Silence (Open)

[Red_Rose]

............................................Silence..........................................

I woke up , just as the sun began streaming through the window of our wooden shack. I rise from the bed and move in robotic motions down the hall to the miniature bathroom. Our family doesn't have a lot of money so we can't afford running water. I grasp the bulky gray bucket that we use for bathroom water and sprint down to the stream that runs behind our house. Once I have the water, I drag the bucket up to the house and scramble to get ready. I slip on my usual work clothes; a light brown tunic and emerald green trousers. The walk to the lumber forests is strenuous even on the coolest days but is made even more tiring on a humid day such as this one.

By the time I reach the end of the dirt path , my forehead is covered in a sheen of sweat. Panting , I jog over to the worker sign-in desk. "Ursula Vawdrey, sir." I tell the peacekeeper that is on duty. " Your clearance to the forests is permitted , Ma'am." He says in a gruff tone. As I walk through the forests , I spot the perfect tree. A dead oak about 50 feet high. I walk over to the tree and tie on the orange marker ribbon. I am not qualified to cut down down trees because of my lack of a left hand so I walk through the forest to look for someone who is.

On the way , I mark 5 more trees. After about 3 hours I sit down on on a stray tree trunk and take a sip from my canteen. I keep walking and eventually stop and look around.I am lost and its getting dark. Instead of walking and getting lost even farther , I look for a place to sleep. I find a cave nestled in a valley. I curl up in the cave and fall asleep , waiting for someone to find me.

[arx!!]

»---> ♥ ```Arx!!
--- Your journey begins when the road ends. ---

Kelton was walking home from a long days work in the woods. There were some other men ahead of him, ignoring him, but only because he was so much younger than them all. Sadly, they didn't understand that he knew all about parenthood. His little sister had needed a 'father' since she was very young and the only one volunteering was him. It wasn't a bad thing, he loved her so much, but he just wasn't a father. He hadn't and still isn't ready for it.

Kelton began to slow his pace behind the men. He didn't want to hear there conversation. Yes, he really wanted to get home to his sister and step-mom, but not listening to them chatter on about their own daughters. So he veered off the trail a little to where he always walked when he wanted to be alone, or just be in the forest.

The pine needles and deciduous leaves that plastered the ground where very wet and were almost sinking into the mud from all the wet weather they had gotten lately. His work boots were becoming plastered with mud. The bottom of his blue jean pants were torn and now, muddy and wet. He was carrying his axe over his shoulder and he didn't have his blue shirt on, instead he was just carrying it in his hand. It had been so humid working today that he couldn't stand having it on. Even as the sun sank the air arounmd him felt sticky and groggy and hotter than ever.

Kelton wanted to walk around in the squelchy mud in barefeet, but he refrained. If he was caught looking like that ... He came upon some orange flagged trees. He noted the location in his head looking around for landmarks that would give him a clue as to where they were. He would show the lumbermen tomorrow. But just he was about to continue walking he noticed someone laying in a nearby cave. It was small enough that it was almost like a den, but it definetly was dark and secluded from the surrounding area and outside elements.

Kelton walked over slowly and quietly, not wanting to disturb this person. He quickly realized it was a girl and he sort of tensed. Him and girls wasn't much of a good mix. He was tempted to leave her there, but found himself tapping her on the shoulder.

"Hello?" He asked, giving her a little shake, just to wake her up.

[Red_Rose]

Ursula Vawdrey -Silence

Occ: Just so you know ,the second color I use is not just for when my character is talking,it is for speech in general.

As I slept I kept dreaming about what was happening inside my house. Were my mom and dad interrogating my siblings, beating them for not knowing anything about my location? Was anyone looking for me ? Or worst of all , Did anyone actually care? Yes, I am positive my brother and sister care. As the heat of day starts to surge through me , I fight with my self to stay asleep.
I force my eyelids shut and think relaxing thoughts to help myself fall asleep.

