Never Ending Grey {OPEN}

[ali]

Daria Staite lay under her covers- hoping her father was gone. It was coming up to 8am and if he hadn’t left then that meant he was drunk, awake and she was in danger. Her breath was steady as she waited patiently, to feel the house vibrate slightly as a door close or to feel a coolness of a breeze as a door was opened. She paused before peering out from under the covers and out her bedroom window; sure enough her father strode away from the house dressed in his peacekeepers uniform. She let out a sigh of relief as she sat back down of her bed- she was safe for now, safe from her father’s malicious intent to harm her; at least until this evening when he would return, consume a third of a bottle of vodka before making his move on her. Her body convulsed at the thought of what he may do to her- and she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind like someone brushing the dust under the rug.

Winter had finally set in in District 4- a fact Daria was quite happy about. If anything she loved summer but often she loved winter just as much. It did not often snow here, but the frost that covered the trees making them seem like ice sculptures carved across the land was one of the most beautiful things to Daria. Today looked cold, just as the day before had and the day before that, so Daria took time choosing what layers to wear before she even dared ventured outside; though she tried to avoid as much wool as she could because it often irritated her bruised and scared skin- today was no exception, she looked like a painting someone had done in a hurry and with a variety of shades of purple. Luckily for her, she covered most of her skin with the duffle coat she owned, as well as the tights she had slipped on under her dress; yet a few bruises, on her neck in particular, where still visible. Brushing her hair back with her fingers, she hurried downstairs and out the front door.

The frost crunched beneath her feet as she scurried across the grass towards the sand dunes. There was nothing better in her opinion, than walking along the beach front on a cold winter’s day- with no one to disturb you or point a finger at you because you were different. The sea air was also refreshing, in spirit and mind and it made Daria feel at peace and free from the horrors of home life; even though she knew deep down what she would have to face when she got home. She scrambled up the dune and looked over the sea- how far the greyness stretched until it met the greyness of the sky. It was on days like these when it was hard to tell where the world ended and the sky began- it just seemed to go on forever and ever today. Daria closed her eyes and imagined a better place beyond the edge of the sky- where people were not cruel to one another and she would be free from her father. She knew that place was impossible to get to- that there was nowhere else other than Panem; that the only way to escape this life was death.

[cassandrine]

Another day, another catch –so was the life of Jayna Tallis. Not that she minded. All the fishing and netting had certainly helped develop her muscles, after all, something she had been thankful for in her early years in the Training Center. Everything was starting to flee the cold now – her only catch had been a few scrawny fish to boil up and cook with some rice later.

Unfortunately, this was one of the few days the Training Center was closed for a sort of “remodel.” “Remodel” in this case, meant getting rid of some of the blood and gore that seemed to permanently stain the floors and carpeting. Since trying to get rid of most of it was futile, a new layer of paint or carpet was probably going to be added above the latest messes so that it wouldn’t be quite a distraction for some of the newer students – the ones who would probably pee themselves upon seeing the damage they would more than likely be incurring in a short amount of time.

She could study. She could always study theories of past games, past tributes. She could brush up on some of her hand to hand combat alone – never as useful as with an actual opponent, but being on your guard and practicing could never hurt anything. Jayna sighed and shook her head, trying to think of some way to occupy herself without her main pastime. Fishing, useless in this weather. Training, no. Without those two things, which occupied the vast majority of her time, Jayna had nothing to do. Nothing. True, she did have some extra money, to do a little something, but there really was nothing else that held the same value for her.

That’s when she heard footsteps crunching in the nearby snow. It didn’t seem like a familiar face when she tried to make it out though. Not being an overtly social person, Jayna made no attempt to approach or speak to the unknown person heading in her direction. Instead, she held her bucket of fish up, preparing to leave, and yet wondering if perhaps this person might be worth her time. Maybe they would have some insight into the recent development of the Games, or ideas of their own. Perhaps they trained as well, though that was doubtful. She would have known the face. Still, it was something to do, to engage in whatever way with another human. She just wasn’t used to doing it in the friendly way.

[ali]

Daria let the wind brush against her face- no matter how much it stung. She was at peace and she wanted to hold onto this little ray of sunshine in her life for as long as she could before she was consumed by the evil that was her father. The girl sighed a little and opened her eyes- staring into the greyness; remembering all those times in the summer where herself and her sister would run to the waters edge and pick the prettiest of shells from the waters. Sometimes, they would find a little crab in a shell- scurrying along the sand, and they would watch the little crab as it scuttled over the sandy floor of the blue ocean. Daria had always found the little crabs had moved with their little houses on their backs- she wanted to be like them, free and traveling with everything she owned on her back; but truth be told, she was scared to leave the district. She was scared of what her father would do to her if she tried.

It was at this point, that Daria felt the overwhelming emotion of guilt and loneliness. She did not have many friends, being home schooled had put some restrictions on her social life; the fact she was deaf did not help either. The only true friends she had, had been her mother and sister but both had gone- not on purpose, but snatched from underneath Daria’s grasp; the reaping took one and the Capitol another. With those she had barely attempted to socialize with had left her- they had been with her after a scuffle or two with her father, they’d taken her somewhere safe- but they were all gone now. They’d left the moment they had assumed she was safe and well and she had not seen many of them again- one boy had been reaped, another just vanished like a melting snow flake. Daria hated not having friends, but she did not mind either because she was unsure to how her father would react if she had bought a friend or even a boyfriend home- they would not feel her wrath but one thing was certain- Daria would’ve.

