NIGHTSHADE EARNEST, PEACEKEEPER

D I S T R I C T E L E V E N

A gel like her weren't never meant fer fieldwork, so says I. I was knowin' it since she was just a babe, screamin' an pink in ther face outta her Ma's womb. Somethin' 'bout the look in her eyes was tellin' alla us that this little girl weren't gonna be stickin' 'round long. Nah, t'was likely that she were gonner git up an' walk outta this place as soon as she were able. She were born a go getter an' no one really likes that in a female, not 'round these parts. Most are in ther mindset that girls oughtta stick ter what they know, ther womany arts a' housework an' all that. Well now it seems that thinkin' like that is fer ther past. It's jus' too bad I reckon that eleven is so dang stuck in it, unable to move forward.

She grew up knewin' it jus' like she seemed ter grasp most concepts so easily. See, that Earnest girl was real smart I reckon, a genius some say, like them kids you hear about that are so smart they kin get hired by ther government at ther age of fourteen. I reckon she coulda' got herself hired at ther age a' ten. She were one smart cookie, that 'ne.

By ther time she was two years old she was walkin' an' teachin' alla' us ther sums that she knew. Her Ma would follow her 'round the church after the sermon, belly big with a baby that was jus' about ready. Her daughter would proudly waddle up ter each a' us on her short n'stubby legs an' tell us exactly how ter spell words like potato an' 'ploughin'. An' if anyone were ter say that little gel didn't capture their heart I'd be callin' them a liar. That little girl were the light a' our lives, bein' ther youngest in ther neighborhood but one a' the wisest little things on this good Earth.

When her brother was finally born, she claimed ther right ter name him 'cause she was tellin' her Ma an' Pa that he was gonna be her's ter look after so's she should getter name him. (See that little girl was 'acertain a' one thin', that bein' that she was gonna love the baby bein' born no matter what). She was right a' course, as she often was even then. She loved that little baby as if she knew even then ther fac' that he were gonna be somethin' special. So she took real special care with his name, goin' around ter all the wisest folk she knew, askin' them 'bout plants and ther like, askin' ter look at their big old books a; herbs.

An' she found what she were lookin' fer almost right away. See, her name bein' Nightshade, she wanted ter know if there were some related herbs out there that he could be named, so's wherever they went people would be in ther knowin' of their relations. An' she found what she already knew his name would be when he came outta where she came from 'cause she reckoned he looked like 'em anyway, she gave her little brother ther name a' 'Potato'. Her Ma an' Pa tried ter talk her outta it a' course, but she was set on it, thinkin' she had done her researchin' an' reached a correct conclusion, with all her wisdom not even realizin' that 'tater weren't no name for a babe.

It were too late anyhow by ther time she were old enough to find out what she had done ter her poor little brother. But jus' as his name was set, so's was her love for him, her little baby brother. It weren't matterin' what his name were 'cause she told her Ma an' Pa right then that she would always protect him, they weren't needin' ter worry. An' how could they doubt her, standin' there lookin' so serious, hands on her hips an' mouth set in a firm line. (We's men always fergettin' ther power a' woman has when she's certain a' somethin' but Nightshade were the kind to remind us).

An' as she grew she kept on remindin' us all, throwin' rocks at ther kids who made fun a' ther little brother who didn't have the looks a' his sister an' workin' hard ter make sure he never had ter find out how cruel some folk really were. She stood up there once, at the front a' ther church when she were eight years old, tellin' us we all ought ter be ashamed a' ourselves, sayin' such cruel things 'bout a little boy, makin' all a' us feel ten differnt shades a' guilt all at once, even ther ones a' us that weren't sayin' nothin'. That girl could change things it seems, she had ther power in her little hands to make us believe anythin' she wanted with all her pretty words an' her effort ter speak clearly an' learn the proper grammar.

She was speakin' prim an' proper as soon as she were able, our twangin' speak numbin' in her mouth, makin' her sound near as prim an' proper as them Capitolites who came once a month ter take all our produce. An' she ate up books like they were made a' nothin' at all, each time she were seen, it were with a diffrent book tucked safe unner her arm. She tole us, "Just you wait, Mister, I'm going to be running this place someday," and dang did we believe her. Standin' there face ter face with her was like lookin' at a queen.

It's true in ther fact that her brother weren't no spring chicken growin' up but he weren't all that terrible neither. It was jus' ther fact that his older sister was so lovely. Nightshade were born with near perfect features, as if she were given to the Earnests by Ripred herself. She were blessed by her at least. She had a sweet little button fer a nose, a chin that made her look strong, an' eyes darker than a summer storm. Her hair were blonde as her parent's, an' as her' brothers. She was lookin' like a golden sheaf a' corn when she were standin' in them fields that her parents owned. She outshone everyone like it were her duty ter.

It weren't abnormal ter go by the Earnest's ter see Mrs. Earnest fer a cuppa tea an' catch sight a' ther boy bent in ther fields, knees dirty as his hands, sister standin' nearby lookin' clean an' fresh in her summer dress, waterin' away, readin' ter him outloud an' turnin' the pages with her tongue. They worked in real tandem, them too, an' it seemed ter work well even though it seemed uneven, what with him doin' all ther work an' her doin' nothin' but readin' words. But jus' like with most, she had charmed the hell outta him too. That boy loved his older sister as if she had hung ther stars in ther sky.

