Goodbyes Aren't Forever [Kale]

[semper]

It’s been so long.

I don’t even remember the last time I’ve been in District 11. Well, I do, actually, but I prefer not to remember that time. During the four or so years that followed that incident, I haven’t returned home once. I don’t know whether it’s some psychological thing that is preventing me from returning or if I really just don’t want to face what could be waiting for me there. For all I know, my brothers and parents could all be dead, or they could all be Avox slaves in the Capitol. Just the mere thought of that makes me cringe. What if they’re being abused? Whipped, scourged, beaten, starved – I might as well just pray they’re dead. I wouldn’t want any of my family members to go what I’ve been through. It’s been hell for me and would have been for them, too.

I pause outside the fence, hearing a low humming. The fence is always live, so this doesn’t surprise me. Glancing around, I spot a large pine tree with branches reaching out over the fence. Even with just one hand, I can still climb trees, and while it’s a slow going for me, I scale the tree and crawl along the branch. With my weight and gravity, the branch lowers itself and I drop down about seven feet. The impact makes my ankles hurt, but at least I’m on the other side.

Everything is just as familiar as the day I had been taken away. The trees, the paths, the orchards – everything’s just the same. Familiar. I can’t help but smile as I wander down a path I used to take a lot, all those years ago when all I had to worry about was how many bushels of fruit I had to collect in the orchards.

Oh, how easy things used to be.

My heart starts racing as I get closer to my home. No matter how long I’ve been away, it will always be my home. And as I head through an empty apple orchard, I see it: the small, wooden shack where I grew up in. My heart gives a leap and I just can’t contain my excitement, but at the same time I’m terrified. What if the house is abandoned? What if I find skeletons on the inside, or someone else lives there? There’s only one way to find out. It takes everything I have to calmly walk up to the shanty front door, and I knock on it with my healed wrist stub.

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[Tom Hiddelston...jk it's kale.]

Devon-

He woke up like mostly any other day. But it wasn't the same usual sleepy wake up he had. It felt like he was already awake when he opened his eyes. He wanted to sleep in. He wanted to just forget the life he had right now. He hated doing work out in the garden. But since his brother had been gone since he could remember he was forced to take up the duty. He threw the covers off the bed and they landed on the floor. It was hot in his room, something he was use to. Most of the time it was scorching hot when he went to bed.

Dev walked down the stairs through the empty house. He knew his parents went to the field early to start on some harvest while he went to school since he was still under age. But it was not yet time to leave and he was a hungry person right now. He went to his kitchen. He looked for something to eat but all they had was nothing he wanted. But he knew if he didn't eat something he would possibly pass out from starvation in the fields. He looked and sighed, and decided to grab some bread from the pantry and at least relax a little.

Dev sat at the table with his bread thinking. He thought about what ever came on his mind. Today unfortunately today's thoughts were his long lost brother. He tried to remember the last time he saw his brother. It was about four to five years ago. He was not even eleven when his brother was taken. He could barely remember the events that had happen. He only knew it was the capital that had taken him away and he was never seen again.

Dev started to cry. He missed his brother. He missed having the sibling that he could be fight with, argue with, and be buddies with. Ever since then Dev was afraid he would be sent into the games without ever seeing his brother again. But he wiped his sleeve across his eyes getting rid of the water that had formed on them. He knew it was time to start leaving. To go to the fields and school. He grabbed the unfinished bread and decided to take it with him. He was going to at least finish it on the way to school.

He did a final check of the house. Making sure everything was in its place so that he did not get yelled at by either his mom or dad. When it was all clear he started to head to the door when he heard a knock. It was coming from the door. Dev was confused a little because this time of day no one usually knocked on the door. He was afraid that the inevitable had happened and it was peacekeepers come to either take him away or worse. He didn't want to think about the worse part. But when the knocks got more rapid he knew he had to answer the door.

He walked toward the door. With ever heart beat causing more strain on him and his nerves. His mind was racing telling him to run out the back. To get away from whatever was at the front door. But in the end he was at the door opening it with the bread in his other hand.

He opened the door seeing what was the form of his a figure. It took Dev a few seconds to figure out this stranger. But the hair, and the facial features were hinting to him who it was. It was his brother that had been taken away long ago. He dropped the bread that was in his hand. It fell on the floor. Causing a little amount of dust to scatter up into the air. Then Dev fell to his knees. He didn't know what to say, what to do, what to think. He was confused beyond all accounts. He just started crying. Endless tears streaming down his face.

He knew it was his brother but why of all times was he back. How did he get back. Was he free from the capital. These questions were racing through his mind. He wanted to ask them but the only sounds that were escaping Dev's lips were gasps for air. He couldn't really handle it right now. It was a shock to his system. Let alone his mental capacity right now.

With the sight of his brother everything he had trained his body for mentally. To hold back the emotions of a human being. To show that he was better than anyone, better then the capital, better then the president escaped him. He was now a gasping human on his knees crying in front of his brother. He tried to regain composure over himself. Lifting himself off of his knees into a standing position. Slowing down his gasps that were caused by the crying. He wiped his eyes yet again. With the same sleeve that he had used earlier to wipe away his tears.

He took a deep breath and stared at his brother in the eyes. He let out one tiny sentence." You are my brother right. You are the one that was taken away from our family four to five years ago?" He wanted the answer but at the same time he didn't. He knew the outcome of it. It would cause anger and turmoil in not only himself but then maybe sadness in his brother. He did one thing that he thought was appropriate in the situation after the sentence he had said to him.

He lunged at him wrapping his arms around his stomach and not letting go. He had a fear that if this was not true that he would disappear. That he would be taken away. He had missed his brother so much that he was not willing to let him go again. But during the hug dev started crying again. Not caring he just cried and cried. Letting his emotions get the better of him. Showing that he was a human and when someone returns that it can be a good thing. The tears were not tears of sadness they were tears of happiness.