{DIRT} {Isabis one-shot}

For the first time in years, Isabis' lips tilted towards the sky. For it was a day to rejoice. Kujo had reached another birthday. His black hair was frizzy from undernourishment, his skin caked with lines of worry and anguish.

They sat together in their treehouse they called home. Two dark stains upon the district. They were ignored by all but the peacekeepers who demanded they attend the reapings. She enjoyed the silence for the most part, but, for today, she wished she could make more noise in celebration of the life of her brother. 

They sat together, hands gripping each other, chestnut eyes locked. They had made it to the beginning of winter, for Kujo's birthday was the fall solstice. The sun would be kinder now, their skin would no longer leak precious water. The fruits would be ripe soon enough.

In honor of his birthday, Isabis had crafted a small basin for Kujo to wash himself. He knew what a treat it was, a birthday gift for her only love. He sat himself down, and allowed her to clean him with a rough towel. 

Dirt slowly came off his back, neck, chest, face.

It swirled with the water and down into the basin. 

Isabis worked with careful hands, trying to remove as much as she could with the little water she could spare. Her hands pushed into his skin, and she looked pleased as more and more spiraled down. Kujo helped scoop up water and washed himself pleasantly. Strange how you never noticed how bad you smelt until you were clean. 

Finally, Kujo was pleased with the cleanse, and began to pull himself up to dry off. But his sister pulled him back down, her eyes still fixated upon a perceived imperfection. She kneaded and rinsed his shoulder, trying to remove the last bit of dirt from his skin. Her eyes suddenly watered, as her knuckles grew white and his eyes grew wide. She simply could not remove it.

With an anguished gasp, she released him. 

Forever dirtied 

She gathered the basin and, without a glance at her brother, turned and climbed down the tree. She dumped the soiled water into the dirt field that stretched around her, and fell to the ground with a small sigh. She was always going to be filthy, and unclean monster. She would never be free of her origins. Among dirt she had grown, and among dirt she would die. She was going to be nothing more. But she had hoped her brother would go on and be better than her, yet, even as he entered his teens, his future was as bleak as hers. Isabis grappled with the future silently, knowing that she could never discuss her future with a brother who felt clean right now.

Her eyes looked upon the horizon, and saw nothing but dirt.