1 - Uncharted Waters [Hunger Games]

1 - The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 1

"The Ocean" by Mike Perry feat. Shy Martin

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Mira Fairkin sat on her bed, her knees drawn to her chest, as she gazed out at the horizon. The dawn's first light crept across the sky, signaling a new day. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the salty air, hoping it would calm her. She tried to focus on the soothing sound of the waves instead of the relentless pounding of her heart, clutching her legs even tighter.

This was always how she felt on reaping day. Mira still got anxious, even though she had managed to avoid being called for the annual Hunger Games for four years now.

Mira found it odd that she woke up earlier than usual today. She was always an early riser, but today felt different. Normally, she would wake up at dawn to join her grandfather for fishing. She had learned early on that if she didn't, he'd leave her behind without a second thought—a practice she disliked.

She lived with her grandparents in a small, weather-worn house by the shore, where the vast ocean stretched endlessly outside her bedroom window.

Finally, Mira pushed herself out of bed, tidied it quickly, then washed her face and changed into comfortable clothes. When she stepped into the kitchen, she found her grandmother busy at the stove. Mira braided her hair messily into a fishtail as she watched her grandmother, her back turned toward her. Taking a deep breath, she bit her lip, struggling to find the words she wanted to say.

"Nan?"

Coraline Fairkin hummed in response, not turning around.

"Could I go visit the orphanage before the reaping?" Mira asked, biting her lip and waiting anxiously for her grandmother's answer.

Her grandmother paused, setting down the spoon she was using, and turned to look at Mira. Her intense blue eyes held a mix of protectiveness and reluctance. Coraline was always cautious about letting Mira go anywhere alone. Mira knew this protectiveness stemmed from losing her mother, Coraline and Hurley's only daughter, shortly after Mira was born.

Mira didn't know much about her mother; she was a subject rarely mentioned. It was as though her mother's memory was something best left undisturbed, something painful and forbidden.

All Mira knew was that her mother had once been a victor, that she had died shortly after Mira's birth, and that she had been beautiful. After her mother's death, her grandparents had been forced to leave the Victor's Village and move back to their old home, raising Mira as their own.

Her grandparents were well-regarded in District 4, both for their looks and their kind natures. The Fairkins were a striking family who, like most in their district, earned a living through fishing, supplemented by Coraline's modest income from her medical services. Despite being in their late fifties, Coraline and Hurley were often mistaken for Mira's parents by those who didn't know their family history.

"Mira—" her grandmother began, but her grandfather's voice interrupted.

"Let the girl go, Cora," Hurley said, entering the kitchen. "She's sixteen now. We can't keep her sheltered forever." Coraline sighed, then gave Mira a small nod.

Mira's face lit up. She leaped up, grinning, and hugged her grandparents in turn. "Thank you, Nana! Thank you, Papa!"

Coraline couldn't help but smile at Mira's enthusiasm; her granddaughter's happiness was always infectious.

Mira had a way of winning people over without even trying. Coraline often tried to keep Mira grounded, teaching her discipline and restraint, knowing her husband found it hard to say no to their granddaughter. Mira was grateful for her grandparents, even if her nana sometimes placed limits on her freedom.

Coraline held Mira's shoulders and looked at her face lovingly before brushing a strand of hair behind her ear and pulling her in for a quick hug.

"Just be back before ten. And don't forget your shawl," Coraline reminded her. Mira nodded, then grabbed a basket filled with goods to bring to the children at the orphanage.

She wrapped the shawl around her head, keeping her gaze down as she walked through the district. The people on the dock rarely saw her out without her grandparents, and she felt the familiar stares as she passed by. Some greeted her kindly; others cast her envious looks. As a child, Mira hadn't understood why some of the girls treated her so coldly, though it became clearer as she grew up. The only person who had truly befriended her was Annie Cresta, though Annie had since been sent to the orphanage and forced to train in the Academy. Mira's loneliness had driven her to learn fishing from her grandfather at a young age, proving she was more than just a pretty face and preparing her for life in their harsh district.

Arriving at the orphanage, Mira quickly spotted Annie helping Tom draw water from the well. Tom's younger sister, eight-year-old Seanna, sat nearby on a rock. When she saw Mira, her face lit up, and she ran to her with open arms.

"Mira!" Seanna exclaimed. Tom followed his sister with a smile of his own.

"I missed you too, Seanna," Mira laughed, hugging the younger girl before placing a hand on Tom's head. "And Tom, you've grown taller!"

At that, Tom's expression fell slightly. "And older," he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking down.

"Oh, Tom, you'll be fine. There are hundreds of other names in that bowl," Annie said with a reassuring smile as she approached. Mira knew Annie only wanted to comfort him, but Tom was far too aware of the realities of their world. "I had to enter my name five times for a tessera," he said quietly, glancing up at Mira as if to gauge her reaction.

Mira's eyes widened in shock. "But why, Tom? I was going to help provide for you two!" She lifted the basket to emphasize her point. "You didn't need to take on that risk."

"Until when, Mira? Until you're old enough to adopt us?" Tom's voice cracked, and he looked down to hide the tears forming in his eyes. Mira's face softened as she looked at the siblings she loved like family.

"You two are never a burden to me," she said sincerely. Tom and Seanna Eacenbairn had lost their mother to a plague four years ago, and though Mira wanted to bring them home, her grandmother wouldn't allow it. Coraline had her reasons, which she never shared, but Mira understood. Coraline had been one of their mother's healers, which gave Mira a natural familiarity with the siblings. Seeing them lose their mother stirred something deep within her, and from that day, she vowed to do everything she could to protect them.

"Fishing is rough these days," Tom muttered bitterly. "It's like training us to kill other children is more important than teaching us how to fend for ourselves." Mira's heart ached at how the Academy had already hardened this once gentle boy.

"What's done is done," Tom continued, his gaze fixed on his little sister. "All I can do now is hope the odds will be in my favor for seven years."

"Life's unfair, guppy," Annie said, ruffling his hair playfully.

"Can you stop with that dumb nickname, Annie?" Tom groaned, rolling his eyes, which made the girls laugh.

Annie, who was a year older than Mira, shared a close bond with Tom and Seanna. She had lost her mother and twin brothers to the same plague and her father in a storm that capsized their boat a year ago. Mira held onto Annie's optimism like a lifeline, a small light against the darkness of their world. Despite all Annie had lost, her warmth and hope remained untouched—a resilience Mira cherished deeply. She silently promised herself to carry that same strength, holding onto Annie's positivity as long as she could, no matter what lay ahead.