Fruit fallings [Bek]

[*]

Nary a mother, but I have seven sisters who tend to take over coddling me all the time. While it's nice to be the youngest, it's also the vain of my existence. Not to mention, the inability to yell right along with them as they gossip and nag each other and all I can do is smile. Patience for my sister's are high. My hands move to express my thoughts and it's not that they don't want to learn the language that those who are deaf use, but they don't see fit to learn something that only benefits me. They have no problem talking and I have no problem listening and writing. So in their terms, why bother?

This day was different. I'd been finally cleared to go into the orchards to help pick the fruits for the capitol, but I've been warned already never to eat what's picked. Never stash the bad because it still belongs to the capitol. They trust that I listened very well and as I rush out the door to the house, I can't yell out where I am going. Instead, I go to collect the wooden ladder to begin what I find is a joyous occasion.

I'm not longer a child in my father's eyes.

With the orchard in view, my heart quickens to a loud thump. The pickers are scarce today for some reason, but it's also becoming sundown as well within a few hours.

Atina told me to start slow, learn my footing and learn how to reach for the apples at the top. She says that the apples on the ground are too dainty to be eaten and that the meatier, more sweet would be on top. Those are the ones that the capitol likes to eat. There's hardly any more containing my excitement as I set to work placing the ladder and the bucket beside the tree.

Three trips had taken a good bit of time. The tree was larger then I thought and by the time, I had stepped onto the lowest branch to reach the apples, I'd dropped more then half but with each return to the bucket, I knew that it would soon be a good return.

As my apron was dusted once more before I scaled the nine foot ladder, I glanced around to see if anyone else had the luck I had. The immediate vicinity was clear though. Sometime as I arrived till now, they'd gone. I shrugged my shoulders and climbed to the top, my left foot stepping onto the lowest limb before my right foot followed suit.

My foot caught on the last step before I lost my balance and as the ladder fell, so did I.

My heart fell into my stomach.

My fingers dug into the bark of the limb I had stepped on and as one leg hung useless underneath me the other was barely wrapped around the girth of my savior, I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing emerged.

I couldn't scream for help and I looked down only to realize the height seemed further then I expected. I clenched my eyes shut. My foot trying desperately to find the ladder that was obviously not there.

Silence would be my fate.

[bakabekkers]

DIALOGUE
INNER THOUGHT

I was awoken by the chip chirp of a few birds outside, and was pleasantly surprised to see it was sunny out! The past few weeks have brought rain and clouds, which for a harvest was good, but I was pretty eager to finally get outside. I rolled out of bed, making it neatly, so that even the smallest of creases no longer existed. A pair of boots, jeans and a flannel were my choice of clothing. Albeit, I usually wore that but the flannel I chose was nicer than the others, usually something I would wear if I was trying to impress somebody. 

You're telling me you couldn't find anything nicer to wear? My conscious interjected itself within the peace of the moment. I sighed. There really wasn't a way to fight it. The bad thoughts, the sometimes good ones. It was a way of life I had grown to really love and hate, my conscious had saved me a lot of times from making bad decisions, and has also led me down several rabbit holes. 

Today was a big day for District 11, the orchards were ripe for picking, and the capitol would be ever so sure to take as much of it away from us as possible. 

I started down the road. The birds were out and singing lovely melodies and the flowers seemed to be blooming, there was still a light layer of rain water on top of the grass, which was made a gorgeous sight by the suns rays. In the distance I began to see the orchard. A place I was all too familiar with.

Down the road I saw a girl, a bit younger than me. I had recognized her from the school hallways. She never spoke, unbeknownst to me why she didn't. I didn't question things, really. As I approached her I took note of how wild she was standing on the ladder, and that the ladder was actually wobbling a bit. One wrong step and she'd definitely be falling a good 9 or 10 feet. A girl her size she'd probably be severely injured. 

Then it happened. The false step. The ladder caving out from underneath her. I was just a few feet away at this point.


You idiot, help her!

I began to spring forward, in an attempt to stabilize the ladder, but it was futile. She fell, quite literally into my arms. I was quite surprised, and well relieved at the same time. A sigh of relief escaped my lips, and I looked down at the feeble girl. 


"Are you alright? You could've been seriously hurt, your weight wasn't being distributed evenly enough and-"

I paused, for what seemed like a few hours, I really am not good at talking.

"Names Jacob, glad to meet you!"


Really?

[*]

My heart was pounding.

I wanted to cry but my strength was being used to keep my fingers dug into the bark of the limb as I tried mercifully not to fall. I've heard stories of those that had fallen from distances lower than mine and end up with broken bones, but I was quite literally hanging at a height twice my own. So, my heart feared the moment my fingers would slip. My body already began to become tense expecting the crash.

