The Orphanage (Open!)

[thewingedthing]

Kane Selvaggio

///

Kane tried to keep his breathing quiet as he heard the door open and a man's voice. Despite the situation, he blinked in amusement upon hearing how high it was-- higher than the girls'! However, the authority in his tone was clear. Definantly a Peacekeeper. As the conversation continued down below, can couldn't help but applaud the quick thinking of the girl as she lied her way out of trouble. "Smart kid,"[/color] he muttered. She definantly was not as helpless as he'd first thought her to be. It just goes to show, looks can be deceiving.

Anxiety taking its toll, Kane finally couldn't stand it any more. Slipping quietly down a few more steps, he peeked around the corner of the staircase, peering cautiously down into the kitchen. His heart froze, breath catching painfully in his throat. His game...

"Shit."[/color]

He'd forgotten to take it with him when he had carried the other girl upstairs. Kane could have smacked himself-- he was such an idiot! His eyes flicked back and forth between the scrawny Peacekeeper the girl was speaking to at the door and the game on the floor. At least it's behind the table and chairs... Like that was going to stop the man from seeing it!

And now the Peacekeeper wanted to search the house! Kane's hands were sweaty now, his heart pumping fast. Think! Think! Think! There had to be a way out of this. As he watched the girl below glance around, looking almost desperate as the man prepared to come inside, Kane heard it: the wailing of a baby. Don't wake the baby....

He was up the stairs faster than he'd ever moved in his life,pausing at the door into the baby's room before hurrying along the corridor until he found a bathroom. Turning on the light and gazing at himself in the mirror, Kane winced slightly. Yep, definantly looked like he'd been in the woods. Dirt covered his face, twigs and dead leaves clinging to his jacket. Kane cleaned himself up quickly the best he could, running water through his hair, scrubbing the most visible dirt from his skiing, trying to make it blend-- the lights in the kitchen were dim, he remembered, so most of the dirt wouldn't be seen. Ripping his jacket off, he pulled his clothes into place, taking his shoes before straightening again. His hair he ran his hands through, trying to make it look like he'd just woken up-- needless to say, it didn't need much work. Heading out of the bathroom, Kane quickly headed back to the baby's room, where he slipped in and pulling the cord that led into the attic. "Hey!" He whispered loudly, calling to the girl. "Find a spot to hide and stay as still as possible! There's a Peacekeeper in the house! I'll deal with the baby..."

Downstairs, he could still hear the voices of the girl and the Peacekeeper, on the man sounded angry now, his voicing beginning to rise. Shushing the whimpering baby softly while cuddling it close to his chest, Kane made his way down stairs, trying to seem nonchalant-- like he'd always lived there, like he belonged there. A fake facade of confusion and drowsiness settling over his features, Kane shuffled down the last few steps, coming into full few of the people below.

"Emily?"[/color] Kane grumbled, making up a fake name for the girl quickly. The baby let out a low cry, causing Kane to shush it again, rocking it against his chest. Looking up, his gaze went from the girl to the Peacekeeper and back again, an eyebrow raised. "What the hell is going on? I heard a banging and then the baby began to cry--"[/color] Turning towards the man, Kane prayed his heart wasn't pounding against his chest loud enough for everyone to hear-- this was insanely risky, pretending to be an orphan! "Is there a problem, sir?"[/color][/size]

[Kyalee]

That is when everything had gone terribly wrong. Or so she thought. Shelby looked into the peacekeeper's eyes uneasily and finally spoke.
"I would rather you not. The children are sleeping, and you would probably wake them and it would be bad if-"
But the peacekeeper stopped her.
"I do not care about if I will wake the children, let them wake." The peacekeeper replied, voice escalading as he finished. Shelby tried to block the peacekeeper's way while not being suspicous, but the peacekeeper finally just shoved her out of the way. The noise woke the baby, and Shelby was very close to begging the man to not go upstairs. The crying from her child made her jumpy, and she was freaking out.

What should I do, what should I do?!

Shelby tried to think quickly, and looked around the room but found no ideas. Then, the baby stopped. Relief went through her, but she wondered why he stopped. As she picked herself back up from the peacekeeper shoving her, she used the walls for support. The peacekeeper had made his way down the hallway, and was about to enter the kitchen.
"Um sir? Is their anything in paticular you are looking for, maybe I could help you?" She aroused a girlish voice that she despised for this paticular speech. She was out of ideas, and time though.

Oh what if he reckonizes me from the posters? Oh what will I do?!

