white lies, sympathise - [python]

Pearl Millison desperately wanted to escape. Even as the sunshine greeted her with its warm rays and the silken sheets on her bed embraced her she felt trapped - as if the weight of the world was pressing down upon her frail body until she could not longer breathe. She walked out of her pampered palace with haste and dressed herself with very little effort, meaning her outfit would still be vibrant, beautiful, and complimenting to her light skin tone, but not as detailed and dressy as usual. Springtime was slowly approaching her District; it was a time of rebirth and beauty. Her winter attire would be stored away for what seemed like eternity, and collect pounds of dust while she adorned herself with colors of the rainbow. Spring was one of her favorite seasons because it covered her neighborhood with a soft blanket of warmth, preparing her for the hot summer days that would soon follow. It was a gorgeous season indeed, and Pearl was eager to experience this wonderland.

If anything suffocated her it was her family. Her father was worked to death by the bossy woman of the house, her sister was a delinquent bully with little sense of morality, and her mother was just - her mother. Judgmental and demanding, her mother wanted nothing more than to let her pride swell over her two daughters by forcing them to train for the Games. This was a goal she could never achieve, however, because a curse was placed upon Pearl the instant she was born: she was the family the disgrace. Weak, cowardly, and timid, Pearl was the complete antithesis of her mother. Diamond, her sister, was the only jewel that shined in her mother’s eye. They shared too many traits to count, including ferocity in the arena and viciousness towards others. Both treated Pearl like a speck of dust; existing, but too small to be anything at all. To the public, her mother would never admit her disappointment of Pearl’s progress and personality, but she knew it was there. She could see it in her eyes.

Not a soul acknowledged her presence in the dining room. She ate her breakfast in silence and listened to her family talk amongst themselves. Diamond and her mother discussed training techniques and school, and her fathers rambled about the latest news to nobody in particular. She tuned into her father a bit more, seeing as how he was the only one who didn’t treat her like a useless pet, and allowed her ears to drown the voices of the other two women. After she downed her glass of milk she washed everybody’s dishes and finally freed herself from the cage by walking through the front door. The aftertaste of winter greeted her small body and promised her a season of warmth, grace, and happiness. Pearl hoped that this promise - unlike others - would never be broken.

The refreshing outside air relaxed her enough to draw her to the crowds of the town centre. Crowds tended to suffocate her as well as her family, but she strayed away from the airless areas and walked within her own personal bubble. At the moment she was uncertain of her destination and trusted her instinct to guide her, but part of her felt eager to suddenly escape the bustling area and find a place of her own. She had several private places to relax and enjoy herself, however she could not decide which one to visit, and by the time she had an idea it was far too late.

Something dark appeared at her feet. The black leather contrasted with her white shoes, and she quickly realized upon inspection that it was a lost wallet. Her instincts told her to return it to its rightful owner - and that’s exactly what she did. She picked it up in time to find a second hand reaching for the same object. Slightly startled, she jumped backwards and looked at the owner of this hand. It was a man that couldn’t be over three years older than her, and the way he had so casually reached for the material told her that this was the wallet’s owner. And she had just swiped the precious monies right out of his grasp.

Sometimes, despite a polite and respectful attitude people will still spit in your face, and when the wallet was so suddenly snatched out of her hands she could imagine the flames spewing between the stranger’s lips. With a face twisted into a scowl and eyes that bore into her like searing hot blades he spoke to her rather bitterly. He accused her of playing the “nice-girl” act and treated her as if she were a thief. Backing away instinctively, she shook her head. This was not happening. An innocent act had turned into something dangerous - and could she trust him not to hurt her? Broad daylight was not the place for an attack, but who was she to judge complete strangers? The man towered above her and by a mere glance it was evident by his build that he could crush her like a grape with bare hands. Suddenly, her heart was racing and her anxiety was spiking.