Let's Never Look Back {Cameo}

The dirty blonde curls were fogging the small girl's vision as she continued to run, though unsure of what from. Only that she had to get away, and as much as she tried to brush the locks behind her tiny ears they blocked her vision from the path she was scattering down. The mud bellow her bare feet became more and more slippery as if it was becoming the swamps. A simple trip brings her tumbling down to be covered in filth, and then defend herself against a raging mutt. But as hard as the little girl attempted to fight she had no comparison.

Instinctively Sophia covered her mouth as she was startled awake from another nightmare. It had only been a week or two since over-hearing her parents heart-wrenching words of their tiny daughter having no chance of being a Career, and that to her Father made Sophia useless, ever since Sophia was loosing sleep over countless of nightmares, often making her an early bird. Before it was impossible to get the little girl up, now it was difficult to even sleep.

Rubbing her eyes as if to remove the tiredness, Sophia smiled at herself in the mirror and giggled over her crazy hair flying in every direction. There was no use to her to sweat over her nightmares, a frown was stupid and useless. After an attempt to tame her hair she decided to simply put it up in a messy bun. Sophia slipped on any clothes that her scrawny fingers grabbed before skipping out of the house.

After a horrible nightmare, the best thing to do to get it off her mind was training. It was always fear over the hunger games, and Sophia felt the more she trained the less she would have to worry, though it has yet to even lessen the terror dreams. Still that didn't stop Sophia from skipping all the way to one of the gyms; there was quite a few so she simply went where the wind toke her because eventually she'd come across a Career gym.

Pushing open the door, the first thing the small yellow-eyes gazed upon was the sparkle of a knife in someone's hands. "How pretty." Sophia whispered getting her tiny body past the heavy door, then she realized she intruded on someone and was quick to scatter to something to hide behind; or the wall of the hallway that led to the locker rooms. It was unusual for someone to be training so early when the sun was just breaking through the horizon.

Peering her head around the corner to see who it could possibly be, it was a relieving sound to hear a girl's voice. For some reason guys' were just so intimidating. An attempt to see who it was before the other person saw her never worked, because for Sophia to get even an eye around the corner her curls would stick out a few inches revealing her hiding.

"I'm Sophia." She answered quietly though it echoed clearly through the empty gym for the other person to hear. "Who are you?" Sophia asked cocking her head to the side as a smile spread across her innocent face to reveal her dimples. It was only a girl a few inches taller, and she looked pretty and nice, Sophia found no fear and even guessed they were around the same age.

A kind reply was the cherry on top for Sophia to know the girl she walked in on was no threat, and by the laugh in her voice was actually happy to encounter the little girl. "That's a pretty name." Sophia complimented, though it was her response to hearing anyone's name. "It's unique." She said perking up a little as she approached Kai with the usual hint of skipping in her walk.

From the distant guess of her being pretty and nice was correct once Sophia reached Kai and had a better vision; her voice was sweet, but that could of been because of who Kai was talking to, Sophia was used to being talked to differently. Sophia was certainly jealous over her long wavy blonde hair that toke hours for the small girl to have. Up close Sophia was a good four inches shorter, she knew they weren't too far in age on account most people in her own grade stood even taller.

"Mhm." Sophia answered with a head nod that caused a few curls to come loose from the bun. It was clear the Kai was a Career as well from the toned muscles at a young age, muscles Sophia couldn't seem to get as much as she tried herself. So Sophia felt silly asking the same question back. "I can tell you do." Sophia says with a giggle not wanting to be rude for not asking Kai the same question, maybe it'd even come off as a compliment, which Sophia loved giving.

Then something unexpected happens and Kai walks over to the racks of weapons to bring back another knife. An offer to help the tiny girl train completely brightens Sophia's face with joy. When people saw her they only felt bad over the hopeless case, but Kai was actually willing to help her. "Really?" Sophia looked up at Kai with disbelieve, because it felt like that was the nicest thing ever said to her.

Taking the extra knife, Sophia could feel her eyes glisten as she stared at the beautiful weapon. Of course she hated using weapons, but it shined against light and made her eyes giant with enlightenment. Sophia knew better then to take from Career gyms with cameras everywhere, and constant weapon checks. Shaking her small head no, she remembered the nightmare that scared her awake not too long ago. "I'm not very good." Sophia shares with a frown that she quickly replaces with a small smile.

"You could teach me?" Sophia asked though it was rhetorical because that was what Kai was offering, but it was hard to believe anyone could help her with becoming good at using a weapon.

[Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know we started. I apologize!]



Wren wasn't in the mood to be messed with. Already having to talk to her mother on the phone, threatening some guy who tried to hit on her, and having to go get extra supplies from the local gym was enough to make Wren pissed off. It wasn't even noon yet and she'd already almost killed a guy.

"Just perfect," she mumbled when she found out she had to go get the weights and knives that her trainer asked for. It was cold, and that's the thing she most hated. Cold, the icy wind that touched her skin was an unwelcome feeling. Though she had a cold personality didn't mean that she liked the cold.