Slowly but surely , I do drift back into the calm depths of slumber. My dreams are more horrific this time. I have images of my siblings getting stabbed , maimed or maybe even killed. The floors of the house are stained red with the blood , my mom and dad are smiling about the damage they have caused. I feel the house shaking and think that it's explosions or maybe an earthquake. Then I realize someone is attempting to shake me awake. Someone has found me!

I automatically ausume that it is one of my siblings, but just as I am about to open my eyes I hear the person say "Hello?" in an unfamiliar voice. Thinking it over briefly , I decide to open my eyes. My hazel eyes meet the intelligent green eyes of a boy who must be about 18. I start to pull my dagger out of my boot but , quickly decide against it when I see his Axe. Not only does he have a weapon , he is stronger and bigger than me too. He could easily take me down. Doing another one of my quick evaluations , I notice that he seems to be a bit nervous around me. I wonder why? Taking the bold approach , I choose to ask him a question. " So , who are you?"

[arx!!]

»---> ♥ ```Arx!!
--- Don't let others distract you from your true goals. ---

Kelton took a step back as the girl moved and awoke. He noticed a dagger in her boot. He hoped he hadn't frightened her enough to use it ... But she was reaching for it, so he took just another step back. Oops ... But she paused and instead asked a question.

"So, who are you?"

"I'm Kelton." he answered without hesitation. Sure he was a bit shy around girls, but any opportunity to make nice with a girl who had nearly pulled a dagger on him had to be taken.

He dropped his axe to the mud and stepped forward again, offering his hand to her. He really was all about handshakes.

"It's, uh, nice to meet you."

He was very tempted to ask what she had been doing out here in the woods, but didn't feel like asking. It wasn't his business. He suddenly felt a little awkward, knowing common courtesy required him to take her home. But he would suck it up and be the man that everyone wanted him to be.

He managed a small grin at her with a small chuckle as well, just trying to ease the tension inside himself.

[Red_Rose]

Silence- Ursula Vawdrey

After she asked him the question , he answered in a confident manner that seemed just the slightest bit forced. He smiled at her and she thought to herself about whether she could trust him. He was at least 4 years older than her and could easily kill her if he caught her off guard. Although he seemed nice enough , she still wasn't sure what to think. She kept her eyes on him and attempted to seem normal as she did this. She tried to see anything suspicious in the way he carried himself or the way he spoke , but found nothing. Maybe she was just overly paranoid. Her mind snapped back to her current situation and thoughts of how to get home popped into her train of thought. Maybe this boy could help me , she thought to herself. "So, I am kind of lost. Do you think you could help me out ?" She wondered if her siblings were trying to find her. She hoped with all her heart that she could see them soon.

[arx!!]

»---> ♥ ```Arx!!
--- The stronger, the fiercer, the braver, the faster, the better. ---

Instead of shaking his hand, she studied him intently for what seemed like minutes, although in really w as only a few seconds. He walked back over to grab his axe and realized that his shirt was in his hand not over his shoulders. He quickly slid it back on over his head to cover his scarred back. He then picked his axe up and threw it back over his shoulder as it had been before he had found this girl

He turned back to her. She was younger than he was, about four years or so and quite a bit smaller. Although, if she was wielding a dagger he wasn't going to underestimate her size. But he suddenly realized something, a bit, well, odd. She was missing her hand; her whole left-hand just wasn't there. He felt guilty about offering his hand for a handshake ...

"So, I am kind of lost. Do you think you could help me out ?"

Kelton turned his attention back to face, rather, than lack of limb and replied with a curt nod. "Sure no problem."

Kelton turned and continued along the path he had been walking. He glanced back to make sure she was following and to make sure that she didn't need anything else. He wasn't in a hurry to get home, but he figured she must be so he picked up the pace a little. It was beginning to get dark and the dark and the woods didn't go together well.

