Frankel's Storage Shed

It is selfish for me to think that I am the only one here with people waiting for me back home. Surely there must be someone praying in Twelve for Stella’s return, a heart that cares for her more than what I do.

"Don't you have family to go back to?"

"Just my dad. But.....he wasn't even there the day of the Reaping. I couldn't find him in the crowd. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye."

"There must be at least someone waiting for you there?"

"Other than him and Allie, it was always about dance to me. Just me and my studio. I didn't have time for anyone else."

What a reveal, so much learnt from my ally in this short conversation. There has not been much talk between us of what is back home, I don’t think I have even spoken about my sisters with her; not that I can remember every conversation that I have had. This talk of a hobby that has moulded her, far more exciting that my floral collection. I have not seen that many dancers in District Nine before.

"Just get home for yourself then. I wish I had the opportunity to see you dance." A spectacle of a show and I will never have the opportunity to witness it. "It was nothing special. It certainly doesn't prepare you for the brutality here. It was just another form of escape." Nothing will prepare even the strongest career for the games, cannons sounding across the arena and there is no sign of the career who left our camp this morning. Is he amongst those who have fallen today?

"I can show you some steps. You'll have to make up music though." My body moves with her request, never have I been to quick to try something. I leave behind my pile of goods as I stand up. "We don't need music, we...” Sour words nearly dropped from my lips,we have each other and that’s enough. Really she is the image of my sister, there is no way that I can such thoughts to add to the plague in my mind. “I have never really done this before." Another amateur in an act that will likely flag me as a fool, here is my opportunity to be an embarrassment.

"Here, come here. Raise your right hand up and grip my waist with your left. I'll lead but technically, you're supposed to. And don't you dare step on my toes."

Slowly my hands follow her instructions as I take hers, resting each hand on the appropriate part of her body. A giggle parts from my lips at her last comment as I awkwardly follow her lead, what a performance we must be putting on right now and well, I am enjoying it.

"It is really warm; do you feel warm too?" Something has taken flight within me, during this moment we have spent dancing together. A burning inside unlike anything that I have experienced before and I just want to extinguish it. I don’t want to feel this.

"Am I making you nervous, Finley?" My burning cheeks must be so obvious to her, I beg for the fire to settle, I don’t want this to become untamed. "I am always nervous, I don't think this is nerves...it's probably all that fire from today." An excuse picked from a pile that dropped into my mind.

Stella’s hands drop from mine and I guess that marks the end of it.

CATHY LE ROUX

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