It starts with two (Lyss)

[Phoenix Fire]

School seemed like it went by to fast. His mind had been completely and totally on the meeting at the fence. This girl was going to be the beginning. She would be the spark that started the fire in others. Yes she was shy but Dagan saw the pain in her eyes that he had in his constantly. She would help him lead the fight...and maybe even take it up if he dead. That thought haunted him throughout the rest of the day until the final bell rang and he stepped out into the dark clouded skies. The clouds are gathering for a storm, yet no one knows how bad it’ll hit. They will soon though.

His footsteps from that point on were still very casual, moving from the school, down the street. His eyes never left the ground, his hands never leaving the strap of the book bag on that held firm to his back until he reached home, opening the door quickly and closing it tight. This was his sanctuary that would never be attacked again. He would make sure of it.

“Dagan, is that you?” Lace’s sweet voice rung out from somewhere in the kitchen, causing a thin but amused smile to cross his lips. Sweet Lace was what he fought for, if he died it would be to make her future more bright and to show her a life that would make her children happy as well. She had grown so much after their mothers death, taking up the responsibilities of the woman of the house and doing so without even a second glance at the life she could have had if things had gone differently. She knew of Dagan’s plans of course, she even knew about his deep yearning to go and fight in the hunger games and to humiliate the Capitol in their stadium. She didn’t like it of course but she also knew that being behind him was better than fighting him. Though he had caught her many times hurriedly whipping tears away when she would walk out and see him swinging his Harvesting scythe at a tree like it was someone he was cutting apart.

“Yeah, its me Lace. Where’s dad and Wrend?” His words slipped smoothly from his lips as he walked into the kitchen, catching Lace cleaning what looked like pans for whatever supper she could pull off with the very few food they had. There were days when she would go out and pull up onion grass just so she could make stew when they’re grain and rations were gone. All hail the Capitol

“they went into town, apparently dad wanted to talk to the head peacekeeper about allowing us to use better equipment for harvesting.” Her eyes met Dagans and they both knew what she ment. They had been using beat up harvesting Scythes and equipment for ages. If his dad could get the Peacekeeprs to allow them to use steel Dagan had a better chance and practicing and maybe they might even be able to get more food out to others who needed it.

“Good idea. Well I have to meet a new friend at the fence. Her and I have to discuss….” His words fell away when Lace reached out without warning and grabbed his hand, boring her eyes hard into his. He had taught her this so long ago that he was almost shocked to see that she still remembered it.

“Dagan, please, if you are going to go ahead with your plans…” For the first time, as her words faltered her Lace looked like the little girl she was. Her eyes welled up with tears at the thought of her brother fighting and possibly dying someday. He had never thought that she had ever had a solid painful thought since they’re mother died. Even if she did, she had done what the whole family had. Kept it locked away to fuel they resilience against the Capitol. Yet instead as he looked into her eyesa he realized this whole time she had been scared.
“Dagan, we need you here. If your in an arena or leading a war…” The older brother slid his arms around his sister, holding her close and kissing her forehead.

“Lace listen to me. We don’t even know if I will be the spark, hell if it will even happen in our life time. What we do know is that we were all put here for a purpose. I don’t know who did it but I do know why. And I know that I was put here to change things. I won’t let you down, I won’t die knowing that you, dad and Wrend could be in danger.” Could he really keep this promise? Yes, if he had to he would send the three into the wilderness as he fought for freedom. He would make sure they got somewhere safe where war would not touch them. He had to.

[lyss]

Ash Owens

Ash raced out of the school building the instant the bell rang. She walked down the sidewalk at a fast pace, for she had to get home as soon as she could. Dagan and her agreed to meet at the fence, and Ash personally couldn't wait for the meeting. She pulled her tote bag's strap over her shoulder and clutched it with her left hand, so that the straps wouldn't keep slipping. Ash sighed and picked up the pace as she passed the entrance to Dagan's neighborhood. It was hard to believe they had only met this morning.

