Arklin Kinnely POV District 3
I yawned looking at the factory's clock waiting for it to be 9:15 so I could out of here. Usually I only work to 4:15 but since today is the reaping the morning shifts don't have to work so I'm covering most of there shift so we don't lose to much progress. I examined the tables looking for any damaged bullets the peacekeepers can't use. Not that they need weapons to kill us, I thought of my mom and how they killed her. Her lungs were dying but that didn't stop them from making her work. She died a few weeks later, and it was their entire fault.
I walked through our open door to see my dad passed out drunk on the couch. I ignored him and went to wake up Melanie, my little thirteen-year-old sister, then my twin brother Erikk. I woke them both up and went to make breakfast and then I remembered Dad. I assumed the bar had kicked him out since today is the reaping and all businesses close. I called his name a few times then I just got a cup of water and tossed it. He sat up with a start and asked me what day it was.
"The day of the reaping." I answered.
"No what day of the week?" he slurred out.
"Monday of course." I replied tossing him a wet towel. He reeked like alcohol, He caught it (shockingly enough) and wiped his face off.
"What are you making?" He asked staggering towards me. I looked through our cabinets and found a loaf of bread, a few bruised apples, and last nights leftover's. We were not poor, we needed to go to the market desperately.
"Toast and the soup from last night." I answered pulling out two pieces of bread out and warming them out.
"Is there anything else?" He asked sniffing the bowls of soup.
"Rotten apples." I threw him one and he looked at it, grimaced and tossed it in the garbage." Eat then get ready." I told him as I walked towards my room eating my soup.
"Do you know where my red shirt is?" Erikk asked.
"You're holding it." I said even though the shirt he was holding was blue.
"No this is my blue one with the green patterns on it." He replied. "Just because I'm blind doesn't make me stupid, Arklin."
"Arklin? I'm Melanie!" I said in my girliest voice. He made a snorting voice and we both laughed. He was my best friend and I his. I looked through his drawer and found the red shirt and gave it ti him.
We both got ready and I put on my token, a cord with fours beads; a blue one for my mom, a orange for my dad, a yellow for Melanie and a green for Erikk. Erikk had one just like it instead of his green he had a red one for me. And so did everyone else in my family. Melanie made a quick attempt to comb my messy black hair, told me that I should have worn my green shirt so my eyes would have matched then moved on to erikk. Once, we were ready we all walked to the reaping as a family.
That is as family missing a vital part.
…
Me Erikk stood together in the seventeen year old section waiting for this to all be over. We both stood in silence when the fourteen year old Rhiannon Lash was called. We both sucked in a breath when our mentor Chloe stuck her hand in the second bowl.
"Erikk Kinnely!" she shouted. And I shouted to, only two different words.
"I volunteer!"
…
"This is because I'm blind isn't it?" Erikk asked.
"Of course Erikk. You would probably be the first to go." Dad answered for me. And he was right, that was the reason I volunteered.
"Well, lets just hope your not." Melanie said as they left.