So Close & So Very Far Away [OPEN]

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Double M
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last seen Jan 22, 2015 17:36:35 GMT -5

So Close & So Very Far Away [OPEN] Dec 30, 2014 18:36:09 GMT -5

Post by Double M on Dec 30, 2014 18:36:09 GMT -5

Was it the Capitol that forced me into this fear, so I'd not trust this boy? One with more hope in his soul then the rest of our district combined. There was still a small flicker of hope in me some where, deep within me a small fire brewed - keeping my heart from freezing over completely. Even so I couldn't help but fight his words, how could I believe in something so far fetched? So distant, the world outside these walls is another universe I've never considered I'd be able to pass into. Yet here this broken boy is, telling me tales of a land filled with freedom and life - neither of which prosper in district eleven.

I look up into Sampson's eyes, not afraid to lock my gaze with his - if only for this moment. My words had deeply affected him, I can see it in his eyes how strongly he believes in his stories. Usually, it's easy to tell when someone is telling a fib. But with Sampson? It was proving to be quite a puzzle. I didn't know who or what to believe anymore. My whole view on this world has come into questioning by just a few words spoken by this boy. That was the kind of power he had - and I'm not sure whether it should scare me, or enlighten me.

“He—Rum Tum… my brother… wanted me to come back here,” He says, finally giving an explanation. “It was winter and we were lost, didn’t have no food and—he didn’t want me to die out there. Said,” He chokes for a moment, and I sigh. “I needed to be back with people who could take care of me.” Sampson shrugs. “He was blind and… we weren't doing so good. Even though he lived outside the wall his whole life, he… we couldn’t make it on our own. Not like that.” he says sternly. It made since, the Capitol has told us there ain't nothing good out there for us. Nothing but wild animals and oak trees, though honestly that's all we get inside these walls, too. So what's the real point in trying to get out of these chains? To die from disease in freedom rather than within the district? Neither of our choices seem very savory. There is no escaping our deathly fates.

“There’s an old rainwater tunnel out past the Hale farm. ‘Sbeen there since Rum Tum was a kid. ‘S how his momma could come in and out the district,” I say matter-of-factly. “To see my pa.”
he finally spits out, giving perhaps the first bit of concrete information. I perk up at the idea, if this so-called rain tunnel was in fact passable, then perhaps it is all possible. But I wonder, have our peacekeepers been slacking so far that a woman has been able to sneak in and out unnoticed? “Look. I don’t tell lies. I can show you the same tunnel where I came out of, and back into. I swear it.” he says, but that has still yet to be seen. Even with this new information, I'm still far from trusting this boy. We're still strangers, and this whole thing spells a whole lotta' trouble for the both of us. Though Sampson seemingly is one to shy away from trouble. Should I take a chance on him? Set aside what I've been taught and listen to him, to myself? The Capitols voice had been so loud, so drowning that I've not heard much else for a long time.

"Maybe.. just maybe you are tellin' truths," I say, hesitantly. "-and let's just say I believe you, when can you show me? We can't risk it at night fall and with the games coming to an end - the keeper's ought to be more alert." I question him as if he has all the answers. Like he was the only one here who had a clue. "Why you wanna show me anyway? Why you doin' this?" I pester him now with even more questions, it was the only defense I had against whatever I was gettin' myself into. Here Sampson is, battered and beaten but still pushing himself to believe in something that might not even exisit. Then here I was, a small girl from the fields who lost hope a long time ago. He's given out so much to me in just the short period we've known each other, and I've still not even granted him my name. I cross my arms over my chest, closing myself off to him and trying to retain my body heat.

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So Close & So Very Far Away [OPEN] Jan 1, 2015 20:45:10 GMT -5

Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2015 20:45:10 GMT -5

Sampson Izar	[----]
District 11	----

A Little piece in a big, big universe

It’s selfish for me to want her to believe me. The whole world dark as it is, and I have to go and pull this girl down into the well with me, as though there will ever be any chance for escape. They taught us that we can’t—shouldn’t—have any hope, but even those that win haven’t won anything at all. Victors are just pawns of the capitol, and all the rest of us were left to rot in the districts long ago. I saw it in my brother when he was taken from us, and saw it in Iago, too. There’s some kind of fantasy that by living in the rules, we’ll be able to escape what hardships we got here for something better. It’s a false hope. The kind that turns to rust in your mouth when you let it sit long enough. It’s why I know that the only world is the one outside of their games, and outside of their rules, too.

So why would I want to tell this girl any of this? Why not just stock away what I can, and run off in the night when no one can find me. I’m bigger now. Still frail but I got a head on my shoulders and I don’t care if I die outside these walls. Because even if we feel hopeless in here, it’s a lot better out there, where you can at least feel the wind on your back and the cold on your cheeks and know that it’s yours. My life ain’t tied down to District Eleven, even with my ma and pa and brother still here. They’re shadows that circle ‘round. Ma sleeps all day, and pa spends more hours in the fields than man half his age. Deval, if you can even find him, won’t speak more than two words to me no more. But still—and I can’t shake it—this place pulls me back down, just like the cold, hard earth does to my feet. If Rum Tum taught me anything, it’s that living for others is the only thing that makes us better than the animals. Without that, we ain’t got nothin’ to depend on.

But that don’t answer her question, do it?

