Aron Nethers
District 2
I shiver in the biting air, adjusting my earmuffs so the tips of my ears wouldn't freeze off. You would have thought that with all the factories we have in District 2 that it would be warm here. Nope. The factories were in their own separate area from the villages, creating an odd juxtapose where the snow melted in a rim around the hot air. The main bulk of the District - a number of separate villages - would best be described as empty. The roads were wide and silent, the buildings small and homely, made from Granite. A good two inches of snow covered it all; the dark clouds sometimes making it look like ash, as if the mountain overlooking the whole of the district was a volcano that had erupted in the past.
The reason why the district was so abandoned at this time was because the people were at the quarries south of the District square, mining for granite, marble or sandstone. As such there were three separate quarries for each stone, and if they found one of the other stone they would deliver it to that quarry. Each one would be filled with miners with frosty breath and dressed in that thick, rubber like clothing they had to wear, which would always protect them - so the Capitol claimed - from rock-falls.
I continue walking, my boots pushing through the snow leaving behind a trail that looked like some animal had dragged its injured form down the street. It wasn't long until I arrived at the door of my house, smaller than most and positioned right at the edge of the main square of the District. I ignored the bustling of figures as they set up for the annual reaping and opened my grey door into a semi-warm house.
Before stepping further into the house from the doorway I listened carefully, noting the sound of the wind whistling and the house itself creaking. But I could not hear my father. Thank you for that, I'm not sure I could handle him ton-
"Kid!" A deep voice growled. Years of this growl caused me to instinctively duck, a great hand flying over where my head just was and slamming against a small cabinet, smashing the glass fitted on the front. One small door buckled and fell inwards, hitting the small vases I keep there. I peered upwards to see my father, Brock. His large nose was red and his cheeks blushed and I knew it wasn't from the cold. I resist the urge to curse.
"What're you standing around for, kid!?" Brock demanded, not drunk enough to slur his words but… well, drunk enough. I hated that word. 'Kid'. As if I wasn't his son just some random child who was squatting in the house. It always sent a jolt into my heart hearing my father say that.
"Sorry…" I mumble, despising everything about him. The way he threw his weight around, his despicable personality… I knelt down and started to push the pieces of glass from the cabinet into my hands, ready to deposit them later. Halfway through this, my mother entered the front door, a shopping bag in one hand and a bottle of liquor in the other. Noticing me picking up the glass, her mouth twisted.
"Foolish boy!" My mother, Clere, scolded me, pointedly looking at the broken cabinet. "Why did you smash that?"
"I didn't." I say, not looking up. "That was Brock." Much like he calls me Kid, I get a small measure of revenge in not calling him dad, or father, at least not to his face.
"Are you blaming me?!" My father asked with false hurt. "How dare you… I am your father! You do not lie to your mother, especially if you are going to blame me!"
"I think the one lying here is you!" I shoot back quickly, getting to my feet and throwing the shards of glass into the rubbish bin. I turn around and find him standing closer to me. He plants his hand on my shoulder and squeezes painfully.
"Don't you talk to me like that, boy." He said menacingly. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"Brock." My mother said, slowly pulling his arm away. "Be careful, not where it can show." She turns back towards me. "Get out. I do not want to see you until tonight."
"Maybe you won't see me ever again!" I snap back, crossing my arms. "Or have you forgotten? It's the reaping tonight, and if I get chosen, well then, I won't BE coming back, will I? You know I can't win them, so just actually do or say something good for once, will you?"
My father opens his mouth but I don't want to hear it.
"In fact, just shut it. I just cannot be bothered to deal with this bull anymore." I turn in anger and stalk past my somewhat shocked parents and back out into the snowy street. Pushing my way through the snow again, heading towards the quarries, I sigh, my breath coming out and disappearing into the air. I usually don't blow up like that, but those two… I find it hard to make a good case for them as parents. Not only that, but it made me think about the Hunger Games. I didn't really want to think about them today, not unless I was with my friends.
I shrug it off with hunched shoulders and let the thought of talking to Sina cheer me up. Sina Terra, the love of my life. I know that sounds cheesy but it's true. We met almost a year ago, and we were nervous as could be when we first had our proper talk. We'd seen each other around school and had both asked our friends to ask the other to talk. It was complicated but we talked and well, we hit it off well. A few dates and that was that. Five weeks after we started dating we had the best night in what I expect will be our lives; short of getting married or having kids though that's a while off.
