The Hunger Games AKFOSP

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Once, when I was stuck atop a giant pear tree, a tall peacekeeper found me and thought I was stealing pears for my family to eat.

He almost shot me but, by the time he'd aimed his gun at my head, I was crying and screaming so hard, that he thought he'd already pulled the trigger. Stupid peacekeeper. He walked away and I somehow managed to fall out of the tree.

I hit the ground full-force and twisted my ankle. Then I was just lying there, scratched and bleeding all over with a useless leg, trying to breathe in and out.

-

That's how I feel right now, lying on our bedroom's solid hard floor, Twiggle and Coar snuggled up to me, crying softly.

I can't believe this, how can this be happening to us, good people? We never did anything wrong to deserve this...this...torture.

I wonder how the first rebellion started because I'd heard that the old Panem-which was once called "North America"-was a fairly peaceful continent. Curse those rebels that started it.

I guess it's just our devilish luck. Personally, I don't find it fair, not one bit.

-

Suddenly Coar stands up.

"I'm hungry." He moans.

"Me too" Twiggle says weakly.

"Yeah let's get ready and go eat breakfast." I say.

I stand up and drag my feet to our small wooden closet. My brothers follow, heads arched low.

"Do you guys think we should dress into ordinary clothes or reck our reaping clothes at breakfast?" I ask.

At first Twiggle and Coar look up at me questioningly but then I smile and we erupt in giggles.

"Normal clothes!" They say in sync between breaths. If we wore our reaping clothes to breakfast, our mother would scold us. Besides, all they are is uncomfortable.

I help Coar and Twigge undo the buttons on their night-robes, Twiggle's white and Coar's red. They used to be mine but I grew out of them quickly.

I undress myself and put on green-ish black-ish capris and a green short sleeved shirt. Twiggle chooses a yellow shirt and green shorts. Coar picks the same.

We walk into the washroom and I brush my shoulder length, dark brown hair, almost pulling every curly strand out. I struggle to pull the brush out of my hair when I hit a knot. Man, I hate that hair. My thick curls bounce back up to their messy fashion. Whatever.

"Ouch" Coar cries out also hitting a knot in his frizzy mess with his comb. I help him ease the comb out. We wash our faces and file out of the bathroom.

I make the beds, folding each sheet smoothly while Twiggle and Coar sit down next to me.

There's a gloomy feeling in the air and a sudden warm breeze floats through the open window. The curtains rise and fall, revealing glimmering sunlight but then enclosing the room in darkness again. I shiver, the hairs on my neck raise, as if someone were spying on me: President Snow, he watches everyone.

-

Our mother peeks her head in.

"Oh you're up! I've got breakfast ready for everyone!" She says too brightly. "Come eat!"

We move out of the murky room into the short hallway, Twiggle and Coar's bare feet slapping loudly on the floor while mine silently glide over.

The sun gleams through the open curtains on the window. We turn left into the kitchen.

Coar, Twiggle and I sit down at the wooden, square table and eat the apple slices that are on the plates before us.

"I don't want you to go!" Twiggle cries into my shoulder.

"I wont go Twiggle don't worry" I say trying to sound brave but I'm not too sure myself.

After the rebellion, Lucius Snow had said that on reaping day there would be an announcement about the Hunger Games, or rather: The Hunger Games AKFOSP. (After Katniss' Failure Of Saving Panem)

-

We finish our apple slices and I start to get up when our old, black and white television turns on. I sit back down knowing this is the announcement we've all been anticipating.

It's Lucius Snow's piercing eye's that stare at us. I shiver as his tiny, snake-like pupils tear into me. I try to look away but instead I gaze back, daring him to blink. He does, and it's like slow-motion, his puffy eyelids closing in on his silver eyes then raising themselves back again.

"Dear people of Panem!" He begins in the stupid, high pitched capitol accent.

"Thank you all for joining me at this early reaping morning." His eyes gleam in an evil way. I close my eyes because I can't take this anymore. This is crazy, he is crazy!

"Since the second rebellion won by the truly amazing capitol therefore lost by the 12... or recently 11 districts..." He pauses. "I would like to announce a new change in the rules of The Hunger Games! Not only this year's Games but the ones after those and forever on." I slowly open my eyes not understanding. What? What change? Hugh?

Snow looks at his paper.

"It will be a rule change with new twists every annual Hunger Games called..." he pauses for dramatical effect. "The Annual Quell!" His sentences end much higher than they begin as if he were asking a question, or being pinched.

"On every reaping morning, a slip of paper will be chosen and on it will be written a change of a rule or of many.

And...since right now is a "reaping morning", we may as well read what this year's Annual Quell will bring!"

He smiles, his puffy lips entwining like a snake's, his eyes glinting with enthusiasm. Enthusiasm, to kill. To kill: Everyone. He is evil and I WILL get him back...one day.

"Let us pick a piece of paper!" He shoves his hand into a giant glass ball with a golden edged rim, similar to the ones we use at the reaping. Lucius Snow stirs his pale hand in the bowl and picks a random slip of paper. He pulls his bony hand out with the slip and unfolds it. His slithery, thin fingers slowly smooth out the folds. He fixes his thick-framed glasses and begins...

-

"In memory of the capitol winning a second rebellion and destroying district twelve, each of the eleven districts must provide five lucky males, and five lucky females to fight to the death on live television.

What an entertainment for us wealthy capitol people?" He stretches the word "wealthy".

My mother gasps, Twiggle and Coar start to whimper and I gape at the screen and start to sweat, but Snow's not done yet.

"Also to remind the eleven remaining districts, that young and old can fight but will never win against the hmmm, ALWAYS victorious capitol, children from ages eight to eighteen..."

I can't take it anymore, I plug my ears and close my eyes. My mother leans closer to me and puts her arm on my shoulder. I slowly unplug my ears. "...reaping" Snow finishes.

What did he say while I had my ears plugged?

"Oh yes, happy reaping, and may the ODDS, be EVER in your favour!"

I open my eyes and see that President Snow is enjoying this horrible announcement. Are his eyes actually glimmering with happiness?

The television screen goes black and we sit there staring in disbelief.

"No" I whisper, guessing what Snow said. I look at Twiggle and Coar. Their eyes start to water as they take in what was said and what their fate is. I guess they'll have to join the reaping too... with me.

Everyone from ages eight to eighteen's got a one in a million probability of being reaped. But that one in a million probability means a one in a million chance of certain DEATH.