District Eleven
Adrian Colton's POV
"Adrian!" A booming voice shouted through the darkness, causing everything around me to seem to shatter and pull me out of a wonderful trance. "Wake your ass up!" The feminine voice shouted again before the world turned from a comfortable black, to an angry bright red.
The sudden change in colour and temperature irritated my eyes and face as I felt my arms move towards my face to shield them from the sudden change in scenery and heat.
"Go away Jeana," I told one of the two only people who ever disturbed my naps. Jeana was the only girl that wakes me from my naps, so it was easy to figure that it was her. Not that I wouldn't recognize that voice of her's, her voice was unforgettable. "Got nothing to do 'till the reapings."
Reaping day was a time of rest, no work for us common folks besides show up to the square on time, sign in, and have one of us unfortunate kids chosen to go into the arena. If I was a Capitol worker, a peacekeeper, or the mayor, that'd be a different story. But I'm not one of those, so there's nothing for me to do. "And give me my hat back. Where ever it is." Until my hat was back over my face, I'd use my hand to get the friendly darkness back and get back to sleep.
"That's what I'm here for you sloth," Jeana told me with an edge in her voice. "The reapings are almost here and you need to get ready."
"Now?" I asked, wondering how close the reapings were.
"No," My friend said with heavy sarcasm. "Tomorrow. Of course now you idiot. What? You want to get a death sentence or something?" Darn, I still felt like napping. Ah well, what could you do, everyone had to attend the reapings, despite how damn populated our district is.
No wait, all the kids had to attend the reapings, everyone else just got the day off if they weren't working. Well, I can't wait until next year when I'm an adult and I don't absolutely have to go to the reapings. Sleep through all of it, that would be nice for a change.
"Fine," I sighed. "Give me five minutes and I'll be inside."
"It must feel so nice to bake your skin out in the hot sun," Jeana sarcastically told me. "Makes you never want to leave the shitty make shift bed you created six feet away from your house."
The thing was, it did feel good, better then being inside. I liked the outdoors, the rays of the sun on your skin, the cool crisp breeze that'd sometimes occur, the smell of crops and dirt and other odours. Yeah, it felt nice.
"Need to wake up." I responded, slowly stretching out my elbows.
"You are up. Now get your ass in gear!" My friend shouted before I felt the piece of plywood I was laying on suddenly rise into the air on a sharp angle, causing me to tumble to the ground.
This did not feel like a good morning.
I suddenly felt liquid start splashing onto my chest and face, sending an instant chill to those areas of my body. What was that? Why was there liquid splashing over me? Was it suddenly raining? Nah, couldn't be, rain doesn't start out that heavy. I started waving my arms around wildly to swat off the liquid in vain as I spat and began to quickly recover from my drowsiness when I had a thought.
"Is that my booze?" I asked, wondering about the bottle of alcohol that I remember drinking out of before I feel asleep. Was Jeana pouring my alcohol on me?
"Yeah." Jeana said a matter of factly. "What about it?"
Aw man, now I'd have to change my clothes and have a quick rinse before heading out to the square. Thanks for the extra work Jeana, I thought sarcastically, it's really appreciated.
"Nothing." I told her as I picked myself up from the ground and walked towards the house.
"Oh yes, and take your time you slug," Jeana, once again, said with sarcasm. "We have all the time in the world." It's not even close to ten yet, I thought as I looked at the sun's position in the sky. I didn't see what the big hurry was, I'd make it. I wouldn't have thirty minutes to spare, but I'd make it in time. I saw no need to rush.
Damn. Fine morning this is.
Oh, right, where's my hat?
Caritta Desin's POV
"Get the fuck out of here you little skank!" My father shouted before he threw me outside the house. I landed on the hard ground and slid a little from the force of his throw, dirtying my blue t-shirt and jeans. "Come back when you have something to offer us other then that smart ass mouth of yours." And with that, I heard the door of our crummy little slam shut, leaving me outside on my own, again.
It wasn't the first time that's happened, I've been kicked out of my home before, I didn't mind, home wasn't that great anyway. Not that outside was that great anyway, all I did outside was either wonder the district, or work. Maybe I'd buy something once in a while, but other then those above choices, I didn't do anything else.
I picked myself off the ground and dusted off my clothes before I started to head towards the square, like I was supposed to. My life wasn't much to live for, but I still wanted to live. Despite everything that's happening to my life and how the people around this district treat me, I still want to live. I don't know why, it'd be easier to just end my suffering, because I know that things aren't going to get any better for me, but I still want to live. At least, until I'm satisfied with something in my life. Until then, I want to live.
