The Hunger Games: Mashup

Chapter Six

District 5

“Zatch! Zatch, where are you?” called Kirie Kojima. Her short, light brown hair blew in the breeze of the mountains. She looked up and down the rocky paths, searching for a sign of struggle. She always worried about her friend. Zatch was young and naive, with a strong sense of justice. He was powerful, but to an extent. His attacks were so powerful, if he used too much of his power, he would die. Kirie may have been headstrong, but she was smart enough to sense where his breaking point was. If not attended, he could over-stress his abilities, and then he would be beyond even magical help. Of course, Kirie wasn't strong in that area in the first place. She was a simple 17-year-old with a good feel for wrestling moves. She thanked her lucky stars that she had never been picked for the Hunger Games, but as the days went on, she worried more and more about what was to come. She was strong, but not that so strong as to be confident she would come out on top—even if her outer appearance towards that matter was quite controversial. More than that, Zatch was now 12. He was officially entered in the Games, and he had already signed up twice for tessarae. That means that he has his name in the bowl thrice. Kirie began to panic. She was never good with dealing with stress, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to handle herself if she couldn't find him in time and he died. What was more, the Reaping was going to start soon. If they weren't there, the Peacekeepers had an unfortunate habit of killing off the people who weren't there in time. If latecomers finally arrived to the square, they were met with gun point—which was their last sight before a bullet blasted through their brain. Surprisingly, even though she was four years older than him, he was the one taking care of her. He had the job that could kill him, but it was the same job that kept them both alive. Also, as silly as he was, Zatch was more dependable in a situation that called for leadership skills. Kirie simply wasn't able to manage that kind of stress.

“Zatch! Where are you?!” she called again, even more panicky than before. A man saw her stumbling around the edge of the cliff, and he caught her arm before she walked off the cliff itself.

“Watch yourself there. You won't find your little friend if you keep freaking out like that,” he told her. She tried to give him a hard look—the kind the tributes manage on the Hunger Games show when they need to face down with their opponents and they try to intimidate them. It only turned out to be a demented look, clearly showing off her desperation.

“I just want to know where he is! Have you seen a young boy of 12? He's got lightning blonde hair and he wears a blue robe and a white tie with a golden brooch! He's got golden eyes and he really looks like he's five—“

“Slow down there, girl,” said the man, patting her shoulder reassuringly. She glared at him.

“I will not slow down! My little brother is missing!!” she spat at him. His eyes widened, and she flushed.

“Well, technically, he's not my little brother—but he's like that to me! He's the only person I have left!” she told him angrily. The man gave her a thin smile. He wore a Peacekeeper outfit, but his hair was black with white striped on it on his left side. He gave her a reassuring smile.

“We'll find him. I promise,” he told her. The smile warmed her heart, and eventually, she relaxed and she gave him a small smile. Still, her eyes spelled out her panic quite plainly. He took her hand gently and he led her forward. They passed through the crowd, and all Kirie could think about was how warm his hand was, and how calming his touch was.

“Now, tell me—where is Zatch usually at this time?” he asked her. She shrugged.

“Well...right now, he should be at the power plant, but I went there and they said that he wasn't there anymore,” she told him. The man put a pondering finger to his chin.