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False didn’t hate her job, being a farm hand wasn’t bad work, and she definitely preferred it to those poor folks stuck in the abattoir. She really couldn’t imagine killing any of the cattle she cared for, even if she knew that would be their destiny, and that in the slaughter houses they had air conditioning.
It’s hard work, the sun is relentless and the wind hot and dry. District 10 sits between desert and grassland and the weather is nothing but ruthless, but walking home False was proud of her work for the day, she hadn’t had any missteps that could have gotten her reprimanded so she didn’t care that her feet were aching, walking back home on the sun-baked dirt.
She looked up at the sky, the sun low on the horizon, and saw her favourite thing of all. Up high above her head, a couple of bald eagles were flying large circles, cruising on the warm wind. Majestic creature, never bound by fences or rules, living freely one day at a time, it was no wonder they were her favourite animals, even if she hadn’t ever seen one up close, it was part of the charm. Cattle she knew every inch of, but the birds, she’d never touched more than a single feather.
She collected each feather she found and kept it like a treasure, all in a small wooden box her father had gifted her for that purpose, a precious thing to own, and one that had been a present way out of what they could normally afford.
She was an only child, and her parents doted on her anyway they could, while still being some of the poorest folk even for District 10 folks, they allowed her to go hungry, even if it meant they wouldn’t have enough to eat themselves.
False had started to work as early as she could, opting out of any longer apprenticeship that might have allowed better work one day, so that she could start giving back to her parents as soon as possible.
It’s not like she had much to wish for in her life, she worked, one day she’d marry someone and have her own family, her parents would die and she’d keep working and then she would pass too.
False opened up her arms like wings, and started running as fast as she could, to keep up with the wild flying things above her. She only had one dream, to fly like a bird one day. Of course it was impossible, but she wasn’t hurting anyone with her childish fantasies, so she held them close to her heart, and ran.