I find myself walking on the trail down through a valley, fences lining it with occasional flags in case of the occasional snow storm. It doesn't take long until I reach the quarries. I walk along the edge of the quarry until I find what I'm looking for. I take a moment just to look as Sina works hard, sweat peppering her brow. Even covered in all sorts of dust she looks wonderful, her hair tied tightly behind her head and her lips pursed in concentration. I move from where I'm spying on her and come up right behind her.
"What're you thinking about?" I whisper into her ear, latching my hands around her stomach. She doesn't even flinch I've done this enough times. She used to jump out of her skin every time I did it.
She doesn't answer and glances at me, leaning on the pick-axe that seems slightly too big for her. "What are you doing here, Aron?" She grins and leans forward, kissing me on the cheek. No doubt to avoid getting any of that dust in my mouth.
I shrug. "I got into a bit of an argument with my parents." I smile warmly as she adjusts my earmuffs. I love the feeling of her light fingers over my ears.
"Oh?" She raises an eyebrow.
"Yeah. My dad blamed me for something I didn't do and my mother didn't even question it. As if I'm some kind of trouble-maker that doesn't deserve their trust." I shake my head as Sina stiffens slightly.
"You're gonna have to go." Sina says apologetically. "There's a peacekeeper glaring at me. We'll talk later. Why don't you go and find Gary? I'll meet you two up in the Den."
"Sure thing." I grasp her hand for a moment before leaving, hands in my pocket to ward off the cold.
I know it was brief, but I feel much better after that exchange with Sina. Nothing makes me feel better but her, that much is certain. A smile is on my face I head all the way back to my initial village and then at to back of the village. I stop at a large house made of granite with actual glass windows, peering over the smaller houses. These houses are typically reserved for the richer workers who've been working for over ten years. I knock on the door and wait a moment before Maria Hemlock opens the door. She's a large, jolly woman who wouldn't hesitate to give free food to any who truly need it. If you try to swindle her for food, take it from me, that ladle hurts!
"Hi." I greet as she smiles warmly down at me. I would love a woman like her as a mother, not the stiff witch I have. "Is Gary home?"
"Oh yes, dear, he is. Will you be going out or do you want to stay?"
"We'll be going out, thank you."
"Okay, I'll get him for you, dear." She disappears for about a minute until my best friend appears in the doorway, Gary Hemlock.
"'Sup?" He questions, shutting the door behind him knowing exactly where we're going.
"Nothing much. I was annoyed but I'm okay now."
"How so?"
"Just an argument with my parents." I explain away quickly to my friend. "Sina says we should meet her at the Den." I inform him.
"Cool." Gary just nods without question. He's eighteen but one of the coolest guys I know. Tall and handsome with a head of golden hair, he's been the talk of school more than once. If it wasn't for his occasional delinquent attitude, he'd have girls swarming all over him. "Right then, shall we head out, mm? And try to wipe that god-awful smile off your face. You look like a dolt."
Sina Terra
District 2
I strike hard at the stone, trying to ignore the glare from the peacekeeper. That visit from Aron certainly helped my thoughts as much as I knew it helped his. I share his feelings about parents - although in my case it's only my mother, Angela. At the thought of her my anger threatens to rise up again. I bottle it down. She didn't always strike anger in my heart, but ever since part of the quarry collapsed, killing twelve and injuring twenty others - one of whom being her - she just sits at home, watching TV and drinking liquor with a lame leg.
The only money that comes in is from me and my father, Jem. It's all we can do to get the money to keep the TV which my mother claims is helping her rehabilitate; the rest of the money is rationed for food, medicine and anything else we may need. It's tough but it works. If only my mother actually made an attempt to heal we'd be much better off.
I try to throw away these thoughts again and let myself drift into the repetitive pattern of my pick hitting the rock until twenty minutes pass. It's what I've been waiting for. I make my way to the small building at the entrance of the quarry, throwing my hard-hat into a basket and receiving my payment from the very same peacekeeper who was glaring at me from before.
I take the trail over to where Aron lives, by the main village of the District. Working my way to the back of the village I open up a fence gate into a small open area. This is one of the only open areas we as a district are actually allowed to go. The mountains are too steep and dangerous to try and climb, and a lot of 'flat' areas are actually pockmarked with holes covered by snow. I've known a number of unwary people to fall through these holes.
