A light in the dust (open to anyone)

[Stare]

'Cause after all,
It's just a game.

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Ethan walked over, folding his long body so he could sit next to her. One leg stretched out, making a scratching sound as the heel dug into the ground. The other stayed bent at a nice angle, trying to keep some heat in this awful cold. Layla pulled out her lunch, and Ethan was about to lecture her on how he didn't deserve the thanks, and it was his pleasure to defy the Keeper, and a bunch of other things that he knew would only fall on deaf ears when a small voice said something.

Layla turned her head, and so did Ethan, curious. The voice had been so quiet, he wasn't totally sure it was a greeting. Either way, it would only be friendly to welcome her. She seemed kind of shy. And hungry. Ethan wished he had food to share. Unfortunately, he never brought a lunch. He was never really that hungry, and there was no need to subtract food from the already low supply.

The young teenager smiled his welcome smile at the girl. "Hey."

Unsure of whether Layla wanted this girl to join them or not, that's all he said. He didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. And anyways, this girl stayed a good distance away from them. She didn't really seem like a people person.

It was almost painful to Ethan to see people like that. They seemed to want to be average. Ethan could have very well been average. With the exception of his height, the teenager didn't stand out with his looks. But he tried hard to stand out, and it was worth it. People who wanted to blend in, though... well, he didn't really understand them. They lived in a whole different world.

And then there were people like Layla. Who weren't shy, but didn't really go looking for new friends. Or at least, that was the kind of person she seemed like to him. Those kinds bugged him a little, too. They went with the flow so easily, and they were fine with. They didn't even seem to be aware of what they were doing. And Ethan couldn't relate to that, either. How could anyone be happy in the flow?

Ethan lived in a world where all that mattered was how much people noticed you. A world where everyone knew your name, but didn't know you. That didn't matter, though. Because you were respected, and you were admired. It was as close as Ethan would ever get to famous. And he liked it. For once, it didn't matter how much money his family had. His outgoing personality was all he needed to survive.

Yet, others who were even poorer than him seemed just as happy, even though they were normal. And it didn't make any sense. How was that possible? Ethan had popularity to distract him from reality. Without a distraction, how could they even be a little happy in such a cruel world?

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[kahdaleagirl42]

Layla looked at the shy girl. She related to her awkwardness because Layla often felt the same way, not sure of whether people were going to invite you over or if you would have to try and reach out to them. Layla had always been the person where the girl stood now and knew that it always helped for other to invite you over so she said with a smile, "It's okay, we don't bite."

Layla tried to be friendly and hoped she had succeeded. She wasn't a very outgoing person to newcomers and wasn't to terribly popular. Not that people disliked her, but they just didn't really know her. And honestly, she was okay with that. A few good trustworthy friends are worth more than anything. Especially a bunch of fair whether friends who only hang out with you when you're acting cool.

She knew that Ethan was popular at school and had many friends. Funny how she was quite the opposite and yet felt like she could relate to him in so many ways. I guess people are more alike than we think. Layla thought.

Seeing as the girl had no lunch, Layla offered her piece of bread. She was hungry, but she could manage with just an apple. After all, times were tough. She wanted to help as much as she could.

[Arrow]

Nadene gazed at Layla and then at Ethan. She didn't think they would bite her. With Layla appearing to come across as humorous, Nadene took a few small steps towards the other people. She didn't think she'd be chased away like a hungry man anymore, but she just wanted to make sure.

"Sorry, I'm just shy," Nadene replied, sweeping her gaze over the other two people sitting down. Nadene's eyes widened as she was offered the bread. Nadene had food at home, a bit more than she needed. She didn't want to take this girl's food, but the monster in her stomach was roaring for some.

"Why... why thank you!" She managed to stammer, with a hint of hospitality etched in. She was surprised. She had just gotten here, acted like a pathetic wimp, and was being offered bread? This was a miracle. Nadene reached out and took the bread very slowly, wanting to make sure Layla had no last regrets,

"Excuse me for being so rude..." she muttered, a slight blush forming across her face. "I'm Nadene," she said with a mouth full of bread.

[kahdaleagirl42]

Watching the girl relax a bit made Layla smile. She liked helping people when she could. Watching people become happier because of you made anyone feel good.

"Well, hello Nadene. That's cool name. Where'd it come from?" Layla asked quizzically. Getting to know people might help you find something in common with them, or so she was always told. So why not give it a shot?

She looked over at Ethan wondering what he thought of Nadene. She was bitterly shy, but seeing how Layla and Ethan were quite different, the question grew. Layla took the more motherly approach, trying to help her fit in and feel welcome and invite her into their group. Ethan might see things differently, and Layla wanted to understand that better.

She had always loved learning, especially about people. Watching them and learning what makes them laugh or what cuts through there heart, and because all people are different, the subject was infinite. Layla also loved hearing about people past, or a grandparents childhood. So much can be learned from people with many years experience. Of course no one really knew that about Layla because she felt it was a bit dorky. And plus, no had ever seemed to ask.

