The Twenty-fifth Hunger Games

Chapter 3

I sit in a comfy chair. I can't think what will come in the future. I try to put myself in my place. It's not working though. Come on, think. I can't get past the fact that I'm gonna die. It's true, I stand no chance. I don't think anyone in my family understands that. No one in the district. After a few more tears I decided to sit in this chair. That's how I ended up in this little green chair.

After a while I can't stand it any more. I will have to remind myself.

My name is Autumn Parks. I'm 15 years old. I'm from district 10. I have two sisters. Ferra and Nikki. My dad is alive with them. My mother got shot at the Reaping. She is dead. I am alive. I am going into the twenty-fifth Hunger Games. I am going to die.

I can't keep myself from tears. I sit on the edge of my train car. I can't do this. I can't kill myself. I was going to die anyway. I should just get my death over with now. I can feel the wind in my hair. I am just about to jump when Greve walks out of the main car and sees me.

"What are you doing?" he interrogates. "You're not committing suicide are you?"

I shake my head. And pull myself up. "No. I want to try to live for.. for my sisters. For my father. For my.. for my mother."

I walk back inside my train car. And decide to take a shower. I walk into the bathroom and close the door behind me. I strip off my clothes and step into the shower. I hit a button and the water gets really hot. I rinse out my hair for a while trying to forget about today. Forget about tomorrow. Forget about life. I shampoo my hair, rinse it out, and put in conditioner.

Once I finish showering I notice a nice pile of clothes waiting for me. I pull them on and comb my hair. I wear a fine pair of sweat pants and a sweatshirt. They are both pink. I pull the sides of my hair into a pin and leave the bathroom. There's a knock on my door. "Who is it?" I ask.

"Uhhh it's umm Harter."

I open the door. I've never seen Harter before. It's because my mother was shot and I wasn't paying attention to him. I've locked myself away from everyone in the train. Everyone in the world, actually.

"Oh, hi," I say.

Harter is really handsome. He has brown, short hair and he is really tan.

"I haven't gotten to talk to you yet so, I wanted to come meet you," he says.

"Well, here I am. What did you want?" I ask.

"I don't know if you know me but I like you and now that we're in the-"

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. You like me?" I ask. "I don't even know you."

"Yes. And I want you to win. I know that you have two sisters and a family. I live alone. You know. I was always an only child. My mom died giving birth to me and my dad got sick from uncooked steak. I told him not to eat it but he couldn't do it. He said he was going to die anyway. It was true though. He was dehydrated so was I. But when the neighbors took me in they gave me water right before I was dead."

"Well, that's a nice story. You know your neighbors saving you." Harter gives me a weird look. "Not your parents dying," I add.

"Right."

There's another knock on my door. I get up and open the door. It's Opinna. Her leg has a bandage where the bullet hit her. You can see the blood through the bandage. It looks as if it's just a tiny piece of tissue paper trying to cover up the wound that causes someone's death in the Hunger Games. "It's time for dinner," she says.

She walks out of the door and leads us to the dining room.