Chapter 2
I head down to the fish shop to visit my friend Mr. Middleton. I walk in to see he has had no costumers today, fish lay out on ice waiting to be bought and the seats at the front desk are in their position Mr. Middleton puts them in before opening. Whenever the shop is empty like this is the best for me because then we can talk and trade as long as we need.
I wait at the counter as long as my patience allows before I loudly clear my throat get someone's worked because as soon as I had cleared my throat once out of the back came Mr. Middleton he knows I only go making noises when my patience is gone so he quickly apologizes "Sorry, Leia didn't see you there wasn't at the desk because no one been in all day, and figured no one would be till after two."
"Why would you think that," I ask smiling at my friend, " I mean normally people don't come in till nine or so but someone must have been in."
"It's probably because of what happens later I mean parents probably want spend as much time with their kids as possible, speaking of which why are you home," he asks.
"You know me finding food never takes a holiday," I say smugly.
"Ah I should have known that you hadn't come to check business."
"Well I was out this morning and I stumbled about a blackberry bush in season," I say," I figured you would be up for a trade?"
"Alright name your price Leia," he said like he does every time I go to trade with him.
"A pound of blackberries and a two rabbits from me and eight pounds and a trout from you," I say sternly.
"Leia I swear you're out to break my business how about six pound instead of eight,"
"Seven or I take my business elsewhere," I say as a statement less than a threat.
"Okay deal I'll go get your fish and money, but I want the rabbit fur," he says going to the back.
"Fair enough," I say taking a seat at the counter. He emerges with a small bag of money and a white bundle, which I know to be the fish. I give him his blackberries and rabbits and he gives me the money and trout "So are you nervous for today's reaping," he ask casually.
"No why?"
"Well this is your first reaping and I just thought,"
"You thought wrong," I snap not letting him finish, "I need to get home though I'll see you around." I pick up my stuff and leave the shop. I slip through the square and take off through the meadow, avoiding the mine gates. I am almost home when I trip and fall on a small hole. But it's not a natural hole it looks like it was dug not that long ago and the dirt is loose so I start to dig up whatever was buried. I paw away the dirt until I feel a slight prick like with a needle or fine knife.
I dig a little more till I see a sliver of gold. Picking it up I realize it's a round gold pin. Scratch away the dirt in the middle to see a gold horse in mid stride in the ring connected by one foot, some mane and the end of the tail.
We learned about these in history class, these pins were everywhere in what is now the outlining districts such as District 9, District 10, District 11 and District 12, my district. They were pretty much only one per family and the eldest child would get it when they married. If the younger children wanted a pin they would have to pay to have one made. They animal was said to represent what animal they family evolved from.
Most were destroyed when Panem was created, after the natural disasters took their toll on North America, the new government wanted the only faith to be to them. So Peacekeepers took every pin and if you refused to give it up you were beaten and forced to give it up. They were melted to make jewelry for the Capitol citizens. The only ones that remain are ones of government officials like the major who has one, but gave it to his daughter Madge it's a mockingjay.
How had this one survived? Who buried it? Why wait till now to bury it? I don't have time to figure it out I'm late. Slipping the pin in my pocket I run for home my real fear starts to sink in " What if I am picked," I whisper to myself. I won't be, I think and I finish the journey home.
Walking in I'm greated by the warm smile of my sister, who by the looks of it just got a bath. Trying to convey a smile as warm as her's is hard ,especially since our mother walks into the room meeting my glare of hate with a sign of sorrow.
"How was the square today," Liea asks ,feeling uncomfortable at my stare toward the pretend mother I never had.
"Fine, not very busy traded here and there," I say releasing my mother from my death look. My mother walks into her bedroom avoiding more glares from me."I got so fish and berries," I say pulling the white bundle of fish and bundle of berries out of my bag. I lay the money on the table.
"Cool," Liea says being excited knowing I only bring home blackberries. She takes the bundles and takes them to the cellar. As she goes my mother comes into the room. Instead of giving her looks of hate I simply look away. Liea comes up from the cellar and break the silence by plainly saying, "What's that mom?"
I had just noticed a white what looks to be a dress in her hand. "Oh, I was hoping you would wear it today," she says giving Liea a gentle motherly look, that never get or wish to get. Liea takes the dress and goes to change,"I like you to take a bath," my mother says to me more like a question than a statement. Without a word I go to wash.
Mainly only scrubbing my hair take a quick, cleansing bath. Walking back into the kitchen to recover my bag I see my sister in that ridiculous dress getting her hair pulled back by my mother. Mother finishes Liea's super tight bun and feel a need to comment so I say, "Wow you look so grown up."