So turning back to Nadene she waited for an answer.

[Arrow]

Nadene racked her brain for an answer to the girl's question, but came up short. She had no idea where it came from. Her parents had never told her. Nadene has just assumed they invented it themselves.

"I have no idea. My last name is french, my Father told me. I don't know what French is."

ooc: Sorry it's short, but I need to eat something. The hunger pangs are huge.

[Stare]

((OOC: Gah! You guys post faster than I can write! I tried to make this one fancy and emotional to make it up to you.))

'Cause after all,
It's just a game.

<><><><><><>

Ethan was glad that he didn't need to talk. He pretended to observe, but really, he was barely listening. One of his arms wrapped around his knee. It made him look smaller, if Ethan could look smaller. Maybe it wouldn't be so made if he wasn't so thin. Although, the way he moved, like machinary, didn't really help either. A long time ago, people would tell him he was too tall. He had always towered above his classmates. That simple statement had kept Ethan up all night, as he attempted to all different ways of making himself look shorter.

That's when the teenager realized how much of a perfectionist he was. He did everything he could to be the best, and for some reason, people didn't appreciate the effort in it. If you weren't at the top, than you were doing a lot for absolutely nothing. It was a lot of pressure on him, just a thirteen year old boy at the time. Maybe, if he had had more trustworthy friends, things would have been different. Maybe if his parents had been as proud of his little accomplishments as the big ones, he wouldn't feel he had to do the impossible to earn respect. But that was not how it went for Ethan Leddaro.

Who would guess that he, one of the most popular kids in school, wasn't that confident? That, although he never showed it, he was unsure of every move he made? It wasn't something Ethan asked for. He didn't want to be doubtful. But, oddly enough, he couldn't control his own uncertainties. Ethan just had to learn to hide them.

Ethan hated the fact that all of the things wrong with him weren't his fault. He strived to be perfect because others pushed him to do so. He couldn't do anything about flaws in his appearence. His parents didn't try to interfere with his schedule, like most parents supposedly did. His parents didn't even teach him anything. He had to learn everything on his own.

Some had told him perfection was something you were born with. But that wasn't true. Ethan wasn't a perfect child. He was normal. His strength and energy was certainly unusaul, but not unique. So he made it unique, by taking it to the extreme. Ethan had fought hard, and that's what made him strong. It was his entire personality.

"Three more minutes!"

The shout broke him out of his thoughts, and Ethan looked up. The Keepers never gave them any time to eat. It was just unfair, not that Ethan needed the time. But seeing others, many younger than him, shoving food into their mouth and coughing it back out as it got stuck at the back of their throats made anger flare up in the pit of the boy's stomach. They worked them like slaves on a daily basis. Why not give them some time to rest?

Ethan hid his anger, and instead nudged Layla with his elbow. "Better finish that up. I think we might actually get this tree down by sunset. Not that they would let us leave if we did."

The teenager grinned. Making fun of the authorities was one of his favorite things to do.

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[kahdaleagirl42]

OCC: Well at least your posts are actually long enough! I'm lucky to get 4 paragraphs! lol

Layla turned back to Ethan when he nudged her. She noted how he was sitting and thought about it for a few seconds but soon broke out into a slight laugh. "Isn't that the truth?" she asked grinning. Layla quickly ate the last bit of apple and then chucked the remaining core into the woods. Standing back up she turned to Nadene.

"It was nice meeting you, but we have to get back before the peacekeepers come over. You know how that can be." she said sadly. A sudden flashback took her as she went back about 5 years to when she had first started her work in the forest. She had been about 11 and eager to finally start working with her brand new axe and getting money for her family. It was the first day and she ran to the site where many other kids were gathering, her shoes barely staying on because they were about 3 sizes too big. When she got there she saw one of the other kids in her neighborhood sitting on a tree stump while others began their work.

She was about to call out to him, but the sound of a whip made her jerk back in horror. The boy screamed in pain as the peacekeeper shouted, "Get up you worthless lump and work! You don't even deserve to be here and get paid! You're wasting my time!" The peacekeeper drew his whip back one more time, but Layla ran over and held his arm still. "Please it's just our first day, he's confused!" The peacekeeper turned to her slowly.

Layla braced herself and closed her eyes as he drew his arm back and slapped her face. "Get back to work or they'll be two of you without a job!" She had scrambled back to work but looked back at the boy who was shoved out of the woods. What is this place? she had thought in terror.

This was the real world. From then on Layla had known what to expect of work. So she walked back to the tree with Ethan. As they began to cut again Layla randomly asked grinning to make conversation, "So, why don't you tell me the story of your life?" She knew that it wasn't a question that usually was asked, some people think that it might be offensive. Or some one doesn't want to share their terrible past. But didn't they all have terrible pasts? She grinned as she waited for a response, wondering what he would say.

