Parsnip Todd // District 9

My hair alternates between being wavy and curly, and is always puffy, black as night too, contrasting against my pale smooth skin. My dim blue eyes stare innocently in no particular direction. My small round nose and thin little mouth fit nicely on my fragile face. I never seem to be gleeful, like my sister Ingrid, but keep the same expression.

I am short and gaunt, and very weak. I wear plain clothes most of the time, and go barefoot, but on reaping day that changes. I dress very nicely. I have a nice ruffled dress I made myself, and put ribbons in my hair. This is in memory though, not something I celebrate but rather something I feel I must do.


I have always been the silent type, but I am a good person. I am honest, fair, loyal, you name it. Sometimes I can be considered a bit of a goody-two-shoes, but I'm dumb as a doornail in school. People know me as someone who will listen to their problems but never speak of her own. I occasionally gives some good advice, leading to me having one or two friends I can trust. My secrets are her secrets though, period.

I can be very productive, but also very childish at times. I get hit by random swings of nostalgia, and in these times I like to just sit and cry. It's impossible to comfort me during a mood swing, and you might call me a bit bipolar if I ever managed to get angry, which I hardly ever do. I'm not easily shaken, and will bare through a lot before becoming irritated. When I am, my voice goes from quiet to an actual whisper, and my fists will ball up so slowly. You'll know when I've lost it.

I'm a talented sewer, and occasionally someone may request clothing and give me some cloth, or need something repaired, and go to me. Especially in the community home, were every always needs something fixed. I deny many requests though, intent on not being to busy. I like windows, so I look out and be idle, and do nothing. It's lazy but it's better than working. Not good of me, I know, it's my dirty little secret, okay? Now pretend I winked.


I was born to Wence and Carol Todd, the middle child of three. As a young girl I played with my older sister often, and when Ingrid came along I just went straight into loving her. We were a close trio, though Esme was much closer in age to me than Ingrid.

Our life truly changed when I was eleven. It was Esme's first reaping, and my parents were to frightened to allow her to go. We tried to skip the reaping altogether, and after the first few minutes we heard a knock at the door. I recall her grabbing Esme's hair and wrapping an arm around my stomach and shoving us under the bed, and peeking out from under I saw her shove Ingrid in the cupboard. The peacekeeper entered to see why we were not resent, and my father bolted. My mother scrambled to grab my sister. I saw her glance in our direction, but only for a second so as not to give us away. I had a feeling she wanted us to follow her, but Esme held my arm and kept me under the bed. We heard gunshots a minute later. The next day the peacekeepers came to collect Esme and I to go to the community home.

I was semi-popular in the community home. They came to me for advice, and for fixing their clothes. After a year I slowed them down and only did a few, entering my lazy, depressed ways and forgetting how to smile. A few of the younger children referred to me as Angel because of the way I spoke, lightly and honest but sweet all the same. It's strange, because that actually was my middle name. I still preferred Parsnip though.

When I was sixteen my sisters and I went out togetherfor a walk and talked a little. We talked about our parents, other people in the community home, and our favorite things. We were much to bored to care what we spoke of, and a few secrets may have been spilled. Let's just say I know enough to blackmail my sisters if I want to.