Ash could see her house coming up in the distance and broke into a sprint. She clutched her bag's straps extra hard as if they were stress toys, but she wished she could throw her bag on the ground and run as fast as she could home. As soon as she reached her front yard, she slowed down to a jog. Ash pulled the key to the front door from a pocket on her tote bag and fumbled with the lock. She rammed the key into the hole in the doorknob and twisted it quickly. Ash yanked the key out of its socket and raced into the foyer of her shabby cottage. Even though her house had three floors, they were all very very small. She raced up to her room on the second floor and tossed her bag on her bed. Ash noticed that it looked like it was going to rain soon, so she substituted her flip-flops for sneakers that looked like Converse and her capris for some dark skinny jeans. She pulled her favorite dark green jacket over her white T-shirt and sighed. If it rained, her and Dagan's meeting would be ruined. What if rained for a week straight? What if it flooded?

Ash shook her head, trying to fling the 'what if's' out of her mind, and raced down the stairs. Her youngest older brother, Carlos, was waiting for her at the foot of the stairs. Ash looked at her brother with a puzzled look, but then he pulled her into a bear hug, as if to answer her unspoken question.

"It's over," he whispered and stroked her hair.

Ash sobbed into her brother's chest, in relief and in grief. She was glad that none of her brother's had been reaped and that the games were over, but she was sad that two people she knew had died. Ash pulled away and wiped her tears away, sniffing and coughing. Reaping day would come too soon, and Ash was not ready for it.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours, I promise," she whispered, and then she walked out of the door, into the soon-to-be-raining sky.

[Phoenix Fire]

Dagan stood at the fence looking past it into the forest. Looking into a world that he had never known but so desperately wanted to. He wish he could just dig himself under the fence, maybe even shut it off and run into the forest, braking through its mystery and living deep in its confines, a place safe from all the hell That the Capitol knew. Yet as those thoughts crossed his mind another thought quickly took its spot, a thought that told him hard that he couldn’t. He couldn’t leave when he had so much that needed to be done here, stuff that needed to be protected and loved ones that needed his help. This was his world and his ultimate goal was to free them of the hell in which they lived. This was what he was supposed to do, this was the world he had to fix. So right there right then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and turned around from the forest, looking out at the fields around him that bordered the small town in which he lived. These were they’re lands, not the Capitols, not Panems, THEY’RE LANDS. This was why he was here, this was why he was meeting the girl out here. This was the life they would fight for.

[lyss]

Ash Owens

Ash saw the fence enter her line of vision. She could just barely make out a tall figure, but she was positive it was Dagan. She tugged her hood around her head, hoping it would conceal the tears she had shed just a few minutes ago. She began humming a tune, hoping it would stop the tears from flowing down her face. Just a little further, and she would meet Dagan. Then, their plotting would erase the thoughts of the tiny crystals stuck to her face.

Ash couldn't bare it any longer. She sprinted towards Dagan, flipping her hood off, letting the wind toss her hair in every direction. She was tired of waiting. All she had done since her father's death was wait. She barely knew Dagan, but she felt like she had known him her whole life.

"Dagan!" she cried as she approached him.

Ash took a flying leap and wrapped her arms around Dagan. She knew they would soon be close friends, so she had no fear of hugging him. She breathed in his scent, and Ash swore she could smell smoke lingering on his clothes. She nestled her head on top of his shoulder for a minute, and then lifted it back up, staring in his eyes.

"I don't know why, but I thought you wouldn't show up. I thought maybe you were trying to make a fool of me, since I'm younger than you and all. And pretty gullible. But I'm glad your here, and I'm ready to get started."

[Phoenix Fire]

Dagan, at first was surprised by how the Ash reacted but after a moment smiled warmly and slid his arms around her tightly, holding her close to him as the light rain fell on them. It was a very intimate moment that he wasn’t used to. Even his family was very closed off since his mother’s death and now that twice today he had been taken by a female that he knew and held desperately like they were afraid they would die if they let him go, it was a bit of a pleasant shock to him. Though when she rose her head to look at him he saw something that made him feel something else knew to him, worry.

“Ash are you okay?” So many surprises in such a short time, this time his own voice. So quiet so and caring yet he had only met this girl a short time ago. She hadn’t let go of him yet she seemed to try to change her stance, to seem more like she was gathering herself together so that they could talk, yet he was not about to let it go so fast. He lightly slid his hand so that a single finger cupped her chin and raised it ever so lightly so she was looking into his eyes once more.