The deaf girl suddenly had the sense of someone watching her- she prayed it was not her father- as she turned to see what eyes were looking in her direction. Thankfully, it was a girl and Daria let out a sigh of relief at this fact but soon it began to dawn on Daria that this girl was one of the few groups of people Daria tried to avoid when out in public- a career. It was obvious, her body was certainly the type one would associate with a Career- with her pale brown hair tied back to reveal the girls somewhat sharp facial features. Her eyes were something Daria thought she recognized- and for a moment Daria also thought she might’ve known the girl but then she realized that the girls eyes, the way they looked at her, we like her fathers. However, in this case, rather than a malicious lustful intent being hidden behind a shade of blue like her father’s eyes- behind the windows to the girls soul was; nothing. This sent a shiver down Daria’s spine and she turned from staring at the girl as quickly as she could.

[cassandrine]

Whatever. Jayna rolled her eyes impatiently as the girl averted her gaze. She definitely wasn’t a fellow Career. She was just… Something else. The kind you hoped didn’t get picked for the reaping, as they’d bring only shame upon their family and district. The kind who looked as if she’d cry over a paper cut. But there was something irritating about her refusal to make eye contact – something that slightly worked on Jayna’s nerves today. Usually, she’d taunt someone like this briefly before brushing past – making sure to knock into them on her way out. Perhaps she was simply in a worse mood than usual with nothing to occupy her time. Perhaps it was that something in this girl just brushed her the wrong way. More than likely, it was a mixture of both.

Usually, Jayna did not pick fights. She would assess her situation, observe, and plan an attack. This usually happened very quickly; placed in a combat situation, decisions could not take long to make or you would be dead before you had even executed the first step. Seconds. That was all you had. Seconds and sometimes not even thought, but instinct. This was not the Training Center. This was not the Games. It was not a life or death situation. In those places, Jayna would not let anger, or fear [something that was never, ever allowed] or vengefulness cloud her thoughts. She knew enough to allow her mind to remain focused on only victory and how to procure it. Nothing like a petty plan for revenge, which could possibly rid your mind of all good judgment. No, the goal must always be to win. Honour. Pride. Victory.

That being said, Jayna did not mind throwing out sarcastic or barbed comments at people she found to be lesser than herself. However, it usually had less to do with starting an actual fight and more with her own cruel views on how people were [mostly] useless. Jayna hated weakness. She hated uselessness. Cowardice. This girl would not even look her in the eyes! What a coward. A weakness; a liability.

“Hey!” She called out, making steps toward the girl. “Something the matter? Or can’t you speak?” By now, she was maybe a good fifteen feet away. Turn around and look at me. “Maybe you can’t hear? Or maybe you’re just an idiot.” During the whole time she spoke, Jayna maintained a decisively taunting tone, goading the girl into saying, doing, something. Anything. As always, her guard was up, though she doubted this girl would attempt an assault. On her face was an expression one might call amusement, judging from the way her mouth curved up into a slight smirk. But it did not reach her eyes. No. They were as empty as they had been from the beginning.

[ali]

Her heart was beating so fast- she wasn’t sure why but the girl with nothing behind her eyes scared her deeply; not as much as her father did but close enough. Daria didn’t want to make trouble, she wanted to just turn and walk away like any normal person would have- but she was no like the rabbit caught in the headlights, looking up would mean danger. She was scared to even glance at the girl- who Daria was now aware was moving towards her, she could see sand shifting some 15 feet away. The poor death girls heart was hammering against her chest, she could feel the vibrations throughout her body- from head to toe she could feel the blood pulsating through her veins as fear took a firm grasp on her. Daria wanted to close her eyes, for it to be over; but closing ones eyes at a time like this was not going to help her at all.

Daria decided that maybe it was best to look up- just in case the girl was going to attack. When she did, Daria could see the girl moving her mouth a lot- forming silent words that Daria could not read, hear or understand; but she knew one thing, the girl was angry. Daria swallowed as she watched the girl get closer and closer, her mouth curling into a smirk as she went; the deaf girl knew the career was taunting her. Her father did it too- and by the way the girls mouth was moving, she could tell the words she were speaking were all but pleasant and kind. Daria glanced down then back at the girl- she did not know what to do. She could try run, she could stand there until something happened; she could try inform the girl that she was deaf, but what use would that do? Daria doubted the career knew sign language and would using it cause the girl to become more angry and spiteful than she already was? Daria did not know, but it was worth a shot.

“Please, I am deaf…I mean no trouble Daria signed

She doubted that it had done her much good- choosing to sign to the angry career. This is why you don’t mingle or look at people like her Daria thought to herself as she watched the girl get closer still. The careers eyes were still void of anything- of any emotion. For a second, Daria wondered if the girl had been in the games and had come out a hollow shell- but she did not remember the last time her District had a victor; so the girl in front of her must have been born this way A frightening concept- to know someone who had nothing inside them, not even malice or hatred, not even happiness or joy- just nothing. Daria found herself taking a conscious step back away from the girl as she approached, she felt like things were about to get nasty- so she tried to put it off for as long as she could.