Chained Hearts

Chpater Three

"So you're Katniss then?" The short haired woman immediately asks as soon as I set foot in the dining room.

"Yeah," I answer, approaching the table the woman is leaning against cautiously. "Are you Johanna Mason? My . . . ah . . . tutor?"

"You bet your ass I'am," the woman says. "Johanna Mason is the name, whipping imps like you into shape is my game. Please, sit." I pull out a chair from under the table and sit down on it, watching the woman closely as I do so. "So your Aunt tells me that you are incapable of comprehending the country's current state of law?"

"That's right," I reply, folding my arms tightly and resting them on the table. 

"Well I've been called to fix that," Johanna says. "Let me guess, your main question is why?" I quirk an eyebrow in confusion and nod my head. How could she possibly know that? "It's one of the most common questions that people in your situation ask. 'Why treat them like this?', 'Why do you think it fair', 'Why can't we all just be equals!'" All of those questions have passed through my mind at least once over the years.

"But . . . why?" I ask with a confused frown. 

"The main basis of the laws of the country now is that there has never been equality since the beginning of time. Women were bestowed the labours of life: pregnancy, hardship, aches and pains, expectancy to serve while men sat on their fat asses doing nothing," Johanna says bluntly. "In the 20th century during the decade known as the 1950's women did everything: cooking, cleaning, looking after the man and children. Well, now we're in a smarter age, an age were men get what they deserve and are treated the way they should be."

"But . . . in doing this now . . . doesn't that just make us just like them?" I ask. The question causes Johanna to bark out a laugh.

"Just like them?!" she exclaims. "Just like them?! We are nothing like them OK?! It's saying stupid things like that that will get your ass slung in Capitol prison!"

"Excuse me?" I frown. Capitol Prison? The Capitol has a prison?! Kids used to tell horror stories about a prison in the capitol but I never believed them. Well they are called horror stories for a reason. The stuff of horror and fiction, used to frighten children before they go into bed at night and give them nightmares.

"Oh yeah," Johanna says, her face taking on an ominous scary expression that makes a shiver jump down my spine. "Capitol Prison. Anyone who breaks the new world laws get slung in there. Have you heard of that Cresta woman?" I nod numbly in response, vaguely remembering the name from the news article I read in the newspaper. "As soon as she gives birth to her baby there's a cell in the ultimate hellhole with her name on it. Hopefully there will be more hope for her child."

"What if the baby's a boy?" I frown. "There's always a possibility in that." 

"Oh my god you're more a dickweed than I thought you'd be," Johanna huffs. "You don't think like that. Especially vocally dumbass! A pregnant woman carries a girl up until the point proven wrong! This country is no longer oppressed with the idiocy of male domination and is now a free world! There is no 'what if's?' anymore. This is the way the world works now. Get it into your brain or you're not going to survive!" I open my mouth to respond but nothing comes out so I close it again quickly. "Now get out of my sight. As far as I know there's no hope for you, but I'm not one to give up on a challenge. But to complete this challenge I'm going to need time. Now piss off so I can think."

Relieved to be dismissed, I leap off my chair and run for the hills. I stumble down the stairs and go outside for some air. I lean against the front door and take deep breaths to calm my nerves. She's my tutor? She's barely any older than me and are teachers allowed to swear at their students? As far as I can tell anyway, everything that has came out of her mouth so far has been pure crap. I've learned about the 1950's, and sure, it was a dark time for womankind, but I also read up on the future. There's been loads of powerful women from the 20th to 21st centuries. Probably further back as well! All these women, I realize, are turning the 22nd century into the dark ages again. When power and dominance is something of importance. What happened equality? What about the famous words of Martin Luther King? Even if that was for the comparison of one skin colour to another the point still stands!