truculent.

5. Flame

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Being eldest, he had to become the father figure in the family at age of fourteen when his own father pasted. It was hard work taking care of a family of four, not including himself. Feeding their hungry mouths everyday, working at the Hob or the butchers to get a little money to buy his family supplies to live. He never got in trouble in school, and he finished it quickly as his life went by his eyes.

Soon enough, he was seventeen and ellagible to enter the Justice Building for his first test. He took no one that day of his birthday. He was nervous enough, he didn't need his family or anyone he knew to see him fail if he didn't past the first test. Walking through the door, nervous as ever, he signed the paper and snaped pictures of his Markings, he followed a man, not much taller than him, into the Testimony Room. It looked like he was the only one there. Then men piled up all around the room to watch the boy take his first test, the more men, the more nervous he got.

He was well aware of what he was, why some were afraid of him, why girls ran from him, boys even. That was at first, as he grew and never got angry and showed what he could do, he actually made friends. He even had girlfriends now and then, but everything on him was piling and he was excited to enter the Justice Building. He knew what his brothers were becoming too, he was worried for them more than he was himself.

The Commander came to, and everyone hushed. With a wave of his hand, the boy stepped up to the platform for his first test.

"Give me your hands." The Commander demanded. He withdrew his hands from his pockets and held them forward. The Commander took from his pocket two bracelets, shiny and sliver with blue lights. The Commander stood back and explained what would happen if he lied when a question was asked of him. The boy didn't know what was going on, like he ever did.

Too many memories rushed back to him too quickly as the questions were asked. He answered them as truly as he could, being truthful wasn't always a fancy for him. He did lie quite a lot, but knew when the first shock hit his hands he would try to stop. He wanted to quit then, but imaged his family at home, disappointed and sad to see him back a failure. He could never stand their faces, their thoughts of him. So he kept his head up and told the truth, the men sat around listening, leaning in to here. They did not laugh when he told a secret he had kept for a long while. They did not smile when he told of something he loved. They did not laugh when even he told of his worst fears. They only sat, watching and listening.

He had got a few shocks to begin with, but he was then learning how to tell the truth. It was getting easier for him, and he was enjoying the feeling of not having the weight of that lie or secret on his shoulders any longer.

After the hour, he was taken to his room to rest. He was later told, only few got the Shock. He asked why, and was told he was one of the only Fire Contractors in the Justice Building of Twelve. They did not have many now, for they were the only ones the Capitol aimed for. Fire Contractors were strongest of Truculent, and he took that sign as he was strongest of them all.

Soon, the glory was taken over his head. He was cocky, and disrespectful to all. He always visited his mother and siblings when he could, but as time pasted, it became less. He didn't feel pity for anything, any new pupil who came got all fire and flame from him. Some feared him, which gave him the thought of power. The Commander was nowhere near feared by this boy. Which made the boy quite angry at times. He tried his hardest to impress and try to make the Commander fear him, but nothing worked. Day after day, he tried with all his willpower to put a feared face on the Commander's face, he couldn't do a thing.

"Why do you try if you know nothing will work?" The Commander asked.

"Because you are the only one who does not fear me." The boy said, angrily.