up in the m.i.d.d.l.e of the night

layla

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up in the m.i.d.d.l.e of the night Mar 19, 2012 19:20:01 GMT -5

Post by layla on Mar 19, 2012 19:20:01 GMT -5

main: 346938 - speech: 49874D - thoughts: A0BAA2

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It was late. Beyond late, probably past midnight, and Aluma Dane couldn't sleep. Silently, she threw her legs over the side of her bed and stood up, toes growing cold against the floor. She padded, still shoeless, outside, shutting the door quietly behind her. Aluma breathed in the cool night air, starting her walk along the fields. She knew that if she were caught she might get in trouble, but she didn't care. It was nice and cool compared to the hot days spent in the sun, and she loved it. She loved her late night walks more than anything.

Aluma let her hands run through the plants next to her, closing her eyes and walking blindly. Oh, how nice this was. How relaxing. The one time when she could finally unwind. It was lovely. She could be herself instead of that tense, emotionless person she was forced to be every day. But no, not here with nobody around. Here she let warm tears slip under her closed eyelids. She didn't sob, though. She stayed quiet so as not to attract attention.

Aluma craved love, but love she would never get. She wanted someone she could hug tightly and kiss softly. Aluma wasn't won't, though. She was avoided, and when someone actually talked to her it was short and brief. So no, Aluma knew that she would probably never find the girl of her dreams. But what did it matter? Who did?

Not anybody that Aluma knew. She only knew of solitude, which was her safety net. Solitude, where she could suffer and silence. And she'd grown used to that. So maybe it wasn't love she needed. Perhaps it was simply a companion. Oh yes, Aluma would have loved a companion. Those too were hard for her to come by, though. She was so hostile, so overprotective, that no one would dare be her friend. And that saddened her.

So Aluma continued on her lonely walk, fingers running through the plants and tears slipping under closed eyelids. But she secretly wished for friendship or love. She secretly yearned for company. However, she publicly denied it.

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Last Edit: Mar 20, 2012 22:20:25 GMT -5 by layla

Helen
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up in the m.i.d.d.l.e of the night Mar 20, 2012 16:31:41 GMT -5

Post by Helen on Mar 20, 2012 16:31:41 GMT -5

Berry wasn't tired.

The night shone dark, comforting, as lulling as a blanket. The stars shone like little nightlights, and numerous had fallen to the peace and quiet of dreams, the solace from the distraught word. Berry couldn't blame the sleepers.

But she wasn't one for joining them.

The shoes that been worn thin by her eldest sister years ago lay on the threshold. The canvas duck into her skin, letting blisters rise to the top. Berry didn't wear her sandals unless it was an incredibly cold day, and with the balmy temperament of 11, this rarely happened. Besides, Berry loved the lush grass against her feet, the bits of soil sticking to her toes, and when she was lucky, the droplets of rain on her grass acting like a balm on her tired feet. Berry also liked being alone. After spending all day cramped next to people, brushing arms and legs as they picked ripe berries, Berry liked the way the land seemed to expand before her eyes, from cramped and tiny to vast and gigantic. If Berry was a Capitol person, she wouldn’t stay cramped up in the city together, like she had seen on TV. Berry would buy herself a nice chunk of land, drinking the bitter and sweet liquid she had once for her birthday, the one squeezed from the firm, oddly-shaped yellow fruits they grew in the District. If only that was Berry’s life.
But she knew she could never handle the overboard extravagance and morbid excitement over the Games. It made her sick to her stomach just thinking about it, and she knew if she was ever reaped for the Games, she would lose staright-off. The thought of spearing or shooting someone the way people like the way the Career tributes did in cold blood made her nauseous. She just hoped if it ever did happen, someone would kill her quickly, and get it over with. Berry couldn’t handle the guit, even if it gave her a lifetime supply of the yellow drink.

Just then, she heard footsteps in the grass in front of her. She ducked behind a clump of raspberries, but as she listened, she was relieved to hear faint steps, unlike the heavy-booted steps of Peacekeepers. This was a fellow District member.

