A light in the dust (open to anyone)

[kahdaleagirl42]

Layla woke up in her small bed that creaked as she moved to get up. The early dawn sun poured in through the many cracks in the home blinds that did their best to cover the dusty, rusted windows. She blinked against a ray that caught her eye and ruffled her nappy hair and clipped it into a messy bun. She got up and quickly slipped on her clothes for the day. She reached for her tool belt which hung over the coat peg. As Layla walked down the short flight of stairs she took one last glance at the bedroom. The twins were still out cold. Their school work was becoming longer and harder everyday. But they could make it. They were strong just like her and her brother. Then she noticed her older brother, Marcus's bed was empty like always too. He had to get to work before the sun even shone it's face above the horizon. She looked down at her wrist where his bracelet hung. He would be back.

Once she had gone out to their measly garden and picked a few potatoes and gotten some water from their old well which like all the others, wasn't the freshest or cleanest, she ate and set some other food out for the twins and walked out the door, just remembering to grab jacket as the november winds slapped her face. It was her bothers old bomber jacket that he had outgrown, but it hung loose on Layla's small frame.

The air outside was dry and smelt of sawdust as usual, the sun cut through it like a knife. She walked down the rickety steps of the porch and out onto the road. Other people were leaving their houses too. Most were about her age because the adults had left earlier. Her boots left their mark in the dirt that scattered the streets where no car had drove on in years. As she walked along, the town square came into sight. There, the workers her age were gathering for the days assignment.

She put a hand on her trusty axe that she had made herself and took everywhere. The groups of teens walked down a dirt road to where a forest stood looming. The group walked away with their heads down. She hated it too. Having to work constantly for the capitol with just a few measly dollars a month to reward them, if anything. It made her sick. But things could be worse as she was constantly reminded. Farewell posters were pasted across the street with pictures of the two tributes from District 7 who had died in the games. The main TV in the town square was showing live footage, but Layla just kept walking, refusing to pay attention to the sick propaganda they were forced to watch every time they left their homes.

When they reached the forest, the path was cleared by the many trees that had already been cut. From above, the place looked like a huge bite had been taken out of it. The trees in front of them towered high, blotting out the early morning sun, the smell of wood engulfed the crowd. "Everyone go to work! Find a partner and pick a tree. You all have to reach your quota if you want your month's paycheck!" shouted a nearby peacekeeper. Some of the peacekeeper in district 7 would work more as bosses or task managers. "Yeah, because the capitol pays us so well." she muttered with bitter sarcasm. People were breaking up into pairs and Layla looked for someone to work with.

[kahdaleagirl42]

(seriously anyone can just join in lol =)

[Stare]

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

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

Ethan's worn sneakers kicked up small dust clouds where he stepped. He paused, watching the swirling tan mist slowly settle back onto the ground. The breeze was icy cold, making the hair in front of his eyes tremble. He jerked his head to one side slightly, just barely moving the black brown strands out of his vision. He shoved his hands into his jean pockets, and leaned against the wind as he walked.

Ducking his head down, Ethan's eyes avoided the screens around the town. He knew what he would see. The Hunger Games made Ethan sick to his stomach. The Capitol could force them to work for low wages. It could leave them poor and hungry. It could scatter Peacekeepers all over the districts to keep them in line. But forcing innocent kids to fight to the death on live T.V? That was just cruel, and sick. Ethan didn't wish to see any more violence.

One of the Peacekeepers spotted him, though. He shouted at Ethan to pick up his head and watch the wonderful event. Ethan's jaw became tense, and he tilted his head upward. His eyes shot a quick look at the Keeper before glaring at the screens. If the man didn't have weapons, Ethan wouldn't obey. But the Capitol had a tight grip on the district, and Ethan didn't have any say on how his home should be run.

As the sounds of the terrible competition faded away, Ethan relaxed. His axe in one hand, he actually was looking forward to his job. Maybe it was just the newness of the work that made it seem better, or maybe it was the fact that it kept Ethan in shape. Either way, the sound of the axe hitting a tree was music to his ears. He was late, and he would be in trouble, but Ethan didn't mind. He was always getting in trouble.

"Everyone go to work! Find a partner and pick a tree. You all have to reach your quota if you want your month's paycheck!"

