Arvel Baron | D13 {FIN}

tw: child abuse

Everyone in the entirety of the world has importance. No matter what they do for a living, what type of family life they were born into or what they've done wrong in their past, every single person who's every been created is important in at least some small way, shape or form. I've heard too many people tell me that they're not important. As a medic for District Thirteen, injured people have told me to just let them die because no one will miss them. I explain to them that they are important, that I would miss them, and that there's no way in hell I'd let them just die.

I always put up a fight for my patients. If someone is sick or injured, I make sure they're taken care of in the absolute best way possible. I will never let someone die or remain in pain if I have a way to prevent it. I believe that part of the reason that I believe in everyone's importance is because, when I was growing up, I was told I wasn't important. I grew up in a household that was not very kind to me, and not only did I feel worthless, but I was told that I was.

Growing up in a poorer part of District Nine might have had something to do with it, I'm not entirely certain, but my parents were always stressed and acted out on my sister and I because of it. I grew up in a rather run-down home. My parents told me that I wasn't worth anything because I didn't make enough money with my work. I was only fifteen, and also a full-time student. In all honesty, I couldn't help it, and no matter how much I wanted to help my parents to make them feel better, I couldn't take the way they treated my sister and I anymore.

Not only did they yell at my sister Axel and I, but they would hit us- beat us, even- when things didn't quite go the way that they wanted them to. As things started to get much worse, Axel and I realized that we needed to get away from the situation that we were currently living in, as it wasn't safe for either of us. When Axel was fourteen and I was fifteen, we ran away from District Nine and made our way into the woods beyond the boundaries of where we were meant to be. We ventured through the woods for several days, and after about a week, as under-prepared teens, we had almost run out of food and water. Luckily, someone who found us out in the woods was willing to help.

When we first encountered the man in the woods, Axel and I were very cautious. We were afraid he may be with the Peacekeepers and therefore with the Capitol. If he were, there was a chance he'd get us executed or turned into avox servants, so we were careful with our interactions with him. Eventually, however, he gained our trust, and he led us somewhere safe. He brought us to District Thirteen.

Upon arriving in District Thirteen, we were taken care of. We were given food and water, as well as new clothing and a place to stay. We were finally in a comfortable space again. We both started jobs, becoming hardworking members of the District Thirteen society. My personal goal was to be able to help people like these people had helped us. Therefore, I became a medic and decided that I'd do everything in my power to help those living in District Thirteen, as well as anyone new who came along into the District.

My sister Axel now works as a cook for District Thirteen citizens. She makes sure that those who need food are able to get it, and she donates her time towards preparing the food. I appreciate everything that she does here in Thirteen, and even though she's not a medic like me, I still feel as if she's just as important with the work that she does. I also feel that she's saving lives by doing this, which is a very big thing to be doing. We both enjoy our work, and I'd imagine that it'll always stay that way.

When it comes down to it, I'll admit, although I find everyone else to be important, I often struggle with my on self-confidence. Whether it be that I think I'm not good enough as a person or that something with my appearance is a little bit off, like my ear being a tad too big, I have some things I need to work on building confidence with. I'll get there someday, though. I'm sure of that. Things just tend to take time, especially when you're wounded emotionally like I am. Day by day, though, I improve.


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notes: This section of the bio was written within the 86th Post-A-Thon time frame.
words: 806