Heading straight to the corner, I find a familiar shack, simply made of metal sheets with holes cut out to act as windows and doors. The Den. The image of this place made me forget all about my problems for a moment and I head inside where Gary and Aron are already chatting.
The Den was made by kids ever since we were born and was a place that we could talk about our views on everything under the sun without fear of being heard: The Hunger Games, the Capitol itself, things that if heard under a microphone would probably get us executed - or worse. There was one rule - when you reach 18, you forget all about it. The place held many memories for me. This was the place me and Aron went to on the night of our fifth week after we started to date. Fond memories; memories that neither of us will ever forget.
I sat down beside Aron, kissing him on the cheek. Gary raised a hand. "Hey there."
"How're you doing?" I answer, leaning back on the comfy sofa some kid once managed to get in here. There were some rumors that the sofa was here before the Den itself. Then again, there were some rumors that the large mountain was some kind of hidden military base, so you can't trust everything you hear.
"I'm good. To tell you the truth, I'm a little bit excited."
"How can you be excited? Today of all days?" Aron looks at Gary with a confused expression.
"Well, I'm 18, aren't I? Therefore this is my last year of having to chance to be in the Hunger Games."
"Yeah, but you still could be chosen." I put in.
"True…" For a second, Gary looked thoughtful, before shrugging and grinning. "If it happens, it happens, right? And if I do get chosen, god forbid, I will go into the Games all guns a blazing and win the damn thing."
"I'm sure you would." Aron dryly says.
"Well, what about you two?" Gary leans back on his chair. "What would your reactions be if you were chosen?" Gary looks to me first.
"Well, I'm not sure if I'm honest." I scratch my chin, thinking about it. "I would hope that I'd go up there, looking like it's no big deal."
"Good." Gary nods approvingly. "Get the people on your side before you even start. Aron?"
Aron looks to Gary and just shakes his head. "I don't really want to talk about it. I just think we should hope we don't get chosen and leave it at that."
"Fair enough." Gary sighs but I know he understands how Aron's feelings work. "So… what do you think about this situation for the Games, y'know, the three cornucopia's?"
We know about this since the reaping process takes twelve days, one district a day. Yesterday was District 1, where a brother and sister both volunteered. The mayor announced that the three cornucopias were to be placed in the arena, separate from the starting point.
"To be honest, I think it's a bad idea." Aron says. "The people love a blood bath at the beginning - at least the Capitol citizens do. Without a cornucopia at the start there isn't anything to fight over."
"Not necessarily." Gary argues. "I'm sure that there will be some volunteers wanting to take out the weaker competition first? Remember last year? That twelve year old kid went completely mental and kills 15 people around the Cornucopia, before running to the mountains? That shows that he didn't do it for the Cornucopia, otherwise he would have just stayed there."
"But what if there isn't someone like that this year?" I question. "Aron's right. The Capitol loves a good blood bath and having nothing there is only going to result in people running different directions. There has to be some other twist, possibly an object people need."
"Maybe the arena will be a labyrinth and they'll be a map." Gary suggests.
"But still. Certain people would risk it without maps." Aron says.
"The President sure has to live up the hype this year." I say, snuggling closer to Aron, savouring his warmth. "But hey, they never fail to make fireworks at the quells, do they?"
We talk for almost two hours, about our families, things to do in the future, those sorts of things before Gary decides to head home. Aron then walks me back home, kisses me goodbye, and walks away. I watch him pad through the snow before turning into my house. I close the door softly since I know my mother will be asleep at this time and head up to my room to change for the reaping. A few minutes I've dressed myself up and I'm sitting on my bed, waiting until I have to head out.
"Sina…"
At the sound of my name I turn to see my father standing in the doorway. Just by looking at his face I can tell he has been crying. I don't comment on it. Every year since I was twelve he cries, letting himself be drawn into the possibility that I could get chosen. He's a strong man, but losing his daughter atop of everything else in his life… I know it'd break him.
"Hey dad." I stand up and brush off my skirt.
Jem doesn't reply. He just looks down at me with his soft smile. "Good luck today, kiddo."
"Don't worry. I'll be back. Why don't you prepare a nice meal for today?" I suggest lightly, pulling on a coat to ward off the chill.
"Okay." My dad places a scarred hand on my cheek. "I'll see you later?"
"Definitely." I slowly move his hand off my cheek. "I need to be going now so… bye then." I leave my father in my room, staring after me.
