The Storm of Life ((Arch Sheltear))

[kodystanford18]

Thunder booms in the west as the skies of District 4 begin to grown dark with cloud cover. I wrap my coat tightly around myself as I make my way to the market down by the docks. As I walk along the muddy seaside street rain begins to fall, I give an irritated sigh as I had hoped to get to the market and back home before the gale settled in.

After ten minutes of trudging through the rain and muddy streets, I reach the market only to be further dismayed. Because of the oncoming gale, most of the shops are closed and the few that aren’t did not sale food. The shops that were still open would close soon as well. The sky is completely dark now, the sun has set. The thunder in the west is now very near. My eyes turned to the sea. There was still some angler out there trying to get last minute work done, because a gale could keep them home for several days. I do not work on the big vessels; my job is at the docks hauling heavy fishing nets and carrying heavy cargo aboard the vessels that would be on long fishing trips. I had a fear and great hatred for the sea after it claimed the lives of my family. Every time I see one of the big Vessels out in the harbor images of the mangled remains of my family in the wreckage of their vessel flood my mind, I would never forget the day they died.

Lightning flashes across the sky and rain begins to pour down hard then the wind begins to howl. It is no use trying to get home until the weather dies down a little bit, but with a gale, it could be several days before it dies down. So I sit down on a bench along the storefront out of the rain I pull the hood of my coat over my head to protect from the wind. "How do I get myself into these situations?" I ask myself aloud just as somebody approaches the shop. I cannot make out who it is in the wind and rain so I stand up quickly ready to leave if it is a peacekeeper.

[Dan(AKA Scar)]

Thunder boomed and my eyes fly open. I can't believe I did it again. I feel asleep while watching the coulds. I quickly get up and brush all the sand out of my red and orange dress. I shake the sand from my hair and let it fall back into place over my ears and left eye. I start to sprint back towards the market, but I'm not fast enough to beat the rain. "Crap." I snarl as I sprint hoping my dress doesn't get ruined.

My mood darkens further as I realize I missed gymnastics and all I have is work to look forward to, but a flash of lightning tells me that dad might close the resturaunt early. My dress is getting soaked and my feet are freezing already, but I'm used to it. I always wear sandals. The wind begins to pick up and blows the rain right in my face. I curse the sky.

I see a store and race for it. As I approach someone rises from a bench looking like he was ready to run. I burst through the curtain of rain next to the young man. I have a scowl on my face as I try to wring out my hair. "How do I get myself into these situations?" I ask myself aloud.

[kodystanford18]

I cannot help but to let out a sigh of relief when I realize it is not a peacekeeper. I recognize the girl's face, one of the richer and more privileged citizens. I see the irritated look on her face, hear her words, and let out a soft laugh. She said exactly what I had said and seems as irritated as I am. The wind begins to grow stronger and the lightning flashes violently. She is undoubtedly cold, and like me will be stuck here until the weather passes.

Normally I would not speak to anyone that I do not know, but I could not let her stand there and freeze. I step towards here. "Lovely evening huh?" I say and smile, I offer her my coat. Now that I could see her proper, I realized how lovely she was in appearance. In the past, I had only seen her from a distance. "You look like you need this more than I do." I say holding up the leather coat. "I really don’t mind you using it." I give a shy smile.

[Dan(AKA Scar)]

The boy relaxes as I let my hair fall back inot place once more. He doesn't look threatening, actually he looks pretty cute. "Lovely evening huh?" I groan inwardly. Small talk. I hate small talk. He takes off his coat and extends it towards me. "You look like you need this more than I do. I really don't mind you useing it." He smiles shyly.

I know I should be greatful but right now I'm a little to mad. I cross my arms and make no move for the jacket. "No thanks." I say. "I'm quite fine." To be honest I hate getting wet unless I'm swimming or takeing a bath. The cold didn't really bother me that much anyways...or at least that's what I tell myself.

[kodystanford18]

When she didn't say anything the smile diminished from face. I shrugged and put my coat back on and stepped away from her, my eyes turned back out to the sea, I could barely make out the fishing vessels coming back into the docks. Several shop owners came out and began closing the shutters on their windows and flipping the open signs to closed. I glance at the girl again and sigh figuring I would give another shot at speaking to her.

"Your Arch , right?" I ask, trying to recall her full name. "I'm Arthur." I say and hold my hand out to her, hoping she would at least recognize a kind gesture. It wasn't normal for me to speak to others. I always kept to myself, a problem of mine for a long time I have been shutting people out of my life. My family was my life and the sea took them from me, sometimes I wondered if the gamemakers were in a room in the capitol making these things happen all over the Districts, if that was true I would love to get my hands on them...then again I would love to get my hands on them regardless.

[Dan(AKA Scar)]

The shops begin to close one by one which means dad would be closing the The Classic Crab up too. I sigh inwardly. The guy had put his jacket back on like it was nothing. Well at least he doesn't take any crap get ticked off, he understands. Suddenly he stretches out his hand. "Your Arch, right? I'm Arthur."

He has impressed me so I turn and shake his hand. "Yes I am Arch Sheltear. Nice to meet you Arthur." I say. At least I have someone to keep me company. Better then some of the weirdoes at the restaurant I suppose. I drop his hand and look back out at the stormclouds. I love to cloudgaze. Stormclouds always seemed like the bad guy to me, but I watched them none the less.

[kodystanford18]

My smile returned when she took my hand and introduced herself. "Nice to meet you." I say softly and follow her gaze out to the vicious storm clouds over the harbor. Lightning flashed violnetly inside them, they twisted and writhed in parts like a great beast was trying to free it's self from the heavens. Then a water spout formed from it, it's great long tail reached the water. The images of my parents wrecked ship poured into my mind again. I leaned against the pole of the porch that protected us from the rain and wrapped my arms around it, and let out a soft sigh. I took my attention off the sea and instead looked down at my muddy boots.

