Defenders of Panem (Being Rewritten)

Chapter 3

We live in the fishing part of District Four. Most people think that all District Four is fishing but that's where they're wrong. We have three main sections: a market for trade, those who make the fishing nets, and those that catch the fish. Those who live closest to the oceans are included in the fishing section but are still able to make nets or own a market stall. Those are rare occurrences, most just stick to the job closest to them.

My family have always been fishermen and women. Our small house by the ocean has been home to the Clematis family for generations. Before the war. Before the Rebellion. I'm pretty sure our family lived here before the original war that caused District 13 to go underground in the first place.

I walk into the kitchen and see my weathered satchel from the table. Looking inside I see a full water bottle and a few pieces of bread. Perfect. I don't even bother to leave a note, mom knows where she can find me.

The salty sea air hits me before I even step outside. I take a minute to breathe in it's refreshing scent before starting the short walk to the beach. The sun is not fully over the horizon, but I can see the fishing boats off in the distance. I know dad is on one of them, along with the rest of the crew and three armed peacekeepers; that's the policy. Almost everywhere you go there are peacekeepers in view and they're always armed. But I do know of one place that's hidden from their view; a cove Grace found when we were young.

When I get there I'm alone, so I set my bag down and look out to the vast ocean. The sun is rising higher over the horizon, turning the sky into a beautiful orange.

The sand is still cold beneath my feet, but it won't be for long once the sun begins to shine upon it. Slipping off my shorts and shirt, I walk a few feet into the cool surf and dive in, swimming out about 15 feet before I come back up for air. I swim out a few more feet and notice the sun has finally risen fully, it's heat already warming the air.

I turn, looking back towards my private beach to find it no longer empty. A tall bronze haired boy is standing next to my bag. Dath.

I quickly begin to swim back towards the shore. Dath is like a big brother to me. Everyone says that he's the reincarnation of the late Finnick Odair, and with his good looks and athletic build, he very well could be. But I never really saw him like that. I mean, don't get me wrong, he's very good looking, but I've gotten over the childhood crush I had when we first met. Unlike all the other girls in my district. Swooning over him every chance they get. Dath has always seemed much older than me, but recently the gap doesn't feel as large. When I was younger I had always wanted Grace and Dath to get together, but from the moment they met they didn't see eye to eye, and they never will. But now that I'm older, I like having Dath to myself.

Dath and his mom Beth had moved here after Panem fell to the Capitol after almost 20 years of peace. I was around 11 and he was near 15. Our first meeting was an awkward one, but we laugh about it to this day.

I walk out of the water, and his sea green eyes meet mine. I see something white in his hand and once I get closer, I can hear the crunching of sugar cubes. I don't know where Dath finds them, but he always seems to be eating them. How he doesn't have a million cavities, is a secret he will never tell.

"Hey Jem." His eyes seem to analyze me as he tosses me a towel. We began this years ago: wake up, get dressed, go to the cove, swim if you want. Dath always brings towels. Everyday, like clockwork.

Hey Dath." I reply, drying off. While he's older than me, our height difference isn't as great as it used to be, which makes the age gap not seem so large. "What's happening?"

He raised his eyebrows as if I should already know. I do know, I just can't say. Even out here it's not safe.

"Tomorrow's reaping day." He says looking out at the sunrise. That's our rebel code for a rebel meeting today.

"So I've heard." I say (where's the meeting). I pick up my shorts and shirt, shaking off some sand before pulling them back on.

"The fish are looking bright." He responds (District Four at the abandoned lighthouse). The rebel code is kind of stupid, but it works.

"When?"

"Now."