No more hope {Cinder}

[Breeze-Chan]

The time that Tally Killio had suffered with Blue gone. Shay had tried
to take Blue's place as older sister, but Tally only pushed her away.
Coy had clammed up, receding into a shell.

Tally, she had enough. She found one of Blue's backpacks, stuffed
cloths and some food into the old bag, along with a notebook. She
took Blue's old locket, which once belonged to their mother, and put
it around her neck. Blue was wearing the trinket Shay, Coy, and
Tally had given her. Tally made sure she was buried with it.

Anyways, Tally ran away. Now she was wondering the forest. She
was pretty sure she was nearing District Elven. Maybe she should
have brought a map with her...

But the air was refreshing. And she saw more wildlife then she ever
thought possible. It was an experience for her. It was inspiring.

The six-year-old sat down on a rock and pulled a pen out of the bag
and began to write.

Day 1

First day as a runaway. I wonder what Blue would think, me taking
off into the wild all by myself. She would either say "Get home now!"
or "My little girl is all grown up!"
It's beautiful out here. I think I'm near District 11, but I'm not sure. I
hope I'm near the Runaway camp. Maybe someone'll find me. I'm
not sure how long the food I brought will last me, and it might get
really cold at night.
I wish Blue was here. Maybe then I won't feel so lonely.

[cinder]

Illiana, in more ways than one, was a child. She had thought about this before, comparing her behavior to that of the other people her age, back at the Uprising camp. She had been reduced to tears after an infuriating meeting with a snobbish boy about a year or two older than her, who had told Lana she was not worthy of being a powerful member of the Uprisers. That she should just go back to her family in District Eight.

And so, she had.

But now I am coming back and nobody can tell me what to do or not do, she thought with an edge of determination to her own mental voice. Time spent out here, in the wild and the world in general, had turned Illiana into a young lady. Her mother had always called her, 'my little girl,' but Lana was no longer the skittish, shy, sheltered girl of sixteen who could not fend for herself. She was seventeen, beautiful, and confident in her abilities to rise to the occasion when somebody was sick or wounded. She was a Healer.

So you have been brought up to speed with what has been up with Illiana Annwn the past few weeks. Now she was trekking through the woods on her way back to the Uprisers after a few months spent under the guidance of a skilled Healer in her home District. With the experience, Lana knew nothing could stand in her way--she was ready to take on the wo

Is that a little girl? Indeed there was a small child sitting on a rock, scrawling notes in a journal. Lana felt her mouth open, forming an O of surprise, and her eyes widened to match. She glanced around, hoping there was not an armed, angry sibling or parent around who would immediately take her down for being a 'threat.' As if!

"Hello?" Illiana called from a safe ten to fifteen feet away from where the girl was. It was a fair distance, if the girl tried to run away Lana was sure she could catch her, but if anybody was watching, or if the kid was skittish, she would not be too close for comfort. "I'm Illiana, what is your name?" she asked kindly, trying desperately to communicate that she did not mean harm.

[Breeze-Chan]

"Hello?" A voice called, making Tally jump up, journal falling to the
forest floor, and tighten her grip on her pen. Her eyes where wide,
darting around. Her eyes landed on a very pretty girl. Tally shrunk
back away from her. "I'm Illiana, what is your name?"

"Tally." She mumbled, eye downcast. She shook her head at herself
for acting so stupid. "Tally," She said louder. "Tally Killio." She was
alone now. She couldn't let random girls scare her.

Her eyes widen slightly in realization. She was alone. She had to
fend for herself. She couldn't hunt. She had no clue how to fish. She
didn't have any weapons or fishing stuff and there was no way she
was going to sell Blue's necklace for food and weapons.That was
just unspeakable.

[cinder]

The name. She recognized that name--Killio

But from where? That was the true question. Lana could count on her digits the number of people she had had a conversation with during her last few months of sweet freedom, it should not be so hard to recall meeting a Killio. Pushing the thoughts aside Lana took a few hesitant steps forward before sitting down on the forest floor. She was now just about eye-level with the precious girl. Illiana did not know much about children, but she had always been the matronly sibling. Speaking to somebody the way you wanted to be spoken to, and presenting yourself as a non-threat seemed to work with immature teenagers. If Lana Annwn was correct, it should work with regular children too.

