Forgotten Tributes: The Arrow Head

Prologue

     "Rhyette, I can't let you do this for me, not anymore." Newt is standing in front of the door, refusing to let his sister pass. "You've already added your name more times than I can count...I can't allow you to sacrifice yourself for me."

     Newt is a fourteen-year-old boy. He is around average height for his age, he and his twin sister are nearly the same size. He has short copper colored hair that sits upon his head. His hair is barely long enough to run your fingers through, and he has many cowlicks that stand up in places. His eyes are a light shade of brown and his skin is a sickly shade of pale. He has many of the same features his twin sister has. If it weren't for their biological differences, one could almost say that they were identical.

     "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for mother." Ryhette, Newt's twin sister, has been taking out tesserae for the past two years. Ever since their mother had gotten sick, she stepped up and became the keeper of the house. Since the two children couldn't hold a stable job in District 9, tesserae was the only way they could put food on the table. It was also the only way their mother could receive her medication.

      The young girl tries to step out of the house yet again, but her brother stops her. A year ago, he would have gladly let her leave. He wouldn't have even batted an eye at his sister making this sacrifice. He was too afraid of making it himself. As their mom continuously got worse...he realized something. There is nothing scarier to him than being alone. Since it's clear that his mother isn't going to be getting better any time soon, he's not going to risk losing his sister too. Not anymore.

     "Well, then let me do it for you." He stands tall, as tall as he can. He isn't going to back down this time.

     "What? No." What was he thinking?! If he began taking out tesserae, then both of them would be at a higher risk of being reaped. Then no one would be here to take care of their mother. This idea was stupid. Newt has never tried stopping her before. Why would he try and stop her now?

     "Why not?"

     "Because." Because, if you do this there is NO guarantee that mom will survive, and even if she does, then we both get reaped, and she loses BOTH of her children. It's a stupid idea.

     "Because it's dangerous, right? Because it's an unnecessary sacrifice...the medicine isn't even helping. Mom isn't getting better." Newt isn't stupid. He is well aware of his mother's condition. Both of the twins are.

     "The medicine is keeping her alive."

     "Then let me do it." He stands even taller, he wants Rhyette to take him seriously. He is tired of her sacrificing so much for the family. It is his turn to make a sacrifice, he's not a little boy anymore. "My name is only entered once...let me help this one time. It can't hurt anything."

     "Fine, but just this once..." She pauses and looks at her twin brother. "But I am going with you."

     "Deal."

     The twins prepare for the journey. They each go into their mother's room and kiss her on the head. Their mother has the same coppered hair and light shade of brown eyes. Her skin is pale...but almost grey now. She spends all of her time staring at a blank spot on the wall. She hasn't always been this way...after their father's passing, she continuously got worse. Now, she can't even eat on her own.

     After kissing their mother good-bye, they leave their tiny house together. They grasp hands and squeeze them together tightly. She is the only parent they have left. Neither of the twins can bare the idea of losing her. Neither of the twins can bare the idea of losing each other. They have already lost too much.