"Im looking for people ma'm." He snapped at Shelby.
"I think this Orphanage has children sleeping upstairs, no?" He stated.
He left her without another answer, and was about to go stomping up the stairs, when the man appeared in his way, with the baby. She could have killed him. Right then and there. Shelby was furious that he had her child. She was about to even tackle him, when he started to speak.
"Emily?" Suddenly she realized what he was doing. He was very smart, this boy. Very clever. She could have even smiled at it.
"What the hell is going on? I heard a banging and then the baby began to cry--" He countinued.
Oh this was priceless. Yes, she underestimated him a bit. Shelby had thought him to be one of those all muscle, no brains type of guys. She sure was prooven wrong.
"Is there a problem, sir?"
The peacekeeper hesitated. This gave her just enough time to speak.
"Oh no. He just wanted to look around the Orphanage a little, Derek. Its ok. Thank you for quieting the baby." Shelby stepped past the peacekeeper, and took Kiel from "Derek's" arms. She brushed Kiel's soft black hair thoughtfully, suddenly more confident. But then something took her off guard. The peacekeeper smiled.
"Oh thats it. Mother being a little protective, eh? Yep, I've had my share of that. Are you the father?" Shelby suddenly hated this peacekeeper for acting so happy, with that grin on his face, as if something was funny. And for acting nosy.

[artemisa]

Astrid Aribarri

When the options run out…

It is very nice when she suspects of everyone else and think of life more melodramatic than it is to survive, but sometimes she needs to be realistic and think of everything that is happening before having to do something she might later regret. How can it be that after years of fighting the same people, she can’t recognize them when she hears their noises? In this life, the life of District Nine, you can’t afford to do a foolish mistake; at least, not anymore.

My hands start to get sweaty and I’m hesitating to stand up and attack the person in the door who is most likely a peacekeeper. However, what if the person in there is nothing more than just the guy or the girl coming to say that everything is fine? What if they are here to say that nothing is alright? What if-

I close my eyes and shake my head. There are too many questions and too many few answers. I need to control myself. This is not who I am. I’m not scared of anything and much less a peacekeeper. The fact that I’m injured doesn’t mean I’m weak and much less vulnerable. So I quickly get a good grip on my knife and cautiously wait for the person’s next move. My eyes follow the noise of the footsteps and I wait.

Suddenly adrenaline begins to rush through my veins and I listen for the person to say something. It turns out that it is none other than the guy trying to calm the baby down. “Well that’s good; it’s not good for the baby to cry for a long time because it can damage its throat” I sigh in relief for both the child and for the entity not being a peacekeeper, but that makes my brain begin to pulse. And suddenly I hear the door open. The guy whispers for me to hide. Well, I already did and am well prepared. Yet, I’m surprised how he could still speculate I’m here if I haven’t made any noise. For all we know I could have left the place without no one realizing. But then again, if I would have left the peacekeepers would have seen me although I am good at evading a bunch of peacekeepers sometimes. But, am I that predictable? Is it so much that people can correctly speculate what I do and where I am? “No, he did not guess that I was hiding”, I smirk in my head.

I hear the guy then leave and tell the girl whom he calls Emily – which I doubt is the girl’s name because it is unlikely that she would tell a stranger that. However, the guy states that there is a problem with the child and that they must stop attending the peacekeeper. But knowing that peacekeeper, if it is the one that has been chasing me, then I know he will try to meddle in other peoples’ business for the sake of doing so. I know the guy won’t buy it; or at least he will accompany them to the child’s room, and if he finds out…

Sorry you’re not here; all these times before were never this unclear…

Confusion is overpowering me and it is still night; well the late hours of night that is. All I know is that I’m hiding up here, the baby is with the guy, the guy with the baby is downstairs with the girl, and the peacekeeper is being nonchalant about this situation. I hate that peacekeeper. He has a lousy voice, terrible stealth skills, and is extremely imperative about everything. At least my voice is deep/ acute/ raspy enough to make him cry out of embarrassment – not that my voice is like a male; just deep enough for a girl to have a girl voice that is strong and loud when screaming, that’s all.

I keep hearing the conversation going on and almost laugh at the peacekeeper thinking that the guy and the girl are parents. “Nice disguise” I think, but I quickly become serious since I know that if they heard me say that, they would shoot me. Even I would shoot or hit someone that jokes like that.

My breathing is calm enough and I begin to walk around towards the window, but I see nothing except peacekeepers around here. To escape is redundant since they would see me. I could try to do anything to escape, but the rain would prevent me from being silent enough to walk past them. Still I begin to plan on how to leave when the peacekeeper stops acting dumb around here.

For your relief, he is gone but still suspects; the cat and mouse game begins for you…

I hear the peacekeeper walk through the place a bit and the walk out through the door. A rush of relief fires at me and I take a deep breath and then exhale. I stand up and brush my black jeans as well as shirt from the dust and clean my knife to put it back inside my belt. I stretch and slowly walk down stairs.

“Hey, are you all alright?” I ask to see if they heard any abnormality that I missed on or are in reality OK. I then put my jacket and backpack on “It’s about to be dawn already and these peacekeepers are all around this place. I personally find it hard to leave like this. I need to disguise myself well enough to leave” I slightly smile at them and stare at the baby “Is this one yours?” I ask with a hint of strangeness. Normally I don’t ask personal questions but I can’t help noticing how alike they are. But then again, the baby could very well be her sibling. I glance at the floor and then look at them to introduce myself “I’m Astrid, by the way”. It’s not that they would really care, but I feel like I need to say it. Common habit I guess.

