The warm feeling of water on my whole body suddenly jolts me awake. I reluctantly put my head up and looked around. I run my fingers on the side of my arm, then flinch. It’s the worst burn ever. Definitely caused by the sun. I look up at the sky and realize the sun is fading away. Under the Coast’s ocean, the orange and blue mixed…
But then, all the saltwater starts to leave my brain. Sunburn? Sunset? I was supposed to be home hours ago! I’m going to be so screwed.
With all the craziness going on with the country lately, I’m surprised I’m not rotting in a cell. The District has enforced more rules about curfews, especially after the last victory tour. There were a lot of peacekeepers before, but now, it’s getting a bit ridiculous. A lot of people have been caught sneaking around late at night, which means they had to build a bigger cell house. Thankfully, home isn’t far away.
The sand dries the hours of soaking on my feet as I walk into the house.
I feel a tight grip on my shoulders as Mom digs her nails into my skin. My stomach churns, but I resist making a face. She starts berating me for being out too late.
“What were you thinking, Scarlett!? It’s almost midnight! What would’ve happened if you had gotten shot!? Taken? You could’ve been seen by the cameras!” She screeches at me.
Well, that’s not going to help my earache. I think about saying this out loud but it’s not worth a huge fight. She moves her arm and gripped it tight around my sunburn. My older brother, Adan walked out of his room with dark circles around his eyes.
“What’s going on, ma?” He asked, sleepily. Mom went over to him and gave him a big squeeze. “It’s nothing, darling. Go to bed, you have that training tomorrow.” I smirk a little. If his friends at school knew he got coddled by his mommy every night, he would be teased relentlessly. He obliged and slowly walked away, slowly. Then, she glared back at me in an instant.
“Go to sleep right now. We’ll talk about this tomorrow morning. Goodnight.” She says, in her usual tone. Her face reads like she swallowed a crab whole. Sleep without dinner, again. This probably happens about once a week now. It’s not like we’re scarce of any, it’s just a personal choice from her. I’ll grab something from the cabinet in a few when I’m sure everyone’s asleep.
I walk into the bathroom I must share with the whole house. It’s not very fancy but it does the job. Tiled white walls with a dusty mirror and a tall sink. I look in the mirror and notice the sun bleaching on my hair for the first time this season, making it a golden shade. I decided to wash my legs, as the sand wouldn’t be fun to lay with. I’m glad it’s midnight, which means it won't be as hot as usual. I go back to the room I must share with my other older brother, Enzo. I tuck myself into bed and start having trouble falling asleep. I can’t move, cause that would make me even warmer. I start to get lost in my thoughts. I look over at Enzo and I’m very grateful. I can’t imagine myself having to share a room with Adan, he smells of salmon and doesn’t have any self-discipline, which is why there are bread crumbs all over his room. And he guesses who has to clean it up. Shouldn’t the twins be the ones who have to share a room? I guess this is Mom's way of punishing me. Enzo though? He hasn’t done anything wrong. At least, nothing I know of. As I round up my annoyances, I finally find myself falling asleep.
Dreams are very basic. The swimming around the coast slowly escalated into a full-on gun battle with the peacekeepers. The thoughts of swimming out in the ocean and never looking back. Then suddenly, guns, whippings, the reapings. And it ends with me drowning in the ocean. I can never get a break. The next morning, I wake up to the smell of stale bread. And a pinch on my cheek. I roll over to the other side of the bed. Adan.
“Leave me alone..” I say, my eyes looking at him.
“No, Scar. I’ve been having seafood every day this year. I'll kill myself if I have one more lobster leg for breakfast! He says, right in my face.
“You’re so stupid,” I say. “We just had eggs for breakfast, like a month ago.
“A month ago, yeah. But it was eggs wrapped in shrimp. It was disgusting.” I roll my eyes.
“You can’t be picky these days, that was one of the fancier breakfasts.”