[Red_Rose]

Silence - Ursula Vawdrey

"Sure, no problem." That was the best answer she could have heard from him. She smiled and then started to walk out of the cave. It was getting dark and it was hard to see. Her feet kept tripping over objects that her eyes couldn't catch in the blanket of night. She saw small animals scurrying around looking for food , A squirrel with nuts in it's cheeks and a tall doe eating from a blueberry bush.

Her eyes flickered and realized Kenton was way in front of her. She picked up her pace and stumbled over a tree root that was jutting out of the ground. She fell to the ground with a loud thump , landing on her arm with the missing limb. She let out a sharp cry of pain. "Ouch!" She struggled to get up and still holding her wrist she kept walking. Her wrist where her hand was missing still hurt badly sometimes. She hoped She hadn't alerted the peacekeepers of there presence. They would be angry if they were found at this time. She sucked up the pain and kept on walking. She did want to get home after all.

[arx!!]

»---> ♥ ```Arx!!
--- Don't let yourself fall victim to the Earth. ---

Kelton walked along quickly until he heard a cry from behind him. He stopped abruptly and turned to see what was going on. The girl had fallen; tripped over a root, and fell to the ground on her left side. He was going to run over to her, to help her up, but by the time he took a few steps over to her, she was already back on her feet. He wanted to stop, give her a break, but she looked so determined to move, to keep going.

So Kelton continued along on his path home. By now, it was the sun had sank far enough that only the light of the moon could help you see. Unfortunately, there were still many storm clouds overhead that were blanketing the sky tonight. Luckily, they were almost there and Kelton could see the lights of the Peacekeeper's desk up ahead. They always kept it on just to make people think they were there, but they never were. Or if they were there they were sleeping on the job.

Kelton was beginning to approach the desk when he heard footsteps coming from inside their little outpost. He jumped back and got to the ground, pulling the girl down with him, covering her mouth so she wouldn't gasp aloud, then whispered, "Shh." in her ear. This rarely happened. There was almost never a Peacekeeper actually keeping peace. Or in this case just being awake, alert, and waiting, for every last lumberman to come home.

Kelton thought for a moment. He wasn't sure how to get out of it, for he wasn't exactly the best of friends with any Peacekeeper in Panem. Unless this girl was a really well-behaved suck up, only she would be able to get past him, leaving him behind for what punishments he usually took. That sounded like a good plan actually, but he wasn't sure if she was exactly liked by the Peacekeepers considering she was carrying a dagger in her boot.

"Uh, Miss?" He stammered in a whisper. "Any bright ideas to get past that Capitol jackass?"

[Red_Rose]

Silence-Ursula Vawdrey

[/color]

Occ: I know I switch what person I write in a lot and now I am permanently sticking to first person. Sorry for being annoying with that.

---

I see the lights of the peacekeeper station at the end of the path. Almost home , I think. My brother and sister will certainly have questions and nothing but trouble is coming from my parents. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even know I was gone. Maybe they just assumed I was finally too sick of them to hang around and took off somewhere. Whatever the case is , I won't exactly be welcomed home.

We are approaching the peacekeeper station now , and I look for the signs that one of them is in there and awake. The lights are on , but that usually means nothing more than a decoy. I sneak closer to check if anyone really is there. Before I have a chance to see , I am sharply pulled to the ground.

I try to protest , but Kenton's hand clamps over my mouth and points at something. I squint and then see a peace keeper walking in circles as he is on guard. "Any idea on how to get past that Capitol jackass?" Kenton says in panicked tone. I have to think about that one for a minute. I'm not the best liar in the world and from what I've seen,Kenton isn't either.

So ,smooth talking the peacekeeper is probably not a good plan. I realize we only have one option. A distraction. " Ok. I think I've got an plan." I say. " We have to distract him.I think since you're bigger ,that you should do the distracting part. Hey! Maybe you can use my knife. What do you think?"I say , catching a bit of breath. The peace keeper has not noticed us. Yet.

[arx!!]