Getting back to business “I need to know at what time the roads are the most transited and where; that way it will be difficult enough for the peacekeepers to spot me. I know that he” I point at the guy “is not going to be reprehended because that man thinks he’s from here. But, I think he also wants to hurry and go home as well with his game.”

I walk towards the window and see peacekeepers in the street. “I seriously think he’s planning something. He might have believed his own story about the parenting thing, but he doesn’t believe the story about the boy injuring himself. He’s up to something and could very well come back with an order; you know, to seem more civilized for their supporters. So by that time all evidence of the game, blood, and my prescence needs to be gone or else there will be trouble.”

[Kyalee]

Shelby didn't reply to the man, and got Kiel back to sleep in her arms. If Kiel hadn't taken two arms to hold, she would have puched the peacekeeper right then and there. But instead, she just smiled sarcastically as she led the peacekeeper to the door. As the door closed, she sighed in relief. She looked out the window to see if he was gone, and when he was she finally spoke.
"He's gone. Finally." Shelby sat by the window smiling.

At least the man has green eyes. Kiel has green eyes to, and my black hair. Our story actualy was very convincing. Maybe.

Shelby stood up as the girl came downstairs. Shelby was secretly glad she hadn't escaped the way she had told her to, she liked not being abandoned and liked new people. Even though these visitors brought bad company; the peacekeeper. The girl finally started to speak after awhile.
"Are you two ok?"
Shelby just nods tiredly after she asks. She can hear from the window the rain getting harder. She wished she could go run outside in it, relieve her aching bones but the baby could get sick. Shelby would have to put him to sleep first...
The girl says something about leaving and disgueses, but Shelby knows she has nothing here to help her really.
"Is this one yours?"
The first answer that pops into her head is not the truth. Why does she always lie to people about her son anyway?

Because they will judge you. Because they will ask who the father is.

A streak of fear enters Shelby's eyes, and she flinches as she thinks of this. She quickly tries to hide it though, with a fake smile.
"No he isn't mine. I found him on a doorstep recently, and brought him to the orphanage."
Shelby hates lying but has been telling this one ever since Kiel was born.
"Im Astrid, by the way."
She was happy to finally know the mysterious girl's name. It was quite a pretty name actually. Then Shelby wondered what she had done to get in all this trouble. She didn't think Astrid looked like the hunting type. Maybe she was rebelious. She didn't want to be nosy though, and didn't ask. Shelby let the girl finish talking, and then spoke.
"Im Shelby. And Im guessing your name isn't Derek."
She flashed a joking smile.
"And yes I know the best way to get out of here and everything. I'll clean up the mess and I would like it if you got your game and did something with it. If that peacekeeper is coming back I'll give him an injured Pete."
She smiled again, but more sadly this time.

[thewingedthing]

Kane Selvaggio

///

The emotions that flashed in quick succession through the girls eyes was enough to make can worry for her health. As soon as she saw him holding the baby, her eyes narrowed, rage filling them. Kane nearly flinched. Whoa, what did I do? He glanced down at the baby then back at her, realization dawning on him. Oh. Oops... Shooting the girl an apologetic look with his eyes, Kane noticed suddenly how quickly her emotions had changed. Now her eyes spoke of amusement-- did she understand what he was doing now?

"Oh no. He just wanted to look around the Orphanage a little, Derek. Its ok. Thank you for quieting the baby."

Kane grinned inwardly, his heart lifting. She was going along with his plan perfectly. This girl really was something else... Letting the girl take the baby, Kane could barely keep his eyebrows from raising as the Peacekeeper spoke of how "a mother was only being protective of her young". The baby couldn't possibly be the girl's... could it?

"Uh..."[/color] Kane stammered, glancing from the baby to the girl and back. "Yeah,"[/color] Aw Kane what the hell? The kid looks nothing like you! "I'm his father."[/color] Thank god the baby had green eyes, because otherwise, there was no resemblance.

He almost collapsed when the Peacekeeper left, his legs trembling underneath him. Sighing loudly, Kane pulled out a chair from the table and say down, his hands covering his face for a moment as he closed his eyes in exhaustion. Kane turned in his chair when he heard an soft creaking on the stairs, and saw the girl he'd left in the attic as she descended the last step. He was glad to see she was feeling better.

"I'm Kane."[/color] He replied when she gave her name. Standing, he made his way over to the other two. He agreed with Astrid completely. He needed to get out of here, that Peacekeeper hadn't looked totally convinced as he'd left... Like he didn't fully believe Kane's story. It was then that he remembered his game-- how freakin lucky that it hadn't been spotted!

