just fine and doesn't need any tuning.

If it isn't broke, don't fix it. I smile to myself, thinking about the sort of motto that my father has been saying at least since I have been old enough to remember it.

"Son, are you in here still?" I hear my father come inside and I rush to the front to meet him.

"I'm right here," I say as I jog towards him and take the top half of the stack of books out of his arms. He huffs something of a thank you and we carry the books over to an empty cart to dump them. I pick up one of them and leaf through it, amazed at its near perfect condition. "Wow, where'd you get all of these, they look brand new?"

"Old woman down the street just died, her son found these in an old trunk and decided he didn't have any use for them so he asked me to pick them up." He smiles as he props the stacks of books up neatly on top of the cart. "If you don't mind putting labels on these and getting them up on the shelves I would be very grateful."

"Of course, dad," I begin to say, but when I look up he is already halfway out the door. I sigh and start pulling the cart over to the desk. I guess he's just too busy to hang around. Today and every day.

Sampson Ellios, 15, District Eight

My stomach rumbling, I head downstairs and see my family is already seated around the kitchen table. My brow furrows and I raise my voice to try and be heard above the banter. "Hey, is lunch ready? Why didn't anybody call me down?"

The chatter continues and I slump down into a seat, deciding that it doesn't really matter anyway. I'm here and I didn't miss lunch, right? I intercept the passing of the bowl of casserole and spoon a couple of scoops onto the plate in front of me. Tyson shakes his head and grabs the bowl out of my hands. I give him a face but he doesn't much seem to notice.

"Could someone pass over the milk?" I all but yell, and this time my sister, Lila, hears me and shoves the jug towards me. I stand and retrieve the container and pour myself a tall glass before, yet again, Tyson takes the jug to fill his own glass. I roll my eyes even though it doesn't bother me much. I was done after all.

Everyone else finishes well before me, clearing their dishes away and scurrying off to their respective duties. My father running out the door to work, where he will probably be late for the third time this week. Lila grabbing her bag by the door and heading out to see her boyfriend. Tyson, well, who really knows where he goes all day.

"Can you do the dishes when you're done, sweetheart?" My mother calls over her shoulder as she heads upstairs for her afternoon nap. I don't even take the second to answer, knowing that she won't really care either way as long as the dishes get done before she wakes up.

I spoon the last few bites into my mouth and down the milk still in my glass. I sigh and get up, dumping the remaining dishes into the sink and starting the water. She wouldn't notice if I were gone for the day but I can bet she would notice if I left the dishes unwashed. I shake my head, the bitterness is nothing I'm not used to but it still won't help anything.

I glance at the clock as I finish scrubbing the last few plates and placing them in the dish rack. Shit. I promised Tater and Jackson I would meet them at one-thirty and it's already one-twenty. It's not like they probably won't expect me to be late again, I seem to have inherited that gene from my father, but I just hate to constantly make them wait.

I dry off my hands and decide to skip the shower today in favour of being just a few minutes late instead of a full hour. I run upstairs and grab a sweater off of my desk and pull it over my head as I rush down the stairs, nearly tripping down the last three steps. I step into my shoes and clumsily tie up the laces before running out the door. A few feet across the yard and I remember to turn back and lock the front door.

Just as I expected them to be, Tater and Jackson are sitting around the school yard when I jog around the corner. Jackson sees me first and slaps Tater in the stomach, pointing to where I am running from. "Hey! You're early, Sam!"

I laugh, knowing he has to be joking. The clock was five minutes to one-thirty when I left and it's at least a twenty minute run over here. Maybe he's making fun because I'm usually a lot later than this, but oh well maybe I'm just getting better at monitoring the clock.

"Oh, were you not expecting me?" I say sarcastically. "I can turn around and go back, maybe come back in about an hour or so when I'm really late."

Tater laughs and gives me a high five when I finally reach them. "Good to see you, man."

"You too, Tate," I smile. It's nice to be around my friends again, not that I usually go more than a day or two without seeing at least one of them. "What are the big plans for today?"

"Um, foiled," Jackson says shyly. I raise my eyebrow at him and he puts his hands out defensively. "I'm not allowed to go into town for a week after my dad found out about the bakery prank. He didn't find it as funny as I did."

I shake my head. Jackson is always getting into trouble in one way or another. A month ago it was a crazy prank idea that ended with half of his mom's garden going up in flames and then just last week the baker dragged him home by the ear without even stopping to wash the flour out of his hair. "I can imagine. The baker was pretty upset even when I stopped in a couple days ago to pick up a loaf. By the way I blame you that there was no change leftover to buy a sweet. He definitely overcharged me for the bread because he knows we're friends."

Jackson shrugs. "Your fault for being associated with me I guess?"

"It really is," I smile, not even able to keep up the facade of anger for a minute. Even with his, rather annoying, tricks Jackson is impossible to stay mad at him. Thankfully I have managed to avoid getting in too much trouble by him, but I imagine it's only a matter of time before a flour-coated baker drags me home one day.

"So, any luck with that girl?" Tater interjects, changing the topic over to me.