Ethan smirked. Yes, they must work very hard to get that money. After all, it might be able to buy them a whole bunch of apples! He didn't say it out loud, though. Ethan needed the check so he could buy himself some new shoes.

Glancing around, the teenager noticed most of the guys had already paired up. His eyes landed on a girl at least half a foot shorter than him, with dirty blond hair. She looked thin, and Ethan was surprised she worked there. Her overall appearance just seemed... fragile, in a weird way.

Shrugging, Ethan walked over to the girl, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Hey. Want to be my partner?"

[kahdaleagirl42]

Layla had been lost in thought when most of the workers had paired off. She wished she could be like the birds that flew away when an axe struck a tree trunk. As a boy came up to her she was watching one glide through the air leaving the forest. She snapped back to reality when he spoke. He was taller than her and by the looks of it, stronger. Great I probably seem like an easily crushed flower or something, she thought. But she decided to try and prove that she wasn't. She worked just as hard as most of the guys, but she was a bit shy and lost in thought at times unlike them.

"Sure." she replied but then caught the amusement in his eye. "If you can keep up." she joked with a smirk. It was one of the first times the had in a while. Most people these days were too serious and growing up to fast. Her own little siblings were an example of that. She hoped that his light heartedness would last through the long day because she tended to feel a bit downtrodden by the end.

[Stare]

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

Ethan's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and his smile became a hint of a challenge. He looked her over again. When he saw her at first, she had seemed like the joking type. More like the distant, worries about a million things a minute type of person who thought too much. Apparently, he had been wrong.

The teenager considered this. They just might get along better than he though. He, himself, was the type who loved to make others laugh. The one kid who always said the perfect thing at the perfect time, and made a tense situation funny. One would think he used a script; his entire act fit together perfectly. Of course, the teachers he embarrassed and infuriated didn't think so. But that didn't matter to Ethan.

Everyone knew that Ethan could be normal. He had average looks. The acne that constantly broke out on his face was something that could prevent him from being handsome, so he hid it underneath concealer. His lack of a good voice could make him unskilled in the music area, so he learned to play instruments. His hard time swimming could exclude him in some good times over the summer, so he mastered just about every other sport. Every flaw was an reason to be better.

People saw him as one of the greatest. The life of the party, the athlete star, the musical genius. To some girls, the guy of their dreams. But he hadn't gotten there without effort. He had to work hard for everything he accomplished, because underneath everything, he was, in fact, average. Just another one in the crowd. So he rose to be his best, and stood out. A red fish in a school of blue. But his best wasn't good enough. Ethan wouldn't settle for anything less than the best.

Back to reality, the young athlete told himself, and grinned at the girl. A sudden challenge, right before him. If she wanted competition, she'd get it. And he was not about to be upstaged by a girl.

Ethan's eyes scanned through all the trees. Many of them were scrawny, thin little things. They must have started growing around that year where they had barely any rain. The trees were as stubborn as the people in District Seven, and continued to grow. But they lacked the nutrients they needed, and became thin, with small, dry leaves. That was a hard year for the forests, and Ethan thought he might have even remembered a fire that year. But the next year and the year following we had plenty of precipitation, and the trees grew as healthy as ever. However, the drought left it's mark on some areas of the woods, like the area he was in now..

Finally, his eyes land on a healthy looking tree with a nice, thick trunk. He let out a nice, satisfied breath, created a gray mist in front of him. Already, his fingers were feeling slightly numb. Ethan hadn't worn his gloves that day. They had holes in them, anyways.

He pointed to his choice. "How about that one? It's a lot better than most of these scrawny saplings."

Ethan couldn't help but compare himself to the tree. It was stupid, and sad, but also automatic. He had grown from a sapling like all the rest to a nice, healthy tree. Sturdy, too. One of the best in the woods.

So why did he feel like he was about to come crashing down?

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[kahdaleagirl42]

Layla looked over at the tree where he had pointed. It was one of the best ones here and yet no one seemed to notice it. How had he? It was deeper back and hidden amongst the many others in the forest. She walked over to it and inspected it.