An' as them too aged, nothin' much seemed ter change. instead a' givin' us talks in church 'bout bein' ashamed she began ter share her scientific ideas with us as if any a' us knew what she were on about. That girl's brian belonged ter a differnt galaxy altogether. She were so damn smart that she ahd managed ter fake her age when she were fourteen an' take ther Peacekeepin' test. She aced it a' course but were 'caught out at what she done an' given a real reprimand. She mighta been sent ter the detention center if it weren't fer ther fact that she were still reapin' age and so damn smart anyhow.

They needed a mind like her an' they were knwin' it.

An' a few weeks 'afore she turned nineteen it were decided that what we had were a drought on our hands. We didn't have a rain fer three weeks already an' we weren't wantin' ter admit ther trouble we were in until she took a chart up ter the front a' ther townhall an' tole us what's what. She were adamant that we recognize what were happenin' ter us. That meant that she had ter show us her pictures an' things 'bout what we could expect ter happen. We had to admit that we was in trouble 'cause a her.

She were always enlightenin' us, that gel.

An' when ther first a' us were dead, she told us that she were gonna go an' become a Peacekeeper an' then she were gonna git us ther help that we needed. An' so's she went away from us, an' away from the brother she said that she'd always protect. An' he were lost and confused but he did what he knew best, an' that were tendin' ter the fields.

At first she sent many letters, tellin' us that she were tellin' the people what were goin' on. She went one sayin' that she were sittin' her test to become a Peacekeeper agin', an' later she sent us her perfect results in ther mail.

Then one day, it were three weeks since we all heard from her an' we were still dyin'. She hadn't solved anythin' yet an' no one had heard two words from her, an' Potato had stopped bringin' us ther letters fer us ter read ter him. An' then one day I grew sick an' too tired ter keep up with her story, an' then one day, I died from dehydration and starvation.

P E A C E K E E P I N G

R a n k : Officer
N a m e ( s ) : Nightshade Earnest
A g e : Twenty
G e n d e r : Female
C u r r e n t P l a c e m e n t : The Capitol
J o b : Peacekeeper
H e i g h t : 171 cm
W e i g h t: 48kg
H a i r C o l o u r : Golden blonde
E y e C o l o u r : Black
M e d i c a l H i s t o r y : N/A
F i t n e s s : Exceptional

It is an amazing feat in itself that she has not shaken her hand out yet after that incredible punch. The face that has just received the punch is certainly on the floor, cheek pressed against concrete and feeling pretty silly. The Puncher herself is standing over him, looking livid, white uniform nearly rumpled for once. Her knuckle is raw, fingers white from the force of the punch and someone is reaching forward to grab her arm. It is her coworker but she is ignoring her, pressing her heal into the hand of the other coworker she has just knocked to the ground, eliciting a moan of pain.

"How fucking dare you," she hisses, eyes narrowed and looking by all rights like an avenging goddess. The other Peacekeeper steps back, recognizing the mood her friend is in and knowing that it's already too late for this idiot. Really, it was his fault for daring to suggest that Nightshade Earnest was anything but horribly upset. She was excellent at living up to her nickname of 'Robotica', having maintained the most neutral of expressions in just about any circumstance. However, it seems that mentioning the boy tribute from District Eleven was a trigger that had come without a warning.

If the victim on the floor was trying to elicit an emotional response from Nightshade than he had succeeded. "Of course I'm angry, you insufferable rockhead," she spat, kicking him in the side. Most of the other Peacekeepers watching were standing stunned, not reacting immediately because they had never seen the calm, cool and collected Nightshade Earnest in such a state. The woman was known from the easy coldness she did everything with, not for this angry ball of hatred she currently was.

Some slack could of course be extended as they had just gathered to watch the reaping and it seemed that the girl's little brother had just been reaped. This was interesting all in itself, to see Nightshade Earnest, the girl who so calmly spoke of the many dead in her district of origin watching the reaping. She knew as soon as he stepped onto the stage that his prospects were hopeless, having calculated the odds of him winning within seconds of his name being called. He was not a fighter. A pang filled her heart when she saw how much he had grown and how skinny he looked.

She had never been good with dealing with her emotions, she barely needed an invitation to punch someone in the face when the boy peacekeeper had walked up to her and said, "Bet you felt that one, you hardhearted bitch." So she gave him something to feel back. Something painful and irrevocable.

She managed another kick aimed at his leg before her coworkers finally had the brains to drag her away from the prone figure lying on the floor. She was quiet but fuming when they put her in a room with a cup of tea, but when they went back to check on her, the mug was shattered across the floor and tea stained the perfect whiteness of the walls. "I promised that I'd take care of him and now he's going to die," she said, and they were still shocked at the lack of tears, but were glad to see that cold mask back in place. Seeing her without it was chilling, as if even the most powerful structures could be brought down by a bit of bad news.

"How's Edwards?" she asked them, not really caring about the boy she just beat the shit out of but knowing it was polite to ask. Stable but being kept over night because they're worried about his broken rib is what she was told. Some small woman inside of her felt pleasure at the news. He should feel pain, should feel hurt for the slight he had given her. She was hard working and professional, not coldhearted or a bitch. There was a difference.

She was trying not to think about the fact that her little brother was getting on a train as she sat there, going towards his death at over one hundred kilometres per hour. She was trying not to think about how she hadn't written a single letter in over a year because she had been told that if she wanted to become a Peacekeeper she had to cut all family ties at once. For a moment she had wavered when they told her that, but her pride would not allow her to return home as a failure and she had done as told. She had always done as told, had stuck to the rules and was a shining pupil.

Up until Edwards made that stupid comment.

She got off with a warning considering the circumstances. Her transfer was accepted without question. It was good business for the Capitol to have the sister of a tribute in the Capitol, guarding the training center. It showed how they had the families underneath their thumb.