The First Transaction {Luna/open}

I'm getting a little unnerved. I mean, when I reached down to feel that corpse's pulse, it was like somebody was touching the back of my neck. Isn't touching anything except the shoulder considered to be sexual assault? But no matter, it was probably a fly. I've got to get this would patched up.But seriously, something strange is going on. Now some other guy shows up and starts sniffing the smoke from a match. I'd think that that action would go under the category "Odd". Not that I should talk, but really - who sniffs the actual smoke directly from the match?

The tall dude states that the guy's probably a pyro. A pyro? As in someone who works with pyrotechnics? Fireworks? I happen to love fireworks almost as much as I like stars. They're like stars, but they're so much more colorful. And they have patterns too, stars and hearts and mouse-shapes. I don't really know why they use that mouse-shape. Maybe it's because it looks like the diagram of H₂O? It wouldn't be very shocking if people used fireworks to get us to study.

But still, I don't like to study, so it doesn't affect me either way.

Ah, but fireworks hold a special place in my heart.

One year a girl from 6 won the Games and the College celebrated with fireworks. It was breathtaking. Hardly anybody from 6 ever wins, so to have one of us return from the arena was a miracle to being with. But the fireworks multiplied the happiness in the community by infinite amounts. My father had made a picnic, and we walked down to the college lawn to gaze at the brilliant specks of light. I remember eating a juicy apple as the fireworks started – pieces of apple fell out of my open mouth, staring in awe at the sparks. My father has that picture somewhere.

Fireworks are amazing. In fact, they’d be my most favorite thing in the world – if it weren’t for stars that is.

But as I’m thinking about this special day I realize that a pyro is not about someone who deals with fireworks. Wow Galaxy, wow. It’s someone who loves fire. No wonder he’s inhaling the smoke – it’s soothing to him I guess.

But then my heart skips a beat when the tall dude turns and speaks. He’s joking, right? I mean, there are a lot of crazies in District 6, but seriously? A cannibal? That is totally not possible. I mean, wouldn’t a cannibal be in the Detention Center by now? They’d be avoxed for sure.

Or at least, that's what supposed to happen. I suddenly hear a cry of disgust from the twelve year old. Isn't that the "cannibal's" bag in his hand? And is that blood on his hand? What....

Oh my god. Ohhhh my god. I think I'm hyperventilating a bit when the kid starts trying to tug the body to the Peacekeepers. He's touching the body! But I don't see any Peacekeepers nearby. People must pay them to stay out of this area. But still, somebody's got to know about this.

I try to help him out, taking a deep breath, and trying not to breathe in the scent of decaying flesh. I'm fourteen now (birthdays are awesome), and although I'm as burly as a toothpick, I attempt to drag the body out into the open. But this corpse is really HUGE. Ugh. I can't get him there.

"I'll go get help." I state, and start slowly walking towards the cleaner side of town. I'd be running, but I'm in shock. And shock really does things to Galaxy Clements.

If I had just been more level-headed, maybe I would have known that I should have gotten out of there sooner.

But I'm Galaxy Clements, so naturally I'm going to be an idiot and not understand what time is a good time to get the heck out of a situation. You see, while I stumble through life with various bumps and bruises, other people know exactly what they're doing. Like this pyro guy, who stops me from running to the Peacekeepers.

Mister, he was obviously kidding. No person in their right mind would eat another human being. It's illogical. We humans have too many morals inserted into our heads at birth to do anything as sadistic as that. Well, at least most of us do.

And don't want to get caught? Nobody did anything, unless Cannibal-man is suggesting that the twelve-year old killed the large forty-something year old man. Great. I'm surrounded by idiotic crazies who think that twelve-year old boys can get away with murder.

Dummy-heads.

And- what!? Burning the fricking body? You can't be serious. Oh god.

Ohhh my god I'm surrounded by a bunch of psychopathic freaks.

I turn around, glancing that the three males that are in my presence.

Exhibit A) Pyro-maniac who likes to burn up bodies and plays with matches

Exhibit B) Cannibal man

Exhibit C) ...

