Burning Embers
i was walking on eggshells
The next morning when I woke up, I was expected to carry on with my day as if nothing happened. I rose with the sun and prepared for the day just like I always did. I got dressed and cleaned myself up. It felt better in being my usual, grungy clothes. There was no reason to celebrate.
I walked outside to the back of our small home. In District 10, my parents owned a poultry farm. When they were forced to relocate to District 12, they were allowed to bring some of their chickens along. However, it was hardly of any help now. The chickens did not have enough food to eat or space to roam, so many died within the first year of the move. There were only four left now. Nevertheless, I went out every morning to feed them what little we had.
I usually wouldn't bother checking for eggs because there never were any, but today I decided that I might as well. What left did I have to lose? To my great surprise, three of the chickens must have been laying eggs! One had six eggs, another four, and finally, nine. Nearly twenty eggs! They wouldn't feed my family for long, but perhaps if I was wise, they could. I took eight eggs, all the smallest ones, and left the others alone. With any luck, the hens would sit on the remaining eggs and they would hatch.
Maybe this was fate's way of giving back a little. Of course, I would trade all the chickens and eggs in the world for my brother to come back, but that wasn't an option. I would have to settle with what I was given, so the eggs would have to be something I was thankful for.
I gathered up my eggs and placed them into a basket. Then I went back inside my home and began to prepare a satisfying meal. I warmed the stove and got out our frying pan. In a separate bowl, I cracked all of the eggs and added a dash of spices and milk. After whisking them all together, I poured the gracious amount of egg mixture into the pan. The sound of the golden liquid sizzling once it hit the bottom was enough to make my mouth water. I probably could have eaten the entire pan myself.
The aroma of fried eggs drifted throughout the house, first waking my brothers. Clay came into the kitchen, fully dressed, but more exhausted looking than I had seen him in a long while. Griffin followed, wearing only his shorts. If Reed was here, he would have made a joke about Griffin always showing up for breakfast half naked.
Instead, there was silence.
Griffin finally broke the deafening quiet. "Smells good, Leena." He commented, peering over my shoulder.
"Thanks," I murmured, "I just figured we deserved a good meal." When I looked over at Clay, he was picking up his mining hat and heading for the door. "Clay! Where are you going? You can't leave without eating." I insisted.
"Give Griffin my share," He replied gruffly.
I turned the stove off and set the pan aside. Rushing over to Clay, I put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. "We're all hurting, Clay, but you can't block us out. We need you." I whispered pleadingly. I felt like I was walking on eggshells whenever Clay was around, but I couldn't keep that up; I needed him to be strong with me… for me.
Clay's lips turned into a tight line and his eyes held sorrow. "I'm sorry, Leena." He finally answered. "I have to go. I'm going to be late for work." And with that, he disappeared.
My shoulders slunk and I sighed. "I'll go wake up Callie and Dahlia," I told Griffin, "dish up the food."
I walked outside to the back of our small home. In District 10, my parents owned a poultry farm. When they were forced to relocate to District 12, they were allowed to bring some of their chickens along. However, it was hardly of any help now. The chickens did not have enough food to eat or space to roam, so many died within the first year of the move. There were only four left now. Nevertheless, I went out every morning to feed them what little we had.
I usually wouldn't bother checking for eggs because there never were any, but today I decided that I might as well. What left did I have to lose? To my great surprise, three of the chickens must have been laying eggs! One had six eggs, another four, and finally, nine. Nearly twenty eggs! They wouldn't feed my family for long, but perhaps if I was wise, they could. I took eight eggs, all the smallest ones, and left the others alone. With any luck, the hens would sit on the remaining eggs and they would hatch.
Maybe this was fate's way of giving back a little. Of course, I would trade all the chickens and eggs in the world for my brother to come back, but that wasn't an option. I would have to settle with what I was given, so the eggs would have to be something I was thankful for.
I gathered up my eggs and placed them into a basket. Then I went back inside my home and began to prepare a satisfying meal. I warmed the stove and got out our frying pan. In a separate bowl, I cracked all of the eggs and added a dash of spices and milk. After whisking them all together, I poured the gracious amount of egg mixture into the pan. The sound of the golden liquid sizzling once it hit the bottom was enough to make my mouth water. I probably could have eaten the entire pan myself.
The aroma of fried eggs drifted throughout the house, first waking my brothers. Clay came into the kitchen, fully dressed, but more exhausted looking than I had seen him in a long while. Griffin followed, wearing only his shorts. If Reed was here, he would have made a joke about Griffin always showing up for breakfast half naked.
Instead, there was silence.
Griffin finally broke the deafening quiet. "Smells good, Leena." He commented, peering over my shoulder.
"Thanks," I murmured, "I just figured we deserved a good meal." When I looked over at Clay, he was picking up his mining hat and heading for the door. "Clay! Where are you going? You can't leave without eating." I insisted.
"Give Griffin my share," He replied gruffly.
I turned the stove off and set the pan aside. Rushing over to Clay, I put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. "We're all hurting, Clay, but you can't block us out. We need you." I whispered pleadingly. I felt like I was walking on eggshells whenever Clay was around, but I couldn't keep that up; I needed him to be strong with me… for me.
Clay's lips turned into a tight line and his eyes held sorrow. "I'm sorry, Leena." He finally answered. "I have to go. I'm going to be late for work." And with that, he disappeared.
My shoulders slunk and I sighed. "I'll go wake up Callie and Dahlia," I told Griffin, "dish up the food."