"Thats a beautiful name, Tally. Like a tally-count," Lana murmured in her most soothing voice which she used when dealing with panicked relatives of sick or wounded persons. "Tally, did you get lost, sweety? I can't imagine anybody leaving you behind like this!" she exclaimed. Coming from the mouth of a creepy, old guy it might have sounded like a sugar-sweet, careful way of asking the child if she were alone, so that if she said yes, kidnapping would be all the easier, but from Lana, truthful, innocent Lana it sounded like a real question. Heck, the sweet girl could probably offer Tally candy and still not inspire even greater feelings of suspicion.

She sat back, the palms of her hand pressing against cool, wet dirt. Illiana smiled patiently, not daring to speak another word. She had the feeling if she made any sudden movements or yelled "BOO!" Tally would start shrieking and flee the scene of this exchange. In that way, the girl reminded Illiana of a startled deer, with large childs-eyes that expressed only the honest-to-God truth, and nothing but the truth. The thought of this girl as a small, forest creature brought warmth to her smile.

And suddenly, with no warning Illiana knew where she had heard the name before. Blue Killio, a Tribute in the previous Games! Oh, the poor, poor girl. Sitting alone in the forest with a back-pack and a journal. Dirty clothes, an unwashed face. A runaway. She is alone!

[Breeze-Chan]

"Nobody left me," Tally pouted. "I ran away. People pitied me
because my sister was so close to coming home. One of the last
three. I was tired of the pity."

Tally slowly was backing away. She remembered what Shay said. "If
you ever end up in the forest, be care of the people in there. You
don't ever know if they want to hurt you." Blue would always team
up with Shay on these comments, making small additions like "They
might east you!", like people in the forest where like fairytale
monsters who ate naughty little children.

Tally clutched her pen tighter, like a weapon. If Illiana got to close,
maybe Tally might be able to stab her with the pen, for a distraction,
then runaway from her.

[cinder]

The words Tally spoke did not match the childish appearance of the girl. How could such a small, delicate thing be talking about her dead sister, and not even tear up? The power of a child's mind to understand death on a whole new level impressed Lana. People said children didn't understand death, but she had always thought they got the point too well. Kids saw more than adults. She was about to tell the girl sorry, try to express her sympathy but Illiana found an inner voice shouting no. The girl was startled, afraid, sad. No need to depress her even further.

"That's very brave of you, Tally!" she looked at the girls back-pack anxiously, filling it up with food and coming to the conclusion that even such a small body would need more if the girl planned to stay out here in the wild for a long amount of time. "Where are you headed?" the pretty blonde asked curiously while automatically opening her back pack and taking out a few pre-made sandwiches she had been given back home in District Eight. There was no bread, all the real bread was stale or eaten by now, but there was jelly, peanut-butter and crackers. A typical runaway meal if Illiana Annwn was knowledgeable on the subject.

She smeared the crackers with toppings, and licked her fingers for good measure before wrapping a few cracker-sandwiches in a napkin and scooting them toward Tally as a peace-offering. Her eyes pleaded with the child, telling her to trust Lana. Trust was hard to come by in Panem, it was especially hard for runaways to trust. Illiana had to have faith in the judgment of children though, they were what she worked for, why she worked as an Upriser. The children had to grow up in a better world where taking lunch from a teenage girl did not ring warning-bells in the head of an innocent, naive girl.

ooc- going to NYC for a week. Ill post tuesday of next week at the latest.

[Breeze-Chan]

Tally watched as the girl made a few sandwiches out of crackers,
peanut butter, and jelly. Blue and Shay's warnings about talking food
from strangers rang clear in her head. "They could slip poison in the
food." Shay had said. But that food looked like it came from Illiana's
own food supply, and Tally watched her make it. Why would a girl
poison her own supply just t kill a little girl?