"Nice to meet you Shelby."[/color] Kane grinned. "No, it's not Derek, but that was quick thinking-- way to catch on so fast." Kane paused, frowning, his eyebrows knitting together slightly. "Hey, I hope you're not too mad about me holding him."[/color] He said, gesturing to the bundle in her arms. "It was the only thing I could think of..."[/color] True mother or not, Kane was well aware of how strong a women's maternal-- and protective-- instinct was, and had seen the fiery look in Shelby's eyes when she saw him with the baby.[/size]

[Kyalee]

Shelby watched as Kane spoke.
"No, its ok. I'm sorry for being so mad at you. I just... Didn't fully trust you yet. I thought you were doing something else..."
She thought he might take him, when Kiel was all she had left. She felt like she didn't even have a friend in the world left after what happend... All she had was her baby.
"Im just a little protective of him. Nobody else would look after him..."
Well, they probably would feed him, like they did the rest of the babies, but they wouldn't hold him like Shelby did. Or play with him. Or take him on walks.
Sadness enters her eyes, because she is sad for not have trusting Kane. It's just, she hasn't been very trustful. How could she be, after being hurt so much? Shelby looked down at the ground. Quickly, she rushed upstairs and put Kiel back in his crib. It was amazing all the other children had slept through all this. She set Kiel carefully in the worn down crib, and hurried back downstairs. She got some cleaning supplies, and then started cleaning up the blood, and tried to make the smell of fresh kill disapate.
"That was really clever thinking though, you know."
I said to Kane. It had been really clever. Fast thinking got you far in life.

[thewingedthing]

Kane Selvaggio

///

He noticed the distant look that clouded Shelby's eyes as he spoke of the baby. Kane's eyes flicked to the little thing held protectively in her arms, his little lips pursing together, nostrils flaring, before the tiny thing blew a spit bubble. Kane couldn't help but smile, the baby really was adorable. In fact, that spit bubble thing was the exact same thing that Samo used to-- Kane's face dropped, his eyes growing glazed as his memories took over. Samo.. No, he would't; couldn't. He couldn't become lost in painful flashbacks now.

By this time, Shelby had taken the baby back upstairs and was now beginning to clean the spattered blood from the floor and table, and everywhere else it had managed to drip onto. Moving to help her, Kane managed a small grin as Shelby spoke.

"Yeah, well, if you don't think fast enough, you're gonna die." The words were harsh, but sadly, very true. Glancing up at Astrid, Kane found himself wondering how clever the girl really was. Obviously very. Not many people could escape streets prowling with Peacekeepers wounded the way she had been.

"You're pretty clever yourself." He continued, frowning as he scrubbed hard at a particularly stubborn stain on the floor. "I didn't think you would catch on so quickly."[/color][/size]

[Kyalee]

"Thanks." Shelby said absentmindedly.
She suddenly had a thought. She hurried into the kitchen. She was inside for a while, and when she came back out, she had two bowls of potato and leek soup. She had heated it up over the fire quickly, because she knew both of them must be starving. Shelby handed one bowl to Kane, and the other to Astrid.
"Eat up. You two must be starving. I know you will both have to head out. I know these streets like the back of my hand, but you'll have to tell me where your trying to go first."
Shelby tried not to look at them as she cleaned the floor a bit more. After she thought it was pretty clean, she dared to go outside. Shelby waved for the other two to stay inside, and she looked up at the sky. It was close to dawn. Most of the rain had cleared away all the blood and footprints. She scrubbed the steps though, and hoped no one saw her. Suddenly, the wind blew and sent a flyer up in her face. She held it back to read it.

Sadness flowed through her. Her photo was on this flyer, with the word MISSING, and all her traits. Jet black hair, stormy blue eyes, and probably at least 5 foot tall at this age were just a few. She hope her visitors would never see this. She crumbled it up and set it down next to her as she scrubbed.

[artemisa]

Astrid Aribarri

To reason is a true virtue…

Her green eyes being so somber, sad, and full of hidden tears from many years of witnessing injustice have never seen an image inducing serenity and sympathy like that of a person holding a child with much love. In her case she had never seen anything like it before. It has always been death, blood, anger, hatred, and sorrow. To see someone giving another attention and love is to her a luxury. And to give her an act of true friendship or motherly love has been rare, too rare indeed…

I quietly contemplate the calm moment right now. It has been a very exciting as well as agitating day and I can’t say it in a positive way. Maybe this scare is all I need to get away from the idea of beating the Capitol. I know that I expect to one day end and take control of the district as well as quickly turning all the other districts against the Capitol. But if I can barely get out alive from the clutches of a few peacekeepers, then I guess there is no business in continuing this foolishness. How did I get involved in this mess anyway? How come I didn’t think about my family that is worried sick on the other side? No, I have to leave this life behind. But, the problem with evading this is that I’m ridiculously involved with the rebels that trying to escape might end up killing everyone I know. However I can’t be a coward. If life grants me another opportunity to live, I need to take it and go back to them: to my family and my friends. Yet, fighting the urge to keep on going with the rebels’ plan is too much…

Suddenly the girl introduces herself by the name of Shelby. “It’s a cool name” I think. And no sooner than later the guy states that he is named Kane. “Both are good names” I keep saying in my head. And it’s true, when you hear a name that is barely mentioned or never mentioned in the district it’s good. It keeps the individuality of a person. My name is slightly uncommon too, although not too uncommon. I’ve heard it before on people from other districts before. I even think one of the tributes’ names was Astrid, but I could be mistaking.

