---►Can You Hear the Wind ? [D9 plot]

Walker Liggens

Actions/Thoughts: 66acbd
Speaking: 1b8787
Thoughts of Paraphilia: 40a89f

One thing that worried me about joining the beast master competition -or whatever it was called- started so early. Three in the morning? I never thought that people got up that early, it was crazy. I did not bother going to sleep in the first place, probably something I would end up regretting later, but it did not matter. I figured that it would be easier to just stay up, though my body seemed to be paying for it at the moment.

Looking over at my clock it reads something blurry that I would not doubt to be something like 2:45 in the morning. I figure it is about time for me to get up from staring at the ceiling and actually show up on time to the competition. I hate having to lie to my parents, but at least they will see the note. Maybe I can win us a nice way of living for a little while. That is probably unlikely, but I cannot win if I do not try.

Putting the note on the ground next to my bedroom door I slip quietly out of the house. One thing that hunting had taught me was to be silent. Being quiet made life much easier for me, nobody ever really toke note of me, and I liked that. Thankfully my house is fairly close to where the meeting place is, so I did not have to leave earlier. Despite this, I walk briskly. At least I brought the watch that I found just outside the factory so I could know what time it is. Maybe it will come in handy in the competition.

Walking through the forest district at night was not an easy thing, in fact it was quite creepy. But I had to make it to the competition without being late. That would have been a bad start for me, and that was not something that I wanted. I eventually make it to the clearing with a good five minutes to go. Quickly I show the people sitting at the desks, probably Capitol attendants or something, my invitation and I am let into the fenced in area behind them, which I assume is absolutely massive.

As I walk in I hear a voice, but I really pay not much attention to it. There are beautiful animals around the clearing, absolutely stunning. They, in fact, catch my attention at first, but then my head is turned to a gorgous mountain lion. I would walk up to it and stroke it, I would stare at it for hours in all honesty, but then people would think that I am wrong in the head. So I sadly take my gaze away from them and turn it towards the food. Seeing the food makes me hungry, so I quickly walk over it and start to eat. Hopefully I wont have to worry about hunger any time soon.

Aaden Gorozine

It was way too early to be up. Have you ever been up at 2 in the morning? No? Well, neither have I. Why did I sign up for this stupid competition anyway? To get up this early, with purple circles under my eyes, acne, and a sluggish overall attitude? Nope. I signed up for food, and I swear, I better get it for waking up this early.

You see, I heard about the contest from a flyer. Just a random flyer I found shoved halfway under the door of my house. I’d picked it up, brought it inside, and showed my mom. My mom’s this dark haired petite woman, you see. When her brown eyes get wide, they seem to swallow up her face. So, with face-swallowing eyes, she read the flyer and looked at me. “Yes, so, Aaden?”

“Can I do it?” I asked her. She looked skeptic. The flyer was advertising the Championship of the Beastmaster, some contest that involved hunting animals. Which was right up my alley.

"Why do you want to do this?" she asked, squinting the flyer again. I ripped it from her hand, and pointed at it.

"Do you not see that we get five years of food?" I cried, rolling my eyes at her. My mother cocked her bony hip to the side, taking the flyer back, obviously contemplating her next course of action in her head. For all you who are not familiar with my mom, she's one to think things through. She might take days to give you an answer. And when she does, it's always a well thought out answer, so you can't argue. She also couldn't take big news. When my real father left us, she was shocked for days, I'd find her in the same position, cleaning the same plate, hours after I'd left her. But, she can get over things easily, and the next week, she was taking me out to hunt again. I guess that's what happens when you're a mother with a child and a duty. However, I knew telling her my, er, secret would send her over the edge in astonishment. And I wasn't yet ready for that. When I found the flyer, all I wanted was an answer and I was impatient. I shifted from foot to foot, and crossed my arms.

"Mom?"

"Yeah, what?" She looked up, eyebrows raised.

"The flyer?"

"What about it?"

"Whatever, I'm going to be 18 in a few months," I told her, yanking from her hand again. "I'm going."

"Alright, fine," she held up her hands in surrender. "Whatever you say, Aaden. I just think we're pretty fine right now in turns of food, and that could go to some other family." And there she is, my saint-like mother. Listen, don't you think I don't love her or anything, because I really do, but sometimes she tries my patience, let's say. Ever had someone in your life that you can love and be irritated by? Well, that's my mother. When I do something she doesn't agree with, well, she gets this kind of disappointed tone. Which is probably why I'm not going to tell her anytime soon.

Tell her what, you're asking, right? Well, um, promise me you won't tell, okay? Promise? Good. Now, lean it, alright? A little closer. Good. Well, uhm, here it goes...I'm gay. I don't mean happy, I mean, like, I like boys. Simple as that. And no, it's not something to be ashamed of at all. I'm gay, and proud of it...I'm just not really ready to tell everyone yet, fair enough? You'll understand that, right? We all have our secrets. This is mine.

