The First Annual Hunger Games Contest Book Entries

Challenge One

It's been like this for months, climbing into bed very late at night and spilling my sorrow through tears onto my pillow until morning. Not many people knew about my anguish, only my mother, father and my little brother. We like to keep to ourselves.

It still feels like yesterday when I first heard the taunting news. I was at The Tree, a very weathered oak tree that stood tall among its fellow trees in the woods that separated our district from the others. This tree was special to me, holding all the memories and secrets of many years. I sat on the thick branch, swinging my feet and looking out to this magical place, thinking and most especially, dreaming. Hugging the wide trunk, I let myself slump down. I tilt my head up and felt the warmth of the blazing sun. It was so quiet and peaceful here, nothing could ever hurt me here.

Or so I thought.

After a while, I heard heavy footsteps, stepping and cracking sticks and other small foliage that was on ground level, easy enough for someone to step on. I opened my eyes and looked down, knowing that no one could see me. A very big figure, a man most definitely, stopped right next to trunk and looked up. He squinted and called out, a tone of sorrow sneaking into his voice. "Cherokee? Sweetheart, come down!" That was definitely my father but I didn't want to leave my beloved tree. So instead, I kept quiet and watched.

My father but his hand above his eyes to shield the sun away from his eyes. He stood on this tip toes and squinted even more, trying to see me. After a while, my father grew impatient. "Cherokee Marie Lovelock! Come down from this God forsaken tree! Mother and I need to talk to you.. Something has happened and you need to know.."

I bit my lip and ever so slowly made my way down the tree. My father has never yelled out and he has never sounded so.. Victimized.

I jumped down to him and looked down to my feet, afraid I did something I shouldn't have done. My father took a deep breath and brought me into a warm embrace. He kissed the top of my head gently and I felt little drops of liquid fall onto my hair; he was crying.

He let me go and together we walked back to our quaint abode. My mother was waiting for us at the doorway, rocking my little brother, David, for his afternoon nap. She, too, had tears swelling up in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. The tip of her nose was red like she had been crying for a while. I felt tears swell up in my own eyes before threatening to spill over.

As a family, we walked inside the house. My mother and I sat on the big family couch while my dad brought up a chair and faced us. My mother wrapped her arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple and my father leaned his head into his hands, trembling. He was crying much harder now, the sun reflecting on his tears as they fell from his cheeks onto the wooden floors.

After a couple moments of anguished silence, my dad spoke up, his voice breaking as he talked, "C-Cherokee? Sweetheart t-today we heard some very u-uneventful news.." He seemed to cry even more.

I sat up and scooted up further to hear him. His voice sounded so faint. My mother withdrew her arm and used the back of her hand to wipe her tears away.

My father continued, "You k-know how Ammon left to f-fight for the C-Capitol?" A weak smile pressed against his lips, obviously very proud of my older brother who left home to fight a war for our way of life.

I nodded slowly, starting to piece together a puzzle I didn't want to finish. My father nodded just as slow and continued, "A-and how he went to fight against the rebelling district..? You know that, right my sweetie..?"

I nodded, feeling the wetness stream down my cheeks. Father leaned over and with his thumb wiped my tears away. He seemed to cry even harder and he whispered above the roaring silence, "He was part of an air-raid my little girl.. They were doing so well. We built these fighter jets.. They would have.. SHOULD HAVE NEVER FAILED."