I glance back at her, she was still staring at the clouds, the lightning flashes in her eyes and I see how lovely they are. "You like the clouds?" I ask curiously? The only thing about the sea that I liked was that it kept food on the table, I could have cared less for anything else around me, especially the damned sea. There was nothing in this world I hated more. After my parents died I locked myself in or house, I had almost starved to death because of my grief, because I did not want to go to the place that they perished.

[Dan(AKA Scar)]

Out of the corner of my eye I see Arthur wrap his arms around the pole of the storefront. It's like he thought he was going to be blown away. I return to watching the sky, with my arms crossed I looked like I was a warrior standing ready to fight the oncoming army bymyself. If only life were really that exciting. The storm gets even more violent and I barely hear Arthur ask his question.

"You like the clouds?" he asks. I nod.
"I always find peace in a cloud, even these. Most people just watch them to see if they can find somesort of shape or semblance to something. I see more. I can see stories and plays. Like now, I see a great battle being waged. The East is fighting the West over who can rule the sky. The North and South are trying to stop the fighting but are failing so they cry." I point at various points in the storm clouds my eyes aglow. I smile without even realizing it.

[kodystanford18]

I expect a simple yes or no and not at all the answer she gives. It seems as though every word that passes her lips is carefuly chosen. Every word is beautiful and full of meaning. It is almost as if she is reciting a poem to me from some great writer. I am lost in her eyes as she speaks those wonderful words of the sky. Her lovely eyes seem to glow brighter with every word that escapes her lips.

When she stops speaking she gives a soft beautiful smile. For a moment I do not realize she has stopped speaking and that I am staring. I smile softly "Well you certainly seem to have a great love for the sky. I can not bare to look at it or the sea." I say and look away from her. "in fact, if I had it my way I would not be here, I would be in some District where i would never have to look at a body of water again...I think that would make me happy once again." I sigh.

"You know, I once enjoyed watching the clouds and the tide roll into the harbor, my brother was alive then and we used to make shapes out of the clouds and search for sea shells nearly every day. I haven't done that since the accident." Tears form in my eyes and I bite my lip stopping myself from letting them fall.

[Dan(AKA Scar)]

I turn and look at him. He's staring at me so all I can think is that I've bored him to death but then he smiles softly. It's rare to find someone who will take intrest in my hobby, but then his mood shifts. He says he can't look at the sea and that he wished he could live anywhere else but here.

"You know, I once enjoyed watching the clouds and the tide roll into the harbor, my brother was alive then and we used to make shapes out of the clouds and search for sea shells nearly every day. I haven't done that since the accident." Tears well up in his eyes and he bites his lips.

For some reason I feel the need to console him. It's unlike me, but I see something differnt in Arthur than what I do in most of the people here. I walk over to him and touch him on the shoulder. "Arthur I can't know what your feeling, but I know I can help. You are like a storm cloud, you have a story and that story is sad but evey grey cloud was once white and can be white again. Let the rain fall Arthur from your storm cloud. I will listen." I say gently.

[kodystanford18]

I souldn't have said anything, why should I burden someone else with my trobles and my aching heart. But something told me Arch was different. I felt her hand touch my shouder, I do not look at her at first, I continue to bite my lip. Then she speaks again, more beautiful and caring words. "Arthur I can't know what your feeling, but I know I can help. You are like a storm cloud, you have a story and that story is sad but evey grey cloud was once white and can be white again. Let the rain fall Arthur from your storm cloud. I will listen." I look at her now, and I allow my tears to fall, they run down my pale cheeks. I've always been a silent cryer, but now it felt good to finaly let things out.

I don't know what to say as the tears continue to fall gently down my cheeks. I hold her hand in both of mine. "Thank you." I say softly to her. "I have never been able to be open with anyone. I suppose thats most of my trouble, I've bottled up my feelings for so long." I sigh shakily, from the tears. "You know I still feel lost, which I will probably feel an emptiness forever, no one can replace my family." A faint smile comes through my tears and I look into her eyes. "But I feel I have finally gained someone I can talk to again." I whispered.

[Dan(AKA Scar)]

I smile at the fact that he's opeing up. He says that he feels as if he can talk to me. I feel the same. Most of the people I know or meet only care for themselves in this district. More money, the Games, anything but really worrying about another. It makes me sick.

I turn to Arthur. "If it's any consulation. I would run away with you. Leave the district I mean." I blush a little. "I feel so trapped here and alone. Even my parents seem to be falling under the spell of District 4." I look back out at the storm. Maybe this was more punishment for how this district is acting. I know there are good people but they are so few and far between I never does good to seek them out.

[kodystanford18]

I see her smile again as she turns to me and speaks again "If it's any consulation. I would run away with you. Leave the district I mean." Then I see a blush rise to her cheeks. I was taken aback by her words. But I could not understand her reason, she had everything she wanted she was richer than most people, where as My family had to scrape for what little they had and then I really had to scrape for myself after their death. "I feel so trapped here and alone. Even my parents seem to be falling under the spell of District 4." She says, Then I understand, I agree with her completely it seemed most people in the District were losing their sences, something my parents would not have been able to bare.

I look at her. "Well you've made a freind, so you shouldn't feel alone anymore." I say softly. I have never been in the situation to comfort anyone or help them, this was new to me. But she allowed me to open up to her and it was only right that I would allow the same. I remove my jacket again. "So will you take this now?" I say and let out a soft laugh. She still appears cold to me. It felt so good to finaly be talking to someone again. It felt like it had been ages that I was stuck behind walls in my heart and soul, walls that I had of course built so I wouldn't accept anyone's sympathy.