Surprise, Surprise! [Zoë]

timothy feldon – district 9
i l l s t e a l y o u

Wonderful. Simply feckin’ marvellous. Yet another pretentious party I had to attend with Dad, just to show me off to all the old men in suits and ties, all silently judging each other by how shiny their shoes were or how much money they were making. I was happily enjoying watching the sunset sink under the surrounding mountains from the neighbour’s rooftop, accompanied by a few crows that had fluttered into the roof, my hands itching to paint the oranges and pinks that blended together perfectly, when Dad had announced that we’d be going out.

After a hefty round of barked questioning and foul looks, on the brink of argument, I’d reluctantly climbed down from the roof and bid the sunset goodbye - I’d have to wait ‘till tomorrow evening. The only reason I forced myself back to the ground was the lingering thought of having to go back to school if I did not attend. That’s the bargain, between me and Dad. Not attending parties and gatherings equals school. Attending equals freedom. Well, freedom from school. There’s no such thing as true freedom in Panem.

Bitterly, I’d dragged myself back to our house, a small little building in a row of houses with tilting rooftops perfect for leaping across, and began to tidy myself up. I knew what was expected of me, considering I had to go through the same tiresome routine every week, so I made somewhat of an effort. Better to feel uncomfortable for a few hours than to be pestered by Dad for days on end. Hauling a comb through my ragged hair and slipping into more tidier clothes than the ripped jeans and old t-shirt I previously donned, I met Dad in the living room, waiting for me by the door, and began to badger him for information.

”Dad, where are we going?”

timothy feldon – district nine
i l l s t e a l y o u

I cautiously approached the girl, shifting my body movement so I was in her line of vision. I didn't want to scare her off, putting on my friendliest expression. A lot of people were immediately put off when they passed me - probably because I don't look like the most approachable person. I try not to let it get to me, but whatever. Hopefully a friendly, genuine smile would do.

I slid up towards her and waited patiently for a moment until she spotted me. As her head turned towards mine I smiled, wondering if I had scared her as I read her frozen expression. Just when I thought I'd scared her senseless and wondered about leaving her be, her face lit up with excitement.

"Hello!" she beamed in elation. “I’ve never seen you before. Who are you?” she asked, but before I had time to introduce myself, another burst of speech left her mouth. “My name is Finch” she continued, and I decided to pause for a moment until I was sure she was finished talking. She seemed to be talking rather enthusiastically for someone she had just met, wide eyes bright, as if she had never talked to anyone else before. The way she glanced around the room for a moment, as if she wasn't sure she should be talking at all, confused me a little more. Odd, I thought, but shrugged it off as she turned back to me - practically bouncing with excitement.

“Are you here for me? Did Mort throw this party for us? He is finally letting me have a friend!” she asked with a vivid smile, getting more and more excited each query. I wasn’t sure how to answer her questions honestly without her smile vanishing, the poor thing, still confused as to why she wasn’t allowed friends. Instead, I continued to smile and came up with the most sincere response I could think of. “I don’t know, but I’ll certainly be your friend, Finch. I’m Timothy, by the way” I added. I honestly didn’t have the heart to break her enthusiasm – although I didn’t have ‘friends’ as the sort, only by choice, I knew what it was like to feel a little lonely sometimes. I was sure Mortimer wouldn’t mind, besides, what was the worst that he could prevent?

ooc; Sorry that this took so long! School has been hjsfjksjksfdh these first few days back and I was away from home for a few days – hope its ok for how small it is D: Bigger posts to come, promise! ^^

--- when your bird is broken will it bring you down ,.

It takes time for Finch to reply. It's not an awkward, tangible pause - more like a pause in which someone drowns themselves in deep thought. I hardly ever surface from this pool of mind myself, so I let her think. Process what has happened, the poor little thing. Never before had I seen or met someone so fragile, so delicate. I wanted to wrap her up in bubble wrap and keep her safe. Then as soon as that thought hits me, I'm struck with surprise. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to keep anyone safe before, besides for myself. I was always a keep to myself kind of person. Even Finch has her dog to keep her company. A companion: at times, someone that I would long for hours on end. Lack of company never used to bother me much, but now, seeing someone so sad, so lonely, still manage to find comfort in another life, made me feel poignant. Even the small little birds on my rooftop kingdom would all fly away eventually.

Pulling herself out of her floating thoughts, Finch turns to me and smiles. Her words are bright and excited, so full of hope – and for a small moment I regret making her put so much faith in me. Because what have I ever done to deserve anything like that? I’m not special. I’m no hero. And yet, I want to be. Her nervous actions and requests for help and grasp on my arm suggest that I have to help. I want to help. My lips move to agree to her request, promise to help – before she asks another question altogether. ”I’ve never been outside, you know. What’s it like out there?”

And in that moment, my heart seems to break for Finch. A beautiful catastrophe robbed of living for so many years. How do you answer that? How do you explain the world, the sky, the grass, the air, the birds, the feeling you get when you're soaring, against pattering feet on rooftops and whooshes of oxygen in your ears? For a moment, my fingers twitch in a yearn for piano keys to compose what I'm trying to explain - and then it all rushes to my head in a blur of emotion and colour and vision. "It's..." I begin hesitantly, settling my ground, testing the waters with my toes. There's so much to tell, so much to describe, and for a moment I'm lost for words, for I am faced with a challenge for immense and difficult and tricky than I've ever had to confront before.

And my mind opens up and words come tumbling out, spilling from my eyes and ears and fingertips.

"It's beautiful, Finch. When you look hard enough. The sky is oh-so blue and the people bustle about, there's murmurs of voices and a constant current of life beneath you when you climb up on the rooftops and dash from home to home. And grass, it tickles in between your toes, and smells like dirt and trees - trees, they're great for climbing too, because if you get high enough, you can see the sky stretch across the whole district and watch clouds tumble over your head. Buildings stretch above your head, and when the day ends the sky turns into a palette of oranges and pinks and purples and then the stars peep back at you, and if it's really cold your breath billows out in puffs of smoke, an-"

In my passionate, bewildered excitement, I find myself crashing to a concrete pause. Never have I wanted to share my palace in the sky above my home. It's always been my place, somewhere I can escape to. And then I look at Finch, someone so starved of the world and it's colour, smells, feel - all I want to do is share it with her. Not just above, but below, all around. Brick walls and dusty roads and the smell of chimney smoke and rain. Everything and anything. She deserves to experience what the world, if only in the bounds of Ten, has. And maybe even further, if we're feeling brave. We could take off, disappear. No-one could catch us, no-one could stop us. My entire life I've wanted to run away. Now it seems that perhaps I'll not only be running, but sharing it, too.

The ideas tumble and collect in my head, and the words have fallen from my tongue before I can stop to think. "I'll take you, Finch. I'll show you. I'll steal you away, and we'll run, you and me." For all I know, I could be sounding insane - but the opportunity is too great to second-guess. Eyebrows raised in a questionable expression, I finish with "Today. Right now. We could go right now and they'd never notice. What do you think?"

And I hope with all my might that she thinks so, too.

describing ;; thinking ;; talking ;;