Never Going Back (Kerrash)

[Supersam]

Gabriel Landon

The crisp winter air burns my unprotected face and my breath comes out in thin, wispy clouds as I trudge through the deep, glittering snow towards the bustling district square. Unpleasantly aware of the frigid gust of wind buffeting me from all sides, I silently thank my mother who insisted I wear a thick, wool hat and scarf along with my coat and gloves before I went out. Even though I hate the itchy, ridiculous looking accessories (especially the hat; it makes my curly blonde hair stick out in weird places), I didn't protest when my mother handed it to me on my way out the door. She's short on patience this time of year, with all the stress of the upcoming holidays and the constant shortage of food around the house. And although she doesn't look like much (she's short and a bit pudgy), if there's one thing I learned from living with her all these years, it's that there is nothing scarier than when she gets angry. I still wonder how such a tiny and usually warm-hearted woman could make even my father tremble before her.

Despite the biting cold, the evening isn't all that unpleasant. All around, thousands of snowflakes float gently down to the ground while people rush to and fro in the streets, going about their own business. The air is filled with the scent of cinnamon and peppermint, while the festive lights strung out along the edges of the shops in the square sparkle and shimmer in the darkness, giving off an almost magical air about the place. It seems strange to me that the usually run down and dilapidated looking square of District Eleven could appear so enticing, so I gaze around, attempting to take it all in.

In all honesty, I’m not quite sure why I even bothered to come down here; I didn’t need anything. And even if I did, it’s not like I’d have the money to buy it. I guess I just couldn’t stand sitting around the house anymore, watching my parents go mad as they desperately try to refill our quickly depleting food stores. The memory of that past winter where we came much too close to perishing must still be fresh in their minds, as it is in mine. Sighing heavily, I push the unpleasant memory aside. As far as I’m concerned, it’s history, and I wasn't about to let history repeat itself.

As I stroll down the people-filled street, I stare wistfully into the windows of the various shops and boutiques, yearning for the wide assortment of goods on display; especially the colorful clusters of candy, skillfully decorated cakes, and delicious looking, sugar-coated pastries that sit behind the glass just waiting to be bought. Looking at them, my stomach emits a miserable growl, and I begin to regret not bringing along any money. Reluctantly, I tear my eyes away from the alluring food in the shops and instead, I glance around, trying to find something to distract me.

Note: Sorry for the cruddy title; my muse sort of fizzled out. If you have any better suggestions, just let me know :)

[Kerrash]

Every occasion

know I'm ready for the funeral

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" I'm coming up only to hold you under
I'm coming up only to show you wrong
And to know you is hard; we wonder

The loud buzzer sounded as kids poured out of Ashton's class. It had been the last class of the day, and it was officially the weekend. Ash knew that everyone was looking forward to the weekend. She could see it across their faces. She couldn't deny that she was excited as well. She was looking forward to spending some quality time with her older twin brothers. She didn't exactly see eye to eye with the kids her age, so she didn't really see herself hanging out with anyone. They were too busy talking to themselves anyway, they obviously didn't want anything to do with Ashton. She was nearly the last person to leave the classroom anyway. She took more time than most to stuff her overly packed backpack, and when she was finally done, she looked up to an empty classroom. Her teacher was standing at the door, impatiently waiting for her to leave so he could lock the door and get on with his life. Ashton flashed past him and mumbled, "Sorry.." before she took off down the hall. She brushed past all of her classmates who were either at their lockers or walking slowly down the hallway. Ashton had no patience to wait for them, so she pushed past them and tried to get to the exit as quick as possible. She ended up bumping into someone and watched helplessly as her stuff flew across the floor. The girl she had bumped into simply stared at her before walking past her. Ashton sighed and bent down to pick it all up. She couldn't help but feel the brush spreading across her face as she noticed the stares she was getting. She didn't even know why she cared. She was stronger than this.

She finally managed to get out of the school and made her way into the market square. People were busy here, and she took comfort in knowing she wouldn't stand out. They were all too self absorbed to notice her. Besides, there was no need to feel the pressure of high school as she walked around the market square. Today wasn't a particular cold day, but with her loose fitting clothes she could begin to feel the cold weather on her bones. a She felt like going home. The market was enticing though, and it made it hard to just walk away from all the exciting trades being made. She watched the butcher and a young teen haggle over the price of a goat. She had been in the kid's shoes before. She wondered how long it would be before she had to take the family’s sheep to the butcher. Ashton could never think about them for too long, because thinking of the sheep that she had raised being butchered to meat was something she’d rather not spend her time dwelling on. She couldn’t afford to become an animal activist lover with all the hunger crises around the District. Her family was barely being supported and it was to the help of the sheep. Turning away from the two hagglers, she moved further into the market. She looked up to notice that snow had begun to fall on top of her head. She smiled, but only for a second. The feeling of snowflakes fluttering down from the sky was a happy one, until the weather turned nasty and stormy. She couldn’t think about having to deal with another storm this year. The winter was barely beginning, and she didn’t like to think about what was to come.