“You and me,” I say, locking glances with her. She’s got more focus now. There’s a flicker there in those eyes. Even if she don’t believe me, she’s giving me the chance to lift up whatever I’ve managed to stir and make it whole. “We ain’t so different.” I don’t have much faith in people, but now—seeing just the hint of curiosity, I want to keep the fire going. “You could’ve left, could’ve run off. But you ain’t yet. And now you want to know what I know. ‘Cause you know there’s more out there, even if you ain’t ever been able to see that.” I manage a smile. “Because you’re bigger’n this place, too. You want to be more than just a rat runnin’ around catchin’ crumbs.” I cough to clear my throat and rub my hands together.

“Well I know that there are people like you and me. They just need to wake up, ‘cept they don’t know how. Now I don’t know the first thing about it,” I say, taking a deep breath, “But if I can just show one more person what’s true and what ain’t, then I can feel better.” And that’s the selfishness coming out of me again. Wanting to feel better helps the pain go away, but more than that, it gives me a purpose. I can’t go around tilling soil and getting stepped on. I’d rather run head first into the bullet of a peacekeeper than spend the rest of my life like that. But before all that, I’ve got to try turning the tide, even if just a little bit.

-and let's just say I believe you, when can you show me? We can't risk it at night fall and with the games coming to an end - the keeper's ought to be more alert.

Almost to answer her request, the bells begin to ring from the town square. My breath burns bright in the air, and I give another smile. “There’s a fight happenin’ now. Gots to be. Did the same thing for my brother, and for Iago too—probably Crusader then. Peacekeepers will be swarming the town square to make sure that they can handle everyone. By the time anyone notices we’re missing, we can make it there and back.” In my head it’s a perfect plan: the Hale’s farm will be empty when we walk through, and a quick peak at the drain is all it will take to make my words real. It’ll give me more tessera for not showing up on time but—it’s a price I’m willing to pay if it means she’ll believe me. ~~If anyone will believe me.~~

“We got to go now, though.” I say, my voice firm. I offer a hand. “Come with me, and I’ll show you. Cross my heart and hope to die.”

* * *

HAYANA OF CAUTION 2.0

Double M
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19 POSTS

last seen Jan 22, 2015 17:36:35 GMT -5

So Close & So Very Far Away [OPEN] Jan 2, 2015 23:05:25 GMT -5

Post by Double M on Jan 2, 2015 23:05:25 GMT -5

What is life like outside the prison of the districts? How do the rich ones live in the Capitol? Do children play and laugh without a care? Do parents gaze upon their children without fear of them being called to battle? I heard once that they have so much food, they even throw out what they can't finish. While we sit here and starve to death, plucking and plying food they can't even find room for. Then I wonder, if we lived outside these walls buried in the trees - would any harvest we find, be ours without fear of punishment? Funny how somethin so simple as takin' a chomp out of an apple is what separates life in here, from out there.

That's when reality sets in, back to the fire that slowly starts to burn away into nothing but ash, with the boy who preaches of a life of freedom. I take a deep inhale of air, as what feels like mostly ashes fills my lungs. My body stays opposite of Sampson, but even so I still feel his gaze upon me. It sends shivers up and down my spine, my small body trembles. I look over my shoulder, and there he stands over me like a shadow. All I can see is his piecing eyes in the darkness. "You and me-" he says, as if he's known me for longer than this night. "We ain’t so different." Sampson explains. "But we are-" I say under my breath, so low it's inaudible to him. Sampson questions why I haven't escaped back into the night yet, why I've stayed and listened to him this long. I guess I wonder that myself. Something was thrusting me to trust him, like a magnate - no matter how much I wanted to pull away, here I stayed. Living in this escape from the real world.

“Well I know that there are people like you and me. They just need to wake up, ‘cept they don’t know how. Now I don’t know the first thing about it,” He says. “But if I can just show one more person what’s true and what ain’t, then I can feel better.” he turns.

Now I'm staring to see that this is just as much about provin' it to himself as it is to me. Maybe even more. Perhaps all I am to him is the pinch he needs to know his dreams are reality. I should be mad, but I just feel sorry for him. It's almost easier to have no dream at all than to have them shattered before you. If he even did take a step outside these walls, waking up back here must've been worse than never having done it at all.

Screech! Just then a loud siren goes off, so loud and potent that even way out here in the fields we can hear it ringing our ear drums. The sound almost scares me right out of my body. Instantly I thought "this is it - we been caught out here." but nothing follows. No sound of footsteps, no beams of light peaking through the shrubbery. It must be for the games, we are herded into the town square any time a death is about to take place. Could it be Crusader? The tribute from our district, whose size puts a willow tree to shame. If he's dead, then what hope do any of us have? Everyone thought he'd be our districts first winner in awhile. Why should I even care? He's better of dead now, then living with the guilt of what he became in the arena.

“There’s a fight happenin’ now. Gots to be. Did the same thing for my brother, and for Iago too—probably Crusader then. Peacekeepers will be swarming the town square to make sure that they can handle everyone. By the time anyone notices we’re missing, we can make it there and back.”

Sampson had the same thought, Crusader had likely died. Part of me instinctively starts to scurry towards the sqaure, like a mouse to cheese. It was the first time I'd realized how brainwashed I really was. But Sampson's voice stops my feet from moving, if there were ever a perfect time to go to the wall this would be it. But the window of opportunity is gonna be closin on us quickly. They will realize we ain't there by the time they shove everyone into the square. I look down, and see his frail, broken looking hand out toward me. Slowly my gaze looks up to his eyes, as he stares with a small kind of smile I'd not been accustomed to seeing. Delicately, I place my hand in his, and I feel the hairs on my arm stand up. It was as if a shock wave was sent through my veins. Then just as quickly, off we were. He drags me through the darkness, leading me to what is surely to be my death.