As I walked to the square, I saw some kids from school look at me while whispering to each other and pointing to me. I didn't need to hear them to know that they were talking about my sexual preferences. I liked both guys and girls, and that automatically made me a freak. I didn't see anything wrong with it, but the rest of the district did, they saw me as everything that was wrong. They said that I couldn't decide between the two genders, that I was confused and a sad piece of shit, that I was messed up in the head. Well I wasn't, it's just the way I am, couldn't they just see that? No, no they couldn't. Fucking jerks.
"What the fuck are you looking at me for?" I shouted angrily at the kids talking about me as I picked up a nearby rock. It was a good size, good for scaring and hurting people. "Go talk about something else for once!" I shouted before I threw the rock at them.
The rock flew towards them before it crashed into one of the boy's nose, causing him to hold his nose with both hands as blood poured from it.
"Fuck you Caritta!" The injured boy shouted as him and his friends ran away from me. "Fuck you you little shit bag!"
I felt myself get angry at their insults at me, and while I felt satisfied with hurting them and making them run away, I didn't feel all that good breaking his nose. Weird as it was, I was satisfied, but didn't feel all that great. Weird.
I continued to walk to the square, thinking of all the abuse I've received over the years. From my mother, from my father, from the rest of the district, I've been physically and mentally abused. Though through all of that, that's what's made me strong. Strong, but alone.
I continued to walk to the square by my lonesome self until I got to the line up for one of the many sign in tables.
Adrian Colton's POV
Jeana. She's quick tempered and rough with people, and she's the same with the canines she tames and trains as well. But for some reason, those mutts just love her, and for the life of me I can't figure out why. It's just another one of those mysteries in life that I'll never be able to understand.
"How's Harley doing?" I asked Scotch, one of the many peacekeepers patrolling the long lines of kids signing in. Harley, his dog, was begging Jeana to pet him, to give him attention. Even though Harley was a chocolate brown coated dog that looked more like wolf then a dog, he acted like a puppy next to Jeana. If I didn't know that that mutt could easily rip me into bloody chunks, I would of thought that he wasn't a peacekeeping dog. That is, if I didn't see the red substances around his muzzle.
"Fucking awesome," Scotch excitedly told me. "Harley here chased down this little coward that refused to sign in. Eighteen years old and he wouldn't sign in, so Harley here bit into the bastard's thigh on command and wouldn't let go until I told him so. Little fucker almost tried to gorge out Harley's eyes out though, until I slammed a fist into his ugly face and told him to sign in before I asked Harley to rip his manhood out."
The way Scotch explained all this with glee made me think of the other peacekeepers. Sure they were friendly with my friends and family since we were tamers and trained their dogs, that were more like wolves, to be proper peacekeeping forces. But they were ruthless and almost, if not, psychopathic. I'm glad that I'm not on their bad side and that I have some favour from the higher ups. Dad's friendship with the mayor allows us some benefits, but if push comes to shove, the peacekeepers will release their hounds on us without a second thought.
"Guess Jeana's given them some of her personality." Bailey, the youngest of us tamers, laughed as Harley continued to pester Jeana. I couldn't help but laugh as well, and so did the other tamers. Maybe the reason Jeana was so great with the dogs, was because she was just like them. Vicious.
"Also, Jeana looks just like Harley." I told her. "They like fighting and need to be watched out for." I saw Jeana give me a dirty look that said: Don't you dare say it. I ignored it though. "I guess you could say that-" Then all at once, my friends and I said.
"They're not so different after all." It was then that we laughed, at Jeana's expense. Even though I knew the consequences, I couldn't resist, I couldn't help it.
"Are you calling me a dog?" Jeana shouted angrily at me before she started to run towards me with the intention of hurting me. "Get over here!"
I started to run away from her while the sound of laughter came from Baily, Amos, Garret, Haley, and Scotch. I couldn't help but laugh as well, Jeana was so cute when she was mad.
I zig-zagged around the lines of kids as Jeana continued to chase me with fury unrivalled only by the peacekeepers and their animal partners. "I'm going to break every bone in your body Adrian!" I couldn't help but laugh, smile, and watch her chase me. Her chocolate hair, brown eyes and brown skin, why did she look so pretty when she was chasing me? Or when she was mad?