I quickly smile at both of them and set my sights on Shelby’s comment. It is really distressing, she plans on injuring Pete! No, it’s just a statement. I know that she won’t do anything against the people in the orphanage. But, the fact that we have so much to prepare in case these dumb people show up is really agonizing. But I think we can all handle outsmarting the peacekeepers again.

I let out a small sight and stare at Kane who is looking at the child and Shelby. It’s possible that he also suspects something like I initially did. It seems that she cares too much for the child that it seems unnatural. But, I’ve seen people as well who protect small children as if they were theirs. In those cases it only takes both to meet in a tough situation to create a bond with each other. However, I still think the child must be blood-related to her. They look so much alike, but I’m not going to boggle my head thinking about it. Reason number one for not doing so: it is none of my business. If she says she found the child somewhere, I will not deny it or believe it. No, I will just go with it. The more peace there is here, the better. It’s always better.

You are just another mirror of society that tries to deny its nature…

I stay still for a few more seconds and soon realize that I must be a mess. Quickly I take off my backpack and take off the rubber band out of my hair. I then grab my black hair and tie it in a new ponytail. A few locks of hair remain lose but it looks better than before. And now I can see everything much clearer. The fact that I keep my hair long and with front hair reaching down to my eyes is not a good thing when involved in the problems I am. Yet, despite knowing this, I don’t want to cut it short for now. It’s not that it is exaggeratedly long, but at least going to my waist.

From there my face becomes more visible and I take out a folded paper from jacket and momentarily see it before placing it back. If I am going to be here until the streets turn alive, then it is best if I tell them why on earth I’m here. But just as I am, both Kane and Shelby have a small argument, I believe and she takes the child towards his room. “Yeah, now there’s no doubt; that child is hers” I think.

I start to get worried but Shelby soon returns and immediately rushes into the kitchen. Kane resumes helping her wash the stains and I also just clean up on the other side what’s left of the stains. From where I am I can hear what Kane says “Yeah, well, if you don’t think fast enough, you’re gonna die”. It hits me like a shot in the stomach. I’ve been thinking about all that this time and he ends up mentioning it. The only thing I do is hide my face and frown. I seriously dislike reality punching me.

Suddenly Shelby comes with two plates of food. When I see them on the table I quickly realize that I’ve been hungry since yesterday morning. I thank her for the kindness and slowly begin to eat. I don’t know. Normally I would just dig in to food but the circumstances make me feel like if I’m over abusing the fact that I’m here. However, I shrug that idea off and eat. I need to eat if I want to head back over to my area.

Shelby then asks where we live. I quickly wipe my mouth and say “I’m from the other side of District Nine” from there I turn to Kane and ask “How about you? Where are you heading to?”

As I wait for a response I see Shelby going towards the door and opening. She is quickly slapped by a paper marked MISSING. I’ve seen those before. In fact I saw one right before coming here, but I wasn’t able to see the picture in the paper. However, her act of crumbling the paper next to where she had been washing the stain makes me suspicious of the entity within the paper. However, the silhouette of the picture seemed familiar now that I think about it. As I try to make out the pieces of the picture, I look at the girl and try to fit her on the picture to see if it fits. And it does. I might be careless but never erroneous at solving a good puzzle. I stand up and say “Don’t worry, I already know it’s you. I saw it before coming here” I quietly stare at her and say comprehensively “I’m no one to judge you. I mean look at all of us. We all come from a bad situation. But, if these pictures keep roaming about you’ll have to be more cautious before standing next to a peacekeeper” And to think she went through all this trouble for us! She could have been taken by that brainless peacekeeper for answering the door!

My eyes suddenly divert from her and I set my sights on the paper I have in my jacket. It seems so pathetic that I have been almost killed and put other lives in jeopardy for this paper! “But, if I didn’t do it, eventually many would begin to disappear…” I wonder silently.

I sigh and soon spread the paper from my jacket in the table and say “See I’ve been working with some people for a long time. When we found this” I point at the paper “we knew that we needed to do something about it. It could very well be rumors, but if they followed me all the way from the other side of District Nine because of this, they must be true”. I look at them to see their reactions and continue “They want to open a new facility to experiment some unknown substances on people against their will, marking them as missing. It could very well be for genetic enhancement purposes for all we know, but the point is that we wanted to get the paper to someone who lives in this side of the district; although I never got the chance to know who I was supposed to give it to. In fact, I was never supposed to have the paper, but it was passed to me and so I need to give it to that person or at least get rid of it and suppose I never had it. However, doing so might prevent anyone from doing something about it”.