Berry walked out slowly, just to make sure it wasn’t one of the traitors the District hired to snoop on people. She saw a girl with dark brown hair, who Berry knew was a grade or two ahead of her, from the few school sessions 11 had. She looked mournful… or was it lonely? She decided on the latter, and decided if she indeed was lonely, then maybe a little company, even if it was only Berry, might make her feel better. “Hi, I’m Berry. Who are you? And are you…usually out this late?” Berry kept her voice low, looking for the white uniforms that meant trouble.

Last Edit: Mar 20, 2012 16:36:10 GMT -5 by Helen

layla

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up in the m.i.d.d.l.e of the night Mar 20, 2012 20:19:25 GMT -5

Post by layla on Mar 20, 2012 20:19:25 GMT -5

main: 346938 - speech: 49874D - thoughts: A0BAA2

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Aluma heard footsteps behind her and almost froze. She kept walking, though, deciding that these feet were too light to be a Peacekeeper's. When she heard a voice, though, she did freeze. Her muscles tensed up in the slightest way, and she turned around.

"I'm Aluma, but I don't see why that matters to you. And I'm usually up this late, yeah," She said, a bit of hostility creeping into her voice. The dark haired girl couldn't help it. her attitude prevailed above her desire for friends. She had to make sure that this girl was safe before she could be nice to her.

Aluma's feet were growing cold against the ground, quite like her attitude was continually growing cold. She shifted uncomfortably, not sure what to say in this situation, and instead waiting for the girl in front of her to respond.

Aluma silently cursed herself out upon realizing that she could be inside, safe and sound if she hadn't insisted upon being so restless. Now here she was, with this girl who obviously wanted a nice conversation. And Aluma wished that she could give that girl a nice conversation, she wished that she could be this girl's friend, but the chances of that were slim.

The dark haired girl sighed at herself, letting her muscles become less tense. She decided that this girl probably was not trouble, and that she was just overreacting. She reminded herself of this over and over again, reminded herself that she was in no danger, and eventually she began to believe it.

Aluma still didn't let her guard down completely, though. She absolutely never did that, not even around her family. She could always be seen with that first layer of protection about herself, that first layer of sadness and tenseness. And that would never change. Aluma was sure of it.

The brunette realized how strange it was that she was out so late. The moon stretched over her head, and most people were asleep. Lonely people are always up in the middle of the night. It was a quote from some old book, and her mother loved that quote. It had been passed down, like some families passed down antiques and such, through her family. Aluma wasn't sure whether that was weird or not, and she didn't care. The quote was true, and especially relevant to her.

She wondered if this girl was lonely too, or if she was just feeling like chatting. She knew that she'd seen this girl before, but she remembered nothing about her. Aluma wasn't one for remembering the details of those who weren't close to her. She didn't see the point in it, really.

Last Edit: Mar 20, 2012 22:20:42 GMT -5 by layla

Helen
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up in the m.i.d.d.l.e of the night Mar 21, 2012 18:17:02 GMT -5

Post by Helen on Mar 21, 2012 18:17:02 GMT -5

Berry felt herself blink at the girl's remark. Was she prodding? Of course, her sisters had always called her bothersome, but as them being her siblings, she really didn't think about it. But now, as she stared at the hostile glance in the girl's eyes, she felt herself shrink back. What had she been thinking, talking to someone she met in the woods at midnight? Everyone always said the night-wanderers were the out-of-place ones, the misfits. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she herself was a misfit.

But, even misfits felt lonely, didn't they? Or maybe even the reason they were lonely because they were misfits. The rag-tag, thrown-aways. The broken ones no one wanted. But maybe all you needed to not being broken was o be fixed back together. She thought of her sister, Mint who always used to come home during school season, hanging on the arm of a friend like a grapevine, smiling, a rare occurrence in grim 11. Mint was happy then, or as happy as you could be in a world where the chance of death was probable, and it was so because the government were tyrants. She smiled dryly to herself. The girl must think she was crazy.

