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 | Subject: The 19th Hunger Games, a The Hunger Games fanfiction story.  Sun Apr 15, 2012 12:21 pm | |
| “Freya, Freya, hurry up we need to go to the reaping!” my little sister told me, I sighed and stood up from my bed, I didn’t really like going to the reaping, but it wasn’t like I had a choice in the matter. No, everyone was forced to attend the reaping, where one boy and one girl from each district would be selected to take part in the hunger games; it was a reminder to the districts to never rebel against the capitol again. The hunger games, the horrible games, the horrible reminder of the once district thirteen is a shadow in everyone’s mind. Fear in our veins. All the tributes, people chosen to represent each district in the games, have to fight each other to death and then when only one is left alive, it is the winner. Then winner gets to live in an exclusive part of the district and wins fortune. Everyone, except the career tributes, dreads the reaping; families would cry when their children are chosen and the sad time would start.
People are forced to attend the reaping.
“Yes, yes, I’m getting ready Heidi” I lied as I put on my simple white dress. I combed my messy red hair that really stood out from my pale white skin. I sighed again and stared at my reflection, I wasn’t decent enough for going to the reaping, people were forced to act like they enjoyed going there and appear to think it was like a party.
It was also obligatory to watch all the transmissions of the games, because they were live.
I applied some makeup, mascara and blush mostly, trying to make my only good features stand out. I tried to not scowl while did this, because I really hated using anything girly, dresses, makeup, accessories, they weren’t my style. I was the bookworm nerd you’d never want to associate with. I didn’t mind though, I was really antisocial and it was fine for me.
“Heidi are you ready?” I asked my little sister once I was decent enough, I didn’t want to get in trouble with the peacemakers or anything like that, although I would probably only be noticed if I was chosen, I didn’t want to think about the possibility at the moment. “Sister, come here” I said in a calm tone, soon my little sister came, she was only eight years old, too young for being in the list of people able to be chosen for the hunger games, I was glad about that fact. She was beautiful, really beautiful if she was compared to me. We were nothing alike. Her light blonde hair, almost white, was really curly, but at the same time it was perfect; it went down to her small back but she always wore it up in a ponytail. Her green eyes, pale but full of life and youth, seemed to light up for anything. Her small rosy lips were perfect; they were in the Cupid’s bow type of mouth. Her skin was slightly tanned, due to the work she did outside in the garden.
Unlike Heidi, my skin was really pale, almost sick looking pale, probably because I stayed all day inside in the library, working and also reading, mostly checking for no one to disrupt the peace there. My eyes weren’t green, after all I hadn’t taken up to my mother’s beautiful green eyes, I took up after my father’s deep blue eyes, that contrasted highly with my red hair, this one I had inherited from my mother. My lips were thin and small, pale but never dry, for some weird reason. My hair was short, because I took care of it a lot, by myself. I used knives to cut it, it was shorter in the back and up to my jaw line in the front. My hair was really straight. We were asked a lot if we were actually sisters by strangers, as we were so different. It didn’t bother us.
Children from 12 to 18 must be options for the tributes of the hunger games
“What is it Freya?” Heidi asked me, I smiled sweetly at her, but that smile soon soured because of the thought that soon enough, in a few years, she would have to be available to the possibility of entering the hunger games. I would do anything to prevent that though, even volunteering, if by then I was alive, but I knew that it was impossible, because once Heidi would be able to ‘enter’ the games, I would be too old to volunteer. Unfortunately.
“We should get going, is mother ready?” I asked looking around, I hadn’t heard of my mother since earlier that morning and was worried about her not being ready. You can’t be late to the reaping. Unless you want to be punished. She nodded her head without saying a word and just like that we left my room to the living room. She was standing there, looking as beautiful as ever. Age hadn’t harmed my mother in any way, she was still dazzling and I had always looked up to her, she amazed me in every way possible and I couldn’t help but put her as my role model, a strong woman that took care of her family when her husband died suddenly, of a heart attack. I couldn’t deny that my father’s death didn’t affect us, Heidi cried for months, years, my mother was sad, it was noticeable in her eyes, but we moved on and lived on. We had to survive, for my father and for ourselves. “Hello, mother” I said with respect, it was honest respect though, and I knew she knew this. She smile and took my hand in hers. And just like that we left our humble home and went to the reaping. My heart beat quickening and my lunch threatening to come up before we reached the huge crowd. I sighed once again before kissing my mother’s left cheek and Heidi’s forehead. Silently wishing to not be chosen this year, another year, another year just a year and I’ll be free from this suspense.
One female and one male tribute for each district
Soon enough, I was lining up with everyone my age; we were separated by ages so I was only with people aged 17. I didn’t like being like this, surrounded by people I didn’t know, engulfed, I felt claustrophobic, but I was slowly getting used to it. Even if I only had one more year of this hell. Like I had said before, I was really antisocial and things like this were definitively not in my ‘favorite things to do’ list.
We listened to the boring speech our major always gave, about the capitol, the war, the district thirteen and how the hunger games are a reminder of this. I appeared to be listening but I was actually thinking about what I would do if I was chosen, a nerdy girl like me would definitively be one of the first ones to die. I would be outmatched by anyone, probably. And soon the person sent by the capitol to show the names of the tributes was talking enthusiastically on the stage. It took all I could to not glare at this person, she thought the games were… Well, just like their name said, a game. But people died in there, and they took fun out of it, they meaning the people from the capitol. People that never had to fight for their food, people that have anything they want just by snapping their fingers.