So irritating, and for what? I can’t be bothered by him. I get up and get clothing from my closet. A wetsuit can do some good today. As a citizen of District 4, our foundation is fishing and everything water. And all of our efforts go straight to the capitol. For my job, I go deep into the ocean and get a bunch of pearls. It’s one of the least-respected jobs in the District, but it has to be done. After we get a bunch of pearls, we make them into jewelry. Earrings, necklaces, Capitol things. Before I head to work, I take a generous amount of bread. I’m usually stocked with a more filling breakfast, so I need to eat more to store energy. I tried to walk out the door with the bread and speed out so I wouldn’t have to face my mom, but she was in the kitchen. Her head was turned back towards the rusty white cabinets, as she was grabbing some cups. But she has piercing eyes on the back of her head.
“Scarlett, we’re having breakfast as a family today. Please, sit down.” I look at the television where the weather is shown every morning. Even if I finish eating in 5 minutes, I won't be able to get to work on time. And with the lecture, I’m definitely getting I’ll be about 20 minutes late. I sigh. I eye Adan as he nodded and lightly tapped the empty chair next to him. I sit down reluctantly and see my dad munching on a piece of bread, presumably from last week. Mom and Enzo sit down and nobody says a word.
Mom glared at Dad and cleared her throat. He stared at her, dumbfounded, and tilted his head. “What?” He exclaimed. “Did I do something?”
Mom rolled her eyes and pointed her head towards me.
“Dom, remember the conversation we had last night? Tell her it’s not okay to…” Then he interrupted her.
“You mean when you woke me up? I was tired…” Then Mom interrupted him.
“Tired from doing what, Dom? Fishing all day? Sitting at the lake with your friends? Come on. Even Scar does more than that.” I didn’t appreciate the jab at my job, but I ignored it. Besides, what’s mom doing that’s so important as being a housewife? I looked over at Enzo, then at Adan, and we all had the same, disappointed look.
I picked at my stale bread as the talk continued.
“Well, it’s not all boring fishing stuff,” Dad said matter-of-factly. “It’s other stuff too. Like rowing the boats, that’s tiring. You know, I actually do some really good work there. Just yesterday I caught the biggest fish ever. It was about–ye big.” Dad said, moving his arms around to show us the width and such, but stopped when he realized nobody was really paying attention.
“To celebrate, Oak brought over some booze, and I-” I squeezed my face as he said this. Stop talking, is what I mouthed towards him. He got the hint and immediately shut up. But it was too late. Mom jumped up and started freaking out. She slammed the table so hard, the napkins almost flew in the air. “You relapsed?” She shouted, with her hands in the air. “You’re fucking drinking? What the HELL is wrong with you? What did I tell you about getting drunk? That’s why you’ve been acting as tiddly as a teacup. We have more problems that I’m worrying about that I- ENZO! Sit your ass down!”
That is what she said when Enzo started to sit up, trying to escape this situation. He gave me a worried look and I shook my head. As Mom started tearing up, she looked down at Adan and started sobbing hysterically, with her hands over her face.
“I’m not getting drunk, it was just a bottle or… two? You don’t have to get all hysterical.” Dad said. This just made Mom even angrier.
“Just a bottle or two?! You don’t even fucking remember how many you drank? I swear Dom, you’re driving me batshit crazy! Adan gave Dad the stink eye, then I yanked his arm. “Come on, let’s go,” I whispered to him. Despite the protests from Adan, We stood up from the table with Enzo, who followed along. Mom stared at us, sniffing. We can deal with her later, I thought to myself as we walked to the front.
“What was that? Why did you just leave her suffering like that?” Adan hissed at me and Enzo. “This is what always happens,” Enzo starts. “Mom and Dad start fighting and she expects you to stand up for her like a little pet,” he points at Adan. “And you always make it worse by avoiding everything,” He says to me. I know he’s right, but I won’t admit it. I make a pouty face and start explaining.
“Well, it’s not like it’s any of our business, so why should we get involved? Obviously, Dad isn’t gonna stop drinking, and Mom won’t stop fighting with him about it. What are we supposed to do?”
“We can't change them, but at least we can be there for Mom and make her feel better," said Adan. Enzo nodded in agreement.
"That wouldn’t help at all," I say. "If anything, we would just be enabling them. They’d think we’re picking sides.” Adan stared at me and opened his mouth to say something, but Enzo started talking first.