"Okay sounds good." she said, her cheeks and nose now red from the chill. Somehow no matter how many layers she put on, she could never get warm. Her blonde/auburn hair blew in the cold wind, buffeting her face as she swung her favorite axe back with a grin. It came back with a thud on the bark and some bark chips flew off.

She looked over at Ethan. She had never met him before, but that wasn't very surprising. She was usually pretty shy and didn't do very well socially. She mostly did it for her family because after her father had abandoned them... CRACK! Her axe swung again, hard from the frustration that spilled over. No she wouldn't think about that right now, it was too good of a day to let the memories ruin it. She glanced back at Ethan.

"Is that all you got?" she asked with a swift swing at the tree and a grin.

[Stare]

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

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

Ethan's eyebrows rose in surprise yet again. This girl never ceased to surprise him. Her thin appearance hid a strength that became clear only when she wished it to. A nice advantage for someone to have.

But Ethan could tell that she wasn't just physically strong. There was a certain kind of fire in her eyes that he saw in his own reflection when he was angry or proud. I fire known to be feared, although many foolishly thought it something to be toyed with. The Keepers made up a large percentage of that population. The ones who thought they could keep the anger spinning round and round. The ones who thought that with a few simple words, and possibly a threat, they could make all pride vanish. But pride wasn't something that just went away. Instead, it made it's way from the mind to the heart, where it feasted on hate and fear to become something so much stronger, and so much more dangerous. And one day, it would become just too much, and the pride that had lived in one's heart for much too long would burst out in a powerful rage that could cause panic and fear in a worthy opponent with an equally quick tongue. Even when defeated, pride would only return to it's home to feast and grow once more.

Pride could not be defeated.

Ethan grinned, unable to resist the wonderful challenge. Ethan was not perfect. He had his faults, which he always hid. But strength, hidden in his long limbs, was something that he possessed to a great extent. It was something that he could feel, whenever he punched his pillows for practice at home, or swung an axe so it dug into the bark of a tree even as strong and healthy as this one. Anger fueled him, and made him stronger, but he was still excellent without it. Ethan's strength was one of the very few things he was satisfied with.

Ethan swung the axe back, over one shoulder. He felt the slight tug of it in his hand as he reached the stopping point. He paused a moment, enjoying the feeling of his tense muscels. Of the way his numb fingers gripped the axe so firmly, so perfectly. The way his back twisted with his shoulders. And then, with a shimmering pride in his eyes, Ethan brought the axe back around, his strength pushing it through thin air so quickly he could hear a soft whispering noise in the air around it. It hit the tree with such a loud crack that a few of the people nearby glanced his way. The axe had dug deep into the tree. It had pushed through the tree as if it had cut through butter, only stopping with a sudden jerk as it hit a tougher part in the tree. The jerk pushed Ethan's shoulder back into their sockets, and sent a shock up his arms.

Recovering quickly, Ethan yanked on the handle. His eyes widened slightly when it didn't budge. Feeling his face heat up despite the cold, he stepped back, moving his shoulders back and bending his elbows. The axe moved slightly, and slipped out of it's mold easily on the next tug. Ethan was, for the first time all day, thankful for the cold. It had already made his cheeks and nose pink, so no one could tell his face was ablaze.

Before he could say anything, or even swing again, he felt something. Something off. A small tingle at the base of his neck. Ethan turned his head to see a nearby Peacekeeper staring at him. Quickly turning back, he did his best not to smile. The Keepers may have weapons, but Ethan was sure he was stronger, quicker, and more clever than a good number of them.

Looking around the tree at the girl, Ethan realized he didn't know her name. And she didn't know his. He couldn't keep on calling her "the girl" in his head, so he decided to make conversation. They would, after all, be working with each other for a while on the stubborn tree.

"I'm Ethan, by the way," he said. "Ethan Leddaro."

There was a lot that went with that name. A lot of responsibility. A lot of personality. A lot of pressure. But he didn't say that part. That was the part that wasn't worth knowing.


((OOC: Gah. I'm so sorry for taking this long to respond. I'm usually faster, but I've been busy a lot the past few days. I tried to make this post a good one to make it up to you.))