“And well then, let’s start with the tributes for this year. The 19th Hunger games!” She said waving her hand around, trying to make people scream enthusiastically. Not wanting to have any trouble they screamed in response, so that the peacemakers would be happy. The capitol would be happy, and then no problem would come. “First the female tributes” at that moment my heart began to beat rapidly, my world froze for a second, just like every year, and soon the name of the female tribute appeared on the giant screen before me.
FREYA VAN DENEND
I felt like my world was falling apart, everyone was applauding and I was pushed to the stage by someone behind me. I slowly walked there, afraid that my knees would give out in any moment and I would collapse on the floor. I would surely not want the people from the capitol see this display of weakness. I smiled weakly at the woman from the capitol as she shook hands with me. Then it was the major, someone I had seen in the library before but never talked to, because I couldn’t bring myself to. Then it was the two people that had won the hunger games before, I didn’t know them either, I knew no one, but I shook hands with them. They were both male, and looked really scary, not like I let that show.
“Well then, isn’t this exciting?” the woman said once again, I still couldn’t remember her name, even if we’ve had the same person for years, not being able to win any hunger games in the past, what, 10 years. People cheered and I could see my mother crying, Heidi trying to comfort her while her own eyes were filled with tears. I gulped down the tears that were threatening to spill; I would not show the world that I was affected by this. Even if I obviously was. “Anyway, now the male tribute… is…” and the screen showed another name, right below mine.
CASPER VAN ACHTEREN
I was surprised that I actually knew who this person was, not like others didn’t. He was rather popular in our district. Known as the golden boy, Casper Van Achteren was only fifteen years old, not old enough to work in anything officially but always got perfect marks in school and stood out in any possible way. Unlike me he was social, outgoing and carefree person. The only match to my knowledge, the only person in the middle of my goals. My sworn enemy; even if I hadn’t actually talked with him before.
He seemed shocked at first, I could see him looking around and trying to figure that, indeed he was the one chosen. Just like what happened to me, a person from behind pushed him gently towards the stage, he gasped, he seemed upset for a second but then, rather quickly, changed his face so that he was grinning, a really genuine looking grin too. “See, that is some enthusiasm!” the woman commented again, I was getting annoyed by her stupid capitol accent, everyone made fun of it but I found it plainly irritating and disgusting. “Now come Casper and shake hands with Freya and the rest” she said with a grin, Casper nodded and came to stand in front of me.
“Hello” he said with a smile as he extended his hand, I smiled back, but mine was small and obviously forced. I would fight with this guy soon, to death. So I wasn’t interested in making friends. I shook his hand and quickly let go. He went to shake hands with everyone just like I had moments ago.
“Well fellows that’s all for today! We need to get our tributes to say goodbye to their families and then leave to the capitol! So the makeover period is started! We’ll see more of our tributes, Casper and Freya when they are in the interviews!” she said once again excited about everything, it’s just a simple game, she must have thought all the time. Ha, if it was just a simple game, no one would dread the simple idea of it.
We were taken to the main building of the district, it had an elevator and I was taken to a different room than Casper. Soon enough someone opened the door, to reveal my little sister and mother. “FREYA!” Heidi yelled as she ran to my arms. I felt tears building up my eyes but I refused to cry. I smiled slightly and kissed her temple.
“Shhh it’s fine Heidi. I’m going to be fine. Don’t worry” I said with ease, I knew it was a lie, but I would not tell my eight year old sister that soon I was going to die, and never come back. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It was impossible. Soon my mother joined our hug and I hugged her tightly. “Mother, take care of Heidi, always take care of her… and of yourself” I whispered in her ear, she knew this was goodbye, and that we would possibly never be seeing each other again. Her eyes sparkled from unshed tears as she nodded.
Someone knocked on the door after minutes of holding my mother and sister, in silence; and announced that the time was over. I smiled weakly at them and watched them leave, my heart breaking into little pieces. I felt my claustrophobia kick in and I felt the walls were closing up on me; I sat on the ground trying to make my breathing normal again. Soon I felt a hand on my shoulder; I looked up to see Casper.
“What?” I asked in a soft voice, I didn’t think he was one able to say goodbye to me, after all we would be together until the games started, so I was surprised that he was there with me. He smiled slightly and his hazel eyes were full with some weird emotion. It was a mix of pain and loneliness, I felt the need to hug him, so I do what my instincts told me. Wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him close to me. His arms quickly rested on my lower back and his chin on my shoulder.
“Thanks…” his voice was only a soft whisper but I was still able to hear it, probably because his lips almost touching my ear. I felt a shiver run through my back as I pulled him closer, enjoying the warmth that engulfed me, it was emanating from his body and honestly I was rather cold, wearing a dress wasn’t the best option I could’ve come up with. “Thank you, really, Freya” he said this time louder, I couldn’t help the smile that was playing on my lips at that moment.
“No problem Casper, I think I needed that too” I said honestly and let his warmth leave as our moment is over by the knocking of the door.
“Both tributes out of the room now, the train is leaving soon” and so we started our journey to what would, possibly, be our death. |
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