Welcome to wonderland
We've got it all
Potions and pastries that make you grow tall
Forests and cottages, castles and cards that can talk
Conifer "Connie" Smith
District 7, She/Her, 16
(1 Month Prior the Reaping)
...
Hack! Hack! Hack!
The beads of sweat continuously drip down my bright red face but they are ignored as I throw my axe against the tree that barely stands in front of me. It's a monotonous and laborious job but one that employs half the district with its minimum wage salary.
Hack! Hack! Hack!
My arms grow weak with the constant swinging but I have learned to persevere throughout my years working in the forest, allowing my arms to grow numb with the efforts. Every day I wake up with the same aching in my arms, begging me to quit my work and stay in bed until I receive the rest that my body so severely needs.
Hack!
Finally, the tree tumbles down. I back away - as do others - in order to get out of its way as it lands with a large thud, the collectors will come to get it this evening. I envy the cold conditions they work in compared to the beating sun but their long hours into the night along with their brutal labour will never be enough to convince me to join that role of work.
"Alright, this is the last call to get in the trucks or your walking home!" A shout comes from a Peacekeeper through some sort of loudspeaker device. I curse under my breath, I must've missed the previous announcements while I was going at the tree. My legs act faster than my brain and begin to move at a rapid pace, pushing me toward the pickup station. When it comes into view, I watch as the truck begins to roll away. Fear is injected into me, my home is at least a two hour walk from here and I'd never make it under this heat.
My legs move faster now, stumbling along the rocky path in an attempt to catch up. I don't even hesitate as I dive for the truck, my hands clutching onto it as I'm dragged along. Fortunately, a hand grabs ahold of my own and pulls me up.
"Mom." I say through rapid breaths, my mother's warm face smiles back at me with worry etched into her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't even realise." She nods and pulls me into an embrace, rubbing my back in reassurance. Mom has always been good to me, unlike most Mother's here, she doesn't simply see me as a tool to provide more money for the family. Her and my father have a genuine love for me that I believe is irreplaceable.
I squeeze in between her and another woman, placing my head upon her shoulder and releasing the tension from my body. The drive takes around 30 minutes with no detours, every now and then we get a drug search which delays us, but that isn't the case today. By the time we are dropped off at home, the sun has set and the evening breeze has begun to blow. This alone feels rewarding after a long day's worth of work.
Mom unlocks the door and we step into our home, we don't have it as bad as others but our house is no mansion. Two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. Nothing special but it does the job. "Look who's home!" I hear a shout from upstairs and a smile suddenly stretches across my face, radiating the joy that has now filled my heart as I see my father rush down the stairs with my daughter in his hands.
"Hello Willow." I whisper, staring into her bright green eyes as I scoop her into my arms. "Was she okay today?"
"Not too bad, missing you of course." Dad giggles, rubbing the top of my head. I smile back at him before giving him a half sided hug, dad was the angriest to find out about the baby and yet he is the one who has sacrificed the most for her. He only sleeps around three hours per day, taking care of her while mum and I are at work and then going out to collect the trees we've hacked down. His heart is filled with love for his family and that is something that I will forever love and cherish about him. "Let's go and eat, then, before I head out to work."
Enver Naledi-Alder
District 7, He/Him, 16
(Reaping Day)
...
"The saw, it's a couple metres too long!" I shout down from the tree that I sit upon and I watch as someone scurries down below, grabbing the saw that I left leaning on the trunk of the tree. He begins to clamber up the ladder that I rest my feet on, chuckling up at me. "What?" I laugh back at him as he hands me the saw.
"You can climb down you know!" He shouts, presenting a mock introduction of climbing down a ladder.
"Very funny but I gotta get you up here somehow." I holler back at my dad before going back to adjusting the ladder, I saw it down just a few metres further before grinning at my handiwork. I practically jump down the steps of the ladder with excitement to take a look at the finished product of my project. "Brilliant!" The monstrous tree holds a house upon its branches, leaves tangling around the walls. It looks exactly as planned. "Isn't it great dad?" I turn to see him with his hands on his hips, staring proudly at our work.
"Looks great you two!" My other dad chimes in, appearing at the backdoor. We've been focused on finishing up this treehouse while he makes a couple of toys to sell in the shop.
"You think they'll like it?" I ask, referring to the client that requested it.
"I'm sure they'll love it, we'll have to show them when they get home though. Everybody is starting to head to the reaping." I nod and begin to pack away my tools, envisioning the looks on the family's faces when I show them what we've created. Once my toolbox is packed up, I head into the house and back out through the front door - my dads locking up with the spare key we were given.
"You worried at all about the reaping?" Dad asks as we walk.
"Nah!" I reply, looking around at the empty market that's usually swarming with people going about their daily lives. I've always found the reaping to be an intriguing day, the district gets a new sort of aura about it when everybody is at the centre. It always seems to fill my joyful heart with solemness as I look around at the empty and blank faces that stare ahead emotionlessly.
"Ah, shit!" Someone shouts and I snap my head to the side, a middle aged woman is on the floor after tripping over. I rush over and grab her from her armpits, pulling her back onto her feet. "Get off me!" She shrieks, slapping my hands away before landing her palm against my cheek. Tears of confusion seem to brim in my eyes as she runs off and I hardly notice as my dads come to comfort me.
"I was just trying to help..." I murmur and I'm met with a sterner response than expected.
"I know, Enver but we've taught you about personal space. Maybe, in the future, just outstretch a hand." I nod and wipe away the tears, homeschooling has often meant I don't get a lot of social interaction. Every time I try to talk to or help people I get another lecture about how what I did was wrong. Why does our world have to be so complicated? Couldn't people just get along? "Alright son, we'll catch up with you once the reaping is over." I'm bombarded with hugs which brings my usual smile to my face and I squeeze them back until their forced to push me into the line of children waiting to be pricked.
I tap my foot, looking at the large wooden stage set up outside The Justice Building. My mind wanders to the hopes that I someday too will be able to be apart of such a big project, maybe even building houses for people. There's far too many people out on the streets these days. I jump suddenly as someone grabs ahold of my hand, jerking me out of my thoughts as a slight sting reaches the tip of my finger. "All set, hurry up and get into place." I rush over with the rest of my age group as the clock chimes, signalling the beginning of yet another reaping.
"Hello, hello." A woman cries and my eyes are blinded by the bright colour of pink from her hair and her shoes. I chuckle at Aysha Joyce's signature outfit as she bounds onto the stage, twirling her ebony hair. "Please welcome this year's mentors, Stephan Broadley and Eamonn Birch!" There's a little applause and I clap along with them. The two victors take their places next to Aysha.
"We'll start with our male." She whispers into the mic and then dips her hand into the large bowl to the left of her, picking out a single slip. She looks from the slip to the audience in mock suspense. "Enver Naledi-Alder." I breathe in sharply through my nose, any previous evidence of my smiling face disappearing as the cameras fall on me. My eyes grow wide as those around me push me toward the stage, my heart racing.
Once I make my way next to Aysha, I stare down at the floor and become trapped in my head.
A/N: God, I am so sorry this took so long. Thanks to FizzNBoo for Connie and rising-balloons for Enver.
- Neb