The First Hunger Games

Olive

She didn't know what was happening to be quite honest. One minute, she was standing next to her mother. The next she was being whisked away to an orphanage. Mrs. Tansult was a kind woman. But Olive would never forget watching her mother fade from the world, bringing Olive's little brother with her. This night was like most others. Olive and the other twelve children were gathered around the fireplace talking about their day and discussing plans. Olive heard one girl talking about a boy she's met at work today. "He asked me to meet him there tomorrow!"

"What does he look like Ivy?" asks Maple.

"He's tall. His hair is oak brown and he has sapling green eyes. He's tanned and very kind." Both girls giggle. Though it was hard to see the girls, all of them had hints of blush on their cheeks as they talk about the boy. Olive really wasn't interested in the topic but she listened anyway.

"He's really strong. I heard that he can lift an entire maple tree stump with one arm." The girls all smile widely.

"He can pick me up with two arms if he wants." Maple tries to hide her blush but it's too late. All the girls giggle together. Olive just sat there confused.

"Who are you talking about?" Olive puts her hands in her lap and looks at them questioningly. All the girls gasp and bombard olive with questions like, "how do you not know who he is!" or "You haven't seen him at least once?!". She started to feel uncomfortable.

"Girls, quiet down. She's fairly new here and she's only twelve. She won't know what's what and who's who." The girls sit back down and settle themselves again. Olive recognized the girl who had spoken up as Juniper. She was the oldest girl in the orphanage, at the age of 17. Almost old enough to get out of this wretched place and create her own life.

"We're talking about a boy named Pine. A very ironic name considering the fact that he only works in the pine forest of our district. Honestly, I don't see what the fuss around him is about though. Sure, he's handsome and everything but he's also very impulsive and tends to be, very oblivious."She rolls her eyes and smiles a bit. She looks straight at Olive who has a blank expression on her face.

"I'm sorry but what's your name?" Olive had been there for almost a month, how on earth had they not learned her name yet? Olive looked at all the girls staring at her and hesitated.

"Um, Olive..." They all greeted her with smiles and hellos. The bell rang and the girls all departed into their rooms. Olive slowly went off to her room as well.

-----------------------------------------------

The next morning, Olive pulls on her day dress, boots and scarf, then quietly makes her way downstairs. Juniper looks up at her from her place at the table and pats the spot next to her. Olive slides into the seat, grateful to have a friend.

"Have you heard the news?" Juniper asks. Olive shakes her head. "The Capitol has announced that we will be a part of something called The Hunger Games. There's a meeting in the square this afternoon,"

"What are...The Hunger Games?" Olive asks confused. Juniper just shrugs, then grins.

"But it means we get out of work early for the day!" Olive can't help but smile too. Sorting lumber is tiring work. "Grab a bagel and come to my room, I'll do your hair," with that, Juniper stands and leaves the room. Olive is beyond excited. She's never had her hair done before. She grabs a bagel off the table and runs to Juniper's room. She shyly pushes the door open. Juniper is waiting for her. She has a chair set up in the middle of the room, and a brush in her hand. "Come sit,"

Olive sits patiently in the chair while Juniper twists her hair up into an elegant knot on the top of her head. When it's been secured, she ties a silk green ribbon around the bun and pulls it into a bow. "There, perfect," Juniper tells her. Olive looks at herself in the cracked mirror hanging on the wall. She can't agree more. Perfect. "Be careful during work, we wouldn't want you to mess it up!" Juniper laughs. Olive shakes her head. A bell can be heard from the small room. Both girls know what it means. "Well, time to get to work. Walk with me?" Olive scrambles off the chair and follows Juniper out of the old building. The girls walk arm in arm down the pebbled path.

It's been about an hour or two, Olive can feel the heat starting to get to her. Her body aches from lifting wood and her hands are filled with splinters. Relief splashes over her when she hears the chime of the bell, calling them to lunch. Only, it wasn't the lunch bell. All the workers including Olive are led to lumber trucks. A peacekeeper helps Olive into the bed of one of the vehicles. Once everyone is loaded in, the trucks take off down the road.

The group arrives at the town square. They are dropped off little ways off from the Justice building. Another peacekeeper helps Olive out of the truck and herds her and the others to the square. A plump peacekeeper pushes Olive to the front of the square, and into line with children her age. Olive doesn't understand why everything is so orderly. District meetings are never like this. They're usually disorganized and chatty. However, today everything is tidy and as the last person settles into line, everyone is silent.

A bronze skinned woman with even bronzer hair steps up to the microphone and gently taps it with her painted fingers. The bronze woman looks out over the crowd with a beaming smile. She takes a deep breath then clears her throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! It is my greatest honor to introduce to you the new system of Panem!" the woman's voice booms over the district. A new system? That seemed strange. Olive looked up at the bronze woman with curious eyes.

"I would explain it to you myself, but I'm afraid I would make it rather confusing. So," she says, clapping her hands together. "The president was kind enough to make and send a video for you all to watch! Isn't that exciting?" No one speaks, no one cheers. Everyone stays silent. The bronze woman's smile falters before she steps to the side of the stage. The screen behind her bursts to life in moving images. A man's voice can be heard over the speaker:

"War, terrible war. Widows, orphans a motherless child. This was the uprising that rocked our land. Thirteen districts rebelled against the country that fed them, loved them and protected them. Brother turned on brother until nothing remained. And then came the peace, hard-fought, sorely won. A people rose up from the ashes and a new era was born. But Freedom has a cost. When the traitors were defeated, we swore as a nation we would never know this treason again. And so it was decreed that each year, the various districts of Panem would offer up in tribute, one young man and woman to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage, and sacrifice. The lone victor bathed in riches would serve as a reminder of our generosity and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past, this is how we safeguard our future."

District 7 remained silent. Olive could feel herself shiver. The bronze woman steps back up to the mic.

"Now, we shall select our brave victors from the bowls of fate," she says, waving her hands mystically as over the glass bowl to her left. "Ladies first," Her slender hand snakes into the bowl, it twists around for a moment, then plunges into the bowl, and pull out its prey. The bronze woman opens the paper a leans into the microphone.

"Our first ever female victor for District 7 is..." No one moves, no one speaks, no one breaths. "Olive Stapaselv," Nothing changes except Olive's heartbeat. It quickens, and her hands start to sweat. Someone nudges her from behind, willing her to move forward towards the stairs in front of her. She climbs them with trembling legs. She wills herself forward until she's standing next to the bronze woman. Olive feels petrified, the people of her district look at her with pitying eyes, but she isn't surprised when no one steps forward to take her place. She barely hears Pine's name being called but the next thing she knew she was shaking hands with the tall brunette all the girls pinned over. Olive mentally scolded herself for making puns at a time like this but it was all she could do to Stapaselv from crying. Darn it!

She briefly recalled Juniper saying goodbye to her a green-themed, worn-down room, but she didn't remember getting on the train. She also couldn't recollect when she had started to cry, only that Pine had scooped her into a hug and hummed her into quietness.