“This conversation isn’t getting anywhere, so why don’t we all just shut up and do what we need to do today? Adan, you have your last training session today. We all know what happens if you're late for it."
Adan grimaced at the mention of the training. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll make I get home before the Quarter Quell announcement, alright?"
“Good. Now we can both get to work on time and hopefully, we can get a good meal tonight. Maybe even a steak, who knows.” I laughed, I knew he was lying. Mom and Dad are never happy with me or Enzo.
***
I start walking over to the ocean. The coast is all the people that live within walking distance from the ocean. Most of my co-workers were required to do this job. Even though it gets a bunch of slack, I make a fine amount of money. Not desirable, but a good amount for a 15-year-old still in school. And the best part? We get to sell some of the jewelry we make to the victors.
I shouldn’t have thought of the Games right at that moment, as I paused in my tracks and imagined the awful scenarios that could occur. Obviously, it would be an honor going into the games, especially if someone won for our district. The thought that it could be me, was almost fascinating, as much as it was terrifying.
Okay, no more thinking about the reaping. Just focus on walking. I can tell I’m almost near the sea, as the white sand below me starts to decrease in density. When I get there, I see Cannon (my boss), chatting with the mayor, Kai Stanford. When he left, Cannon didn’t look pleased. I go up to him while I look to the right. Brooke, a girl that I go to school with. Her long, thick dark brown hair contrasts with many people here, for the majority of citizens have thin medium-length hair, in lighter colors such as blonde. Since today is so windy, her hair keeps getting stuck in the net she’s making. Whatever the mayor told Cannon didn’t sit right with him.
“Brooke, how hard is it to put your hair up? Can someone get her a damn tie?” I go up to him.
“What did Stanford tell you? You seem irritable today.” More than usual, at least.
“Well, the capital is having a huge upburst in pearl jewelry lately. Which means, of course, more work for all of us, especially me”
“Oh, that sucks… if there’s anything I could do to help, I could make some time!” He looks flustered by my comment for some reason.
“It’s fine, it’s not a big deal. Now, get to business.” He says.
“Sure. See ya,” I say, and walk off to find a place to put my bag down. I glance up and see the sun shining on the waves. A beautiful sight, I just hope my day will go smoother than it did this morning.
As the day goes by, it becomes harder and harder to focus on the pearls. I kept having intrusive thoughts about the Games. If I got reaped for the games and became a victor, I would be the happiest person in District 4. But, I also realize that I could die. For someone that doesn't want to risk life or limb, the Games are a very difficult thing to think about.
My mind wandered back to my parents fight. I couldn't believe they were arguing over beer again. My mother was so loud that it started to distract everyone else. I could still hear her piercing voice ringing in my ears. I looked up and saw Brooke staring at the ground, looking annoyed. I wondered if I should try to get her to take my shift, but she seemed pretty busy.
“Hey, I'm taking a break. I'm going to go grab a drink, you wanna join me?” I ask her. She thinks
for a moment, then shakes her head.
“I can't. I have to finish this necklace. You go ahead.” She waves me off and resumes work. I sigh, then wander over to the juice bar. There's a man named Walter, who owns this dive. He also fishes with my dad sometimes on the weekdays. He gives me a cup of coconut juice and a bowl of fruit. I take a seat against the wall and eat.
The next hour passes quickly, as I sit there and listen to the other workers talk. Some of the conversations are about the Games, others are about work. One of them mentions that they found the body of a dead fisherman. Apparently, it was a young teenager. This happens a lot here. Even though we're a Career district, a bunch of kids are still super terrified of the games. So, they kill themselves and make it seem accidental. At least, that's what these people think happened. I listen some more for a bit and then head back to the pearl diving shop.
When I arrive, I notice Brooke working furiously on the necklace she was making. I walk up to her and she stops to look up at me.
“Holy shit, you've been so busy,” I say.
“No, no. I still have a lot to do, I just haven't gotten around to it yet.” She says.
“It's alright. I can help you out.” I offer. She smiles slightly and nods.