He's just twelve. He couldn't possibly be a murderer. But Cannial man said that with such certainty that... Well he was the person that found him, it's somewhat possible...

"No, please, don't do this!"

"You didn't give me that piece of candy. Now die."

And that's the only possible situation in my confused mind that depicts a twelve-year old murdering somebody.

His name is Bear? How ironic. And now he's talking about- oh my godddd that's disgusting. Eww. I attempt to push the thought of roasted human out of my mind as I slowly back up, ready to make a bolt for it. I'm sure that nobody's paying me any attention.

But just as I'm about to make a break for it, the boy turns around. Now I hope it's obvious as to who the "boy" is, because the other two are a whole lot older than I am.

A witness? He wants to move the body? Okay, I never listened in forensics, but I'm pretty positive that rule number one of a crime scene is to leave the body/things that are necessary to leave alone, ALONE.

Of course, I already touched the body, so what harm can it be? And the little boy's here too, so we'd be able to make a run for it if the two adults decide to be... murderous.

"Umm... alrighty then..." I murmur, and wait for them to figure out a way to move the body without anybody noticing.

I love myself.

Why do I love myself? Well it's because I'm a totally extremely attractive dude who's practically Robin Hood the second. Except I don't exactly give the money to the poor. Well, if you don't count me as poor that is.

Breaking and entering is actually a crap-load of hard work, although it all pays off in the end. You have to plan out routes of escape, make sure that nobody sneaks up on you when you're not looking, and you have to make sure that you look good doing it.

Yes, it's a terribly hard job, but I, Malachai Rogers, perfect this rather easily, for I just have a knack for sneaking around and looking smexy of course.

But seriously, robbing somebody of their prized possessions isn't a cake-walk. There are time when I've gone a bit overboard. For proof, look at the scar on that man's back, or the missing finger from that woman's left hand. Yep, I'll be the first to admit it - I'm a freak. But freaks have more fun doing whatever the hell they want anyways.

And today, I feel like taking a stroll down the street. I quickly leave my cramped apartment, and start to jog down the cracked sidewalk. The neighborhood is decrepit - the houses are practically crumbling around me, the people are either stoned, drunk, or so scarred that they scream at random intervals of the day. I'm one of the lucky ones - I'm not... Well actually I am scarred, but at least I don't start crying about it.

But it's not very helpful to have a missing arm when you need both hands in order to climb a tree, or move something out of the way. But my left arm is strong enough to work well without its partner. I'm able to climb those freakishly narrow trees in District 6 with ease. But then again, I don't attempt to do so, because the trunks are so narrow that they'd probably break if a bird was to lay its nest there.

The air is pretty nice today. It's slightly windy, and smells like... blood? Oh boy, what happened? My heart starts to beat rapidly, the adrenaline flowing through my veins. I totally have to see what happened. Maybe the guy's still alive, and I could... Give him something to remember me by... That would be just... so much fun.

My slow trot turns into a jog, and eventually I break into a sprint, winding my way through the streets of District 6. After a few seconds or so, I come upon the source. It's only a few buildings away from my prior location, but I suddenly screech to a halt. There's a commotion going on over there. Maybe it isn't such a good idea to wander in...

From my hidden spot (standing behind fire hydrants totally make you unnoticeable), I see four people, and a corpse. Or at least, I think it's a corpse. But I don't see a pool of blood anywhere. Hmm, wonder where that blood came fro-

Ohhh. The girl's head is bleeding like crazy. Wow. That's a hell of a lot of blood. There's two other males, both are tall. And there's a boy. He seems pretty young, and he's holding a very large briefcase... I hear shouting, and a few muffled words, but I have absolutely no idea as to what's going on.

All of a sudden, the two kids start... Trying to move the body? Are they idiots or something? They're obviously too weak to move a corpse - their frames are too small. This is rather interesting... Now the girl attempts to exit the scene, but one of the older males stop her.

I think I'll stay behind here, this doesn't seem like a good moment to appear out of nowhere.

But there's no way I'm leaving. Nope, no way.