Chapter 11
806 Words
Harmony Griffith POV
"Maybe somewhere
Far away out there
Beyond the rising sun
Is a place
Without fear
Where everything's peaceful and calm
Where it's warm
And we're all safe
To sing
I want to spread my wings
But there's so many things
That keep me on the ground
I wish that we all could run far away
And never be found..."
"Before the sun rises, who knows what the day brings?
Sorrow and pain, they're worlds away
Hope rises again far on the horizon
Reborn every day in life-giving light
To see the world wake is to see the world live
The best and the worst of this world we call home
We don't know what comes next or how it will happen
Yet always and always, life carries on
Never give in to pain and to fear
Never give in, never give up
Reach out your hand to whoever is near
Always remember that you're strong enough
It all seems so hopeless, I want to let go
How can I fight so much evil and pain?
I'm a speck in the wind and a drop in the ocean
I'm here and I'm gone, a flicker of light
Press on and endure, persist and remain
A trickle of water can carve a great valley
Use every moment and fill every day
Each time the sun sets, know that you're not the same
Never give in to pain and to fear
Never give in, never give up
Reach out your hand to whoever is near
Always remember that you're strong enough"
Buckwheat Mager POV
I was engrossed in my work inspecting our new mill wheel when my cousin Sadie interrupted me.
"You have to get going. It's Reaping time," she said. Her eyes darted toward the open door and I could see the fear she was trying to mask with tense humor. Of course she was scared. We were all scared. I wasn't as scared as most of us, but I had good reason.
I'd always picked things up easily. While it seemed like most people in my District, and Panem in general, was content to do their work and scrape by, my thoughts were deeper. I thought about life outside my village and the philosophical questions of life. At work, I learned my duties quickly and I was probably the best worker at the mill.
For that reason, I'd never had to be scared of the Reaping. First off, chances were I'd never get picked. And if I did, I had nothing to worry about. I was miles smarter than the other Tributes. Only the Careers would give me trouble, but I could find a way around that. Maybe pit them against each other, or pick them off from a distance. I didn't want to tempt fate and I was happy with my life, so I'd never volunteered, but it was nice to know I was safe.
"Go ahead. I'll catch up. Just gotta finish this quick," I said. Sadie nervously fiddled with the hem of her shirt and left. I took a final look over the gears and widjets in the milling apparatus and ran after her, reaching her just as she got in line.
I'd always thought Demi was overrated, but lately she hadn't even been trying. She'd been getting less enthusiastic and more slapdash every year. I don't see a ring on her finger. Starting to get a little desperate, maybe? Maybe she had more important things to do then dress up for a bunch of walking corpses. Her outfits, previously so outlandish and perfectly, tackily Capitol, were increasingly dull and frumpy. She was wearing black this year, looking not so much stylish as mournful. Her fingers limply trailed through the paper and she slumped as she read the male name.
"Buckwheat Mager," she said. In past years she'd yelled it out with perky enthusiasm. This time her microphone had to pick up the slack.
After a split second I realized the name was mine. I didn't say anything as I took the stage next to a beautiful slender girl with dark, kinky hair. She was as quiet and still as I was, but probably for different reasons. I just didn't have any reason to be scared. There was no reason why my skin was prickled with goosebumps and my hands were shaking. There was no reason why my eyes stung and my throat was swollen shut. I had no reason to be scared at all...
I made Harmony's POV entirely in song because I thought anything else would just detract. The first song was sent by her submitter, and since otherwise she'd have a ridiculously short POV, I wrote her a second one. Buckwheat is short because he was provided as a fill-in character and he wasn't intended to be complex.
- Writer
