breadcrumbs | [kristof/umber]

At long last, Umber finally found the time and nerve to return to the library a second time. He hadn't been back since he'd been caught reading books from the restricted section by Georgie, for fear that maybe some camera operator would eventually cycle through and see him sneaking across the barrier and reading all those books. He wasn't even sure what he was trying to find, really. Now that it was behind him, it felt silly and defiant. He thought maybe was also doing it to feel like he had some semblance of a say in what the heck is going on. He was tired of being scared all the time, of squinting at corners for fear that something would pop out from behind one. The girl from One couldn't touch him until the Games started, and the mentors had already given him all the advice he needed on how to deal with her if they came across each other:

Run.

He already knew it wasn't as simple as that. He'd been instantly endeared by Georgie's earnestness, if not intimidated by it. And he felt like they'd be a lot stronger if they worked together than apart, and then maybe one of them could win instead of the older kids. Most of them were assholes, anyway. But that was tomorrow talk. Thinking about it anymore was going to make his head explode, which was why he'd finally decided to come back: he needed the distraction. And he kept wondering if any of the stories his father used to read to him and his siblings would be there.

He ran his fingers along the spines of the books, enjoying the quiet in this room which seemed lacking everywhere else on the first floor. It was impossible to cycle through all of the various titles! This entire aisle was dedicated to the letter A alone, and Umber only realized in that moment that he didn't recall the actual titles of any of the stories he'd been told. He could recall everything that happened in them, but when he or his siblings wanted to hear a story, they'd say 'Read the one about the pirates in the sea!' or 'tell the one where the cat goes to the circus!' He pursed his lips. This wouldn't do.

He looked at the only other person nearby, a tribute from one of the middle districts if he recalled correctly. The boy was tall and thin and slight, with straight dark hair.

"Hey, um, weird question: if I describe what happens in a story, d'you think you might know the title?"