"Thanks," she say twirling in a circle.
"Layed something out for you too," my mother peeps out."On your bed."
"Okay," I say walking into the safety of my room. I walk in to see the stupidest dress I've ever seen. It'd a lite pink with two pockets across the chest and embroided white flowers on the skirt. I put it on to find out it has obnoxious collar and ties in the back, which means I have to ask for help and I hate to ask for help.
Walking into the kitchen I feel a surge of anger towards my mother go through me as Liea gasps at my sight. "You look so pretty, I wish I had that dress instead of this boring one, but you wear that one so nicely," she says getting looking like she would try to twirl me, twirling is my least favorite thing to do next to asking for help, but mother comes in and stops her with her gasp of surprise and satisfaction.
She walks to me and gently says, trying to keep me calm and knowing she standing on a string known as Liea that keeps me at bay, "Here let me tie that for you." She pick up the strings and tie them tight so, as she says, it shows off my "figure". "There now let me do your hair," she says as she finishes the bow on my back.
"I was just going to braid it like I normally do," I say sending her glare for asking me once again if she could help me. Liea gives me a concerned look and I decide getting Liea upset is not worth making my mother feel weaker so I back down and say, " But I don't care." I sit down in a chair.
My mother picks up the brush she used for Liea's hair, and she starts gently brush my hair. To my surprise my mother has still remembered how tender headed I am, even though she hasn't touched my hairs since dad died two years ago.
After my hairs is brushed she splits my hair into three equal pieces and tightly braid them together, but instead of laying it down my back she twists it into a flat round bun and pins it to my head with hair buttons. "There now you both look grown up," my mother say looking from me to Liea. "Leia would you like to see your hair," she says trying to hand me a mirror so I can see myself. I glare at the mirror, but take it for my sister who is giving me the saddest look hoping to make accept the mirror.
I take the mirror and look into it. As I look into the mirror and Liea gives an excited gasp as my own reflection comes into my own focus. Looking into the mirror I don't see the normal scraggly looking and rough faced girl I have seen everytime I have looked in a mirror in the past. No what I see this time was soft gentle features of very prominent high cheek bones ,normally covered by dirt and mud, small pink lips, and crystal blue eyes that, according to Gale, could make the sky seem gray even in summer. The small amount of bangs ,that aren't quite grown out, curve around my face high lighting my features, and no other hair is visible except the hair that wraps my head. My tan skins illuminates against the pink dress.
"Would you like to see the back," my mother askes quietly hoping that I was satisfied with the front.
I look quickly at my mother and then to Liea who nodded very excitedly."Yes," I say and my mother sweeps me to the bedroom where her big mirror is. I line the small hand mirror up to where I can see the back. It wasn't what I had expected it was just looked like a brown dinner plate that is made of a braided swirl. Still it looked nicer than my off tp the side braid, it looked more proper and controlled.
Then I hear the bell the indicates a half hour till reaping. "We need to go," I say more to Liea than to our mother.
"Alright," Liea respondes suddenly very quietly. I just noticed our mother had left to get her bag. I turn to Liea with her eyes on her feet with tears trickling down her face."Hey look at me," I say tilting her head up,"You're okay, shhhh, you're okay, come on stop crying," I grace her face gently with my hand wiping her face dry.
"Leia? What if I get picked," she more whimpers than askes.
"You won't be," I say softly as I dry her new tear falling along her cheeks.
"But what if I am" she screams at me. I have a serge of anger like normally are directed toward my mother. The thought of her thinking that she will be picked, when she has only one slip in thousands, just makes me think that she doesn't care what do for her, I would use all the power I have to keep her from being picked.
"You won't be picked," I yell. She begins to cry more, I insantly regret yelling."Hey, I'm sorry I yelled, but I'm telling you you'll fine okay?" She nods gently and know that has forgotten the yell already, because she knows that without me the odds of her lasting till her first reaping was low. "Alright now we need to go," I say brushing the last of the tears from her face. Liea may be my twin, but she will always be like a little sister to me.
Taking her hand I see our mother had returned. I wasn't sure how much she had seen, and didn't really care. Liea reaches for her hand, but pull her gently with me as I move. Liea is reliant on our mother and seeks her comfort, but she feels safer with me. I push the door open and feel my mother place her hand on my shoulder. Her other hand is most likely on Liea, so I don't shake her off for Liea's sake.
I squeeze Liea's hand and when she returns the squeeze we walk into the day toward the square