Broken (A Hunger Games Fanfic)

Chapter 1

   "Welcome, to the 57th Annual Hunger Games!"

   I looked around nervously. Earlier, I thought that maybe Annabelle had gotten up early to buy food or get ready for the reaping, but she still hadn't showed up. It had only been ten seconds ago that I had remembered.

    She had wanted to run away.

   The woman on the stage, who's name I'd forgotten multiple times, announced the reaping of the female tribute first. She delicately placed her hand in the glass bowl and quickly snatched up a folded up sheet of paper. She unfolded just as delicately she had when she grabbed it and read off the typed up name.

   "Annabelle Adler!"

   My heart sunk.

   Everyone in the fifteen age-group glanced around, but I knew that Annabelle wasn't there. She was running from her problems in the forest.

   "Has anyone seen Annabelle? She doesn't seem to be present," The woman said.

   Peacekeepers searched the other age groups, including the males. A group of them left the square into the direction of the neighborhood. I watched them go, knowing that they wouldn't find anyone or anything in the house.

   Annabelle, I don't care how stupid you are. I'm coming in after you.

   After the male tribute had been declared, everyone cleared out. I walked over to a fellow schoolmate named Galen.

   "Galen, I need you to take care of my younger brother and sister. I'm going to be away for a little while," I asked him.

   "Sure Ash," He promised me, "Why though?"

   "I may have an idea where Annabelle is,"

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   Surviving in the woods was harder than I'd expected. I had to make my own knife to hunt and kill my food sources. At night, I had to cut tree branches, which wasn't that hard, to make a small shelter. When the temperatures got low, I had to make a campfire.

   I knew where I was heading, but I didn't think it still existed. Something inside me was screaming I had to go there. It might be my last hope.

   District 13.

   That morning, I grabbed my supplies and burned out the campfire. I began my long walk, checking the traps I'd made. Nothing.

   Suddenly, there was a thick rustling in the evergreen. Peacekeepers, my mind thought; it was too loud to be an animal. My hand clutched the stone knife in my pants' pocket. I'd used knives in District 7 for practice throwing and helping to cut branches off of trees, so I had experience with handling them.

   The rustling got louder. All of a sudden, a young man came crashing through the veil of green.

   "Ash?!"  I shouted.

   I ran over and gave him a huge hug. He held me for a while, before I realized that Sage and Berkley weren't accompaning him.

   "Where are the others?" I asked.

   "Galen is keeping watch over them. I had to come and get you, and it's too dangerous for them," He replied. "He'll come with them in about two days; he wants to get away from District 7 too,"

   I embrace him again, and hand him a small chunk of the goat cheese. I begin to take down the shelter when Ash tells me something that scares the living daylight out of me.

   "Annabelle you got picked for the Hunger Games," He begins.

   "I know," I tell him, "I knew I was going to get picked. I have tessera."

   "Why the hell would you do that?" His temper rises.

   "Can't you just get to the point?"

   "Well, apparently, the Capitol doesn't want another reaping for a female tribute. All of the Peacekeepers are looking for you to place you in the Games. They've already searched through District 6 and 8 and the neighborhood, but they've failed in finding you. Still though, they are going to find you eventually, Bell."

   "I'll worry about that later," I told him, hiding my fear for my life. "All I want to do is get to District 13."

   Shocked spread across his face.

   "District 13? But it's been bombed!"

   "I know," I assured, "But haven't you ever felt that maybe the Capitol let them live?"

   "I guess," He said.

   "Good,"

   Suddenly, a strong current picked up, stronger than any wind I'd seen today. The loud roar of an engine was picked up, and the sunlight was getting darker. We looked up and saw a large metal blimp hovering over the woods, moving slowly.

   "Hide!" Ash said firmly. He dived at me and we crashed into the bushes. The aircraft moved over us with a blue spotlight searching behind the pines. My heart pounded so hard in my chest I thought it would burst. Ash was still on top of me and his breath was still with fear.

   The blimp disappeared behind the trees.

   We stood up, gaining back our sanity. Ash looked at me, then threw the canvas sachel at me.

   "Let's get a move on before they come back," He said.

  Thank you for reading! Tell me what you think! -Kaitlyn