So Berry was going to try. Berry was going to break the defense, shattering it like the occasional ice on the ground as boots tromped over it. With two siblings, when a particularly well-thought remark popped in her head, Berry couldn’t help herself, she just had to say it “Anyone who walks at midnight, and after five years of these strolls I’ve never seen is imprtant to me.”She had other words that threatened to spill over, mostly accusing and nasty, but she held them in, sucking on her lips as if she eating that sour yellow fruit she yearned for. She let calmer, nicer words flow in the slight breeze to the other girl, Aluma, who, come to think of it, looked more dejected than sharp. “I’m Berry. I live not far from here.” She pointed to the east, to nearby the orange orchards. “I’m not much of a runner, in fact, I usually lose every race I come across, so I can’t stray far, for fear of collapsing and the Peacekeepers finding me.” She laughed, and although it was slightly strained, it wasn't forced. Berry actually felt a small flicker of hope with threir wandering in common, she and Aluma could become friends.

Last Edit: Mar 21, 2012 18:21:33 GMT -5 by Helen

layla

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up in the m.i.d.d.l.e of the night Mar 22, 2012 2:02:13 GMT -5

Post by layla on Mar 22, 2012 2:02:13 GMT -5

main: 346938 - speech: 49874D - thoughts: A0BAA2

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Aluma blinked in surprise. Was this Berry girl really still talking to her? The brunette was both happy and frustrated. She looked the girl up and down. Maybe they could be friends. No, not friends, Aluma didn't have those. Maybe they could be acquaintances. Yes, that sounded better to the dark haired girl. In that moment she decided that she'd try to be a little bit nicer to Berry.

But first, she had to make sure."Do you really want to talk to me? Or are you just going to walk away once you see how terrible I am?" She asked, eyebrows arching harshly. It was an honest question, but the way she worded it wasn't quite right. It made Aluma sound like a monster, which was one thing she was not.

Aluma waited for a response in silence. She listened to the sounds of the birds, the wind rustling through trees. She felt the cool air against her body, particularly on her exposed feet. She smelt the slightly damp soil, freshly upturned from earlier in the day. It only was this way at night, and that was one of the reasons Aluma came out. For the way her senses were sharpened and everything was put into perspective. The night was beautiful in every way.

It was also treacherous, though. The threat of a Peacekeeper looming around the corner constantly prodded in the back of her mind. Tracker jackers and other vicious animals, too. You just had to push those away, though. Focus on the good. And maybe if Aluma did that with herself and the rest of her life, things would be a lot better.

The brunette was often told that she was a pessimist. She didn't mind these thoughts, not normally. She considered her self a realist, to be honest. But for a second she wondered what it would be like to have the cheery thoughts of an optimist. It actually sounded... nice.

Deep down inside, though, Aluma knew she couldn't change that much. Not even if she wanted to. She could adjust herself to be Berry's friend, sure. But changing her whole personality? No way. That could never happen. Being open and bubbly and talkative simply wasn't an option for her. She had to protect her family, get them food. And that sometimes required stealing.

Oh! Another thing for her to check for in this Berry girl. Would she tattle on her? By the looks of her, no. But looks could be deceiving. Aluma knew that well.

anthena427

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up in the m.i.d.d.l.e of the night Mar 28, 2012 17:57:51 GMT -5

Post by anthena427 on Mar 28, 2012 17:57:51 GMT -5

Taylor stood on the edge of the corner, ignoring the fact that curfew was ages ago. The thought, lingering in her mind was pushed back when she saw the two females out at this hour. Instead, she would put her hand on her pocket where a knife was hidden and inched toward them slowly and quietly, where hopefully they wouldn't knotice. Looking at both of them, she would be surprised to see that they were in much better shape then herself. Her clouded blue eyes were planted on them. She would roll her shoulders, showing much discomfort.Could she trust them?

Smiling the best she could she spoke in a low whisper to herself "Should I trust them?," The hand in her pocket would be released to her side. She would seem to stare off into space, trying to decided what to tell them about herself without giving away to much. Should she tell them about her parents? The corn? The merchant? She decided she wasn't going to tell them anything but her name.

Her bruised face would seem to turn pink and fleshing in the refreshing cold air. At that moment she wouldn't be paying attention to the two, off in her own world once more about her cousin this time. Where is she? Iris should have met me by now! The Forest isn't to far. She would pound her fist against her grass, making much noise. Relizing what she had done, her mouth would cuff over her mouth quickly and she would sneak behind the corner into the darkness. Hopefully, quick enough...

Last Edit: Mar 28, 2012 18:01:37 GMT -5 by layla