Mera Esseln/ d4/wip
Dec 20, 2016 20:52:00 GMT -5
Post by moon(stone) on Dec 20, 2016 20:52:00 GMT -5
mera esseln
seventeen years old
district four
seventeen years old
district four
the mermaid
"Once upon a time, Mera, before the Dark Days, there were these women
called mermaids.
They lived in District Four, because they had fins and a tail, like fish. But they were women on top."
"Were they beautiful, mama?"
"How come Aunt Adelaide is so much younger than Uncle Brim?"
"I don't know. But they must be in love if they want to be alone so much."
"Were they beautiful, mama?"
"Oh, yes. Of course they were. They had long, silky hair, and huge blue eyes just like yours, and they had these huge underwater palaces filled with treasures. More treasures than you could ever imagine. Because when men were coming to the Capitol carrying treasure, they would sing an enchanting song. The song was so beautiful the men fell in love with them and went mad. And the men would jump into the water so they could be with their mermaid loves and drown. So the mermaids would collect the treasure."
"President Snow must have been really mad."
"He wasn't even born yet. Shhh, go to sleep. I'll get you some taffy for your loose tooth tomorrow."
the woman in the clam shell
Mama is walking with Father on the beach after the clam roast; they are talking about something funny. He makes a joke and she laughs, but there are no crinkles in her eyes, like when I make a joke. He runs his hand down her arm and gives her a look which means they are probably going to be alone for a while.
I kick my feet on the sand. Tidalle and Turtle, my twin cousins, are making a sandcastle, and I can overhear some of their conversation. "How come Aunt Adelaide is so much younger than Uncle Brim?"
"I don't know. But they must be in love if they want to be alone so much."
Love. I hear all about love these days. The stories of Aphrodite, the woman who was love, rising from the seas of District Four in a giant clam shell. People who fall in love include:
Aphrodite and everyone she touches,
the sailors with the mermaids,
my mother and father?
the sailors with the mermaids,
my mother and father?
Are they in love? My father touches my mother so, so much, holding her hand and rubbing her chest for her. He kisses her for a long time. It's not gross, my mother says, because that's what people do when they're in love. She always winks whenever she says that. Like she's keeping a secret.
the pearl necklace
Mom always walks around wearing SO much jewelry. I mean, last week was her birthday, a week before mine, and she got huge pearl earrings, coral and sea glass bracelets, and, to top it off, a jeweled hair band that looks like something out of the tribute interviews. It's all from District Four, of course, because it's a crime to steal. Stuff like this normally goes to the Capitol, though, so I wonder where dad gets it all.
It's my birthday today. A special one, my twelfth. I'm eligible for the Reaping now. I'm not going into the Games, though, because we don't have to take tesserae and someone will volunteer for me. That's what dad said as he presented me with a pearl necklace today. "You're responsible enough to have your own special jewelry now," he said. "You're so pretty, it makes my heart burst. Just like your mom."
Mom took me aside after the birthday taffy was distributed. "Now, sweetie, you're twelve now. If you get reaped and no one volunteers for you- which will never happen -here's what you do. You find a big alliance, an alliance with a lot of people who you know will protect you. Make sure there are some guys in your alliance, because that's important. You make sure you look as pretty and strong as you can, okay? If you look pretty, you'll get lots of sponsors. Make all the guys want to protect you. They'll fall in love with you. If they want you to kiss them, do it, and they'll love you so much they'll do anything for you and you'll stay alive."
It's my birthday today. A special one, my twelfth. I'm eligible for the Reaping now. I'm not going into the Games, though, because we don't have to take tesserae and someone will volunteer for me. That's what dad said as he presented me with a pearl necklace today. "You're responsible enough to have your own special jewelry now," he said. "You're so pretty, it makes my heart burst. Just like your mom."
Mom took me aside after the birthday taffy was distributed. "Now, sweetie, you're twelve now. If you get reaped and no one volunteers for you- which will never happen -here's what you do. You find a big alliance, an alliance with a lot of people who you know will protect you. Make sure there are some guys in your alliance, because that's important. You make sure you look as pretty and strong as you can, okay? If you look pretty, you'll get lots of sponsors. Make all the guys want to protect you. They'll fall in love with you. If they want you to kiss them, do it, and they'll love you so much they'll do anything for you and you'll stay alive."
the diving rock
"Hedy, sexy!"
"Hey, Tidalle!"
It's an afternoon at the beach. Tidalle's and most of my friends decided to tag along. Her friends are older, mostly guys in grades higher than I am. They're always doing stupid stuff like this. I didn't want to spend the afternoon at the highest diving rock in the Distrct, but Tidalle said it would be fun.
She laughs. "I go by Tidalle, not sexy, but hey, call me what you want because I'm gonna beat your ass in the diving competition."
"Nuh-uh."
She pulls off her shirt and beach shorts to face them in her bikini. The guys are looking her up and down like my father used to do my mother, and with a confident stare she climbs up the rock and performs a perfectly executed flip off the top.
"Can you do that, Mera?"
It's a boy my age.
"Yeah, yeah, Mera, do it, do it Mera!"
"Can you do it better than Tida?"
"Probably." I pull off my dress. My bikini is too small; it's from when I was thirteen and is tiny on me now. I grip the slippery rocks to the cheers and whoops of my and Tidalle's friends. There are too many eyes on me. Why are they all looking at me? Why do the other girls look so angry?
It's exhilarating being up this high. Emboldened, I do a back handspring off the top and all I hear is a wall of cheering until I hit the water. Tidalle swims up to greet me and whispers in my ear.
"Hey, Tidalle!"
It's an afternoon at the beach. Tidalle's and most of my friends decided to tag along. Her friends are older, mostly guys in grades higher than I am. They're always doing stupid stuff like this. I didn't want to spend the afternoon at the highest diving rock in the Distrct, but Tidalle said it would be fun.
She laughs. "I go by Tidalle, not sexy, but hey, call me what you want because I'm gonna beat your ass in the diving competition."
"Nuh-uh."
She pulls off her shirt and beach shorts to face them in her bikini. The guys are looking her up and down like my father used to do my mother, and with a confident stare she climbs up the rock and performs a perfectly executed flip off the top.
"Can you do that, Mera?"
It's a boy my age.
"Yeah, yeah, Mera, do it, do it Mera!"
"Can you do it better than Tida?"
"Probably." I pull off my dress. My bikini is too small; it's from when I was thirteen and is tiny on me now. I grip the slippery rocks to the cheers and whoops of my and Tidalle's friends. There are too many eyes on me. Why are they all looking at me? Why do the other girls look so angry?
It's exhilarating being up this high. Emboldened, I do a back handspring off the top and all I hear is a wall of cheering until I hit the water. Tidalle swims up to greet me and whispers in my ear.