This time it's my turn to put my hands out, but just the mention of her makes it impossible for me to keep the smile off of my face. Sheria is a beautiful girl in the year above us, with bright red hair and a personality to match it. One of my school friends introduced me to her two weeks ago and I haven't been able to get my mind off of her since.

"Sheria?" Jackson laughs. "Forget about her, man. She's even more unattainable than Kyla, you know the girl you liked last week. Remember her?"

"You'll be the one that's laughing when I finally make my move," I say defensively. Maybe it's true that I have liked a lot of girls before her, but Sheria is different. Jackson and Tater always doubt my skills with even talking to girls, but I'll prove them wrong when the right moment comes along. What would these monkeys know about romance anyway?

Ariella Saville, 14, District Twelve

"Ariella? Honestly, I know you can hear me, unlock this door right now!" I can hear my mother banging on the door from the outside but I don't even look up from the sketches I am working on. Why would I? It's always the same thing she wants to yell at me over. Is there really any point in me even listening?

I have locked myself in my father's study all morning, the only room with a working lock in the house, with only vague interruptions from my mother's insistent banging. Is it too much to ask to be left alone for once in a damn blue moon? I didn't think so, but apparently it is. I just want some peace and quiet but I guess I am not going to get that here.

I get up from the desk, shoving the papers and pencils into the pocket of my skirt and turning off the light. When I open the door, sure enough, my mother is standing right in front of me with her fists clenched and her face as red as a beet.

Before she has a chance to say a word to me I put up my hand to stop her. "I'm going for a walk."

"I don't think so, Ariella." She grabs my wrist and pulls me into the kitchen, sitting me down in the empty chair beside my sister, Mari. "This is getting completely out of hand. You can't ignore my every word. I am your mother!"

I roll my eyes when she isn't looking, and Mari shakes her head quickly. I know that she hates that I do this to our mother, but I honestly don't care at this point. What is the point in treating your parents like humans when they have proven that they are nowhere close to being even that.

It was one of the most recent nights of the war, when bombs were dropping like the leaves off of the trees. District Twelve was hit terribly on so many nights that it is hard to distinguish one raid from the next, but for many reasons this night in particular sticks out to me.

My family spent most of the war on the outskirts of it. My parents never officially chose a side, but it was fair to assume that they wanted the Capitol to be overthrown like most of the district. Twelve had never been treated well and the rebel force was strong here. Anyway, on this particular night there was a knock at the door and I cautiously went to answer it.

I was shocked to see Reian, a girl who was in my year at school. She pleaded with me to let her in, telling me that she had nowhere else to go. I know now that a bomb had been dropped just outside her home and the shrapnel had destroyed the building, as well as killed her two siblings and parents.

I remember feeling completely overtaken with shock as I pulled her inside, her sobs mixed with words of thanks.

As soon as my parents saw her they told her to leave. I told them that she was my friend and she was looking for shelter for just a night. They said no, that we didn't have the room. My father escorted her out as I screamed at him and my mother pushed me into the bedroom I shared with my siblings.

They tried to explain the next morning, saying that if they took in one war orphan than many others would follow her. That was the first time I have ever laid a hand on my father, slapping him hard across the face even as I cried and asked them over and over again how anyone could be so cruel.

"Ariella, could you pass the water?" Mari interrupts my thoughts and as I come back to reality I realize that I have almost broken the handle off of the water jug. I nod and hand it over to her, shaking teh soreness from my hand.

I can still hear my mother ranting quietly to herself from where she stands at the sink, but I hardly care to listen in. I know she is fed up with me, but in all honesty I am pretty done with her as well. They gave me time to get over that night, but is it wrong of me that I wasn't able to? I'm sorry but it's a pretty big moment to process when you come to realize that your parents are just like every other terrible monster that emerged from the war.

In my opinion they don't deserve my forgiveness, not that they have even asked for it. I'm sure if I asked them about it today they would stand by the decision they made that night. Maybe it's good that that happened. I was finally able to what two of my biggest childhood heroes were actually like.

I look up and see that all of my siblings are looking at me. I am the oldest of five, and I'm supposed to be the one setting the example. My parents always say I am acting more like a child than my six year old brother, Kael, but I beg to differ. Kael still childishly sees the good in people, no matter what they have proven otherwise. In fact, all of my siblings do. Even Mari who is only two years younger than me.

I don't want to be the one to ruin their childish views, but eventually they are all going to have to grow up.

Song: Frozen Warnings by Nico.

A/N: This is the end of Pre-Reapings, wow. As fun as they were I am very glad to be done with them. Next up will be a sort of mashup between the Reapings and the Train Rides. It will make more sense when I actually post it, aha. Like I said this story is going to be very different from what y'all are used to.

So yeah, reviews would be great. Just answer the questions below and maybe include a little bit about how the writing was this chapter if you can spare the time. Thanks!

What do you think of these final three tributes?

Who are your early favourites now that you have seen everyone?

That is all for now. I have two midterms on Monday (kill me?) so don't be surprised if I don't update for another week. It all depends on how studying goes! Bye.

EDIT: I have also created the beginnings of a Mentor blog, the link is on my profile (see Children of Blood) and let me know what you think!