Wren made sure she bundled up, but not too much unless she met some unpleasant people along the way. That usually happened to her, and it was never a fun time dealing with those type of people. She dressed in some black sweatpants that weren't too baggy and that kept her legs cozy. She put on a long sleeve, tight shirt that kept her warm and made her arms move flexibly. Over that, she put on a gray hooded jacket that was light, but it had fuzz inside that let her keep toasty. Lastly, she put on her black combat boots that she's always loved. She took them everywhere she went, as they were perfect for sneaking around and for getting places in any type of weather that came forth. Wren grabbed the backpack that her trainer told her to get and she finally headed out.

She put the hood over her head to keep her ears warm on the short walk. She kept her long, blonde hair down since she was just going on a trip, as she usually put it up in a high bun, especially when she was training. But she couldn't keep her mind off of the conversation that her mother had said this morning. She never really liked her parents, but this one conversation broke her heart.

"Hello honey, it's nice to hear your voice again," her mother first told her.

"Yeah, the last time you called was 9 months ago," Wren said to her mother on the phone. Her mother was always pushing her to wear dresses and be a 'proper' lady. Wren was so tired of her, and she was glad to get away. She hadn't seen her parents in about four months; it was the last time she got to see her parents before going back to the academy, and she only saw them for a couple days.

The conversation went on with "how are you doings?" and "that's nice" and blah, blah blah. About five minutes into the conversation, Wren could tell her mother was about to cry. Her voice was cracking, she was sniffling, and her mother's voice almost went a whole octave higher than her usual tone.

"I--I need to tell you something. It's about your father," Wren's mother stuttered.

"Is father alright?" Wren asked. Did her old man finally croak? She loved him a lot more than her mother, but she still wouldn't have mind if he died. The only time he really cared about her is when Wren offered to go to the academy. He really wanted her to go, and so she finally said yes.

"Yes dear, he's fine. It's...it's..."

"Spit it out, mother!" Wren's heart was beating fast. She didn't know what to expect. Was father really alright? Did her want to give the family business to her, and her mother was crying tears of joy? There were endless possibilities.

"Your father told me to tell you not to come home. He said that you shouldn't come home unless you are a victor. He said that during the summers you shall stay with a friend, and that you are not our...problem...anymore..."

Her mother's voice faded out with those last three words, and Wren was speechless. She was sixteen, and she was already being kicked out. Was she not good enough? Have her parents always secretly hated her? Was she just another person in the way of the Williams' fishing business? There was no use replying or thinking of a million different possibilities, because Wren knew that she would never be given one. Wren simply hung up the phone, and she knew she would never come back to that home again.

Wren finally got to the gym and looked through the window. Two other girls were in there throwing knives. Wren ducked her head, hoping the two didn't spot her.

This is just getting worse and worse by the minute, Wren thought while she was ducking. The streets were empty, so she could focus her attention on the gym. If they were talking about something important, she could listen, but from this distance it was close to impossible. Though she probably wouldn't get anything out of eavesdropping, it wouldn't hurt to do it either.

She quickly opened the door and ran to the office that was placed at the side of the building. There was a machine that hid her well there, so she just stayed quiet, hoping to hear a good word from these two ladies.

Kai couldn’t help but smile as she watched Sophia attempt the routine. She reassured Kai that she knew how to use knives, and then proceeded to mimic Kai’s movements exactly. She was doing well in principle, but it was clear something was wrong as she stared down the dummy. Sophia’s eyebrows knit together in concentration, but soon the fear became apparent on her face. Kai waited in anticipation for the knife to go sailing across the room, but the throw never came. Instead Sophia turned to Kai with a response to her question.

“Career family,” she murmured, and Kai had to choke back a laugh. She didn’t know Sophia very well, but she couldn’t imagine her surrounded by a family of tough Careers. “What about you?” The question instantly stomps out all the laughter Kai had been feeling moments ago. Her eyes darkened and she looked away from the girl in front of her. You don’t need to tell her. If you don’t talk about it, the pain will go away. It was such a simple question, but Kai could think of no way to answer it. There was no way she could explain about her dysfunctional family, about watching a sister she thought she’d never see again be slaughtered. She couldn’t say that she was terrified of the exact same thing happening to her; lying in a pool of blood, body broken, her entire existence becoming nothing more than a memory.

[/justify]

What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone

[/color][/right]

Kai is pulled from her nightmarish reverie by the sound of the door opening and closing, and footsteps running past the two girls already in the gym. “Hello?” Kai called, not really expecting an answer. Why did everyone decide to come in this morning? It’s like a mad house in here today. “Whatever” she muttered, turning back to Sophia, who still stood with a questioning look on her face. “Oh, uh, my parents make me train. I think they’re just paranoid that something bad will happen,” she spouted off, praying that the lie didn’t show.