"I'm not sure yet. I heard Blue talking to Shay about a band of
runaways in the forest. They take in others, help them survive in the
forest. I might try to find them." She said as she cautiously approached
the food. "But I don't know where they are. But, then again, I might try
to go to the Uprisers. At lease I know where they are. Well, kinda. I
know their in the District Thirteen's ruins. they can't be that hard to
find. They only have limited space there, just the ruins The runaways
have the whole forest. That's what Blue said. She was going to run
away with Shay, and take me and Coy. Shay wanted to go to the
Runaways, because they don't wanna hurt people." The thought that
Illiana didn't know who Shay and Coy where didn't even cross the little
girl's mind.

[cinder]

Lana did not know who the people little Tally was talking about actually were. Luckily with a little bit of common sense, and the ability to listen well she pieced it together. Blue was her older sister, Coy was some sort of family member and Shay was Blue's best friend. Illiana wasn't sure she had the relationships right, but it had to be something along those lines. She smiled at Tally, happy that the girl seemed to be peaceful. Lana Annwn always saw the best in people, but she wasn't sure about some runaways--even Tally might have been a delusional crazy. She didn't think so, but it could happen, as much as the teen hated to admit it.

"I've heard of them Tally, and I think it is very brave of you to want to join them," she faltered for just a moment, unsure what else to say in order to sooth her, "If you'd like, I could go with you, I'm headed for District Thirteen. I'm a medic for the rebels." She puffed out while telling that last part. Lana was proud of her skills, rarely did she meet a person that she thought could handle the truth of why she was a Healer. Most thought it was just because she liked to help people, and did not guess she was helping very important people. Uprisers, to be exact.

She took another bite out of a cracker-and-toppings'wich. The sound of food being chewed held the silence at bay while both girls ate their food. Illiana swallowed and dabbled at her mouth with the edge of her jacket sleeve. Napkins were a rarity in the wild, her jacket was stained with the remnants of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Peanut butter, jelly, cheese, and water was permanently soaked into the fabric of the warm coat. Maybe a few months ago Lana would have cared, would have been oh-so vain. Now she was fine with it, proud to be a wild runaway who was doing something for the world.

Wide sea-green eyes sparkled like the crest of an ocean wave just before it breaks. They searched the face of the innocent, naive person in front of her. The girl who accepted food from strangers and joined the brave, new world that any District citizen might find outside the electric walls of their homes. Going from slavery to freedom took a remarkable amount of strength and courage. Right now Lana's eyes were glinting with respect and fondness for Tally Killio, her new, young friend.

ooc- crabby post but my cousins are staring at me DX Lol.

[Breeze-Chan]

"I-I don't wanna be alone." Tally admitted, staring at the ground. "I
thought that I would have been able to do it by myself, but it's so
scary out here without anybody with me." She had thought that Coy
would had came after her, once he realized she was gone. But he
didn't. When she had left, she had hung around the forest around
District 12. Nobody came looking for her.

Tally looked up at Illiana with wide, slightly tearful, gray eyes. "Can I
stay with you? I'll even go to the Uprising with you. I... I just don't
wanna be alone." Illiana seemed nice enough. She did give Tally
food. A mean person wouldn't do that. Would they?

[cinder]

Lana had never known such emotion in her whole entire life. She had been the youngest child in a large family, had never felt the joy of caring for a younger, innocent being. She had never even met a child until a few months ago, being raised in such a condition. She blinked back threatening tears and reached out to Tally, giving her an awkward one arm hug while answering Tally, "Of course I'll stay with you. We'll find the Runaways or the Uprisers but I won't leave you, Tally," she gushed.

Bright eyes watched the little girl even as Lana retreated back toward her bag filled with delicious cracker'wiches. There was an edge of nervous fear in her eyes--like maybe Tally would disappear if she did not watch the girls every move. Lana Annwn brought smeared something on a cracker, not really sure what it was. Her eyes darted down just in time to see the knife sliding across the cracker, toward her fleshy fingers. Ouch. Lana dropped the knife in her lap and hesitantly handed another cracker to Tally.

