Niall's pov.
I sighed softly as I grabbed my coat and took it on. It was slightly too big and actually belonged to Greg, but since he never wore it, I did. It used to be my dad's but he died in an accident in the mines. Greg is younger then me 14, just two years, but he's defenitly longer. Maybe he's already to big to fit in the coat. I couldn't tell, maybe I'm just small. Today will be the day he has chance to be the one getting send off to the arena... Just like. The hunger games.. Each year two boys or two girls from each district will be taken to the capitol to fight in an massive outdoor arena, which can excist out of literally everything. 24 people go in and only one comes out. Last year two girls got taken, so this year two boys will have to leave home and embrace death. District 12, my district, only brought two victors out past the years. They coach the people who have to fight now. They're named Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles. As victors, they live in massive houses at the back of the district itself. I sighed softly and stepped into my leather brown boots. They were worn out, but too comfortable to just throw away. You're forced to join at an age of 12. Your name will be in the boil of paper once. At an age of 13, twice, you get where I'm going. My name will be in there 5 times natural, but since we get water and grain every week for one year my name is in 3 times more, so that makes 8. This way me, my mom and Greg have more food.. I took all of it on me, because I rather have me going there then Greg.
It's always been like this. Every sunday I'll go hunting. Someone has to bring in the food here, right? District 12 is the poorest off all. We have 12 in total. Each district produces its own resources for the Capitol. We produce coal. At an age of 19 boys are forced to make long days in the mines and sunday is their only free day off. I wouldn't wanna go there, but what choice do I have? Right, none. You don't decide how to live your life here. Everything gets decided for you. There used to be a district 13, who started an revolution. They got burned to the ground, every single piece of it. That is exactly why the hunger games got created. That's why every year people get slaughtered while we are forced to watch. That's why they take our family and friends away from us. They make us fear them and it damn works.
I slowly walked outside the house, leaving my mom and Greg alone. Ever since my dad died in the mines mom hasn't been the same. In the end, I ended up taking care of all of us. I sighed softly as I followed the path to the side of district 12. There was a massive fence all around it, so people couldn't escape all bad in here. There used to be electrical, but it's probably broken since it's not working. It took me 5 minutes to reach the fence as the familiar sign: "Do not enter" showed up. I walked along side it, 12 steps from the sign in total, it got a habit to count, as I reached the gap and crawled through it. Yes, I'm not allowed to come here and yes, I'll get punished if they ever find out but.. I hunt in this forest. I take the flesh onto the market and trade it for bread or other things. The people are more then happy with it, I tell you. Even the peacekeepers, people from the capitol who make sure all rules are followed, do trade the flesh I bring and never question about it. They might be from the capitol, but they appear not to have that much either. You're doomed when you get send to this district. I finally reached the familiar tree as I moved the leaves and got my bow out of it. My dad made them, he teached me how to use them to be exact and I'm more then gratefull for it. We would be starving otherwise.. I have to admit I never went into the forest alone when he was still alive. We'd go together every sunday. When he died I kept my limits and went in a little further everyday. I swung the arrow keeper over my shoulder as I held the bow tight and walked to the familiar meeting place. I'm not hunting alone.
"Psstt, Nialler!" I laughed softly at the nickname as I turned to Zayn. I wanted to say something, but he held his finger in front of his lips and gestured with his other hand I slowly had to come over. So I did. I noticed there was a young deer close enough to be shot. He was small, so we could take him. I grinned slightly and took out an arrow and made it ready to fly and kill it's victem. I pulled the tendon of the arc back and let it slip between my fingers as the deer fell against the ground. "You're not even concentration problems at seven am in the morning.." Zayn sighed cheeky. I laughed softly. "Someone has to bring the flesh in right?" "Well, you're doing a good job at that one." I gave him a playfull punch. "Let's check the traps." I said as he nodded in agreement. We would come back for the deer later. We were the only ones coming here anyways. After we checked them we walked back with two rabbits. Not bad. He walked to the edge of the forest on the other side of the fence and settled down. "So.. What are you wearing at tonight..?" Neither me and Zayn liked this subject. Tonight two people would be taken away for the arena. I bit my lip. "Just the familiar clothes, I'm still able to fit into them and my dad's are still too big." Zayn's name was in the boil even more. He had quite a big family and took all the food and water on him. Zayn, is just like me, the oldest child in the family. "We could leave you know.." Zayn suddenly said. I looked up, slightly confused. He noticed and explained. "Well, we could leave to the forest with our families. We could survive with the skills we have.. We could free ourselfs from the horrible world we're living in.." he said softly, staring into nowhere. "You know that's impossible Zayn. They'll eventually find out we're missing and search for us and the forest is probably the first place to search since well, the peacekeepers aren't stupid." Ofcourse they knew better. The animals they came back with weren't walking around in the district, but just like everyone they wanted the flesh a well and didn't bother asking where they got it. Zayn sighed. "We should go back.." I could tell he was nervous. Then again, who wasn't? It didn't matter how many papers had your name on it. If your name was in the boil, you had a chance to get send of to that arena and that was everyone worst fear. I fear it too. Ti'll now it had always been someone else's reality. I had only watched on a screen. It didn't look real. It was more like some.. movie. You just couldn't imagine it was actually happening because the idea only could make you feel sick.
I nodded slowly. I had to get Greg ready as well. We got up, divided our catch and walked back home after we had hidden our weapons again.
No one knew what today would bring, expect from Faith.
So, that was chapter 1. I, for this fanfiction, will use the same system as the others. I make a goal and won't upload untill I reach it. Ofcourse these goals are realistic! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter and send me ideas! (;
Goal: 1 comment/ 2 votes