"Get him!" Haley playfully shouted. "Kick his ass!"
"No mercy Jeana!" Garret also playfully shouted.
"Run faster!" Amos quickly added. Which one of us was he talking to? Oh well, it didn't matter.
The people around us were giving us dirty looks and the Capitol folks didn't seem to enjoy it either. I tried not to bump into too many people, but Jeana just crashed through everyone in her way. Sorry everyone, I guess I got caught up in the moment.
I quickly turned around and let Jeana run into my open arms before I lifted her into the air and kissed her.
My girlfriend was still for a second, but that didn't last long. I only got her to stay still still for a couple of seconds before she pulled away from me and gave me a mighty headbut to my forehead, causing me to drop her. It hurt, but I didn't really care much, I could see that Jeana had calmed down somewhat. She was still a little angry, but she was looking slightly away from me. If I didn't know better, I'd say that there was a blush on her face, though it was hard to tell with her brown skin.
"Why do I like you anyway? You're a lazy person who sleeps more then he's awake. Sloth." She half grumbled half kidded. Though there was no trace of a smile on her face, I knew that she liked it, and that she wasn't completely kidding.
"Us white people are a minority in this district," I told her, kidding heavily, but not completely. "Not many of us white folks here. Plus, it has nothing to do with my good looks." I completely kidded about that last part, I wasn't ugly, but then again, I wasn't the best looking person out there. Dark chestnut brown hair that I never bothered to work with, blue eyes, tanned skin and lean body. I looked out of place with maybe ninety five percent of the district being brown or black. "Also, you know how I like fighters like you Jeana baby."
"You'll love this then." Jeana told me before I felt a sharp pain in my left shin.
"Ow!" I shouted as I lifted my leg into the air and grabbed my injured spot with my hands. "You kicked me in the shin." And I didn't even know if what she said was sarcastic or not. It sounded like it, but at the same time...
"You said you like fighters," Jeana said with that smile of hers. "Don't you like us any more Adrian?" This girl, I couldn't put in words how much I liked her.
"I do still like you." I told her as I hopped on one leg towards her to place my arm around her shoulder. "If anything, that kick only made me like you even more."
I felt a light blow to my stomach. It wasn't hard, just something to tell me that she wasn't done with me yet.
"Keep talking like that white boy and you'll end up black with bruises."
I smiled at her before we walked back to our friends and fellow tamers. And Scotch and Harley.
"I'll leave you kids alone now." Scotch said when we got back to where we were before my girlfriend started chasing me around. "Got work to do, people to intimidate, people to fuck with, the usual."
"Right, see you Scotch. Harley." I said as the early thirties peacekeeper and his should be wolf walked away from us, looking at everyone sharply, daring them to cause trouble.
Peacekeepers, they were scary. They'd as easily shoot you as talk to you. Scotch was one of the nice ones, but even then I could see the murderous look in his eyes. Even though I was on good terms with them with training their dogs and helping them out with maintenance, I didn't fuck with them. I also kept the peace around some of the fields when I had the chance. People around here live a dangerous life, and I don't want them to throw away their life because of a spontaneous fit, it's not worth mouthing off a peacekeeper, or starting a fight, or an eggplant, or anything else that gets you the undivided attention of the peacekeepers if it ends your life. I feel that we have enough deaths as it is without somebody doing something stupid.
"I wonder if Scotch'll attack someone just because he doesn't like the way they look." Amos said just as Scotch was out of ear shot.
"Don't talk for a bit Amos." I told my friend. He was a good tamer and stuff, but half the time, I don't think he even knows the situation he's in. If anything, I don't even think that he thinks before he opens his mouth and speaks. He's not really that smart either. I worry for him, because one day, I think that's going to be his downfall.
"Okay." He obeyed as Jeana and I got back in line with them.
As I got nearer to the sign in table, I noticed that there were black steel cages with thick, see through material around the cages that were a mixture of metal and hard plastic. Each of the cages were marked twelve to eighteen. In addition to that, there were huge, black, cast iron cauldron on top of the cages. What were they all for?
The tenth quarter quell, the unknown reading of the card. President Blizzard kept us in suspense by not reading that card, and it freaked some people out. For the past six months, people wondered what the twist for this year was. Couldn't say I blamed them, I had gone through quarter quell twists in my mind, and not all of them involved twenty four tributes become friends and escaping together.
I got up to the sign in booth when the Capitol women started to talk to me.