She sat back, zipped up her bag and unofficially cut off the girls food supply. Now that there were two people, or one and a half really, Lana would have to make sure her food supply lasted. She would have to walk slower and eat less, or carry the girl in order to get to the Uprising camp fresh and full. Worry, anxiety, excitement. Illi' felt like she had just acquired herself a daughter or little sister, the instant connection and decision to take Tally wherever Lana went seemed so natural. It was strange to even think about it, so Illiana just watched Tally in awe.

ooc- shes so starstruck

[Breeze-Chan]

Tally worried her lip slightly as she collected her journal and her bag
after finishing the cracker. "I have a small bit of food I took from
home." She stated nervously, taking the small amount of food that
would have lasted Tally about six days by herself. She gave Illiana the
food, shuffling her feet slightly.

What now? Where they gonna stay there for a while or leave
instantly? Where the gonna try to fin the Uprisers, or the Runaways?
Would they even make it to either gang with enough food? And what
about water? These questions nagged at the little girl, who stared up
at Illiana, waiting for something to happen.

[cinder]

Lana clasped her hands together after receiving the food from Tally. Good, the girl would walk faster if she didn't have the carry much. Surprisingly, the food did weigh a little bit, which comforted Lana. They had enough supplies to make the trip, and the closer they got to the ruins of District Thirteen, the more people they would encounter. Most likely, friendly faces. Still Illi' was calculating how much they could both eat from their supplies. She smiled at Tally though, reassuring the girl that everything was fine. "The trip isn't that long, and you're a tough girl. We'll camp with the first group we find, be they Runaways or Uprisers," she promised, realizing the truth of her own words. Lana felt uneasy about possibly turning her back on the cause she loved so much, but she had to take care of another person now, permanently.

Maybe thats why so many people are okay with the Capitol just oppressing us. Children. As long as it isn't my child, people probably think, its okay. I don't want the Capitol to be angry with me, and take it out on my young, innocent kids. I can see that being true for generations. People keep having kids without realizing they're just signing up those kids for a life of hell and fear, its like a cycle. Forever. Nobody wants to loose what is most precious to them by drawing attention to their family. Its sick and awe-inspiring all at once.

The younger Killio girl was now Lana'a charge. Somewhere up in the sky, her older sister was watching over this tiny angel, Illiana Annwn was not a superstitious person but she knew there was no such thing as a simple, dandy coincidence. This child had been brought to her for a reason, she would not let anybody down. They would make it to the ruins in record time--even if that meant Illiana had to carry a sleeping girl in her arms through the night. She flexed her skinny, pale arms as though to prove her point. Lana was not a weakling! Really, she could handle the responsibility.

Chanting that statement to herself a few times, she zipped up her back-pack and slung it onto her back. Illiana offered a slender hand to Tally, reckoning the little girl had probably fallen a few times along the way (how else could even a careless child get so muddy in such a short amount of time?) She felt smaller fingers dig into her skin, before Lana took a few steps in the general direction of her new life.

ooc- Lana, stop being a pre-madonna and give Breeze a good post >.< Grr

[Breeze-Chan]

Tally slipped her small hand into Illiana's. It felt like old times, having
somebody to guide her though dangers untold. Like Blue was watching
her, from wherever she was.

Tally missed Blue. She truly did. She missed how Blue would come
home with food and chase her a Coy around the house with a dead
animal, saying silly things like "Mr. Bunny's hungry!", making them
laugh as the ran. She missed how Blue would, loudly and off key, sing
them a lullaby at night.

All Tally could do was hope that Blue was in heaven, like Shay claimed,
and Blue guide them to the right place, where Tally would be raised
with the right ideas and values.

[cinder]

ooc- Im sort of thinking we should skip some time, maybe a day or two, then start up a thread with an Upriser/Runaway as a third party. It would be funny for Tally and Lana to explain how they met and stuff XD