And somehow, in between the moment that I looked up to see the biggest apple I'd saw today, the hunger in my stomach to taste such a delicate taste, the wind suddenly started rushing around me. In efforts to release my fear, my scream was nothing but a delicate squeak without formation of an actual proper fear induced yell.

It took years to fall.

I could barely sense anything at all because just as soon as I began to fall, I stopped but pain was nary around me at all. Had death stopped my pain from giving me any at all or did something else happen and I was safe?

Trembling, I opened my eyes to see the young man. His delicate features barely older than mine so close to me as I realize quite quickly that I was no longer falling nor still holding on for dear life in the tree, but in the arms of this stranger - no? Jacob?

My mouth opened several times to say something as much as it used to be routine just to spout off words before I had completely lost my voice to the deteriorating vocal chords, but silence was our great greeting just from me to him. He, on the other hand had plenty to say.

"Are you alright? You could've been seriously hurt, your weight wasn't being distributed even though and... Names Jacob, glad to meet you!"

I felt my cheeks redden immediately. He thinks that I don't know who he is, but that's something I can't really relay at this moment. I still reside within his arms and with a hefty sigh, the adrenaline within my body starts to catch up to me and my muscles scream from being so tense. I relax wholly in his arms and my head tilts towards his chest. The only way I know to talk is with my hands. Slowly, I draw my still trembling hand up to motion the sign 'O. K.' to him. I know he'll probably not understand, but maybe he'll try unlike my sisters?

A moment later, I make another motion and point down, hoping he'll understand that I want to stand.

[bakabekkers]

DIALOGUE
INNER THOUGHT

There was no sigh of relief from Ariel, but I could tell she was more than relieved to have not hit the ground. She held up her hands in the universal O.K sign, and I nodded. 

Hey, moron! She's pointing down. Put her down!

Oh, right. Im still holding her.

I could feel my face getting red, and I set her down, gently. I wasn't sure what else to say. I really truly despised speaking, I could pick up so much more information by just listening, and watching. The songbirds above began chirping a tune that was quite beautiful, and I noticed her basket of fruit lay astray all over the dirt. 

Meticulously I began to pick up each bit of fruit, dusting it off, and placing them in the basket. At this point we had only communicated via facial expressions and my occasional small talk. She still hadn't spoken. Maybe she can't speak? I was perplexed about it all. I had picked up and dusted off the last apple and looked up at her, and gave a smile and nod of approval. 

"You don't speak.. You can't speak, can you?"

Rude.

Go away, will you?

She certainly wasn't an avox, maybe something had happened to her. She definitely shared something with me that I loved the most, silence. Perhaps she didn't like it, but I sure as heck did. If I wanted to guide the conversation.. or lack of conversation? I would have to speak up more, be a voice of reason.

"We can take a walk if you'd like, there's a place, just outside the fences. Its really nice, and peaceful. Here. I'll turn your basked in for you?"

And for the first time in forever, it seemed my conscious agreed with me. 

[*]

Moments had passed by in between being in his arms. This savior of mine is keeping me safe and only a moment later, I gain enough courage to look out. How had I not seen him wandering around before I scaled the ladder the final time? Where had he been hiding this whole time until the ultimate time that I needed him most and he shows up like a spirit in the wind right at the exact moment before I crashed to the ground?

By the time he sat me down on the ground, my feet touching first, my legs wobbled but I stood nonetheless. His face reddened just as I felt my own cheeks were moments ago and between us both, I watched him as he noticed the birds chirping and he didn't say a word anymore.

He started picking apples up though and even though I watched him for a few moments before trying to help, I was still a little shaky to even try to bend over. My vision sauntered up to the tree and to the meaty apple I noticed just before I had fallen and wondered if it was still worth trying to grab. The ladder had fallen to the side and I understood what he said now. How when I moved to step on the ladder, I didn't secure my footing before I climbed. Although the previous trips didn't end that way.

My confidence was suddenly lost and I feared my father finding out.

Softly, I stepped near to him to help him pick up the apples I had dropped on the many occasions and as each one went into the basket, I glanced at him with ease. He was kind and quiet as well. I never get the luck to meet someone like that. Then, he opened his mouth.

"You don't speak... you can't speak, can you?"

The cat was out of the bag at this moment and I shrugged my shoulders and tried to whisper out, but it was so hoarse I knew he couldn't understand me. So I shook my head. I pointed to my throat and then waved my hand up to my mouth and then waved as if to state that it had left me. I wish I could be normal though and speak when I wanted to again, but it just wasn't possible. Not in district eleven where surgical procedures were more rare then winning the games.

After the apples had been collected, I started to collect the basket but he asked a question that drew out a smile from me. I nodded to him and made a gesture for him to start walking first while I retraced my steps to collect the ladder that belonged to my family. As Jacob carried the basket, I kept pace with him. Looking at him ever so often wondering why someone like him would want to talk to me. It seemed to ward off anyone else for a girl who couldn't make a peep.