She manages to find her way to the food carts. She was never the kid to have extra money floating around in her pockets, so the sight of the food gave her a little hunger pang in her stomach. She was hungry, but she was usually able to control her feelings and needs by not thinking about it. The aroma of the lovely smelling food was not helping. Sighing, she turned around. That’s when she saw the teen beside her, clearly longing at the food as well. She darted back to looking at the food. Awkward. She hadn’t known a boy had been standing right there. Awkward. Taking a deep breath, she continued to stare at the food. Maybe he didn’t notice her. She didn’t know. She didn’t know what she wanted to do with this situation. She didn’t know who he was, so maybe he didn’t know who she was either. There was a chance that this could be a fresh start for Ashton. A new friend. The cons were that he too would find her weird and walk away. She decided that she’d take the chance. She turned back to him to smile but he was gone. Crap! Ashton looking around and spotted him walking down the rows of booths. She casually followed him until she was looking at something else with him nearby. Turning to him, she muttered, “Can you believe all this stuff? It’s crazy what you can find in the market.”

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Really too late to call
So we wait for morning to wake you
That's all we got ”

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[Supersam]

Gabriel Landon

As I continue strolling down the street past the varying shops and stalls, something bright and glowing catches my attention in the corner of my eye. Oranges; an entire basket full of them! I stop to gaze in awe at them and drool instantly begins to gather in my mouth. Like little round balls of fire, the fruits are in stark contrast to the dark, dreary colors of the square around them. Even though this was District Eleven and there were acres after acres of orchards stretching as far as the eye can see, oranges have always been a rare sight here, for the tart, sweet-smelling treats are often the first to be shipped off to the Capitol and other wealthier districts. But this year, there must’ve been an overabundance of them, for here the treasures were in all their glory, sitting right in front of me.

I reach out a tentative hand to touch one, when without warning, a voice comes out from beside me and I falter. “Can you believe all this stuff? It’s crazy what you can find in the market.” Startled, I glance over to see where the voice came from. A girl with long, chocolate colored hair stands right next to me, looking at me curiously with her light emerald eyes. She appears vaguely familiar to me. Was it possible that I’ve seen her somewhere before? She looks around my age; maybe I’d seen her in the hallways at school or something.

Giving a little laugh, I smile and reply, “I know! Just look at these!” I pick up an orange and hold it gently in my over sized hand. It’s smooth and cool to the touch. The temptation to rip the skin off and pop it in my mouth is overwhelming, but I somehow resist. “I’ve only tasted one once before,” I add wistfully, my voice growing a bit distant as I recall the nostalgic memory. It was my tenth birthday and my parents had somehow managed to get one from one of our neighbors and had gifted it to me. It was possibly the best thing I ever tasted; even better than the pieces of candy they used to hand out at school on special occasions.

I carefully set the delicate fruit back down and turn back to the girl, a wide, toothy grin spreading across my face. I don’t know if it’s the excitement of seeing the oranges or the warm, bustling atmosphere of the square, but I’m suddenly in an unusually good mood.

Note: Sorry for the wait; I had a huge essay to write yesterday

[Kerrash]

Every occasion

know I'm ready for the funeral

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" I'm coming up only to hold you under
I'm coming up only to show you wrong
And to know you is hard; we wonder

She wasn't exactly expecting a response from the boy. Heck, she wouldn't be surprised if he just glared at her and walked away. It was startling when he returned her friendly gesture, with another friendly gesture. Ash almost had to do a double take. Think about it, when was the last time someone actually decided to have a conversation with Ashton who wasn't in her family.. She couldn't even remember the time. Of course, you can't count teachers or kids who bump into her in the hallways. That didn't count because they were forcing themselves to have a conversation. Ashton couldn't help but smile at her company. Maybe it was for a new start? She could definitely start over with a new friend. But, she didn't even know this kid's name. Maybe she shouldn't get so ahead of herself. Nothing was going to happen here, in the middle of the market. Everyone else had been secretive. It had been in private where no one could see the harsh way that they liked to treat her.

He was friendly. He looked at her when he talked to her, and he appeared to have no interest in embarrassing her around all these people who were busily moving through the market. It was silly of her to assume that he was going to be bad to her only because other people had done mean things to her. It was also only fair. If she had only known pain from growing close to people, why would she be keen on making new friends? She breathed. This was life. It would take you around rough corners and sometimes, you just had to take a chance. This was her life now, and she was going to change it. New friendly people were probably just what she needed to get through the rest of her high school career. Now that she thought about it, this boy did like familiar. He probably went to her school, he looked young enough. That gave her hope that there were friendly people at the place she hated most. Maybe things would get better.

An orange. He held up an orange and looked at it like he had never seen such a beautiful thing. "Some of my neighbors have orchards of those. They're very pretty to look at in the summer time. Sometimes they trade us oranges and apples for some of the vegetables we grow on our farm. I haven't had them for a long time though." She looked up at this kid. He was taller than her with blonde hair. She thought about her hair back in a bun, and for the first time since the last time people had bullied her, she felt silly with her hair back. Maybe she should let it down for once. Maybe she would eventually. Ashton would have to think about it. "I'm Ashton, by the way.

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Really too late to call
So we wait for morning to wake you
That's all we got ”

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