My thickest clothes did not seem to adequately fight against the cold as I walk towards the center of town.

Before long, the streets became busier with foot traffic and cross-country skiers. Hell has few cars. Most got by with skis in the winter and bikes in the summer. I gave up my skis for new skating blades last year. It forces me to walk everywhere.

Do I regret my decision? Nope. I would make that trade all over again if I had to.

A car whizzes by me, causing my head to snap in its direction. I know all the cars in Hell, but this one is different. It is black, new, shiny. It reflects the sunlight. It grabs the attention of not just me, but everyone else.

I see a man wearing a suit within the vehicle and know they are from the Motherwealth. That is the only place they dress that formal. Stuffy. Arrogant. Uptight. They don't even attempt to fit in when they visit.

Another shiny black car whizzes by, nearly hitting a girl from my school.

Railey. She is one classmate I know more than most. She's probably the most beautiful girl in school. Her blonde hair isn't frizzy like mine and her face isn't hollow like my own.

"Are you alright?" I call out, careful not to refer to her by name. I don't want her to think I'm some kind of creep when I've never spoken to her before.

She nods, brushing off the slushy snow from her faded black coat. "That car came out of nowhere," she spits out with venom.

I agree with her about that. Motherwealth cars always drive around as if they own the place. Just last year, a Motherwealth car hit a small child. I went to the funeral, although I can't remember the child's name. There was no one from the Motherwealth... What a bunch of Basterds.

"Those Motherwealth trash don't know etiquette if a car hit them," she mutters under her breath.

Hatred for the Motherwealth was as common as flying birds. It was an unspoken thought that lingered in the air, especially when Motherwealth people came to visit. Most were silent in their hatred, fearing they would vanish like anyone who openly spoke out against them. Hearing her rant was a refreshing breath of validation that I wasn't the only one to speak so openly.

"How have you been, Telvi?" she asks, her eyes meeting mine

Did I hear things correctly? No, I think she said my name. The most beautiful girl knows me by name. It shouldn't make me feel good, but it does.

A smile comes to my lips for a second. It ignites something inside me. "I've been good. And you?" I reply politely.

She shrugs, although I can see she's hiding something behind her tired eyes.

"I've been good," she echoes. It sounds like we're in a cave. Drafty, hollow, empty. Her thin red lips twist up for a second before falling. "I turned 17 last week. I'm going to drop out of school to help my parent's fabric shop."

There goes another one.

17 was a big number, it meant you could work. Once they reach joyful 17, they drop out of school to provide for the family. If I could, I would too, but Kol insists I stay until graduation.

I want to say, 'that's a shame, I'm sorry', but she already knows this. Life wasn't fair when you must worry about paying for bills.

I mouth an O in silence.

"I wish I had the chance to finish up the last school year. We only had one more, you know?" She gave a wishful sigh. "But I guess I'm destined to work with my parents until I die, just like their parents before them."

"What would you do otherwise?"

Her eyes sparkle nearly as brightly as the black car that passed. "I would have liked to get a college degree in the neighboring Commonwealth. Maybe get training to be a schoolteacher and live in Elliot. At least, that is the largest city closest to us."

I don't want to rain on her parade, but we both know that moving from city to city, let alone Commonwealth to Commonwealth is nearly impossible. Special privileges from the Motherwealth need to be granted. More often than not, they deny those kinds of requests. I suppose they enjoy crushing people's dreams.

"But atlas, that wasn't in the cards for me," she sighs, placing her hand on my shoulder. It was warm. Comforting. But I did not need comforting. "Anyhow, what do you think the Motherwealth people are doing here?"

My gaze shifts towards the car, parked in front of town hall. It was the weekend. I don't know why they're here. Honestly, I don't care. It's best to ignore them.

She brushes hair behind her ear. It glitters in the sun. How does she get it to look so flawless? It's distracting.

She pulls out her planner with gold lettering on the cover, then flips through the pages. "It's December 2nd. That means those officials could be Talent Seekers. They're early though. They should be here next week...."

Talent Seekers might as well be swear words. They came once a year, sometimes twice, always looking for the same thing. Talent. Someone who possesses extreme talent in anything. If they deem you worthy, they take you back to the Motherwealth to perfect your talents. Normally there is at least a few people that have a desire to be 'discovered', but Talent Seekers hardly ever took anyone from Hell.

"Are you going to sign up? I know you're good at ice skating." She smiles.

As much as people hate the Motherwealth, they aren't stupid. Being discovered is one fast way to escape poverty and maybe even have a future outside of their town. Everyone seems to want that. I don't. I'm from Hell and this is where I would die. It's home. At least, home enough. I couldn't leave Kol and everything that was familiar to me.

"Nah, I don't think I'm good enough for that," I say, brushing her off.

"Please, I have seen you skate. You're good. Like really good," she gushes.

It makes me blush.

"If you signed up, they would take you for sure and you could live your dreams in the Motherwealth."

Oh, let's get one thing straight. My dreams do not involve the Motherwealth. To be honest, I don't know what my dreams entail, but I do know the Motherwealth does not have them.

"I don't know. I think I'm happy just staying here, in Hell, with Kol," I voice.

She shrugs but makes a face like she doesn't get it. "If I were as talented as you, I would have left Hell years ago, that's all I'm saying," she says as she walks off.

Well, that's great for her.

I watch her disappear into her parent's fabric shop before continuing to the market.

The bell rings as I enter, and the store owner greets me with a warm smile.

"Hey Telvi, what do you have this time around?" she asks.

I pull the butter out of my small bag and place it on the counter for her examination.

"Ah, I see. Your butter is always good. That small cow of yours is very trustworthy," she says as she holds the butter up right before the lights go out. She mutters something under her breath then lights a candle. "Those damn power outages. I swear, they are getting terrible. Do they want us to freeze to death?"