Would they think I’m crazy? It’s possible. Would they help me? I doubt it. Would there be any chance of them kicking me out of the place? There is a very high chance. I only stare at them and stay silent.

[Kyalee]

Shelby suddenly hears Astrid talking. She knew who I was. At first, she was sad, and ashamed, but it was true. All three of us had some bad thing about us, but we had good things too. She hid the tears that welled up in her stormy eyes as Astrid explained a paper she set down. I examened it all the same, interested. Well, hasn't this girl made something good out of her life.

Unlike you... You're just some orphan girl, who isn't even an orphan! You're a fake! You lie about everything and hide from the world!

She sighed because all of it was so very true. She hid in this orphanage from the world, so she didn't have to face embarassment. It was a miracle that peacekeeper hadn't reckonized her. Or maybe he did, and when he comes back he would frame her. Then he would end her to the expirement place, since she was already missing. Shelby listened to Astrid attentivly. When she stopped speaking, Shelby took a minute to soak it all in, and then decided to confess. Her eyes expressed no other feelings but defeat. She wanted some small relief from all the lies she had hid all her life. Orphan kids never ventured out into the world much, thats the only reason they hadn't seen the flyers all these years...

"I have a confession you probably already know."
Shelby sighed heavily.
"I'm.. not an orphan. I just use this place to hide from my parents because they killed an Avox.." She realized she probably sounded seriously ill.
"Flyers with that same picture have been floating around forever. And.. Kiel is my son. Im just ashamed because I am so young, a young mother. Everyone would probably make fun of me if they knew. I never told anyone because of that, and also because they would... a-ask about his father."
Shelby's hands were trembling, and she grabbed a chair and sat down so she wouldn't fall to the ground. She looked sadly up at the others, hoping the looks they were giving her wasn't disbelieving or worried. She did not want to be put into a nut house after all the work she'd been through.

[thewingedthing]

Kane Selvaggio

///

As soon as Shelby reappeared, two bowls of soup in her hand, Kane felt like he could hug her. Of course, there was no way he actually would-- he tried to avoid contact as much as possible... As Shelby passed him a bowl, Kane's eyebrows rose. Astrid said she was from the other side of the District? What the hell was she doing over here in the middle of the night? Eating the soup hungrily, Kane barely managed to get out, "My house is on the outskirts of town, in the... er, poorer part of town." Pausing for a moment, Kane nodded to the game still laying discarded on the floor. "You can have one. Take your pick."[/color] It was the least he could do after all Shelby had done for them. As she moved to go outside, Kane frowned, casting a glance at Astrid before looking back as Shelby disappeared from view. Things weren't adding up... Shelby had said that the baby had been abandoned but... he was pretty sure the tiny thing looked exactly like her. So what, were they related? Was she the child's true mother? What was so wrong with admitting that anyways?

As Shelby returned from outside, Kane couldn't help but notice the crumpled piece of paper she held clenched in her hand. Brow wrinkling, he was just about to ask her what it was when Astrid spoke up.

“Don’t worry, I already know it’s you. I saw it before coming here.”

Kane placed his empty bowl on the table, confusion muddling his thoughts. She knew who was who? What was going on? Still very confused, Kane felt his eyes widen as Astrid proceeded to explain a plot that had previously only been rumored to be real. Kane blinked, both shocked and impressed. He'd had no idea that there were people out there who were wiling to go to the lengths to uncover such dangerous information. And Astrid was one of them! And Kane though he was badass... While others might have labeled the girl insane, Kane though she was brilliant. And he was pretty sure that anyone who loathed the Capitol as much as they did would feel the same. But none of this explained what Astrid had said to Shelby before...

Reaching out a hand, Kane gently pried the crumpled piece of paper from Shelby's grasp, glimpsing at her face and finding shock written all over it. Smoothing the paper, Kane's eyes widened when he found himself staring at a picture of Shelby, the words "Missing" in big letters at the top of the flyer. What the hell...? And then--

"I have a confession you probably already know."

No, no he didn't know! Kane listened intently, never missing a word as Shelby explained. The shock that Kane felt when she admitted that she wasn't, in fact, and orphan-- only using the place as a hiding spot from her family, who had the nerve to kill a helpless Avox-- was nothing compared to the bombshell that came next. She was a young mother, the baby really was hers. But that wasn't what made Kane pissed. Who the hell would make fun of a poor, young girl, the new mother to a small baby? And what was this about his father? Nothing good, Kane could sense as he watched Shelby's face closely, noting her change in emotion when she spoke of not wanting anyone to ask about the man who'd fathered her child. The shocked silence reverberated off the walls, and after a moment, Kane spoke.
"So... we're all basically in the same boat."[/color] When silence followed this, Kane sighed. "We're all running from something." He elaborated. Well, except for Astrid, who happened to be running to something. But still... Man, what a night...[/color][/size]

[Kyalee]

Shelby frowned.
"No, I couldn't take your game. I know how risky it is going out there. It's alright. We have plenty of food anyway. All the kids here have tesseraes."

