Calm before the {Storm} (open)

A blast of red flies through the sky quickly followed by a blast of orange, and a blast of purple as the sun sinks below the clouds. The bright blue sky quickly turns dark as the moon peeks above the horizon. A gentle breeze with the occasional heavy gust of wind fills the air cooling it off just enough to need a jacket. Leaves rain from the trees in a shower of orange, red, and yellow covering the ground covering the grass almost completely. Occasional specks of grass can be seen poking through the leaves like it's trying to not go unnoticed. The soft smooth wood on the porch is cool to the touch. The door behind me swings open and shut with gust of wind that flies through. A small candle is glowing bright in the window to the living room. The faint color orange glows from the small fire place in the living room, but none of that matters anymore.

I step out the door dressed in my pajamas. A long baggy green short sleeve shirt, and a baggy pair of black sweat pants obviously two sizes too big. A white thin blanket drags the ground behind me. I lay part of the blanket down on the porch before I carefully sit down on it. I bring my knees to my chest covering myself up with the remaining blanket. Tears fall from my hazel eyes running down my face landing on my blanket before disappearing forever. I run a worn hand with broken dirty finger nails covered in calluses through my shaggy brown hair causing the bangs to stick straight up in the air. That's exactly what I need. Messy hair. An eerie silence surrounds me as I scan the area in front of me imaging the sound the leaves make as they fall from the trees flying across the ground. A small smile forms on my face. Normally, I dance with the leaves, but tonight is different.

With all the colors flashing around me, I'm unable to feel the enjoyment I once did. A year ago, my life changed forever. One of my cousins, Jabber, was reaped for the games. I watched as he walked slowly to the stage. I never heard his name, but I'll never forget staring into his eyes before he was swept away into the justice center. I didn't say goodbye. I was too afraid. I was never close to him. I was afraid he wouldn't understand. Next time I saw him, he died. His life taken from him before it should have been. I didn't even say bye. Earlier today, I stood at the district square as the escort drew two names from the bowl again. It was different though because of the quell. I watched, in silence, as Storm made his way to the stage with fear etched on his face. It was clearer than anything I've ever seen. I looked in his eyes before he was swept away like Jabber.

Are we cursed? Tears exploded around me as family ran to say goodbye to him. I felt like someone poured cement around my legs. I couldn't move them no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't bring myself to go say goodbye to Storm. I didn't want to say goodbye because goodbye is the end. It means it's done. How could I say goodbye to him? How could I tell him to win when the chances of survival aren't very high? How can I express my sorrow to the rest of the family? I regret the decision for not going to say bye to him. I regret that I didn't say goodbye to Jabber because he's gone now. I can't say bye to him anymore because he's never coming back. I regret not going to say bye to Storm. I doubt he even has the fight in him to return home. My head rests on my knees as tears continue falling down my face as guilt builds up in my chest making it hard to breathe.

I'm a coward. I don't know what to do. I hate it. I hate that I'm a coward. I respect him, but I didn't respect him enough to say goodbye. My hands ball into fists as a scream escapes my mouth filling the air around me causing anger to surge through my veins. I pound my fists against the wood porch over and over again as the silence grows around me trapping me. The chains wrap around my hands holding them back. I thrash against the night swinging around trying to break lose of it's grips. I'll never know what he sounds like. I'll never know what Jabber sounds like. The blanket flies from my grasp as a huge gust of wind flies through the air. Chills shoot through my skin causing me to shudder slightly. The door behind me flies open knocking the orange glow of the candle out from the window. Please forgive me. Forgive my for everything. I'm so sorry.

If someone would have told me two Jay's would be reaped back to back, I would have laughed in their face because I never dreamed it was possible, but apparently it was possible. I would have fought with everything I had to prove them wrong, but I would have been the one proved wrong. I jerk the blanket covering myself up with it again. A small red leaf dances in the wind without a worry in the world. It flips end over end as the wind carries it far away from the family. The leaf fights to break lose, but the grasp is too strong for it to break away. It struggles continuously, but the wind wins carrying it far away from it's family. The leaf tries to dance back to the rest of the family, but it's too late. Storm is that leaf that's been separated from us, and it'll be a miracle if he returns. I raise my head from my knees as tears pour down my face. I'll see you again one day. I promise.

I slowly force myself to my feet. My bones slide against one another cracking painfully. I wrap the blanket around me leaving a tail as I walk off the porch heading into the distance away from the house. My feet drag through the leaves breaking them in half leaving a path for anyone to follow to find me. I chase after the leaf that's flying away from it's family trying to grab it to bring it back home. My feet bounds against the ground as the blanket drops from my shoulders falling to the ground. The leaf is out of my grasp. It's gone. It's strayed away from the rest. Will it ever find it's way back to it's family or will it return dead and torn? I lower myself down onto the blanket until my back is flat against the ground. My arms fold behind my head as I stare at the moon rising into the sky watching the show as the clouds change. It's the calm that before the storm.

Narration 5589b8
Thoughts ffc26b
Speech 6662c2
(Other 50be94)