Sketching Away the Pain {Gaby}

Blaire Kaplan

Blaire had always hated the Hunger Games with a very strong passion. She despised the reaping, and the thought of going to an arena to fight to the death, even if the Capitol pampered the victims tributes ahead of time. The idea of volunteering for the Games was an even worse thought. She couldn't wrap her head around why anyone in their right mind would do that. Perhaps the volunteers weren't in their right minds.

Despite her hatred for the televised event, the fifteen year old girl was still forced to watch it unfold. After all, it was a mandatory viewing for all District citizens, no matter who they were. You could be the richest person in the District. You could be the mayor. You could even be a Peacekeeper, a small child, or the poorest person around. It didn't matter, as the Capitol would make sure you were watching no matter what. If you were homeless, you were still told you had to watch it in the District Square where it was broadcast for all to see.

Now, of course, with everything, there are some exceptions. The television does play the Games in most workplaces, as well as in school, but sometimes, it's understood that people can't be watching. The people of the District may have to run some errands or eat their dinners without access to the television. Normally, the law is more enforced with adults, too. Therefore, children can sometimes get away without watching it. They're allowed to go play outside or wander about the District for a little while, as long as they are back in time to watch at least part of the Games every day.

For a reason Blaire couldn't quite understand, the Capitol at least wanted them watching some of it. They wanted it ingrained in everyone's head, and she thought that was terrible. No one should be forced to watch people kill each other, in her opinion. Even if some people, such as those in the Capitol, found it to be high quality entertainment, Blaire certainly did not. She wished that she could hide the screen from the eyes of those younger than herself, even if it meant she had to watch it the whole time. The girl just wanted to spare the innocence of at least some of the children in District Three.

With all of the tributes this year being volunteers for the Games, it came as a bit of a shock to Blaire that there were so many. Why did so many people put themselves forward, willingly, to fight to the death? Some were very young, others looked malnourished- perhaps they were trying to escape their lives. Others, however, looked as if they would have had a good home life. They were well-fed and well-educated. It didn't seem like they could have had any reason to volunteer. Then again, what did Blaire really know about their lives? Absolutely nothing whatsoever.

When Blaire was finally granted permission from her mother to go out of the house for a bit, away from the terror of watching the Hunger Games unfold, she was grateful. Thanking her mother, she slipped on her coat and shoes, gathered up her sketchbook and some pencils, and headed out the front door, latching it shut behind her. Calmly, as she was glad to be away from the chaos on the television screens, young Miss Kaplan walked for a while down the sidewalks of the District she called home. She wanted to find just the right place to relax and take out her sketchbook. After all, drawing was one of the few things in life that actually managed to distract her, especially in the time of the chaotic Hunger Games.

Reaching a bench in an open park near the center of the District, Blaire looked around her, then proceeding to take a seat. The trees were still bare as winter started to come to the end, and the grass was wet, although lacking in snow or ice. Removing her sketchbook and pencils from the bag she had carried them in, the opened up the book to reveal a new, blank, clean sheet of paper for her to do her work on. Taking a pencil, she pressed it to the paper and began drawing. She'd always worked somewhat quickly, so her pencil appeared to be gliding gracefully along the paper as she went.

Drawing in the tufts of grass that poked up from below, and the bark on the trees nearby, she was enjoying herself. Her mind was distracted, and all she was thinking about was her artwork. There were a few other people around, but she didn't approach them for conversation. Of course, she wouldn't ignore them if they approached her. She was just quite into her artwork at the moment, and didn't feel the need to initiate conversation. Blaire continued with her artwork, now starting to move onto the stage of adding color and shading to it all.