Sophia turns her gaze longingly back on the knife, still held in a throwing grip. She jokes and laughs wearily, but it’s clear her heart’s not in it. Soon, she shivers and turns away from the target, admitting that she can’t. “I don’t like the idea of hurting someone,” she says, shame coloring her face red. “But I have to know how for the arena.” Kai looks down at her, stunned. She couldn’t believe that a little kid could talk about fighting, killing, so easily and with such conviction. She made it clear that she intended to get into the Games, one way or another.

Kai could feel the anger building in the pit of her stomach. It was just so unfair! A whole nation of people forced to fight, to die, for what? For the entertainment of a select few? Kai didn’t think she had felt such rage at anything in her life. The Games had ripped her family apart, taken the breath from her sister’s lungs, and she didn’t want to let that happen to Sophia. “Sophia,” she said, voice lowered. “You don’t have to fight if you don’t want to.” Kai had only intended to talk Sophia down from training and volunteering for the Games. She just wanted to end the injustice for one person, if she could. She could never have imagined how far it would go.

[/justify]

Thanks to you I got a new thing started
Thanks to you I'm not the broken hearted
Thanks to you I'm finally thinking 'bout me

[/color][/right]

(I was just going to wait a couple of posts. Sorry for the confusion!)

“Yes I do.” Those words from Sophia were like knives in Kai’s heart. She didn’t want to hear this. Sure, Kai wasn’t much older than Sophia, but she would do everything she could to never find herself in an arena. Sophia, on the other hand, completely intended to get into the Games. It was so unfair! Didn’t she know that she would be killed? Kai was a generally optimistic person, but she just couldn’t see Sophia winning. It’s true that she was adorable and sweet, so she would get a lot of sponsors, and maybe some tributes would hesitate to attack her at first, but there’s no way that would last. How could she make Sophia see the truth?

Before Kai could say anything, Sophia turned from her, effectively cutting off the conversation. She threw the knife, leaning into it. The knife sailed through the air, but dropped off early. Not surprising, considering how small she was. She probably hadn’t built up the strength to accurately through the knife high enough, yet. Even so, the knife still managed to stick in the dummy’s side. Not bad for her first shot.

[/justify]

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

[/right]

Sophia didn’t seem pleased, though. She rushed to pull the knife from the dummy and give it back to Kai, exclaiming that she could have scratched the blade. Kai didn’t quite understand the wonder with which Sophia looked at the knives; like it was made of gold and far too valuable to be used for fighting. “I’m not nearly as good as you,” Sophia murmured dejectedly, completely changing the subject from the previous conversation. It was clear she didn’t want to practice with the knives anymore, and she certainly didn’t want to talk about it. Then again, Kai was stubborn. She was never one to give in to someone else.

“Sophia,” Kai said, practically begging for her to listen. “You could die, don’t you get that?” Kai closed her eyes, seeing where this was going. She had been thinking about this idea for a long time, but she wasn’t eager to set out by herself. Maybe she could help Sophia get away from the Hunger Games, while helping herself at the same time. “Listen, I want to tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else, okay?” She took a deep breathe, trying to build up the courage to say it. Kai knew that if Sophia wasn’t trustworthy, the whole plan would fall apart.

“Okay, here goes. I’ve been thinking about running away. What if you could leave District Four? If there was a way, would you?” That was it. Kai regretted the words the minute they left her mouth. They were out there now and no matter how bad she wanted to, she couldn’t take them back. All there was to do now was wait and pray that Sophia didn’t turn her in to the peacekeepers.

[/justify]

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just Me, Myself, and I

The words formed a lump in the small girl's throat, multiple times a night the thought of death brutally awakes Sophia but saying the actual word was completely different. It was always out of the fear of knowing Sophia didn't have a chance in the arena just as Kai was kindly getting across. At least Kai had the type of heart to admit it, unlike everyone else that would simply give the stare of pity. Still the truth was painful and Sophia's eyes dropped to the floor because ever still there was nothing she could do. Sophia's parents only had the intention of family fame, and not the needs of their children.

Nodding like a bobble-head Sophia was intrigued to hear what Kai wanted to keep secret. "Promise." She assures knowing that it would a way to stay out of the arena. Maybe there could actually be a chance. With wide, curious eyes Sophia wanted nothing more then to hear a brilliant plan of getting out of her on going nightmare she tried so hard to keep quiet about.

"Really?" Sophia asked in disbelieve once again. Was there really a way to escape? It was certainly a difficult thing to wrap her mind around, never thinking of such an idea. So many horrible things could happen to people that attempt to leave the district, but nothing worse then a fate into the arena.

Before Sophia had a chance to agree an older girl appears, and instantly Sophia feels as if they've already been caught and becomes a deer in headlights. Was she the person that dashed into the gym not to long ago, here to eavesdrop on their plan as if she knew it was going to happen? But instead of a threat to turn them in for such talk, the mysterious girl asks to join in. They could actually be starting something.

"Met to." Sophia agrees with a smile spreading across her chubby cheeks. "But how?" She asks innocently, her smile fading down a little because it would certainly be a dangerous mission.