»---> ♥ ```Arx!!
--- A strength is always stronger than a weakness. ---

Kelton listened attentively as she whispered her plan to him. Then, finishing, she held out her knife to him. And she expected him to make a distraction. With the knife. He knew one thing, he wasn't going to even dare kill a Peacekeeper. Sure, he would really like to but there was no way he was doing that. How could she even suggest that!?

Then he came to his senses and realized that that wasn't what she had suggested. She was only suggesting a distraction, which meant he basically walk up to the bastard holding a dagger. He didn't really feel like getting a beating tonight ...

But they had to get home. There were lots of night creatures outside the safety of the fence. And since most of those things were vicious mutts, it was a pretty scary idea being out in the woods at night. Stupid Capitol.

Kelton grabbed the dagger that she held up and walked out into the open. He realized that he hadn't even heard what exactly the plan was. He was the distraction. And she was ... what? The one who got away safely? Left him behind? He supposed he didn't care much as long as he got home eventually. His sister needed to be put to bed. Kelton felt doubt cropping up in his mind ...

But before he changed his mind, he had already spoken aloud at the gate. The Peacekeeper turned and saw his knife, and immediately came to question him about it. If he had had his axe, he may have just let him by because they were permitted in the woods, but Kelton had left it back with the girl. He had completely forgotten to grab it from their hiding spot and left it behind. He needed that axe.

Kelton wasn't even listening to the Peacekeeper. He was watching for the girl to help him out of the situation. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do ...

[Red_Rose]

Silence

[/size][/color]


I hand Kenton the dagger , with shaking hands. If this plan doesn't work , it will be all my fault. It is my plan after all. Just as I am sneaking back into the cover of the brush , I see Kenton look at me like he needs help. " Just keep him busy, I'm almost done." I mouth to him. I rack my brain for ways to get the peacekeeper away long enough to get out. A mutt ! That's it! I just have to find a capitol mutt and we're home free. I prowl around for a while , hoping Kenton is ok. Eventually, I spot a black snake mutt slipping through the trees. Perfect. It's fangs produce a venom that can make you sick and immobile for a while.Now, how can I sedate this thing?


I rummage around in my pockets for something I can use to sedate him. Then it clicks. Venom. Snake. I remember my older sister telling me that all snakes ; if they are poisonous; have the venom sacks in their head and the end of their tail. So , I come up with an elaborate plan. I start running fast. I use Kenton's axe and swipe at the snake. I hit it right in the middle , cutting it in half. I cut off the venom sac in it's head and give it a sqeaze to check if I got the right spot. I am rewarded with a thick purple liquid. I rush back to the clearing and ready myself to attack the peacekeeper. I just need to find the right moment. I hope Kenton is good with distractions....

[arx!!]

»---> ♥ ```Arx!!
--- Mischief is the only way a child can live. ---

The Peacekeeper was speaking in such a deep, gruff tone that Kelton found it nearly impossible to understand his rough orders. Not that if he could understand he would listen ... He had gotten the dagger taken away from him, feeling bad because it wasn't his anyway. He figured he wouldn't be able to get it back for the girl either.

A slash of pain across his face drew his attention back on the Peacekeeper. Blood was beginning to drip down his cheek already. Kelton turned back to this Peacekeeper, who was now holding a bloody dagger, and found that he was asking him a question. He must have asked multiple times by now, Kelton having completely ignored him.

"Kempfer." Is all that he said to him. He was very tempted to spit in this guys face, but he resisted. No point in starting a fight you can't win.

The Peacekeeper gave a grunt, probably an attempt at laughter. Kelton figured his name didn't get around that fast. But Kelton was beginning to ignore him again as he noticed the girl sitting, hiding, sneaking near the fence. Ambush?

Kelton walked around the Peacekeeper's shoulder, getting his attention away from the fence. He hollered and in one swift movement had Kelton with an arm behind his back and a dagger poking his back. But it had worked, he was no longer facing the fence. No it was the girl's turn to work some magic.