We finish up for the day and head back to the pier. It's time to start diving. We step down onto the wooden planks and into the water. The cold numbs my toes as I wade through the dark ocean and find the old rusted ladder. We climb into the boat and row about five minutes to the spot where we usually gather our pearls. I look towards the North and I see the usual line of the Ocean Peacekeepers. We can't go further than instructed, and we don't know what happens if we do because nobody's lived to tell that story. I wonder if they know what lies beyond the lines.
After a few minutes, we catch a nice amount of pearls. Me and Brooke get lucky today and find a nice batch stuck between some green and purple coral. Cannon praises us for our bountiful discovery. The boys carry them to the surface and I sit next to Brooke. I stare into the darkness of the ocean, watching the bubbles rise to the top.
“I heard that a fisherman died yesterday, somewhere north of here. Did you hear about that?” Brooke asks.
“Yeah, some guys at the juice shop were talking about it earlier. He must have drowned. Apparently, he was about our age. Maybe a year or so older than us? I’m not sure–I just hope he wasn't one of the ones who committed suicide,” I say.
“Oh, I know what you mean. I read about that in the paper today, actually." Brooke says, calmly. I normally don't read the paper, because it's all the same stuff every day now. It's all about the Games. I wish they would stop talking about it already.
"Why don't we go somewhere to distract ourselves from all the work?" Brooke suggests. I nod and follow her out of the shop. We wander down a street that has small shops along each side. In the middle of the street, there is an old fountain that doesn't work anymore. We sit on an empty bench nearby, and I fidget with my fingers nervously. The square is basically empty, everyone is going to be home with their families when the announcement comes on.
"Do you think the Quarter Quell will be really bad this year?" I ask. She considers this question thoroughly.
"I don't know... maybe..."
"How come you care so much about it anyway? Do you think you'll ever end up getting reaped?" She asked. I shrug my shoulders.
"Who knows? I guess I just want to be ready if I am. In training, I haven't exactly proven myself to be the best fighter."
She laughs. "Of course, but I think everyone's more paranoid about it this year. Everyone remembers the other quells being really brutal, especially the one for the 50th Games." She said. I nod.
I wasn't born when they announced the Quell for the 50th year, it was really tragic and gory, according to my Dad. Twice as many tributes were in the Arena, which meant more deaths and more families broken.
"I don't think I'd be able to handle the Games. I'd probably just run away." I joke, but she looks serious.
"You might be surprised. A lot of people would rather die than be in the arena. That's why so many people commit suicide during the Games, you know?" she says. I nod, remembering the stories that my father told me. "Even though it's been a while since then, it's still fresh in most people's minds. And to be honest, I wouldn't blame them either. I mean, it's pretty scary to think about."
I look down at my hands and feel sorry for the people who had to go through it.
"Well, let's hope that neither of us gets picked," I say. She nods.
"Yes, let's hope so." We sat in silence for a minute, then she suddenly stands up.
"Come on, we should go back to the shop. They'll be waiting for us." I stand up as well.
The two of us walk back to the pearl diving shop. It's a little past 6:00 now. Cannon waves us over and tells us to take a load of the pearls to town. Two of the guys carry the basket, and I lead them to the pier. I watch the last few boats sail out into the ocean. Once the sun sets, the ocean will be completely black. The only lights that shine in the evening are the few lanterns that hang on the poles near the beach that have seemingly been there for years. As we walk up, I wave to a few fishermen who are pulling in their nets. The sun setting, combined with the gentle waves and the darkening sky, makes it seem like nighttime.
As soon as we arrive at the pier, Cannon starts giving orders.
"Alright, let's move those pearls to the warehouse. We'll have to leave them there until the morning." He says. I look at Brooke and we both know we won't be here the next day. We'll be at school, for our last day at the Training Center. The next day, someone is going to be riding a train to the Capitol.
When we return to the pearl shop, Brooke walks up to me and gives me a big hug. I smile at her and give her one back.
"Thanks for helping me today, I really appreciate it." She whispers. I nod my head.
"Anytime," I whisper back.
"Let's go back home and wait for tomorrow to come." She says as we walk back to our houses.
I head back home earlier than usual, so when I go inside the house I see my mom sweeping the floor with an old broom. I walk up to her to see what she's sweeping up, but she pushes me to the side.
