Hunger Games *On Hold*

Peacekeepers

Finn's POV

I'm starving to death, but I guess I'm not too bad compared to my older brother and mom. I'm the youngest one in the family, but I think I shouldn't even exist sometimes. My brother works in the mine and while my mom does anything she can, I go to school. I wish I could help my family more, but I can't. I get dressed, and head to my brother Charlie, I want to help him at work even though I know I can't, but I go and ask him anyways, like every morning.

"Charlie, can I please help you at work?" I ask him. 

"No Finn, you have to be 18 or older your only 16. In two years you can help me. We have this conversation every morning, you have to acknowledge the fact that you can't go yet!" He  shouts, frustrated. 

"But Charlie I feel so bad knowing I can't do anything to help our family, I can't help mom or you so what can I do?" I say sadly, tears threatening to spill over. 

"You can help out at the house, because if me and mom aren't here who is going to clean the house? Who is going to take care of the house? You are, Finn, now I got to go to work. See you at night. I hope your going to do your new job!" He says gently, walking outside.

So Charlie expects me to take care of the house really, anyone could do that, even our cat could. I should go up to my teacher and say I can't go to school, because I need to take care of my house. It would be so funny, but I won't do it. I like my teacher, once, she helped me on a test but I still don't like school. I start to walk to school, and anger bubbles up inside of me. 

I go anyways. 

I walk in my class and notice it was a different teacher and some peacekeepers. I wonder what happened. The head peacekeeper starts to talk.

"Students your teacher is dead, she helped one of you in a test and that is a new crime, this will be your new teacher. Before you continue with your day, I need to know who got help from your old teacher?" He says with a low voice.

It was me she helped but what will happen if I tell him, will he kill me? My new teacher smiled at me, it was creepy. She had a stone face and black eyes.

"What will happen to the student that the teacher helped?" A girl in my class asks.

"She will have a big reward."He says, looking straight at the girl. He thought it was her. 

I couldn't let her have my reward!

"She helped me." I tell him putting up my hand

"Ok you may follow me to get your reward. Thank you for your cooperation." The peacekeeper says, as stone faced as ever. 

I follow him and I feel so happy, I might get some money for my family. My family will be so happy. It would feel like I actually did something good. We walk to and tie my hands to this really big thing. 

Dread fills my stomach. This wasn't a reward. 

I see Charlie.  He tries to run towards me, but he get's stopped by another peacekeeper. The head peacekeeper backs up, and rips off my shirt.He grabs something in his right hand.

Mom was in the market. She looked shocked. 

"10 lashes for the law breaker. LET THIS BE AN EXAMPLE!" The head peacekeeper yells. 

In his hand. It was a whip.

Number one. I try not to cry. I wait for the lashings to be over.