Anyway, this whole Championship thing. You're wondering why I'm doing it, right? Well, first off, I like hunting. My mother taught me to. When I was little, she'd bring me out to the forest, and show me just how to kill an animal quickly, so it won't suffer any pain. Her hands were the guiding hands that drew back the arrow on my bow, untied a knot in a snare, or tossed my spear high and far. See, she's an amazing mother, and I love her a lot. But, then of course, she was the one scolding me when I did wrong, or punishing me when I got a low score on a test or something like that. So forth springs that annoyance. Following me here? But, that reason isn't really the only one. See, I've got this sort of reputation at school for being all, gosh, I hate this word, but, manly. So, passing up an opportunity like this would give everyone a one way ticket to calling me a sissy. And who wants that? Not me.

Also, it meant I could get away from temptation, at least for a little while. And by temptation, I mean him. So, I decided to do it. And here I am, up at freaking 2 in the morning, yawning tiredly, as I silently got dressed. Every few minutes, I glanced at the huddled form in the bed across from mine. Luckily, he remained asleep until all my clothes were on. Slipping a picture of the family in my pocket, I hastily flattened my hair, although it was as usual, as flat as ever. The picture’s corner dug into my thigh, but I ignored it. We’d spent a fortune on it, for just one picture, from some merchant in town. I’m not sure why we did it. Perhaps for the satisfaction of seeing our newly united families, my mom and I, and Harold and James, happy, together. Who doesn’t wish they could freeze time?

I didn’t even let myself look at him as I tiptoed out of the room. I couldn’t let myself get wrapped up again, carried away. We were ignoring each other, acting like it never happened. Because it didn’t. Nothing happened between us. Nothing, got it?

I kissed my mother’s forehead in her bedroom, and she made a face in her sleep, but did not wake. I nodded at Harold’s snoring form. I liked him a lot, but we weren’t that close. It was like there was this soundproof glass in between us with no way around. Still, he made my mother happy, and that was good enough for me.

The air was chilly as I slipped out the front door, a kind of chill that reached through your skin, down to your very bone. I walked through the silent streets, under the cover of a half moon, which I found slightly depressing. It wasn’t long before the fence came into view, and so did the guards. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Why were there guards? Don’t older people intimidate you sometimes. They do to me. They act like they’re all better than me, and it can just kind of suck sometimes, right? Anyway, I figured the guards were there to check my invitation, which I flashed at them, before going on, past the gate, and into a building.

The first thing I saw were dead animals. Delightful, huh? No, I didn’t see the people, or the food, I saw the dead animals. Stuffed animals, to be exact. They were everywhere, leering from me throughout this entire room. A queasy feeling rose in my stomach and throat and I looked away. My mother had always told me to respect animals. They had feelings too. That I needed to kill them quickly, put them out of their misery, eat them and bury the bones, respectfully. Not stuff them and put them on display. Suddenly, a whole wave of doubts washed over me. What was I doing? I could always turn back right?

But, that would just make me a coward.

So, I stood there, awkwardly, surveying the scene. There were a few people there, and 9 were to be expected in total. Alright, I could do this, right? This was going to be easy. And with that newfound confidence, I strode forward, towards a girl, I was pretty sure I knew from school, with short blonde hair and freckles.

“Hey,” I said, putting my hands in my pockets, and stifling a yawn. “You’re Quistet, right?”

I have to say, the food is impeccable. I gorged myself, trying to put more weight on my skinny frame. Listening to the conversation buzzing around in the air, I remained attentive. When the talking died down I stood up straight, listening and jumping slightly when the booming voice ran down my ear.

An authoritative man was meeting his guests. Ah, this is our host. There was this twist in his voice that made my skin itch and my stomach to bunch up only to straighten right back out again.

"Move out" My spine held firm but I felt a cold sensation quiver in between the bones. A loud sharp sound of gates slamming caught my attention. Locked in. Trapped. Or maybe I'm just over reacting. I can't see what's going on, maybe someone just has clumsy hands and- a laugh rang out and my mind was on full alert. Code red... whatever red looked like. My breath was shallow and sweat had broken out on my skin, plastering fly away hairs to my forehead. I wiped the feeling away with a steady, but nervous hand. What was on that letter anyway? Did my parents skip a part?

"I'll see you all in a few hours. Night."

Night? I just got up. A cry escaped my lips as pain pierced the skin of my neck. My fingers flew up to it but never quite made it. I heard gasping noises- they may have been me, I don't know. I finally felt a hand on my neck- but my fingers were numb and flopped around the foreign object that held tight to my skin. Dropping to my knees, I gagged on the blindness my entire body now felt. I could have been floating in mid air right now and not even known it. I pulled out the... the dart. Yeah it was a dart. Maybe I got it out... I had my hand on it, didn't I? Oh, I felt like puking up all the food I had just gotten down. Is this happening to everyone? My cheek is against the ground and I...


What is this awful taste in my mouth? Gah, it's horrible, and my tongue feels like sandpaper. Rolling over, I feel earth beneath me and the tint of heat against my skin that signals that I'm outside. That was really all I could tell besides the insistent flapping of something- probably a flag. I struggle up to my feet, trying to make something out of the little information I have. Taking a few steps forward, my foot gets caught on something and I tumble forward over it back onto the ground. Reaching out, I identify it has a person- alive. They're warm and breathing. Another contestant?

God, where the hell am I?