“Ash tell me, you can speak freely around me. Nothing will leave us unless you wish it to.” Where were these caring words coming from? Words spoken only to his sister. This kind of thing just didn’t happen to Dagan all that much and it seemed so shocking that he didn’t know what to do with his own words.

[lyss]

Ash felt like burrying her face into Dagan's chest. Even though she had worn a jacket and jeans, she was getting very cold as the rain rolled in. Hugging him did make her a little bit warmer, but not enough to make a difference. She wished they could find a place to talk indoors, but wherever they went there would be people or cameras. She wished there was a way to make her whole family leave her house for a couple hours, so that way she and Dagan could talk in a warm, dry place. Dagan's place would be fine too, Ash guessed, but she didn't even know anything about his family. The Owens had been here for generations. Dagan would have had to heard of the Owens before.

Rain began to drizzle and Ash shivered, pulling closer to Dagan. If the rain got really hard, Ash knew her mother would insist on her bringing Dagan home with her. Ash's mother loved the idea of letting her children's friends come to her house. Their house was always super packed, but everybody had gotten used to it.

“Ash are you okay?” Dagan asked in a soft voice.

"What?" Ash questioned, taken off guard. "Oh, yeah. Um, I'm fine, minus me being really cold and all."

Ash was startled as Dagan lifted her chin up. She tried not to gasp, so that she could hear what he said. They barely knew each other, but the moment made them feel very, very close. Ash suddenly found it hard to breath, and then she found her heart pounding in her head.

“Ash tell me, you can speak freely around me. Nothing will leave us unless you wish it to.”

Ash bit her lip, and nodded. She felt like she could already completely trust Dagan.

"I promise, Dagan.

Ash smiled and closed her eyes and let the rain fall over her and Dagan. She was glad that she had woke up late, for she wouldn't have met Dagan if she hadn't.

[Phoenix Fire]

It might have just been her being cold like she said but Dagan saw something different in Ash’s eyes. Something he didn’t know very well but a definite change to the normal friendly look she had given him earlier in the day. Maybe it was a look of a student would give a teacher, or someone who she admired greatly as a person, though as both ran through his mind neither exactly fit. It was an odd feeling very but he found himself also looking at her differently. In the rain he had to admit she was very beautiful, even seemed to glow despite the fact she was slowly being drenched. It wasn’t long before he found himself holding her a little closer and looking down at her, even smiling a small smile as she said his name and promised that she was okay.

“If you want….we can go somewhere else. I did not expect it to rain really hard and it seems to be getting stronger. My family wouldn’t ask questions if we went to my room and talked.” His suggestion wasn’t meant in any way to say anything but the words he spoke. He wasn’t trying to make a move on her, even though a strange voice in the back of his mind was weighing that as a possible option. What he wanted to do was just see if they could move along with his plans. Yet as they stood out by the fence Dagan felt a small new emotion…something he had only felt towards his family, was it attachment, maybe even a longing to be around someone and not be a loner anymore? It all seemed so sudden that he honestly felt like he had been hit in the chest with a brick. Yet at the same time he didn’t mind it. This is kind of odd.

[lyss]

Dagan gave Ash a small smile, and Ash could feel herself smiling too. Her heart fluttered, and it felt like a bird was flying around inside of her. She felt the bird flap its wings in rhythm with her heart, or maybe it was just her feeling her heartbeat in her stomach.

The rain came down harder and harder, and Ash could slowly feel her time with Dagan slipping away. She could barely hear Dagan speak.

“If you want….we can go somewhere else. I did not expect it to rain really hard and it seems to be getting stronger. My family wouldn’t ask questions if we went to my room and talked.”

Ash pursed her lips. It sounded like he was trying to make a move on her, but... they had only just met... Ash was confused, but it took her a while to realize he was simply just giving a solution to their problem, which was standing in the rain, hugging each other. Well, the hugging wasn't the problem. The rain was, obviously. Ash wasn't sure about going to Dagan's house. She'd never seen his family ever in her life.

She couldn't refuse, though. Dagan was just trying to be sweet, something she herself found hard to be. On the other hand, her mother and brothers had no idea where she was, and she knew she would be yelled at if she went with Dagan and didn't tell them. She wondered how willing he would be to go to her house. Her mother would certainly give him a warm meal. Ash's mother loved to take care of any guests she had. She bit her lip and looked up at Dagan. Why was she acting like she was? She and Dagan had just met and she seemed to already be falling for him.