[Arrow]

Nadene shoved the remains of her bread generously given to her by Layla in her mouth when the heard the Peace Keeper's three minute warning. She didn't want to get whipped for overstretching her lunch time, which the Peacekeepers said "they were generously given." Nadene would hiss in disgust when the Peacekeepers would say that. They barely gave them any time! Nadene was sure life wasn't this hell in District One or District Two, where they were the apples of the Capitol's eye.

Nadene picked up the axe that had been her Father's and approached a tree, towering above her, not expecting to be chopped down by a short girl. Nadene whipped her head around over her shoulder and was horrified when she saw Ethan being whipped. Why were the Peacekeepers so cruel?

Nadene bit her lip, wanting to cry out to see if the boy was okay, but a small voice in the back of her head told her that if she did anything or spoke to him, the painful tongue would strike her back as well. Nadene could not allow that to happen. She was the main source of money in the family since their Aunt was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

She turned around again, not wishing to see the brutal scene anymore. Nadene was a loyal, law abiding citizen, but hearing the boy's cries of pain made her body and hands shake violently. Nadene didn't understand why things were so cruel here. Why?

[kahdaleagirl42]

OCC: um it wasn't ethan getting wipped, it was just a flashback of some kid lol

[Arrow]

ooc: *fails* xD. Well, we could say she's watching some random kid get whipped.

[Stare]

OOC: I have an idea. Maybe a random kid was getting whipped for taking too long, and Ethan got angry and got in the way? Just a suggestion.

[Arrow]

ooc: I don't see why that wouldn't work. Seems fine to me.

[kahdaleagirl42]

OCC: okay lol funny how her flashback is actually coming back! It's becoming reality.

[Arrow]

Nadene quickly shook her head and discovered that it wasn't actually Ethan being whipped, thank God, but another boy who looked similar to him. Nadene was still frowning. Why such brutality for eating at your own pace? It seemed cruel, but all too often it was the case in life.

Nadene turned around again, not wanting to be a witness to the boy's back being turned into red, lumpy flesh. She had seen it happen before, and had night mares forever, about three years afterwards.

[Stare]

'Cause after all,
It's just a game.

<><><><><><>

Ethan stood up, brushing himself off. The teenager's eyes drifted over to a Keeper, who was watching him closely. Just waiting for the chance to use that whip. But Ethan wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. He would follow to rules... for now.

Quickly and silently, Ethan followed Layla back over to the tree. He grabbed his axe, yanking it from the tree with a heave that made him stumble back a few feet. The weight of the axe made his shoulders roll as it swished behind his head. He was straightening out his arms, swinging full force at the tree, when Layla's question reached his ears. It made his fingers falter at the last minute, and the axe nearly flew out of his hands. It barely made a dent in the tree.

"Ummm... my past?" Ethan asked, feeling the question was very random. If there was one thing he didn't want to talk about, it was his history.

Everyone had some rough point in his life. Well, Ethan's was kind of spread out over his entire childhood. The pressure never pushed him to the point of tears. But it was a silent pain. And ache that silently ate away at his insides. He buried it when he was at school, because it was pointless to show pain or weakness at school. After all, he was the sun that never stopped shining. His confident rays were what lit up the school. He found a bit of comfort in his almost permanent place at school. However, almost was what scared him. Almost meant he could still leave it all.

"Well... um, it's a pretty normal one, I guess. I mean-"

He was interupted by a loud crack, followed by a young boy's cry of pain. It made his heart leap in his throat, and his blood run cold. But no, there was no pain in his back. No sudden sting as the rope whipped across his back. Not this time. He had, of course, been whipped before. It wasn't pleasant. The pain was so sudden, and stayed for so long, it brought tears to even his eyes.

He spun around just in time to see the whip fly again, making contact with a smaller boy's back. He was moving as fast as he could towards a nearby tree with an abandoned axe sticking out. But the Keeper wasn't ready to let him go yet.

It was too much for Ethan. The axe dropped from his hands, hitting the ground with a thump. His calm breathing was forced. His fingers dug into his palm, making two fists by his sides. He should just stay where he was. But of course, he didn't.

"I'll be right back," he muttered softly, moving swiftly towards the boy. He had, of course, absolutely no plan. What was he going to do? Attack the Keeper? That wouldn't work, and he knew it. He'd be thrown into prison before he could blink.

So instead, he swiftfull placed himself between the Keeper and the boy. The whip lashed out, and surprise registered quickly on the authority's face. The rope hit Ethan directly on his arm, tearing through the fabric of his jacket slightly. The teenager winced, but refused to move. His feet were planted, just like all the trees that surrounded him.

The boy hesitated before scrambling to get back to work. Ethan moved quickly, and the Keeper frowned. "What do you think you're doing? You're already in trouble. Do you want me to punish you further?"

"You've already punished me," Ethan said, pointing to his arm. "Besides, I didn't do anything wrong."

If only that were true.

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