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[kahdaleagirl42]

Layla felt her body warming up as she kept swinging. Crack, crack. The echos danced off the forest trees all around them. It was a comforting sound. It reminded her that District 7 was strong, like the trees, their roots ran deep. Speaking of deep she hear a huge sound come from his side of the tree. Her eyes widened in surprise. That must have been a huge cut! What have I set myself up against this time the said to herself laughing.

When he spoke again it surprised her. "Well hello Ethan. I'm Layla Brey." she said above the other sounds of axes and the forest. She felt a leaf hit her face and looked up. She smiled as more came down from their whacking at the tree. They fell like rain around the tree, floating away when her axe whizzed through the air. As the sun became a bit higher, she noticed how it came down through the trees dappling the ground. Why did something so beautiful have to be so over run with... "Get back to work! That's one less pay for you!"... that. The peacekeepers. But she turned away from the one staring at them and back to Ethan.
OCC: its fine lol

[Stare]

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

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

There was not a single person in all of Panem who was perfect, although many tried to be. Ethan was one of those many. He worked hard for it every single day. When he finally pulled his worn covers that advertised an old toy he had liked when he was younger over himself at the end of the day, all he felt was pain. Pain in his arms, from exercising. Pain in his legs, for running to fast too far... again. Pain at the tip of his nails from biting down on them. Pain on his face from scrubbing harder than he should have when washing the concealer he wore daily off. Even his brain seemed scrambled and sore, from thinking too much and just trying to keep up with life. Yet, he kept a positive attitude, and didn't complain. It was his job to appear perfect without weariness or irritation, because if he said the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person, he could loose it all.

But, as much as Ethan acted perfect, he wasn't. He had a personality flaw. Worse than the fact that he pushed himself too far. More personal than the fact that he lacked self confidence. It was a dark thing, misty, only partially real thoughts that swirled around in the most hidden parts of his mind, buried very,very deep in his dark brown eyes. It surfaced for a fraction of a second when he first picked up the axe. It showed the kinder side of itself when Ethan was angry. And hearing that Keeper yell... well, it was like it was calling that part of him that wanted nothing more than to be freed.

And here was its chance.

Ethan kept it caged the best he could, biting down his tongue and swinging the axe hard. But it only swam upward, into his eyes, to peek out at a world it had almost never seen. Ethan turned to the Keeper, not bothering to yank the tool out of its wooden prison. He didn't say a word, but desperately attempted to bury the thing inside. It fled... but left a challenge in Ethan's eyes that the man who said he served justice could not ignore.

"What are you looking at, boy?" he snarled. "Get back to work, or I'll take one away from you, too."

Ethan swallowed emotion down. For a moment, he hesitated, staring down at his worn shoes. The ice cold was making his toes numb, and surrounded the rest of his feet. He needed new shoes...

"It was my fault, sir," Ethan mumbled, not looking up. "I was talking, and she was just stopping to tell me to keep on working. If anything, you should be raising her pay."

The Peacekeeper didn't look like he knew what to do. After all, why shouldn't he just take both of their pays away? But Ethan knew he couldn't. Not without causing trouble among others. "Fine. I'll take yours."

Ethan couldn't help the rebellion that rose inside of him. He looked up, his eyes filled with brown fire, and smiled slightly, mockingly. "Thank you, sir. It's much appreciated."

Before he could get into more trouble, he turned back, yanked the axe out of it's stiff position, and began to work again. Before Layla could say anything, he muttered, "Do not try and thank me."

It would only satisfy the darkness inside him if she did.

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[kahdaleagirl42]

Layla felt a sudden anger. She did not need looking out for. That's what she was for, and for all she knew, Ethan could have used the money. But no, he had to try and act like he was helping her. And maybe that was what made her most angry. Angry at herself that she hadn't had anyone help her in a long, long time. It rubbed her the wrong way now, like some foreign idea. And now... now she was unable to even thank the one person who had helped her. That made her on edge.

"I wasn't going to." she muttered angrily. Then the break bell rang for lunch. She dropped her axe by the tree and stalked past him.

[kahdaleagirl42]

OCC: sorry that was so short lol. writers block!

[Stare]

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

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

Ethan was hoping for things to just go back to normal. Like it never even happened. A little bit of time for his anger to go away, and then they'd be talking occasionally, and working to cut down the tree. The last thing he wanted was people thinking that he wanted to be "the hero". No. It wasn't like that. In fact, Ethan wasn't even sure that he'd done it for Layla. He'd been selfish, and done it for himself. And he did it to put that Keeper in a bad situation. And he didn't want people to remember it at all. So, no reaction would have been great.