Falling. For a guy. Something Ash had only dreamed about. Ash didn't talk to guys that much, since she imagined she would begin to like them. She had never had a boyfriend, never had a kiss, nothing. Ash was closed off from the relationship world, but Ash was thinking she had almost gotten a key to the gate. She tried her best to be like her friend, Eve, when she was with guys. Ash looked Dagan in the eyes and began to speak in a semi-flirty tone.

"Or we could go to my place. My mom wouldn't care."

Ash tried to hold in the giggles. She felt so stupid. No wonder she had never had a relationship. She couldn't do this flirting thing. She went back to biting her lip so she wouldn't burst out laughing.

[Phoenix Fire]

Okay, that deffinatly seemed a small bit flirtish Dagan decided as he kept his eyes on Ash. She had suggested they go to her house, which seemed fine on the outside. Though his reputation had proceeded him on many occasions and the idea that her parents might take her away from him when they realized who she was with came to mind almost immediately. It shouldn’t have bothered him as much as it did, letting her go, thinking about not being able to see her again, yet for some reason a part of him hated the idea. Get yourself together man! If you go into the Hunger Games would you want someone back home other then your family morning you? Someone who…. Before he could even finish the thought he realized something. He did want others to mourn his death, if there were others that knew of him, that loved or even just cared about him then maybe the fight would live on if he didn’t. Yet the idea of starting a relationship seemed foreign and confusing to him. He barely knew this girl…..and yet….

“As long as they don’t ask questions Ash that would be fine.” His words were quiet, and the way he said her name almost seemed strange in his ears, as if it were a word that tasted like honey. Do you really want this kind of thing Dagan? What if she dies to? What if you lose her like you did mom? It was a thought, and a very strong one yet here he was standing in the rain, holding Ash and unable to let her go.

“Though I do not think I want to let go of you.” The words escaped his mouth in almost a whisper and to his horror it took moments before he even realized he had said them. Had he really just shown his under belly? Presented words that were showing weakness to a woman he had just met? What was this girl doing to Dagan?

[lyss]

Ash felt the rain drip through her hood and into her hair. She laid her head on Dagan's shoulder, waiting for an answer. She didn't care what his answer really was anymore. Yes, it would be nicer at Ash's house, but she just wanted to get out of the rain.

“As long as they don’t ask questions Ash that would be fine.”

"They won't. I doubt they'll even notice us.."

It was true; they wouldn't. Not even a word would be said if she and Dagan went into Ash's room alone. Nobody in her family had time to worry about Ash anymore. They were preparing the household for the games. The reaping was only a week away, but her family was busy preparing.

They had all been working for the past week, earning money, buying food and clothes, cleaning the house. They were certain that this year would be another good year, a year where an Owens child would not be reaped. Jason, Carlos, and Ash were the only children still eligible to be reaped. Every year the chance of one of their own being reaped dwindled down, but Ash had a tiny feeling that something would happen this year. Something bad.

“Though I do not think I want to let go of you.”

What? What had he just said? Though I do not think I want to let go of you. She had barely heard it, so she pretended she had not heard it. They were here to discuss much more important things.

"Come on, then!" Ash cried, laughing, and pulled Dagan out into the open with her.

She held onto his wrist tightly and she half dragged, half led Dagan towards her house. She began to pick up the pace, running through the streets. The rain pounded around them, soaking them to the bone. They raced across the district, since her house was far away from where they had met minutes ago. Ash was laughing the whole way there; she loved the rain.

Suddenly, thunder loudly boomed through the air, and Ash clutched Dagan's wrist a littler harder, afraid. They had just barely made it to her house as the first round of lightning began flashing in the sky. She quickly unlocked the door, grinning from ear to ear. She pushed open the door, unaware of what was in front of her, and ran into her older brother, Jason, who was standing in the foyer, arms crossed, and a grimace on his face. Ash's eye grew wide. What had she done?

It took Ash awhile to realize it wasn't her, but Dagan, who was the source of her brother's anger. There was some connection between them somehow; Ash was sure of it.