The Hunger Games - The Modern Version

Survival of the Fittest

The escort smiles and continues. "My name is Zenra Ictonne. I'm going to be the escort to four lucky tributes from your district, I mean, city" she beams at us. Four? Is it a Quarter Quell in Panem or something? I imagine President Snow reading out the note: "And for this Quarter Quell, we shall take random children from London, which is very very far away from Panem but I don't give a shit let's just get Peackeepers to manhandle them and Reap them"

Zenra puts on a video for us on an erected projector screen. I expect the typical " War, terrible war..." video to play but instead we see the looming face of President Snow. "That guy looks nothing like Donald Sutherland" says a male voice. Instantly the video is paused.

"What did you say about the president?" squeal's Zenra. One of the Peacekeepers signal to his subordinates to grab the speaker. "That is the ruler of Panem, the marvellous President Coriolanus Snow!". The Peacekeepers drag him up to the stage. "Your name?" questions Zenra.

"Will Brian"

Zenra searches for his name and pulls it out. She hands it to a Peacekeeper and they take Will inside the hovercraft. The crowd is dead silent. Will they kill him inside? No, that's not like the Capitol. They would make his execution very public. The video is unpaused.

" You must all be wondering why you'll are here today, but some of you have already guessed why."

Of course we know. Well me and Alison know.

" You have been chosen as potential tributes for the 76th Annual Hunger Games. It is survival of the fittest. You will be competing with tributes from the once again defeated districts in a fight to the death, and maybe one of you will emerge victorious, bathed in riches and generosity from the Capitol. So now, as President of Panem I wish you all good luck. May the odds be ever in your favour"

The video ends.

Zenra beams at all of us. "As usual" she says in her affected accent. "Ladies first"

Then she crosses over to the girls' ball. We all hold our breath. She pulls up two pieces of paper and walks back to the mic in her stilettos. She smoothens them out and reads the names in her high, clear voice.

"Alison Primer and Holly Farm"

Me and Alison? Is this Reaping rigged? We look at each other with pure terror on our faces. I don't know why I'm scared though. I'm huge, but other people can get bigger than me. And I'm only at the intermediate level in weapon training, but that's better than the starving tributes noob levels. And me and Holly are wild girls.

"Come on! Don't be shy!" Zenra calls out. Sadistic Capitol people. "Dude this is televised. Act tough" I whisper and we both walk up boldly to Zenra, Peacekeepers blocking all escape routes. We ascend the steps and Zenra pulls us into position on her right side.

"Now for the boys!"

She crosses over to the boys' ball and shuffles around in the slips, finally picking two of them, just as before.

" Liam Knightley and Daniel Piers"

Liam Knightley and Daniel Piers. I've heard those names before. Memories come flashing back. Kiddie fights in preschool. Name calling in kindergarten. Mean Facebook comments from middle school on wards. Liam Knightley is a lame ass joker and Daniel Piers is a nerd who's his best friend. Why are all the best friends being picked? I'm beginning to suspect I'm right. It's rigged to add more drama once we get in the Arena.

Liam walks up with his light brown hair all over his blue eyes and covering most of his tanned face, dragging along Daniel with his slightly darker brown hair than Liam and hazel eyes.