Shelby nodded as she heard Kane speak. We were all running from something. Shelby also noted Kane watching her intently as she spoke. He was very observant, this one. She could see him noting all her face expressions, and tone of voice.

"I have a plan. There is a boy named Timmy that has a scar from falling. It isn't enough from what I described, but I could just wrap it as if he had a broken leg. Don't worry, he will go along with it. He likes to pretend." Shelby sighed, barely even convincing herself of this.
"If he comes back, you two will NOT be here. If he has the flyer, and knows who I am, we will have to hope for the best."
She said this as non-chalantly as possible. Shelby didn't know why she was risking so much for these two, but they had more guts than herself. She didn't have much of a choise anyway, and wanted to do something brave with her life for once. Try to do something for a good cause.
"You probably think Im stupid for being sad about an Avox's death. Its just she practically raised me more than my own mother. But I caused her death. I kept talking to her even though my father told me not to, and then... t-they killed her." Shelby sighed, but sighed in relief. It felt good to say something that was true, something that meant something. Didn't Kelli deserve some truth after all that had happend? Yes. Yes she did.
"Her name was Kelli." She said absentmindedly.

[thewingedthing]

Kane Selvaggio

///

Kane nodded, understanding. His eye, however, caught the blue feathers of the bird. Glancing from Shelby to Astrid, he asked, "Do either of you know what kind of bird this is? I've never seen it before..." It had to be from somewhere far from here-- it looked so different. Kane shot a glance at the window to his left, noting that dawn was fast approaching. He'd spent most of his days alone, away from people. Ever since the incident, he had shunned the world, choosing to live in a run down house on the outskirts of the town. But now.... I guess I forgot what it was like to actually hang around people. [/i] Kane thought, a little bewildered at how much he was enjoying the company. Hey, when you are alone for months on end, company was always welcome, even if he was hiding from Peacekeepers all night with a criminal and a runaway.

He liked them, Kane decided. Most of the girls he'd used to know were more concerned about their hair or the next boy the were trying to date than how to survive... or taking care of young ones. Kane respected them for their independence, for their smarts. He'd hated the girls who acted like they didn't have a brain.

Kane nodded, listening to Shelby's plan. It was slightly amusing, he thought. He frowned when she began to explain why she was so upset over the Avox's death, his heart hurting for her as she finished. The people of District four had so much pain...

"Kelll..." Kane paused, thinking. "Your baby's name-- Did you name him after the Avox--er, I mean Kelll?"
[/size]

[Kyalee]

Shelby smiled.
"Yes. I named Kiel after Kelli."
It had been a long time since anyone had said her name. Not even Shelby herself had never faced her sorrow and said the name aloud. Oh, it had been all her fault... But she had to hope Kelli forgived her, and forget.
"You two should probably get packed. I'll draw a map for each of you with all the alleyways nobody knows about and the best way to get to where your going. If you would like to take some food, please do. I'd hate to go through all this trouble and you die of starvation or something."
Then Shelby paused. Yes, What was the blue bird?
"I'm not sure. It might be some kind of jay bird. I've seen pictures of them before. But I don't know."
Shelby examened the bird before setting it gently on the ground, and then grabbing two pieces of paper and a pen. She started working on Kane's map, and then Astrid's.
"Don't let anyone find these. They would probably be suspicous."
Shelby said, just to be safe. She sighed. That's all she seemed to do in life, was try to be safe, try to keep others safe. That was all fine too, exepct for the fact most of the time she was keeping people safe from Peacekeepers. Their name had the word peace in it but all they caused was trouble. A frown appeared on Shelby's face as she worked.
Ok, you take a right turn down the the dark alleyway that connects to Groder's Road, and then take that down to the end of Parker's Avenue where there's an alleyway that leads all the way to the market's square, where you can blend with the people...
Shelby drew a map for Kane, and wrote some steps. She also drew a line on the path he should take, but if he was stopped, she drew other ways he could take. She also did the same for Astrid. Then she rolled up the maps and gave them to Kane and Astrid. Shelby notices Kane had troubledly said he lived on the poorer part of town. She wasn't surpirsed though, if he took the risk of hunting he must need the food quite badly. Or the money. Shelby also didn't care how poor or socially popular any of these kids were. They were smart, probably smarter than herself. They knew how to survive.
"Here's yours... And here's yours."
Shelby then headed upstairs to get some coats for diguises, when she bumped into someone.
"Oof!"
Shelby fell back, and then gazed up at the dark figure. Suddenly worry crept into her eyes.
"Alex.... How long have you been listening?!"
Alex, one of the meaner boys of the orphanage sat on the steps, seemingly glaring at her with his cold, hard stare.
"I'm not letting you put Timmy in danger. I'm also goana tell everyone about your son."
Alex smiled at me a little, but then got serious again.
"How could you lie to us like that? Now I know your just a s***."
And all her fears came true. If everyone knew, they would know.. She got around. But that wasn't true. A growl seemed to escape from her throat. She covered her face in her hands. She rushed up the stairs and angrily grabbed some clothes they could use. Then she grabbed Alex.
"I suggest you stop being a peeping tom and GO TO BED." She coud barely keeping herself from punching him, though she doubt it would really hurt him much. She shoved him into his room, and then went back downstairs with the coat that could hide their faces and tall shoes and such. A dark look was still positioned on her face. The subject had finally dawned on her. She would have to start running, once again.