But, of course, that's not what happened.

There was an edge of annoyance and anger in her voice. It puzzled Ethan. Why? What had he done that was wrong? He searched it over in his mind, but could find nothing in his actions that would have made her mad.

Only the Peacekeeper should have been mad. That was exactly what Ethan had been aiming for. If he had been expecting anger from anyone else, he would have kept his mouth shut. But this girl seemed to be irritated by his bold behavior. That was a rare thing. Only adults got mad at him like that. Now he was curious. He began to follow her when a rough hand landed on his shoulder and held him back.

Ethan turned towards the Peacekeeper he had defied. This one was a little shorter than him, with small, dark eyes, and greasy red hair that did not make him look at all charming. He was slightly overweight, and even his fingers seemed a bit chubby. He kept the look of a man in charge, though. A man in charge, who was not happy.

Ethan bit down hard on his tongue. A stream of insults had just flown through his mind with great speed, and his jaw had just started to open. The teenager tried to appear relaxed, but every muscel was tense. Even his calm breathing seemed forced.

"Ethan Leddaro," said the man, and Ethan flinched. When an adult said his last name, he knew they meant buisness. "It appears this isn't your first outburst. I'm sorry, son, but I'm afraid this means we're taking more than just one check away."

Ethan didn't think he sounded sorry at all, but he kept his mouth shut. Glaring down at his sneakers, he didn't look up. And he bit his tongue harder.

The Keeper, realizing Ethan wasn't about to say anything, turned away. The young teenager relaxed, and released his tongue. He stood for a second, until his stomach growled, and he turned away from the direction of the chubby man and jogged after Layla, catching up with her easily.

"What's wrong?" he asked, reaching out to grab her shoulder and then thinking better of it. "Did I do something wrong?"

[/blockquote][/size]

[Arrow]

Nadene started to head out to the woods. She didn't want to be forced to leave her sister's side during the day, but she knew that sometimes she would have to work, no matter what the cause, to keep her Aunt, herself, and her sister on their feet.

With her worn wooden axe in her hand, she approached the two children looking, or chopping at the trees. Her axe was old. It had belonged to her Father before he died, and has been given to her. She wasn't that handy with it, but could at least chop down a tree with some help. It wasn't like she'd loose a hand or anything.

"Hello," she squeaked softly to the other two, not bothering to introduce herself. It wasn't like she'd try to make any friends, not after the loss of her best friend in the games three years ago. She had put walls around herself that no one but her sister and aunt could reach inside. Nadene just simply wanted to make her presence known, and see if she was welcome to chop the trees with them.

She hoped she would be welcomed to join them. She needed the small pay to keep her household on their feet. She smiled quickly and approached the two others. Nadene wouldn't be surprised if these people didn't know her. She was a loner.

[kahdaleagirl42]

Layla turned at Ethan's voice. "No, you didn't. Thats what makes me angry." she sighed letting her anger go. "Around here it's an eat or be eaten place and when someone else gives you food to eat, well..." she trailed off trying to think of words, but like always they escaped her. "Just, well...Thanks." she said smiling. She didn't know what he would do because he had specifically asked her not to thank him, but saying it made her feel better and hoped it would help him too. She wanted to let him know that it had meant a lot her. It was the first time in a while that someone else had even asked what her name was, let alone had her back.

She pulled out a single apple and bit of bread to eat out of her pocket and motioned for him to sit down beside her. Then she quickly turned around at the faint sound of another voice.

[Arrow]

Nadene looked at Layla. She wasn't sure if she was welcome yet, since she had just been noticed by one person, and hadn't seen a reaction yet. She leaned against a tree trying to appear casual, but knew she couldn't cover up her natural loner personality. She glanced at Layla, wanting the apple badly. She didn't say anything, and looked at the bright blue sky.

Nadene thought about the apples she had just stupidly left sitting on the table at home. She could have brought one. Nadene cursed at herself. Hopefully she wouldn't be out here long enough to really get serious and paralyzing hunger pangs.