Strong (Johanna Mason Fanfic)

The Train

        I wake up on this brilliant shitty day. Damn the Capitol, damn Snow, damn this world. I lazily get out of what you can call a bed that I made myself. Yeah, a sixteen-year old chopping wood and making herself a bed. How lovely. I look in the scrap of the mirror and see that my hair, which I don't really care about, is tangled and dirty. I go to the tub and wash up. Oh joy, only three hours until the Reaping. I walk to the kitchen once I put on my black sheer dress. I grab a glass of tea and a stale roll. I smear cheese over it and sit at the empty table. My mother must have heard that I woke up since she enters.

        "Oh Johanna, you're up. A little early for Reaping Day?" she walks up to me and gives me a hug. I've never been that close with my mother but she is one of the most supportive humans in Panem. She knows how much I dread Reaping Day.

         Every year there is the same problem. My sister, who is only two years younger thinks she can win The Hunger Games. I, Johanna Mason of District 7 do not know. If I do not know, then she is dead meat. She's always been too full of herself. Rhyden, ever since she was eight tried to be smarter than me, better than me, all around the favorite. Well guess what bitch, that ain't happening any time soon. 

        "I'm going to take a ride with Ramsey on Blackfire and Slighting. I'll meet you at the Reaping." I answer.

        "Okay, see you at one." she replies.

        I put on my short leather boots that I received from Ramsey on my birthday. Ramsey is my beloved boyfriend for whom I cannot be more thankful for. He is my age but he looks older. His hair is golden blond, his eyes are a mysterious green-blue. He is taller than me with a muscled body and a shooting smile. I met him three years ago in the woods while working. He was assigned the same part of the forest. I was pissed off that day, my shirt was tied above my stomach and I was wearing my ripped up shorts and my pitiful looking boots. I had holes in them since I started working in the actual forest. My hair was messy and I was thrashing around with my axe. I crashed my blade into the pine. I have dark circles under my eyes, per usual. My dark hair is tied into a bun and my face is covered in scrapes and cuts. I know I look worthless. 

        That is when I saw a tall, muscular creature approach me. I wonder why? Does he assume I have drugs or liquor on me? My looks would define that I belong to that group of people. Truth is, drugs don't exist here in seven and you can only buy rum, some white alcohol for medical purposes, and occasionally sour cherry liquor. But we can't even afford that. I am mistaken. The boy drops his axe on the ground and sticks out his hand.

        "Hi, I am Ramsey Withersen. I don't seem to know you. I was just transferred to your part of the woods. I saw you plant that axe in the tree, you have some strength." he shoots a dazzling smile.

        "Johanna Mason, haven't heard of you either. And that axe, tell it to Snow. I would like to plant it in his face." I spit.

        "Well Johanna, start being in a good mood because I am going to be working with you. And Snow, I think you're not the only one to think that, but you are the only one to say it out loud." he smiles and he walks away.

        This was the day I met Ramsey. I felt so bad that I was so rude to him. I guess my own personality is just like that. It does what it wants, when it wants, and does not give a shit about what other people think about it. When I went to school, I realized that he was in my class. I always sat in the back, scribbling profanities on the insides of the desks. I didn't care much about school yet I always remembered what they taught us. We started to become friends. Work started to be much more amusing with him around. I would climb the trees to take a look around and to see when the Peacekeepers would show up in our part. We became an inseparable duo who is nothing but trouble and does nothing but bullshit at work. The Peacekeepers gave up on us a loooooooong time ago. It's only the two of us in the whole district. A couple of months later, we fell in love. He came from the richer part of seven. He treated me like royalty. He had two newborn horses. He gave me one. That horse, whom I named Blackfire has been my best friend ever since. When he introduced me to his mother, she was furious. Everyone knew of me in the district. She only knew that I was trouble. She hated me ever since. Now, she's trying to be more respectful and accepting. Points for effort.