"Name?" She asked.
"Adrian Colton." I answered.
"Age?"
"Eighteen."
"Tesserae?"
"One for my father, Nathaniel Colton. One for my mother, Avery Colton. And one for my dick brother, Andre Colton."
"All right then, get to your cage with the number eighteen marked on it."
I stepped out of line before looked back at my girlfriend.
"I'll see you after this event."
"Like I'd want to see you that soon." She sarcastically told me. She said that, but I could see a little smile come from her. We'd make it out of this, just like we always did. Of the tamers, I was the one with the biggest risk of getting picked due to all that Tesserae I pull out. And despite all that, I'm still here, if I can make it out of this, so can the rest of my friends.
I smiled at Jeane before I turned around and walked away. Yes, we were going to make it out alive, just like every year.
Caritta Desin's POV
I headed into the cage marked: 16, and heard the kids inside stop talking to one another as I entered. They all went silent as I stepped in, whatever they were talking about wasn't important any more, I was either a conversation killer or something much more interesting. I'd guess the second one.
The kids started talking to each other again, but this time quieter.
Again, I knew that they were talking about me.
"Yes, continue to talk bad about me," I sarcastically told them. "It's not like I don't know what your talking about, or can't hear you or anything." I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I knew what they were talking about. It pissed me off, couldn't they talk about something else besides me. That's all I ever heard, I was either useless or a freak. Shut up. I heard you all the last thousand times.
"Hello District Eleven!" Our escort shouted into the microphone when everyone had signed in and we were locked in our cages. "I have to say that this is fine turn out!"
A fine turn out? Everyone that needs to be here is here, that's it. What? Were you expecting a smaller crowd or something? "I have a good feeling about this reaping. And even though the reading of the card along with Panem's rising population brings us to do this, I'm sure that you guys won't make it any worse then it has to be."
We'll see about that won't we. We didn't even know what the quarter quell was, so we're just going to have to find out what it is first.
Our escort, Sandra, walked over to one of the glass reaping bowls before she pulled out a piece of paper and read out. "Eighteen."
What? Eighteen? What was going on?
I then heard a deep groan mixed with metal on metal. I looked in the direction of the sound, and saw that the cage marked eighteen had thick steam inside of it. I could also hear the screams of the girls inside of it, along with the screams of horror from the people outside of that cage.
I looked above the cages and saw a huge black cauldron pour seaming water on them. They were pouring hot water on them, and killing them.
I felt a smile work it's way onto my face. Those bitches had made fun of me for years. I didn't feel sorry for them, in fact, I was happy that they were getting killed. The sounds of their screams was music to my ears. "Any volunteers?" Sandra asked.
The kids looked around, looking for something, or better yet, someone, to save them from getting killed by the lethal liquid. But nobody did. "Oh dear, maybe after this." Sandra picked another piece of paper that read. "Fourteen." The sound of screams occurred behind me. Again, I didn't feel sorry for them.
Again Sandra asked, and no answer. "Fifteen." More screams. No volunteers. "Seventeen." More screams, but this time, I heard something else, I heard someone shouting the word cunt. I came from the guys section. Not that I cared. Those girls were getting what they deserved for making me life even more hellish then it already had been. "Twelve."
At the sound of the word twelve, I couldn't help but feel something. The twelve year olds, sure they picked on me, but they didn't deserve to die, they were too young for that. They were twelve. Too young to know any better. They didn't deserve death.
The next time Sandra asked for volunteers, I shouted
"I volunteer."
A collection of gasps formed around me. They were surprised that, the freak, had volunteered to save them. But I wasn't saving them, I felt bad for the twelve year olds, not them.
A peacekeeper unlocked my cage before escorting me to the stage.
"What's your name dear?" Sandra asked me.
"Caritta Desin." I answered.
Adrian Colton's POV
First the eighteen year olds. Then the fourteen year olds. Then the fifteen year olds, then the seventeen year olds that contained Haley, and her Jeana, my hot tempered, sarcastic, beautiful Jeana. Seeing the innocents was bad enough, but then Haley, and Jeana had to get caught in the cross fire. None of them deserved it, nobody deserved to have a cauldron full of boiling water get dumped on them.
The water was so hot that it melted their flesh, making it stretch and sag like melted rubber, causing them to look like mutants before they met their end. Their screams, their parents screams, their friend's screams, none of them deserved to have that experience.