[Red_Rose]

Ursula Vawdrey-Silence

[/color]

I linger by the fence for what seems like an eternity. I am getting ready to just yell for Kenton and me to run but Kenton does it. He creates the perfect opening. With trembling hands, I grip the snake's carcass and rip out the poison sack. I slowly start to walk up to the peacekeeper , periodically stopping to make sure that his back is still to me.

I finger the Axe that is held limply at my side. I really don't want to have to use it. I'm fine with killing a peacekeeper and all. I just don't want to face the consequences that come with it. I stop to gather my thoughts before walking right up behind the peacekeeper. I take a small breath and grip my hands on the peacekeepers neck. I forcefully yank open his mouth and dump the poison in. The peacekeeper yells briefly before falling to the ground.

[/size]"what the heck..."The peacekeeper garbles.
"let's run for it!"I quickly yell to Kenton. But before I go, take my dagger back from the peacekeeper. I wonder how he got it in the first place... [/blockquote]

[arx!!]

»---> ♥ ```Arx!!
--- Stab those who deserve it. They shall suffer. ---

Kelton sprinted away from the Peacekeeper, avoiding the dagger that thrashed around as the Peacekeeper screamed in horror and confusion. Kelton knew that the Peacekeeper's had hand-to-hand training in District 2, but he didn't know they were taught to disarm and use a weapon against the citizens of multiple Districts all over Panem. It made him sick to think of all the violent accounts that have occurred to simple citizens of Panem. All of them just pawns.

Kelton looked over his shoulder, making sure that the girl was still behind him, that the plan had worked to both of their benefits. He saw her carrying his axe and her dagger in on hand. Trying hard to run quickly. He stopped and waited for her to catch up and took up his axe, hoping that it would help take the heavy burden off her. After all, the axe was made for a man, not a girl.

Kelton was breathing heavily now, trying not to stop and begin gasping for breath. He looked over to the girl and nodded, rasping, "Thanks."

Kelton began to slow down. His heart was pounding and all his muscles were alert, itching for something to dare them to unleash their wrath. Adrenaline kept him awake, it was quite dark by now, and he was sure that, underneath it all, he was exhausted. He looked to the girl beside him. He couldn't really see her face in the light of the stars, but he imagined it flushed and red.

He wondered if he should continue to walk her back to her house. He wondered if anyone would be there to greet her. He wasn't sure they would be happy to see her with him, a known trouble-maker. A scoundral.

"So, where exactly do you live, Miss?"

[Red_Rose]

Ursula Vawdrey-Silence

[/center]

He downcasts his eyes as he says , "So, where exactly do you live, Miss?". I feel kind of embarrassed about what the state of my home could look like. Was there more beatings? Are my siblings okay? Hopefully, my parents won't be home. But , they usually don't beat us in front of guests anyway. I think they're trying to keep up the illusion that they are actually nice and loving. In reality they're far from it. I realize he asked me a question and respond , "At the end of that dirt path." I say,pointing to it , even though he knows exactly what I'm talking about.

I begin to walk down the small , worn path. I wonder what we'll do once we get there. What will he think of my house , a wooden shack, Where you can actually smell the neglect and abuse a mile away. At least , I can. It's not a happy place to be. You can see the affects of going hungry , on my sisters face. You can see it in my brothers eyes. Sometimes it looks as if we have no skin at all , just bone. The few hours of relief and enjoyment that I had in the woods start to fade away the closer we get to the house of hate , as my sister and brother call it.


I really do wonder sometimes what I'm doing with myself. I just sit back and watch as me,my brother and my sister , consistently get abused. I come up with a small plan in my mind. My sister turns 18 in 3 months and is legally allowed to take full responsibility of me and my brother. Me and my siblings can move out. We will all have to take jobs for money, but the extra work is well worth it if it means getting away from my parents. With a plan in mind , I feel a bit more confident about showing Kenton my house. I think he can even tell that I am happier. A smile is on my face , and an extra skip is in my step.