"Stay away, it's glass." She says, in a sad way. I look up at her eyes. They're red, and her face is shiny. She had definitely been crying a lot. I wonder what could possibly be wrong. As I stand there, she grabs my arm and drags me to my room.
"I need to talk to you about something, and I want to be completely honest with you." She says as she sits me down on my bed.
"Okay, Mom..." I reply as I cross my arms. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.
"What's going on? Is it Dad?" I ask, worried.
"No, it's not him. He's fine. Something happened at the shop today, and I really need to tell you about it. You're almost an adult, and I think you should know what's going on." She says as she gulps down a sip of water. I nod slowly, hoping that whatever it is, it's not too serious.
"So, what's wrong?" I ask. She sighs heavily and leans forward.
"There was another death in the District." I gasp.
"Another one?!" I exclaim.
"Yes. He was a boy, just your brothers' age. He went missing this afternoon, and his body was found by the ocean just a few minutes ago." She explains. I can't believe it. People are killing themselves to avoid the Games, and people are dying because of the Games. I look at her, and she continues.
"They don't know how he died, but they suspect it was suicide. Someone jumped off the pier. His family will probably be notified tonight, I'm sure." She says. "I hope they don't get punished..." She trails off, and I assume that's probably what happens to the families of suicides.
"That's horrible! Why would anybody kill themselves? It's not worth it!" I say.
"I agree. But people are desperate. They have no other choice. It's mostly the poorer kids who live in the Valley, the ones who have their names in forty times. I'm sure the Capitol is going to try and make this an issue for the Quarter Quell again, punish the districts and the families. But you know what? I don't think it's worth it. I think these people are just selfish, and they just want to escape the pain." She says.
I can't believe that she thinks that. I shake my head, to show her how stupid that idea is.
"That's horrible, Mom! Just because you're selfish doesn't mean everybody else is!" I shout. "We're just kids, you know. Scared children!"
"I know, I know. But that's just the way things are now." She says sadly. I glare at her, frustrated.
"I hate this! I hate it!" I shout. She grabs my face and looks into my eyes.
"Don't shout. You're scaring me. I didn't mean to upset you." She apologizes. I close my mouth and nod. I calm myself down.
"I'm just angry. I'm angry because I know that I'll have to worry about this. There's nothing I can do to avoid the inevitable. I don't want to have to watch my friends get killed in front of my eyes, or commit suicide, or even be in the Games. I don't want to have to be afraid of everything!" I yell. She puts her hand on my shoulder.
"I know, but stop saying those things. We're safe, Scarlett. Neither you, nor your brothers have to worry about being chosen. Your name is only in there four times, and Adan and Enzo's names are only in there seven. You'll be fine." She reassures me.
I roll my eyes.
"Yeah, right! You don't know that!" I say.
"I know it for a damn fact! I know it because I've been watching the Games since I was born. Every year, they announce the names, and every year, they never chose the names of me, my siblings, or anyone I knew." She replies.
"But there's still a chance! My name could be picked next!" I argue. "The Quell could be only girls or only fifteen-year-olds!"
She shakes her head.
"No, Scarlett. It's not going to happen. Just trust me. I've seen the Games, and I know how it works. Someone is going to get picked, and a career from the training center will volunteer." She says.
I sigh and give her a weak smile. She smiles back, trying to reassure me.
"I'm sorry, I just hate the thought of some poor kid getting killed," I say. She nods.
"It's okay, I understand. Now, enough with the doom and gloom. Let's wait for your brothers' to get home, and they can tell us all about their training. And tomorrow, you'll go to your final training and we'll watch the Quell announcement as a family. Okay?" She asks. I nod.
"Okay," I say, relieved that it's over.
"Good night, Scarlett." She says and walks away. I turn off the light switch and lie down on my bed. I stare at the ceiling and start thinking about the Games. I try to picture myself in the arena, fighting for my life. It's almost impossible to think about. And yet, I can't stop imagining it.
The next morning, I wake up early and race downstairs to the kitchen. I eat breakfast as quickly as I can and then hurry outside. When I get to the training center, I see Brooke already sitting in the chair, chatting with some of the people in our friend group. She sees me running toward her and waves.
"Hey, Scarlett! Good morning!" She says.
"Morning," I reply.