Aron Nethers
District 2
It's time for the reaping.
I stand in the area designated for seventeen year old males on the right side of the square, funnily enough right near my house. I look over to the seventeen year old females and I can see Sina standing near the front, biting her bottom lip. She always tries to look strong but… well, it's easy to say but much harder to do.
I hate being this far from her. I want to be next to her, to comfort her, but I can't. I have to stay here, listening to the young mayor recite the usual nonsense. The history of District 2, blah, blah, blah.
Finally, after everything was said and done, the escort, a tall woman with lime green hair with pink highlights walks over to the microphone, grinning like a fool.
"Well, hello there!" She says in this pseudo-mysterious voice. "How are you all feeling? My name is Entivia, and I am to be the escort of the future winner of the Hunger Games… well, hopefully, mm?" She winks down at us. "But let's not diddle-daddle! Let us announce the female who shall be chosen for the prestige of participating in the Hunger Games and the honor of perhaps winning them!"
She walks on high heels to the glass sphere, plunging her hand deep into the paper slips. I draw my breath in along with everyone else. She stirs the pot around before pulling out the slip. She licks her lips and lifts the slip high into the air. Then she calls out the name.
"Sina Terra!"
I feel like someone has stabbed me with a dagger. It can't be… not her. Not her, out of all the possible names, it can't be… it can't be Sina. Anyone but Sina, it can't be her!
Standing numb I can only look at Sina standing in a similar state of shock. Murmurs fill the crowd. Sina is known as the girl who works the hardest in the quarries for her age group, always bringing in the money to help her friends and family, just like her father. Many predicted that she would join the factories soon but now… she…
Sina steps forward past her age group and turns, looking pointedly at me. The camera follows her gaze, trying to find who she is looking her. She smiles sadly and lifts a hand. 'Good-bye'. She mouths it and turns around again. Seeing her back, I feel shivers running up my spine that has nothing to do with the cold. This can't be it… this can't be the last time I'll see her. I can't watch her on the screen to die.
I do something extremely reckless and stupid.
I knock over the few teenagers in front of me, running flat out onto the square. Two peacekeepers step forward but I dart between them, grabbing Sina in my arms. I'm not going to let her go. I will not let her become a victim.
"A-Aron…" Sina mutters, surprised. She couldn't just expect me to stay quiet, could she?
"I will not let you go, Sina." I say into her ear, feeling tears sliding down my cheeks. "I cannot let you go!"
"You have to, Aron. That's the way it's got to be."
"No, it doesn't have to be that way!" I growl. Two hands wrap around my arms, dragging me backwards and off of her. "Get off!" I yell at the peacekeepers. I manage to elbow one of them in the stomach and reach for Sina again, but I feel a sharp pain in the side of my head as a peacekeeper hits me with his truncheon. I drop to my knees, the world spinning around me. A small sliver of blood seeps into my eye, dying half of the world red. "I can't let you go, Sina… I can't…"
"What can you do!?" Sina steps forward and grabs my face in her hands. "Are you going to oppose the Capitol? Aron, just leave, alright? I'll be fine. I'll be back. Don't injure yourself anymore."
"No… that's not…" I grit my teeth, my head pulsing. I do the second stupid thing that day. "I volunteer! I-I volunteer for the Games! I don't care who is chosen, I volunteer in their place! I don't care! I volunteer!" Sina's eyes widen but all I can think about is that I have to be with her. We'll figure it out, maybe we can somehow win together. I can't let her go.
Entivia glances to the mayor, who simply shrugs.
"Well…" Entivia steps back up to the microphone. "There we have it, then. Um…" She looks blank as she doesn't know my name.
"He's called Aron Nethers, and you better remember that!" Someone yells. I look to find Gary yelling as loud as he could. He grins with a sparkle in his eye. Looking at me and Sina, he gives a salute. "These guys'll be the Star-Crossed Lovers, Part Two! Go get 'em you lovable idiots!"
Typical Gary. He'll make the best out of any situation.
"Aron…" Sina mutters. I look down at her. "You are the stupidest idiot I've ever known…" She leans forward and kisses me on the lips, staring straight into my eyes. "But I love every single part of you. We'll make this work. We have to."
A/N:- This one was hard to re-write. Not only did I have the District weather wrong last time, but their pov's were too short. Well, no matter. This turned out well.
Thanks to Yajuu Kikuishi for the review, and 'till next time!