Match made..•Main Ship: Stenny•

Ch 1.

Kenny walked down the broken streets, his worn-out sneakers tapping against the cracked pavement. The rundown buildings stood silent, their weathered facades reflecting the hardships of a failed colony from decades ago. As he passed by, the laughter of children filled the air, echoing throughout their surroundings. Their youthful excitement turned dirt and dust into a playground. Kenny sat there and watched them as they built little houses, something in him sparked with happiness. Suddenly the clock hit noon. Kenny's heart jumped as he started to run down the broken streets, his worn out sneakers slowly getting covered in dust as he ran. Kenny watched as people in his side view slowly disappeared, but something caught him off guard. There was a hooded person running into one of the messed up and dimmed alleyways near an old post office. Kenny looked up at the towering clock, the time read 12:30. Kenny shook his head and continued down the streets, but the anxiety of whoever that person was and what they were doing didn't leave his mind. As he approached his house, his older brother Kevin was standing on the porch with a pissed off expression. "Where have you been for the last 45 minutes!?" Kevin snapped making Kenny jump back, he hated when his brother yelled mostly because of the memories of his father. "I'm sorry..I got distracted with little children.." Kenny muttered as he slowly stepped towards the front of the porch, Kevin sighed as he opened the front door. "Just get inside so we can make it to the harvesting in the next hour.." Kenny nodded as he slowly stepped inside, taking his shoes off at the door and stepping into the worn down living room. "KENNY!! You're back!!" Karen ran up and hugged Kenny, a smile on her face. "Hi Kare-bear.." Kenny bent down and hugged Karen back, Kevin slowly entered the house after him. "Alright Karen let Kenny go. We all have to get ready for the harvesting." Karen nodded as she let Kenny go and scurried off to her room. "Alright get up and go get in your best outfit.." Kevin said as he patted Kenny's back, "Yes sir." Kenny then stood up and started to head off towards his room. As he stepped inside, Kenny sat down on the mattress that set gently on a rusty bed frame. He slowly looked up at the calendar May 22, two months after his 16th birthday. A soft groan left his lips, Kenny was really disappointed considering that after his 16th birthday the most popular part of the harvesting would be part of his life now. That part was considered the matching, everyone 16 or older would be put into a drawing. The first two names that were drawn would be stuck with each other for the rest of their life. Kenny found it a major waste of time, everyone who was put with each other for eternity would be left broken and bruised. Kenny shook the thought out of his head when he noticed he was spacing out, "Kenny you ready?" Kevin yelled from the kitchen. "Almost! I'll be out in a second!" Kenny yelled back as he finished buttoning his best button up, then made his way over to the mirror hanging from his window seal. Kenny ran his fingers through his hair to try and fix it. Kenny wore a white button up topped off with a light orange flannel and black dress pants that were made for women. Kenny generally didn't care though considering they were passed down from his mother and he was the only one who could fit in them at the moment. Kenny took a deep breath and left his room, stepping foot into the hallway where Karen was reorganizing her doll shelf. Karen turned to face Kenny, "Kenny!" Karen smiled holding a doll in her arms. "What Kare-bear?" Kenny said as he picked up another doll from the floor, "You excited for the harvesting this year?" Karen took the doll from Kenny and set it gently next to Barbara. "Mmm..I don't know." Karen looked up at Kenny a confused expression tugged at her face. Kevin then took a step into the hallway. "Come on you two, we have 30 minutes to make it there before the harvesting starts." Kevin held out his hand for Karen to take, which she gracefully did. Kenny sighed but nodded as he followed Kevin and Karen out the front door. Kevin looked over at Kenny a light smile was placed on his face, "So, how do you think this years gonna go?" Kenny and Karen looked up at Kevin, Kenny bit the inside of his lip as Karen spoke softly, "Probably like every year..They're gonna start with a small little market, followed by an execution, memory gambling, a little game for the young children 13 or younger, and then the matching!" Kenny stared down at the dirty cracked street beneath his feet, "Kevin, May I ask you a question..?" Kenny spoke softly as Kevin and Karen looked over at Kenny. "Ask away Ken." Kenny gulped down saliva that piled into his mouth, "Do I have to sign up for the Matching..?" Kevin sighed as they stopped in front of the town squares gates. "Ken, It's required..You can't avoid it..You know I would let you if you could, but you can't.." Kevin lead the three of them into the line of waiting people, the cold breeze blew in between the crowd. As they approached the front of the line Kenny's anxiety grew. "Hands please.." The guy standing at the gates said as Kenny, Kevin, and Karen all stepped foot in front of him. After the three of them gave the guy one of their hands a stamp was placed in the center of the top part of their hand. "Why do they always have to stamp us Kevin..?" Karen groaned as she stared at the stamp on her hand, the stamp read 'District 5'. "I don't know Karen.." Kevin spoke on an anxious tone, Kenny and Kevin both knew the reason why but didn't want to tell their 13 year old sister. "Please move forward, and don't go towards any other gates besides the one labeled district five.." The guy said as the gates opened in front of them. Kevin nodded as He lead Karen inside, Kenny trailing slowly behind him.