"How did you sleep?" She asks. I shrug.
"Fine." I lie.
"Oh, good. I was a bit worried. I couldn't fall asleep last night." She says.
"Me neither. I kept thinking about the Games. How terrible it would be if my name was called. Or any of our names." I say. She nods.
"Yeah, that's the worst part about it." She says.
We sit in silence for a moment.
"So, are you ready for today?" She asks.
"Yeah, I guess. Are you nervous?" I ask.
"Nervous? No, I'm not. I'm excited. Today is the day. I finally get to find out who I'm going to fight against." She says.
I laugh.
"You're insane, you know that?" I say.
She grins. Training for the games in the Districts is actually illegal, but nobody cares, including the capitol. It makes for a more 'exciting' watch with more experienced fighters. So, everyone from the ages twelve to eighteen has to get trained at the Training Center, whether they want to or not. Today is the final training for the fourteen and fifteen-year-olds, and also the last training until the reaping.
"Well, you'll definitely be prepared to fight!" I say. She smiles.
"Maybe. I'm sure it will be easy." She laughs. "What's the weapon you're specializing in, again?" She asks.
"Knives and spears," I answer.
"Ooh, good choice! You're going to be amazing!" She says.
I smile at her words and nod.
"How about you?" I ask.
"I'm going to specialize in archery." She answers.
"Is that what you're planning to use if you go to the Games?" I ask.
"Yeah, I think it's the best option for me. Not too many girls are good at it, so I should have a better chance of winning." She says.
"Do you think your name will be picked?" I ask.
"Probably not. I'm only in there four times." She replies.
"Four times! That's great, Brooke! What about your brother?" I ask. "What weapon did he use?"
"He's a pretty good fighter, but he's not very good at anything specific. So, he got a spear" She replies.
"Ahh, yeah, that makes sense," I say.
"I'm sure he'll be fine. He knows how to handle himself in a fight, and he's a decent shot." She says.
"That's what I'm hoping," I respond.
We sit in silence for a moment, both of us lost in our thoughts. Then, I hear two boys yelling at each other, and the sounds of weapons clashing and arrows flying.
"Come on, guys! You're gonna miss your training." Nash yells at us. Nash is one of our classmates, and he got assigned an attendance manager and co-trainer.
"Sorry, Nash!" We both call back.
I stand up and grab my bag. Brooke gets up too. As we walk toward the door, I catch a glimpse of the person who's yelling at the boys. It's Nash again, and he looks like a mess. His hair is messy, and his shirt is ripped. He's holding a sword and shouting at the other boy.
"Look who's here!" He shouts.
"What a dick," Brooke mutters, and I nod my head.
"Yeah, I know," I say. Nash spots us and stops yelling. The other boys leave the room, and Nash turns to us.
"Hi, guys. Sorry about earlier." He says.
"It's okay, no big deal," I reply.
"I didn't know you were coming today, Scarlett." He adds.
"I told her I'd help practice for the Games," Brooke says.
"Cool," Nash says.
"I need to get better at defense, though," I say.
"Defensive maneuvers?" He asks.
"Yeah, I feel like I'm always dodging, and that's not good. I want to be able to get in close and slash them." I say.
"Let's go to the training grounds." He says.
"Sure," I say.
We follow him outside, where the training fields are. I notice a girl walking toward us, and I smile to myself. I recognize her, but I can't remember her name.
"Hello, Scarlett." She says. Well, she obviously remembered my name. "I remember you, you're the one that has the twin brothers!" She says. I laugh.
"I'm glad you remember my name," I say.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll be the one chosen to volunteer for the Games, not them." She says. I look at her in shock.
"Excuse me?" I ask. "Why would you say something like that?"
"Because I saw them fighting in the stands yesterday. And you're much prettier than they are. Plus, you're younger and smaller." She says. I frown.
"I don't know why you'd say such a thing, but let me assure you that I am not going to the Games. I don't want to kill anybody." I say.
"Yes, you do. Look at your eyes. They're icy blue. Cold, calculating." She whispers. Then she giggles.
"What's your name again?" I ask, ignoring her comment.
"Danielle, but call me Dani. Dani Avan," She says.