They probably do. At least then they would not have to worry about providing gas and electricity to people far from the Motherwealth.

"I think I can give you one silver for this." She pulls out a silver coin from her pocket, then slaps it on the counter, making a dull clink sound.

I frown. I got more last week.

"Don't give me that face, Telvi. We all know things are tough. This is the best I can do."

Things are tough. Selling butter for cents is not even close to my bucket list. Besides, she shouldn't give me that crap, she has a nice home and a store. Anger flashes through me like a crack of lightning. Even if I spoke up, she probably wouldn't understand.

"Alright," I mutter, taking the silver coin and stuffing it into my pocket. With that, I leave the store.

Groups of people with smiles on their faces walk towards the town hall, passing me in the process. Probably to see the car or talk about the Talent Program. They have such hope. They'll be disappointed. No one in Hell is good enough for Talent Seekers. But it never matters how low a chance they have. Every year, people try until they're too old to sign up.

"Hey Telvi!" Kazimir, Kol's best friend, shouts at me from across the street.

He wasn't nearly as tall as Kol, so there was no need to crane my neck just to see him better.

He runs across the road, dodging some cross-country skiers. They narrowly avoided crashing into him.

"So, are you finally going to sign up with the Talent Seekers?" he asks with a wink.

I push him lightly. "You just want me gone, don't you?"

He shook his head. "Never. You're the best thing about this town, Telvi. But you are made for so much more."

There are some things Kazimir will never understand. Every time they are in town, he begs me to sign the stupid Talent Seekers list. It's been like this since I was old enough. None of his begging went anywhere though. I was like a stone. An unmovable stone.

"Let them find someone else from Hell," I reply.

"We both know they won't. No one is that talented here."

"What about your cousin, Edmit? He sings opera like a master."

"Only when he drinks. He can't do it sober."

"Well, hopefully he's not sober if he's going to perform in front of them."

"Nope. Just dropped him off. He could barely walk in a straight line."

"Maybe this year he'll be lucky."

"For yours and my sakes. He's getting on my nerves recently, especially since his family moved in with my family." He sighs.

I pat his shoulder.

"Seriously, think about signing up. They are only here until tomorrow."

"I will."

We both know I won't.

Snow pelts my face the whole way home which makes barging into our small place that much delightful.

Herbs and burning wood filled the space, welcoming me. In the small kitchen, Kol is already making dinner. With the wood fireplace going strong, it makes any snow sticking to me, melt almost instantly.

"It smells good," I say to Kol, shedding my layers.

He nods as he continues to cook in silence.

I can't remember the last time he had a day off. He deserves this. He often works too hard for them.

"Ran into Kazimir. He's begging me to sign up for the Talent Program again."

He gives a small smile. "I don't understand his motive then everyone knows he has a thing for you."

I stop in mid step. Did I hear him correctly? "No, Kazimir is like a brother."

"Only because you say that."

I shut my mouth. "I'm not interested in Kazimir," I finally said.

"Alright."

Silence. I can't tell if he's disappointed in my response or just thinking. Either way, I don't like it.

"So, how's the day off?" I ask, desperately trying to change the subject.

He shrugs. "It was fine. I think I'll have tomorrow off too," he states carefully. There was a pull to his voice that made my stomach feel queasy.

Additional silence wraps around us. He didn't have to spell anything out. He got laid off. Hard times call for hard measures and people would be cut. Kol would be cut. Of course he would be cut. We have no connections. We live on the edge of town. No one will miss him if he vanishes...

He turns toward me with a frown. His frown reminds me of Mom's, deep, sorrowful. She always frowned. I worry Kol will turn into her. "Telvi, don't worry, I'll find another job."

In Hell, there is very little. Kol is a fisherman; he knows fish like the back of his hand. If he can't do that, what would he do? He would have to get training for something completely new and the shopkeeper told me troubling times are coming. How would we be able to afford anything?

Worry spins my mind, causing me to clasp into the nearest chair.

I would have to get a job, but since I'm not old enough, it would be little pay. A lump comes to my throat as fear holds me captive. Bills would soon mount up and we are still in the thick of winter, the most expensive season.

"Telvi, I will get something," Kol says, grabbing my hand, squeezing it.

I bite back worried tears, meeting his soft brown eyes. "I know you will, Kol. But how long will we have to wait? There is no way I can afford the taxes on this place making butter alone," I whisper.

"I'm going to go into town tomorrow and see if there is anything. I'll also talk to Kazimir, maybe he could get me a job at the Amber mine."

"No," I say too quickly.

Amber Mine is not a place for him. The dangerous working conditions are enough for horror stories. Anyone with a sound mind does their best to steer clear of that kind of work. But people are desperate, and the job pays the most.

The Motherwealth needs Amber to fund their high tec projects. Only a few places in the Commonwealth produce it, which means Amber mines workers are overworked and underappreciated. We are just little pawns in their game. They don't care how many of us died, just as long as we continue to supply them their things.

"The pay is good."

"Not going to happen Kol. No, we will find something else."

"I don't know what else there is, Telvi," Kol says, raising his voice at me.

I shrink back, wiping a tear from my face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to... I just... I don't know what to do." His tone softer.

I take a deep breath and let it out. For now, I don't want to talk about the subject. Kol wants to make a meal and let's do that. Tomorrow will be a new day, a day when we solve our problems.

"So, what are you making tonight?" I ask as my gaze switches to the stove.

"Lake perch with some pickled tomatoes and potatoes."

I force a smile as I get up from the chair. This news would not destroy the evening. Tonight will be calm and peaceful. It is always peaceful before the storm. "Sounds good. Where can I help?"