The 72nd Hunger Games

Chapter 1

Meg

District 9

5:00am

When I wake up, I see my fathers sullen face above, shaking me softly awake. 'Meg, wake up' he whispers, not wanting to wake Farron I assume.

I prop myself up against my rough canvas pillow shifting in place to try and find comfort but failing as there always seems to be a frayed strand scraping against my skin. My eyes are still adjusting to the morning light flooding through the window, yet my father has already pulled my thin sheet off me, making me grip my legs in my arms in attempt to salvage the little warmth the paper thin sheet provided . 'Father!' I groan. 'I know,I know but you have to be quick if you want to see Fibre'. Suddenly my eyes are wide awake. 'Fibre was here!' I ask ,trying to disguise my excitement . 'Yes , he was at the door about ten minutes ago asking for you'. All of a sudden I'm out of bed and scrambling to find some clean clothes. My father turns to leave but then stops in the doorway 'you should wear your reaping dress, you might not be able to get back once you leave, you know how the peacekeepers are'I nod and turn the wooden wardrobe. As I turn the knob the door swings off and lands on the floor with a tremendous thud. Luckily Farron is a deep sleeper ,she flinches and turns to face the wall, still maintaining her deep slumber.

There's only three items hung up; My fathers best linen shirt, My frayed and faded lemon yellow reaping dress and a new beige ensemble, for Farron.

I pull on the pale yellow dress my fingers tracing the small leaves stitched onto the collar, work of my fathers skilled hands.

After pushing a brush through my mousy brown hair and slipping it into a single knot at the back of my head, I rush into the front room, and grab my boots. I slide out the front door and sit out on the porch slipping into the soft worn leather and tieing the frayed laces into a bow.

District 9 consists of mainly fields of wheat and the rest of the land is dry flat plains- leaving no places to hide. However one day, when my father was ill and was unable to make his usual crafts to get us by- me and Fibre snuck into the abandoned fields. Technically the peacekeepers hadn't declared these fields to be out of bounds but no one was ever there anyway due to them growing grain that the Capitol found no longer useful, stuff like millet and teff that they couldn't use for food or fabric. Now they only have 1 or two active fields of these grains, solely to provide tesserae in the cheapest way possible to the districts.

Though the Capitol declared the grain useless- to a family verging on starvation the stuff was priceless ,so for months me and Fibre harvested the grain and made some questionable bread from it to eat and sell.

I brush my hand against the soft teff as I walk down the drying aisle of dirt dividing the grain. I reach a small wooden shack with only a rusty window and door.

There gazing out of the open window, glowing from the amber sun rays was Fibre.

He pulled me into a tight embrace and I felt as though I could stay in his warm grasp forever. His grip loosens to look down at me. I'm met with his amber brown eyes melting into me like dripping honey.

'My father said you wanted to see me' i said, still not loosening myself from his arms.'Yes, I had to see you before the reaping, it's our last one' he shifts to look down at me 'We have the most chance today'. I slip away, still holding his huge hands, feeling my expression droop.'How many times is your name in?' '15' he says 'you?' '7' I say. 'Well look at that Meggie, I know people that have their name in double ours' I shrug, I know he's only trying to make me feel better but having any chance makes me feel sick. 'It's not you you're worrying about is it?' he says softly. Tears rim my eyes but i blink them away, he's right, I'm reminded of Farron in every passing breeze, of her innocence. 'Shes only 12, she will stand no chance' Tears flowing now, Fibre pulls me into his chest, stroking my hair. His warmth is welcome and my breathing gradually returns to its normal pace. ' I will protect her' he says ' you know, if anything happens'. I sit up. 'You cant promise that' I say stern. 'Fine, I wont promise anything' he says with a oddly blank face. I know what this means, and maybe, just for a second, I wanted to let him.

But I cant lose them both.

11:00am

People file into the square silently and sign in. The entire districts children have now shuffled into age order, 18 year olds at the front, younger ones towards the back. Im stood at the edge of the square, tapping my boot against the grey cobble. The line ahead of me is dissipating fast, but i still haven't seen Farron. Suddenly i spot her white blond hair at the reception desk, glittering purely against the sun. I run up towards her and line up behind her, no one minds that ive pushed in, in fact they are probably grateful that ive put more distance inbetween them and ceremony. 'Farron!' I say, putting my hand on her shoulder. 'Meg!' she exclaimed, hugging my waist tightly.'Next' the receptionist says. I nudge Farron lightly towards her. The woman tugs farrons white arm roughly and pricks her finger with little care, making her wince. 'Next' She says again, shoving Farrons arm away.

I glare at the woman during my turn, but she didn't look up from my punctured finger, only moving to throw my arm away, to clutch the next.

as soon as my hand is free, Farron's small hand has found mine, her grip tight. 'I'm scared' she whispers, her voice shaking. 'I know, but it's your first time, it won't be you i promise' she shivers in my hand 'are you sure?'. 'As sure as I can be, okay?' I say, trying to hide my own fear. 'Okay, I love you meg' she says embracing me. 'I love you too' i say, giving her a kiss on the forehead, then leaving her with the other 12 year old girls.

Now I'm eighteen, i'm at the front so i can see the stage closer than ever before. The mayor has clearly made an effort, as there is woven flowers decorating the stage, making it look like the wheat fields. The baskets holding thousands of names, are woven too, but have twigs and stray splinters stretching out from years of use. Our Capitol representative, Vexita Sparke has arrived on stage, wearing a beige woven dress, which made her blend in with the baskets and decor, knowing her probably on purpose. she has painted her face fully metallic gold, with gleaming gilded eyelashes stretching away from her unnatural neon green eyeballs.

'Welcome All District 9 citizens, to the 72nd hunger games reaping!' i feel the hairs on my arms raise, from her familiar piercing capitol twang. She carries on with her familiar speech about district pride, and capital loyalty and plays the propaganda film, which i believe i could recite word for word by now. 'This is how we safeguard our future' Vexita repeats 'Isn't that inspiring!, now, let's get to the fun!'. I hope she feels the silence that follows her sentence like a knife. 'Let's start with the girls!' her glittering heels clip clop to the basket, she gently removes a silk glove with sickening grace, and selects a name. clip clop, 'Farron Grist!'

I freeze. The words float infront of me, blurry. I feel dizzy and the words don't infiltrate my logical mind, and remain frozen. I feel heads turn towards me and suddenly i've fallen to the floor. I can't see, I can't hear everything is moving and still all at once, until it's black.

snap. I'm awake, it must have been a dream, a cruel, horrible dream. Yet when i open my eyes, i'm not back in my bed i'm on the dusty floor, with girls faces leering over me. It's real. Suddenly my mind is clearing and I snap back into consciousness, my sister is going to be killed. I feel someone pull me up, but farron is already onstage, am I too late? I try to call out her name, but before the sound can leave my mouth, strong arms are dragging me away. ' Keep quiet, for your own good' i turn to see a peacekeeper, and all i can feel is defeat. I'm too late.

'Mattais hull' echos out from the speakers. I hear a great surge of movement towards the middle of the crowd of boys, and a skinny boy barely taller than Farron is revealed, great, he won't be any help. Just as the boy begins to move someone shouts 'I Volunteer!'. The crowd distances from the noise. Fibre.

Farron now has a chance, but at what cost?.

I can't lose them both.