The Hunger Games were troublesome in more then one horrific way, but this... This was more troublesome then it should of been. It was beyond cruel, it was senseless.
Panem's rising population? We get killed off daily. If there's a rise in the population I'm guessing it's in the career districts, or better yet, the Capitol. But I think the whole thing is bullshit, just some excuse to justify the killings.
Seeing all those kids get killed, followed by Haley and Jeana, I couldn't help but think of why someone couldn't volunteer. Wouldn't volunteer. I get that you're scared, but the others, think about someone else other then yourself for five seconds and you'll think of all those sorrowful parents, the parents that are suffering more inside then their kids are suffering on the outside. Their kid's pain is over, but their pain and sorrow and trauma is still on going.
When Jeana got killed, I slammed my fists against the clear walls surrounding our cage and shouted at the person who wouldn't volunteer.
"CUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNTT!"
I didn't scream at the escort, she was doing her job and actually wanted it to end, she was being optimistic yet professional. The peacekeepers were doing the same, they were just doing their jobs, thought they enjoyed it more then the escort was.
But the people cowering in their cages, waiting for death rather then the arena, they were the real bad guys. How could they watch what was going on in front of them and not want to do something?
I got a look from Garret when I shouted my true thoughts. I couldn't blame him either. At first, I acted bored, I yawned and said that they were bringing out the big guns. I only said that to mask my fear, to mask my disgust with this year's reapings.
But then finally, finally, after the twelve year olds were called, someone volunteered. I guess they valued life after all, even if it was only their own.
Caritta Desin was what she called herself, she had volunteered to save her own skin. She was like Jeana without the nice side. I only heard about her but hearing about her, and seeing her now, was all I needed to know about her.
I didn't go to school, I had work to do, and I didn't care much for school anyway. Being cramped into a building wasn't my style. I knew that it wasn't the best choice ever, but I liked my naps and working outside. I had a good job and learned everything I needed to know out here in the district, outside of a school. Plus, I wouldn't of been a very good student anyway due to my attitude. Sleeping and drinking didn't please teachers.
"Thank you Caritta," Sandra said to her, thankful for the killing of the girls to be stopped. "I knew someone would volunteer." To save her own skin that is.
As our escort walked to the reaping bowl, I knew what I had to do. I knew what had to be done. No more people then whoever gets called on now has to suffer. I just hope that the eighteen year old section doesn't get called again. And I've lost too many friends today, my worst fear came a live, three times in last minute, I don't want it to happen again. "Seventeen."
I didn't watch , and I tried to block out the sounds of the seventeen year olds screaming out in agony. I blocked out all the sounds by one, Amos. Amos was in there, and once again, my fear had came true. I've now lost people I cared about on both sides, and my heart felt like it might rip out of my chest.
I felt something rise from my stomach before I felt my insides blow out of mouth. My breakfast consisting of gruel and alcohol rushed out of my mouth, landed on the wall in front of me, and left an acidic taste in my mouth. This must be how the parents are feeling.
"I volunteer!" I shouted through my gasps. "I volunteer!"
Garret helped me to the cage door, where a peacekeeper with eyes more murderous then Scotch, escorted me to the stage.
I walked up the stage, and saw Caritta Desin, and I couldn't help but feel rage towards her.
I walked right past Sandra, and slammed a powerful right fist into Caritta's face, sending her to the ground.
Caritta Desin. What a laugh. All though I've only heard about her, I knew enough. She was quick tempered and sarcastic, like Jeana. But unlike Jeana, she didn't have a nice side and thought only of herself. Short sighted and naive, she understood nothing.
I could only look at her and think of how over half of the teenage girls in this district died because of her not volunteering soon enough. Why couldn't she of volunteered sooner? Did all the kids that picked on her finally exit her life and she decided to save herself? Knowing what I know about her, that's probably what happened.
She thought that those kids were monsters, that they deserved to die. Well all I got to say is, she's worse then all of them put together.
With all my fiery, through blurred eyes, I shouted at Caritta Desin at the top of my lungs. "CUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNTT!"
A/N: I can't believe it, after a major computer crash and losing everything I've worked on, I managed to type this all up in one day, now that's saying something.
I don't really know if I did the characters justice or not, but if I did them right, Adrian Colton is great to write for. Hell, I haven't liked a tribute this much since writing my last SYOT, and that's saying something.
You know, you people haven't been reviewing since I came off the hiatus, why is that? I think I know what it is but, did I do something to lose you all?