broken city: hunger games

One

Days before the Reaping.

It was strange that it had rained in July. It almost never rained in July or District 8 in general. It kept Jude Jersey up all night, the pattering at the window and the whistle of the drain. Her sister, Talullah, rolled over in the bed with a pillow covering her ears with only her curls sticking out. Jude sat with her knees up to her chest and dark hair spilling around her shoulders, across the room the clock on the wall showed it was time to get started.

The Jersey family lived in apartment 4C in one of the poorest blocks in the district. The floors beneath their feet were rotting, mouse holes were  imbedded in walls and there was a certain smell in Grandmothers room that wouldn't go away. But they all tried their best and made it as homey as they could. Grandmother would regularly clean the two bedroom and kitchen home with the mayors old cleaning products in attempts to take away the stench, and Talullah drew beautiful pictures out of their textbooks to cover cracks in the walls.

Jude tied her hair back and laced her brown boots, she held her sewing box in one hand and a left over piece of bread slightly dyed blue before quietly leaving.

It was early morning and there wasn't a sound in the building only her feet smacking the ground and the creak of her handle. Work started in two hours but she awoke early to see her. Everyone in their homes were still sleeping, hoping to get just a few more hours before working for more then half the day. Jude's permanently dyed green fingers from days of working with heavily dyed fabrics for the Capital, opened the door and stepped out onto the mist covered District.

District 8 had no green. It was all steel and concrete. Mostly just hundreds of huge buildings, either being apartments or factories to make the Capitols eccentric fabrics and clothes. Jude worked as a tailor for people in the Capital to send her their outfits for her to fix, and as the mayors family's main tailor. But when she was really young she worked in a factory that was only used to dye every garment imaginable a rich green. That green that hasn't left her finger tips since it was closed after the color was "out" in fashion after three years.

She was through the grey skies and streets quietly in search of her personal oasis. A smile broke out on Jude's face when she saw the glass covered house that held the only green in District 8. Upon entering, she slyly crouched and looked through one of the clear windows.

Taylor Gingham was transferring a bright green filled vile into a another clear vile with a concentrated look about her sweet face. She had a little scar on her chin and blunt dark bangs and humming an old factory song.

Jude, grinning like the devil, snuck around the back and silently climbed through an open window. Quick and silent like a cat, came around behind her and suddenly wrapped her arms around the back of her, face in her hair. Taylor shrieked and jumped. Jude kissed the side of her cheek before turning her around to face her.

"You devil! You scared me, baby!" But she was smiling like the sun.

"I'm sorry, my love," Jude laughed, pulling by her waist closer and kissed her sweetly on the mouth. Taylor's hands cupped her cheeks and when they pulled apart they leaned their foreheads against each other. Jude breathed her in and touched her nose against the other before pulling away. Taylor's dark dark eyes met Judes grey greys and she brushed a piece of her hair out of her face.

"What are you doing out here so early?" Taylor asked turning back to her chemicals and vile. Jude leaned her head over her shoulder and wrapped her arms around her belly. She hummed in reply and slowly start to sway her.

"I had to see you before work," she mumbled, burying her face in her hair and kissing her neck. Taylor sighed comfortably, hands shaking as she poured and shook her head.