[artemisa]

Astrid Aribarri

How did we get here…?

It has been a wretched twenty-four hours since she first attacked them. Her life slowly slipped away from her, but she was consigned to live. She needed to live. She couldn’t die just yet. Her face hid from everyone the sorrow and pain she felt, both physical and emotional. Knowing what she knew it wasn’t impossible to stop now. Maybe District Nine would still be OK if she left, or maybe not. But the point is that there is too much going on that it is preposterous to deny it as well as ignore it. Meeting new people isn’t the difference either. She rarely talks to people. Couldn’t she just take advantage of this and be a normal person? It is doubtful…

Meanwhile I keep eating my soup – which is really good by the way – my eyes carefully gaze Kane and Shelby. They both seem confused about many things and my head is hurting really bad that I don’t want to say anything unless a question is directed to me. It’s not that I’m usually the meddling kind, but I usually pay attention to conversation just without actually being interested or commenting them. I’ve been taught to be this way, but in reality I have been like that since birth. My mom has always told me that.

In the meantime I keep studying the paper. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to risk my life for this, but I also don’t want to have people go missing in the next months. So, in distress I brush my hair back and put both hands on my head. I must look extremely stressed. And I am. This is not an easy decision for me. See, trying to save peoples’ lives as well as fighting against injustice has always been my greatest flaw. Being rebellious is just the companion of my flaw. My father has always been proud of it though, but my mother not so much. I understand her worry, but I can’t believe she is scared of commenting or doing something about the situation in District Nine. Maybe this is why I’ve never gotten along with her as I would like, we have never taken the time to open up to each other…

My attention suddenly diverts back to Shelby and Kane. They are talking about her being the child’s mother and escaping from what seemed to be a murder of an avox. If memory doesn’t fail me, killing an avox has the same gravity as killing a peacekeeper. They are both functionaries of the government, and maintaining them costs a fortune. I only look at both and keep doing so until I recall them talking about a boy named Timmy whom she is going to disguise for the peacekeepers. It’s a good plan, but I’m worried about her and the child. It’s bad enough I’ve broke into the orphanage, and it is worse enough having her gamble her life with the peacekeeper.

I suddenly get annoyed and stand up to walk in circles. And suddenly Kane asks about a blue bird, Shelby responds it’s a jay, but I say “Oh yeah, that bird is native from the western districts only in the winter. It’s called a Blue Mockingbird. It’s a nice kill for one and it sell for much around here – nutritious by the way – but it doesn’t have much meat” I say while examining the bird. How do I know this stuff? By reading peacekeepers’ journals of course; you would be surprised of how much they hide from us. But what is strange is that a Blue Mockingbird is roaming around here. What is going on...?

Shelby soon talks more about the baby and her identity before giving us maps. And to make things worse a child starts blurting threats at her. I get angry. That boy seems to be just an ungrateful kid. Shelby seems to be taking care of the place and for the boy to starts judging her and threatening doesn’t work out for me. However, that boy is lucky to be young otherwise I would seriously point my knife at him. He’s a child and it is easily forgivable. With an adult that is purely conscious of his or her actions, well that is another story.

If you want to get out alive run for your life because if I stay it won’t be long ‘till…

I stare at how Shelby becomes worried and quickly gets us disguises while later incarcerating the boy in his room. I become annoyed yet again and wonder what will happen next. If the peacekeeper comes, the boy might say something. But then again, I doubt he will. Like the saying goes “dog that barks never bites”. Well, I don’t know what the equivalent would be in this language, but in my ancestral language it can traduce literally to that.

I get my map and look at it while folding the blueprint into my pocket. It seems really apt from what I was able to make up through my journey up to here. I thank her once again for the help but quickly ask. “I must go right now. The rain has stopped and it is dawn already. If you need to go with the child we can go along together. I looked at Kane’s map and there is not much of a difference from where I’m going, except for maybe the last few roads leading towards the other side of the district.” I say this because I really fear for the peacekeeper coming to get all of us and because I don’t want to go alone through the district. I fear that if I do go alone I might want to get myself into more trouble.

I pack everything and wait for both Kane and Shelby’s answer. But, as for me, I’m already packed to get going. The more time wasted, the more I get closer to being caught. And as for the blueprint, I shall deal with it later. I'm not risking her child or someone else for this. When everything becomes more calm I'll give it to the person most interested in the paper. After that, I will not engage in these activities for a long while.