At the station, we stopped at the peacekeeper there, dropping off the goods. The keeper asked what my name was and what family I belonged to but I put my hand over my mouth and signaled for the pen.

My name was written in ink, in line with the pounds that was picked and I looked to Jacob and gave him the pen as well. Even though he didn't pick the apples, I felt like it still counted that his family receive credit for what he'd done. It was a kind gesture from myself to him as well.

'Sign. You help.' My mouth formed the words as I pointed to the paper. That's when I remembered the ladder in my grip with a shrug and a smile. 'Home first.'

[bakabekkers]

DIALOGUE
INNER THOUGHT

A smile appeared on her face, a genuine warm smile. I smiled back, it was impossible not to. She poked her finger onto the paper where a signature was required. She wanted me to sign it, I obliged. It was a kind gesture that I very much appreciated. She formed out the words "home first" with her mouth.

I gestured for her to lead the way, and began following her. I was taking in most of the sights around me, I had been here many times but it was always a dreary picture, raining, or cloudy.

We walked to her house, and she stored the ladder inside. I quickly gestured for her to follow me.

We eventually came to a fence, that had a small opening in it. I held it open for her, and followed behind her. We walked for what seemed to be a mile or so, before the trees opened up, revealing a patch of bright green grass. The grass was overlooking a lake, abandoned by the public entirely.

"This is where I come when I just want to relax, you know?"

I took a seat on a flat rock overlooking the lake, the sunlight glimmered off the water and casted a nice ray of light right toward me. It was a picture that always was in your mind, even after you had stopped looking at it. There was a cool breeze, and I motioned for Ariel to come sit with me.

You shouldn't be out here. What if you're caught.... Nah, i've never been caught.. but theres always a chance?

[*]

The ladder was stored in the barn once we had gotten to the house. I was quick and nimble on my feet, unaware if he would leave me the moment I had disappeared in the house. I fretted because I'd never been able to bring anyone home before and I didn't want them to start teasing me when I couldn't defend myself. He was just a friend, in the making, it so appeared and the smile was on my face even more then I could even bear. Even after I ran out of the house and he was still waiting patiently, I slowed down a little to walk quickly to his side and he made a gesture for me to follow.

I nodded.

I was unsure of what to do around him since my words were never going to convince him enough to let me get the last word in. So, I continued to smile anytime he said something and my eyebrows spoke my interest that I had no way to verbalize.

At the fence, my heart leapt. He was leading me somewhere and I had left in such a hurry that I didn't tell my sisters where I was going, but my being naïve, I didn't want them to know even though I should have.

Crossing the barrier had me worried. Though, the more we walked, I fell in love with the scenery and everything else. Especially when the lake came into view. My mouth dropped and I tugged on his shirt and pointing to the water as well.

I want to swim... I mouthed it, but realized that we weren't equipped to do such a thing. Instead, I followed him as he sat on a rock and as the silence came over us, I remembered what he had said.

You happy? I wanted to know more but I didn't know how to articulate it when I couldn't seem to get the words to flow. So I moved my hands in a rhythmic fashion. It danced on the wind, but I stopped. You know sign? Is what I tried to say.

[bakabekkers]

DIALOGUE
INNER THOUGHT

We approached a lake, and the size of it was massive. The sight itself was marvelous, and filled me with joy. When I looked over at my companion, I lit up. She wanted to swim, or at least i'm pretty sure that's what she wanted. I laughed for a moment. "We don't have bathing suits with us, silly." I grinned back at her, teasing my words. We took a seat, and the view overlooked the lake. Birds could be seen flying over the water, and a little pack of ducks were marching on the outskirts of the lake. Soldiers, guarding their territory is what it reminded me of.

"Sign language? Nope, don't know a thing of it." There was a barrier between Ariel and I, although I wasn't one to talk, seeing her face made me want to open up, and tell her things that I liked. When I looked over at her my stomach began to rouse, and it felt funny. Is that what butterflies are? The girl was very pretty, and her personality was riveted with her looks. 

She is very kind. You should open up to her.

What a great way to get yourself hurt, Jacob...

Leave me alone...

I reached down and grabbed her hand, and held it in mine. "Im not one to talk. Looks like I'll have to change that." My lips parted into a polite smile, and my thumb brushed the back of her hand. "My mother says I look a lot like my father.." I paused for a moment, Ariel raised her eyebrows at me, intrigued by my thought. "I've never seen him, though. Mom says he died... But I know he left when I was young." I laid back onto the grass, looking up into the swirly mix of blue and grey, with the occasional rays of sunlight poking throughout. "I'm scared, y'know. The reaping is tomorrow, and I don't know what I would do if I got reaped.. or you." My face grimaced for a moment. "I would volunteer, help you get home. You're too kind to fight, too pretty to go into an arena of killers.." My words trailed off, and I began to hum to myself.