freedom in [chains] - [josh]

The ending of the games had brought a new sense of determination into Peri's training - if there had been any to begin with. District One was slowly becoming an extremely pointed place to live in, especially with the constant disappointing deaths of their tributes, especially in the final 6. It was now two years in a row that the tributes had gotten so far in the games, only to fail miserably, whether it be by the other representative, beheaded by the victor, killed by a twelve-year old, or spliced to pieces by a love sick fish mongrel. All in all it was incredibly dreadful, and quite embarrassing. Peri wasn't really one to wave a District One flag in the air and celebrate his District in anyway, patriotism wasn't necessarily his strong suit. But to see his home totally wrecked to shambles on such a regular basis was, well, disgusting really.

The earthquake hadn't helped their image either, having the other Districts coming in to help only gave to illusion that they were weak and it was showing. The once strong and illustrious District One was falling to shambles, the once great unbreakable diamond was transforming into a ball ball of coal. Swing, the smooth sailing of the sword through the air was like music to his ears. Power as it spliced through the air, deadly and unforgiving. Perhaps it was the unholy image of his home that brought him to the training centre every morning these days, spending every spare hour that he could afford running laps and swinging weapons, improving on that which he wasn't particularly good at. If only it were as simple to say that.

Life was shit. Really it was as simple as that. Despite the fact that Peri would attempt to throw up smoke and mirrors as he shouted ferociously with the crowd as Stark and Jae were sliced to pieces, and despite how hard he trained to become a stronger tribute that could be provided for District One, in reality, he was just very upset. Life wasn't easy, it never was, and that was a simple thing that he needed to come to terms with, and the boy understood that, but it was the added pressure that was really a killer.

High school kids were supposed to have a certain freedom. Sure between training and school Peri was busy enough, but even in that most kids held up a job, and he was no different. The amazing Myler family jewel shop was really more trouble than it was worth. If anything it was worth nothing more than the scum that had only recently visited from lower Districts. The red carpeted shop was slowly building up giant bars of destruction in Peri's mind, blocking him in and refusing to let him out of the small confines of the glass boxes that held the merchandise. Peri's love for gems was incomparable to absolutely any relationship held in this world, and yet, as he polished his onyx stones and carefully placed each individually birth stone in their rightful place (garnet, amethyst, bloodstone) he found himself almost with an inner quarrel to throw the delicate jewels across the room. Freedom was only a joke now a days.

Peri's dad was sick. That was the simple explanation behind it all. Every day, in bed, on his own he would lay, eyes yellow and skin starting to slowly drag away as if being sucked down to the pits of Tartarus. It was exhausting. Clearly his father was dying, the man could barely move an inch, and whilst Peri refused to come to terms with it, the duty of maintaining an entire store was a little too much to ask of a seventeen year old, especially one who can barely manage to keep up on his own two feet. Yet, his father couldn't move - wouldn't move, every flick of the wrist seemed to be a movement too far, a huge pain and a scream for help. There was nothing that Peri could do but watch the shop, and that's what he did.

The pressure was getting to him that was for sure, though his walls were up and high, and frustration was at an all time maximum, he kept up the barriers that he very much prided himself on. Despite his many attempts, Peri had yet to truly make a friend - open up to someone, sure there was Clayton, but he had his own problems. And Peri had seldom seemed Anani lately, despite their quick love affair. It was a lonely world to live in, lost in a world of gems and frustration with no escape, especially when one couldn't admit to themselves that they were lonely and frustrated.

Swing, he swung the sword again this time at a dummy, missing it somehow entirely. He blamed the weight of the sword, new and unfamiliar, there was no way he could possibly manipulate such a weighty and bizarre weapon on the first try, and used the same excuse on the boy and arrow, the throwing knives, the glaive. It was one fault after another, fail after fail. It wasn't fair. Peri watched as the bigger brutish boys slammed and cut up the test toys as if they were absolutely nothing and laughed burly laughs as they rolled around in each others body odour, chest bumping and fist pumping. They're lack of intelligence absolutely unbelievable. And then there were the gymnasts, one boy in particular that had just come to the gym showing off on the bars, swinging about as if it were a day at the park. Prat. Smash. Falling right on his face, and on the floor, tears of frustration welled up in his Peri's eyes, this wasn't fair.